Cooper S - R53 or R56?
Discussion
I have only had my Mini for a month now but thought that I would throw in my tuppence-worth based on my recently buying experience.
I ‘downsized’ from a Volvo V70 and was in the market for something smaller, fun and a tad quicker. Took me a while to even consider a Mini, and when I did I had no idea of the difference between an R53 and an R56. I went along to a local BMW dealer to look at a 1 series when an R53 MCS caught my eye, still can’t tell you what it was about the car but I think it chose me.
I had a good look around the forecourt and decided to test drive a couple of cars, a 2007 R56 MCS with 60k on the clock and the R53 – I drove both cars back to back.
The R56 was a great car, plenty of umph when the turbo whirred into life, it was comfy and quite refined and handled very well – nothing obvious that would have stopped me from buying the car. Then I took the R53 for a ride, and IMHO there was quite a difference between the two! The R53 was quicker from the off, felt much more in touch with the road (not that the R56 didn’t), felt nimbler in the twisty bits but was not as refined in traffic! The whine from the S/C and pops and bangs from the exhaust made the car feel more ‘alive’ and as soon as I got back to the dealer I put a deposit on it.
I can only offer an opinion based on a couple of 20 mins back to back drives, in 6 months time I might have a difference of opinion but I cannot imagine ever tiring of the R53. If I was buying an MCS for my wife, or if I wanted a car that behaved well around town I would probably go for the R56. My decision to buy the R53 was totally emotional, the ‘raw’ feel of the car appealed to me, the ride is firm – I could almost go as far as saying harsh, but I can live with that. The fuel consumption is, erm, not great (although I keep telling myself it’s not that bad), but the overall driving experience always leaves me smiling!
Long and short of it – there is no right or wrong, it’s very much a personal/emotional decision based on your individual driving preferences, to me the R56 felt like a sporty hatch, the R53 felt like a hot hatch. . . . drive a couple and see what appeals to you!
I ‘downsized’ from a Volvo V70 and was in the market for something smaller, fun and a tad quicker. Took me a while to even consider a Mini, and when I did I had no idea of the difference between an R53 and an R56. I went along to a local BMW dealer to look at a 1 series when an R53 MCS caught my eye, still can’t tell you what it was about the car but I think it chose me.
I had a good look around the forecourt and decided to test drive a couple of cars, a 2007 R56 MCS with 60k on the clock and the R53 – I drove both cars back to back.
The R56 was a great car, plenty of umph when the turbo whirred into life, it was comfy and quite refined and handled very well – nothing obvious that would have stopped me from buying the car. Then I took the R53 for a ride, and IMHO there was quite a difference between the two! The R53 was quicker from the off, felt much more in touch with the road (not that the R56 didn’t), felt nimbler in the twisty bits but was not as refined in traffic! The whine from the S/C and pops and bangs from the exhaust made the car feel more ‘alive’ and as soon as I got back to the dealer I put a deposit on it.
I can only offer an opinion based on a couple of 20 mins back to back drives, in 6 months time I might have a difference of opinion but I cannot imagine ever tiring of the R53. If I was buying an MCS for my wife, or if I wanted a car that behaved well around town I would probably go for the R56. My decision to buy the R53 was totally emotional, the ‘raw’ feel of the car appealed to me, the ride is firm – I could almost go as far as saying harsh, but I can live with that. The fuel consumption is, erm, not great (although I keep telling myself it’s not that bad), but the overall driving experience always leaves me smiling!
Long and short of it – there is no right or wrong, it’s very much a personal/emotional decision based on your individual driving preferences, to me the R56 felt like a sporty hatch, the R53 felt like a hot hatch. . . . drive a couple and see what appeals to you!
MadDad said:
I have only had my Mini for a month now but thought that I would throw in my tuppence-worth based on my recently buying experience.
I ‘downsized’ from a Volvo V70 and was in the market for something smaller, fun and a tad quicker. Took me a while to even consider a Mini, and when I did I had no idea of the difference between an R53 and an R56. I went along to a local BMW dealer to look at a 1 series when an R53 MCS caught my eye, still can’t tell you what it was about the car but I think it chose me.
