[Bonj]

Sat at work looking out of the window at my beloved 05 MCS who has been so good to me for the last two years. Little does he know that in 3 weeks he will be replaced by a Dark Silver 57MCS.

Big problem is that I have heard nothing but woe from R56 owners on here and am now worried I may have made a rather foolish move..... Rubbish stereo, expensive extras that were standard, clutch problems, overheating bonnet, not as much fun to drive.......

Is the new mini the heap of junk so many people seem to say or are R56 owners just miserable?

Please, can people who like their R56s shout about the pros (bits that are better than before, nice new touches etc) a bit more and put my mind (and I'm sure many other potential buyers) at ease.

Cheers,

Ben

[Scrogg]

Quote: Originally Posted by Bonj (original)

expensive extras that were standard

Such as...?

[Bonj]

LSD
Sports Suspension
Both came in Chili pack with my 05

[Paul]

Nothing but woe? You're spending too much time reading the faults and fixes forum, plenty of woe for both generations really.

[Scrogg]

Quote: Originally Posted by Bonj (original)

LSD
Sports Suspension
Both came in Chili pack with my 05

Sports Suspension still does.

[Bonj]

Quote: Originally Posted by Scrogg (original)

Sports Suspension still does.

Seriously? Bonus. Feeling better about it already.

[rellik666]

My mate has one of the first MCS R56's to come here and it is great. All cars are going to have faults but I would take in everything you read. Most people come on here to find fixes for problems, so the number posting is going to outweigh the good comments substantially. There are thousands who don't have problems.

I have an early (03) MCS and although I am a first gen Girl, I can appreciate what the R56 has to offer. I prefer the styling of the first gen cars so couldn't get past this. But the handling, the extra low down torque, the interior styling(which has grown on me), the little touches all are great. There are things that are annoying, like why does the sport button default to off but all in all I am sure that you will be really happy with the car!

I hope you enjoy it! it is still a MINI after all and you should be excited not worried!

[Scrogg]

Quote: Originally Posted by Bonj (original)

Seriously?

Only if you've specifically ordered it, as it's now a no-cost option as part of the CHILI Pack, rather than a standard part of it.

[devaisl]

I felt exactly the same when I decided to trade in my '05 Cooper for my '07 MCS! My '05 Cooper was my first mini and I had a lot of sleepless nights coming up to handover!!

Love my MCS tho' and think its a far better car (sorry old mini cooper!). I even saw my older Cooper last week for the first time in 8 months, out of the blue about 100 miles away from my home - got a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye!!!

D'ont worry you'l love your new car!

P.S. I have'nt had any of the probs reported (touch wood!!!)

[stuvoi]

I had an 04 MCS and now have an 07 MCS

I decided not to go with the Sports Suspension and did not have LSD on either car. Both were on 17". I got rid of the runflats on the R53, currently have Runflats on R56

My R53 could be an uncomfortable drive and lead to many an ache for my and family after a long drive, but there was barely a twitch in cornering.

In the R56 you can actually go on long journeys and walk afterwards, there is a little more care needed in some road conditions, but it's certainly not "wallowy".

In terms of seats, R56 are much more comfortable - I had Cloth Leather in R53 / have Full leather in R56.

HIFI - IN R53 had Harmon Kardon + Ipod Link. In R56 have HIFI upgrade + Ipod Interface - difference being in R56 I have Sat Nav.

In R53 I used to "loose" a speaker at high volume. In the R56 the base distorts a bit at high volume, but it is "max" volume.

My wife can still hear the sound as I drive down the estate.

Engine Heat / INterior Heat - I don't lie on the engibe that often, so it's not something I've noticed. In the passenger foootwell I found the "heat" element that was mentioned in some threads - had to look hard and not sure how people can get their foot on it.

Space - R56 has more space - we went camping in R53 last year and had to tie the Tent to the roof, in the R56 - same gear, but we got it al in the car (2 adults, 1 child, 1 rear seat folded dow. Tent / Sleeping bags, 2 suitcases, windbreak, camping stoves, blowup stuff, plus lots of other items - ask anyone on the South Downs camp how much we got in !!

Sun roof - I like the double opening SunRoof, not too keen on the new shade over the previous one.do have a whiney noise on this but only (on test track) at speed.

Overall I am pleased with purchase, it did make my old car feel a little tired.

Hope this help

Link is mostly of R56, but also has my R53 on too

R56 MCS - a photoset on Flickr

Stu

[Bonj]

Cheers everyone!
Stu, that is one fit car you've got there. Hoping to use mine for a few outdoor excursions (with kayak strapped to the roof) so good to hear the R56 is a bit more spacious.

[bards]

I have an 05 cooper s, and given the chance I would swap to an R56, its a much cleaner running car in terms of CO2 output (163 against 195?) i think. You get more performance, for less fuel costs, and slightly better build quality (in certain areas) The only thing i found when driving one was the steering feels slightly artificial, but this is a small price to pay in my opinion.

If I wasnt looking at buying a house in the next year i would have swapped mine for an R56 already

Hope you enjoy it!

Nick