Well - as I thought!

Problem is, I'm a real sucker for that new car look/smell. Pathetic, I know. I'm going to get my hands on a R53 and satisfy my needs for a few years.

Thanks for the reply - what month on 2004 were the R53 builds - any idea?

Louis III

They were July 2004 onwards Louise. :cool:

That was the BUILD date (stamped on the chasis)?

I'll check. I assume that there were a few minor differences only?

Louis III

R53 simply means first generation MINI Cooper S. So from 2002 onwards. ;)

Oh man - I'm in a right mucking fuddle!

R50 - ONE and Cooper
R53 - MCS
R52 - Facelift Cooper and One
Cabs - I guess R53 too (just to confuse)

Nope: What are first generation, second generation, r53, r56 etc? (http://www.mini2.com/forum/faq.php?faq=new_faq_item#faq_mini_generations)

arrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

I'm going to by a Suzuki Swift and be done with it!!!!!

(Takes ball and goes home)

That's why I always try to refer to them by their names, rather than internal build codes. It temds to lead to more confusion than it's worth.

This is getting really annoying.

Thursday offered refund or replacement.

Friday morning confirm I want a refund.

Yesterday I call Wollaston and they're calling or waiting for a call from BMW etc and will call me right back.

Still no news so called them again, in a meeting, so left a message.

This whole thing is leaving a really sour taste. :(


Good to hear you got the rejection through and your money back :cool: ...

That's why I always try to refer to them by their names, rather than internal build codes. It temds to lead to more confusion than it's worth.

Stupidly, I have READ that thread you linked to, MANY TIMES. Retention not been a strong point for me since the lobotomy - remind me of your noame again? Ah yes, Jon - was that two sugars - how is the wife?

arrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

I'm going to by a Suzuki Swift and be done with it!!!!!

(Takes ball and goes home)

Hi louise,

I have both a MINI 03 Cooper S and the New Suzuki Swift. I shan't tell you on here which is the better car ;)

They were July 2004 onwards Louise. :cool:
Hi louise
Have you had a sex change without telling us Louis? :confused:

Does Mrs The Third know yet? :p

Have you had a sex change without telling us Louis? :confused:

Does Mrs The Third know yet? :p

:eek: :eek: :p :confused: Well I had just got back from the lunchtime pub :smile: my apologies to louis.........s :smile:

Paul you seem to be the only person that has had the wheel arch "fall off" that I can find. Has anybody else had this issue?

Not that I've seen, but then again I do drive on quite rough, cracking, twistnig, bouncing country lanes every day. The old MINI was/is up to it, but the new one apparently isn't. When I do my runs I take people on a lot of regular routes and the feedback often involves how crazy the roads are, so I appreciate not a lot of people enjoy the same twisty little back routes I do day to day. :)

Just to clarify though, I've been driving the same roads in the same manner in various MINIs since 2001 (although when this happened to my car I was driving slow and careful as I had my 3 year old in the car). This has never happened before. Then in the space of a couple of months it happens on both sides of the press Cooper S and the passenger side of my own Cooper S. It's not co-incidence.

any chance that when the springs are under full compression and you have the wheel turned to the lock that the tire rubs the moulding? True, it shouldn't happen but maybe that would explain it.

I was thinking of trading my 06 Cooper in for a new MCS. Dunno if I'll bother now.
My Cooper had nothing but problems (nothing major like Engine or gear box) from the start. I never experienced the joy of having a brand new car as it was in the garage every other week.

Well, after my earlier posts about dreading collecting mine I am pleased to say, so far, I am on the whole very happy. I really was dreading collecting mine, and had visions of it suffering from every fault mentioned here - of course that was never likely to happen so for anyone else reading this whole thread just apply some common sense which is what I didn't do.

Its funny when I think back, I have previously said that my R53 MCS had no faults, it didn't - but there were some niggles, and I guess I forgot about these after 3 years, I just ignored them.

So for my new one, its just niggles again, but different one to the old one.

On collection day, I opened to drivers door to find that the seat belt had been wedged against the seat, and this has caused the leather to crease. Wollastons were fine and agreed to order a new seat back straight away. I had visions of this taking months, reading some of the posts about replacement parts but I am pleased to say they got back to me within a few weeks, its not been back yet but thats my problem because I work in Reading and getting to Northampton is a pain but they are being very accomodating so thanks to Michael McKenzie there.

And so to the niggles... if I hit the brakes hard, the pedal seems to clonk when it returns (not sure if the old one did it, I dont think so)... on a cold day, when setting the heater to maximum heat there is a cracking noise from the dash, probably just new plastic heating up.... the drivers mat has a disc with a screw sticking out, not a big deal.... and there is also an occasional rattle over speed humps which I cant work out, maybe now that the tools are in a tray in the boot that they rattle - Wollastons are going to look at all of these for me.

Someone has mentioned chuckability factor is down - I agree that is doesn't feel so chuckable, the ride is more bouncy, but I guess I will get used to it. These are the things that you learn in time - on a 30 min test drive you are never going to really find this out.

One non niggle, its very fast, much more so than my R53 MCS and that alone continues to make me smile every time I put my foot down... wahey!

There are things I miss about the old one, and things I dont. So far, I am pleased that I have changed, and unless anything major goes wrong I cant see me changing my opinion as its simply pure fun. And once everthing is sorted then it will be all smiles.

The fuel consumption is marginally better at 28.7 so far, but this was never a concern for me really.