I had a good look around the forecourt and decided to test drive a couple of cars, a 2007 R56 MCS with 60k on the clock and the R53 – I drove both cars back to back.
The R56 was a great car, plenty of umph when the turbo whirred into life, it was comfy and quite refined and handled very well – nothing obvious that would have stopped me from buying the car. Then I took the R53 for a ride, and IMHO there was quite a difference between the two! The R53 was quicker from the off, felt much more in touch with the road (not that the R56 didn’t), felt nimbler in the twisty bits but was not as refined in traffic! The whine from the S/C and pops and bangs from the exhaust made the car feel more ‘alive’ and as soon as I got back to the dealer I put a deposit on it.
I can only offer an opinion based on a couple of 20 mins back to back drives, in 6 months time I might have a difference of opinion but I cannot imagine ever tiring of the R53. If I was buying an MCS for my wife, or if I wanted a car that behaved well around town I would probably go for the R56. My decision to buy the R53 was totally emotional, the ‘raw’ feel of the car appealed to me, the ride is firm – I could almost go as far as saying harsh, but I can live with that. The fuel consumption is, erm, not great (although I keep telling myself it’s not that bad), but the overall driving experience always leaves me smiling!
Long and short of it – there is no right or wrong, it’s very much a personal/emotional decision based on your individual driving preferences, to me the R56 felt like a sporty hatch, the R53 felt like a hot hatch. . . . drive a couple and see what appeals to you!
I ‘downsized’ from a Volvo V70 and was in the market for something smaller, fun and a tad quicker. Took me a while to even consider a Mini, and when I did I had no idea of the difference between an R53 and an R56. I went along to a local BMW dealer to look at a 1 series when an R53 MCS caught my eye, still can’t tell you what it was about the car but I think it chose me.
I had a good look around the forecourt and decided to test drive a couple of cars, a 2007 R56 MCS with 60k on the clock and the R53 – I drove both cars back to back.
The R56 was a great car, plenty of umph when the turbo whirred into life, it was comfy and quite refined and handled very well – nothing obvious that would have stopped me from buying the car. Then I took the R53 for a ride, and IMHO there was quite a difference between the two! The R53 was quicker from the off, felt much more in touch with the road (not that the R56 didn’t), felt nimbler in the twisty bits but was not as refined in traffic! The whine from the S/C and pops and bangs from the exhaust made the car feel more ‘alive’ and as soon as I got back to the dealer I put a deposit on it.
I can only offer an opinion based on a couple of 20 mins back to back drives, in 6 months time I might have a difference of opinion but I cannot imagine ever tiring of the R53. If I was buying an MCS for my wife, or if I wanted a car that behaved well around town I would probably go for the R56. My decision to buy the R53 was totally emotional, the ‘raw’ feel of the car appealed to me, the ride is firm – I could almost go as far as saying harsh, but I can live with that. The fuel consumption is, erm, not great (although I keep telling myself it’s not that bad), but the overall driving experience always leaves me smiling!
Long and short of it – there is no right or wrong, it’s very much a personal/emotional decision based on your individual driving preferences, to me the R56 felt like a sporty hatch, the R53 felt like a hot hatch. . . . drive a couple and see what appeals to you!
I have owned an R53 Cooper S and now own an R56 (Clubman S). The R56 is a little more grown up but not as much fun as the R53. The torque steer is more pronounced in the R56 too, but some people like grappling with the steering wheel. If I could put up with the poor mpg and lack of space in the R53, I would probably have chosen another.
Mike
MadDad said:
I have only had my Mini for a month now but thought that I would throw in my tuppence-worth based on my recently buying experience.
I ‘downsized’ from a Volvo V70 and was in the market for something smaller, fun and a tad quicker. Took me a while to even consider a Mini, and when I did I had no idea of the difference between an R53 and an R56. I went along to a local BMW dealer to look at a 1 series when an R53 MCS caught my eye, still can’t tell you what it was about the car but I think it chose me.
I had a good look around the forecourt and decided to test drive a couple of cars, a 2007 R56 MCS with 60k on the clock and the R53 – I drove both cars back to back.
The R56 was a great car, plenty of umph when the turbo whirred into life, it was comfy and quite refined and handled very well – nothing obvious that would have stopped me from buying the car. Then I took the R53 for a ride, and IMHO there was quite a difference between the two! The R53 was quicker from the off, felt much more in touch with the road (not that the R56 didn’t), felt nimbler in the twisty bits but was not as refined in traffic! The whine from the S/C and pops and bangs from the exhaust made the car feel more ‘alive’ and as soon as I got back to the dealer I put a deposit on it.
I can only offer an opinion based on a couple of 20 mins back to back drives, in 6 months time I might have a difference of opinion but I cannot imagine ever tiring of the R53. If I was buying an MCS for my wife, or if I wanted a car that behaved well around town I would probably go for the R56. My decision to buy the R53 was totally emotional, the ‘raw’ feel of the car appealed to me, the ride is firm – I could almost go as far as saying harsh, but I can live with that. The fuel consumption is, erm, not great (although I keep telling myself it’s not that bad), but the overall driving experience always leaves me smiling!
Long and short of it – there is no right or wrong, it’s very much a personal/emotional decision based on your individual driving preferences, to me the R56 felt like a sporty hatch, the R53 felt like a hot hatch. . . . drive a couple and see what appeals to you!
I have just purchased a R53 at the weekend. After months of trying to find one that was right for me. (price, condition etc) I ‘downsized’ from a Volvo V70 and was in the market for something smaller, fun and a tad quicker. Took me a while to even consider a Mini, and when I did I had no idea of the difference between an R53 and an R56. I went along to a local BMW dealer to look at a 1 series when an R53 MCS caught my eye, still can’t tell you what it was about the car but I think it chose me.
I had a good look around the forecourt and decided to test drive a couple of cars, a 2007 R56 MCS with 60k on the clock and the R53 – I drove both cars back to back.
The R56 was a great car, plenty of umph when the turbo whirred into life, it was comfy and quite refined and handled very well – nothing obvious that would have stopped me from buying the car. Then I took the R53 for a ride, and IMHO there was quite a difference between the two! The R53 was quicker from the off, felt much more in touch with the road (not that the R56 didn’t), felt nimbler in the twisty bits but was not as refined in traffic! The whine from the S/C and pops and bangs from the exhaust made the car feel more ‘alive’ and as soon as I got back to the dealer I put a deposit on it.
I can only offer an opinion based on a couple of 20 mins back to back drives, in 6 months time I might have a difference of opinion but I cannot imagine ever tiring of the R53. If I was buying an MCS for my wife, or if I wanted a car that behaved well around town I would probably go for the R56. My decision to buy the R53 was totally emotional, the ‘raw’ feel of the car appealed to me, the ride is firm – I could almost go as far as saying harsh, but I can live with that. The fuel consumption is, erm, not great (although I keep telling myself it’s not that bad), but the overall driving experience always leaves me smiling!
Long and short of it – there is no right or wrong, it’s very much a personal/emotional decision based on your individual driving preferences, to me the R56 felt like a sporty hatch, the R53 felt like a hot hatch. . . . drive a couple and see what appeals to you!
I have to say I agree with MadDad ... If you want the smile factor this is the car for you. So much fun. Plus if your looking to play around with it I heard that the R53 is a lot easier to work on for more power etc.
hi guys
just thought I would ad my pennies worth, albeit about 5p worth
I owned a facelift 54 plate R53 (more ooomph and more reliable supercharger than the pre facelift) it was one of if not the best car i have owned, such a monster in the twisties , things happened as in life and it moved on and i ended up with a fiesta ST, have to say a great car to drive and so reliable,
But i just missed the mini so mich, in the end, i went to the dealers to see if any 2nd hand R53's where about, and two months later collected my brand new R56!!! doh!!!
this is the new 184 bhp! one and im not technically minded but unlike the standard pre faceleft R56's this turbo doesnt seem to kick in !! its there all the time, its like a flaming rocket launcher when you floor it and i havent even tried the sports button yet,
so if your thinking on either i would say def go try a 184 BHP R56 before buying a R53 mcs,,, i think in comparing all three you could say its like ford when they made the ford escort series one RS turbo then made the series two, and owning both the two just wasnt there for me, but unlike ford BMW went there and revised the 2nd edition and i love it,, but if I could afford it i would have the R53 and my new one side by side in my garage
just thought I would ad my pennies worth, albeit about 5p worth
I owned a facelift 54 plate R53 (more ooomph and more reliable supercharger than the pre facelift) it was one of if not the best car i have owned, such a monster in the twisties , things happened as in life and it moved on and i ended up with a fiesta ST, have to say a great car to drive and so reliable,
But i just missed the mini so mich, in the end, i went to the dealers to see if any 2nd hand R53's where about, and two months later collected my brand new R56!!! doh!!!
this is the new 184 bhp! one and im not technically minded but unlike the standard pre faceleft R56's this turbo doesnt seem to kick in !! its there all the time, its like a flaming rocket launcher when you floor it and i havent even tried the sports button yet,
so if your thinking on either i would say def go try a 184 BHP R56 before buying a R53 mcs,,, i think in comparing all three you could say its like ford when they made the ford escort series one RS turbo then made the series two, and owning both the two just wasnt there for me, but unlike ford BMW went there and revised the 2nd edition
and i love it,, but if I could afford it i would have the R53 and my new one side by side in my garageI have one of the last of the R53s, on a 56 plate. After a year I went to test drive the R56 as I was considering a switch. It wasn't a hard decision, I kept the R53.......
If ever a car has character it's the original supercharged one. Maddog hits the nail on the head a few posts up!
If ever a car has character it's the original supercharged one. Maddog hits the nail on the head a few posts up!
My mate has just bought a new JCW and px'd his highly tweeked R56 for it.His new car is more refined, more sized, more frugal on fuel, more money !! , but it is not as quirky as the R56 he had. I took him out in my R53 JCW the other day and he said, it does really shift. His car with the turbo does go, but sometimes I think he misses his R56.The whine, the directness, the nimbleness, less torquesteer. He is getting older now (49) so I guess his bones couldnt take the eibach sprung 240bhp R56 and has started the downgrade too..............
We've had both too, personally the exhaust note and accelerative surge is far better in the R56, as is the interior and build quality.
The R56 is also much faster in standard form, we went from an R56 to an R53 and I was forced to spend a further £1100 tuning the R53 just to get it to the equivalent speeds/acceleration of the 08 R56 we had. I would say the R53 puts its power down far better and isnt as hoopy on a bumpy b-road, but overall the R56 would be my choice by quite some margin.
Its also quieter and far more refined overall at speed, as well as using much less fuel!!
The R56 is also much faster in standard form, we went from an R56 to an R53 and I was forced to spend a further £1100 tuning the R53 just to get it to the equivalent speeds/acceleration of the 08 R56 we had. I would say the R53 puts its power down far better and isnt as hoopy on a bumpy b-road, but overall the R56 would be my choice by quite some margin.
Its also quieter and far more refined overall at speed, as well as using much less fuel!!
Hoddo said:
Sump needs replacing around 70k - They leak.
Thanks for some really useful info there, Hoddo.As I am in Aussie, your prices make me weep.
I just want to confirm - is it the sump that needs replacing, or the sump gasket?
Thanks to all who have responded so far - keep 'em coming!
Similar conundrum, however I've decided it's the R56 MCS I'm after (it's for my good lady but needs to be something I would enjoy driving).
Any thoughts on the trade in value and private sale value for this car;
http://pistonheads.com/sales/3655705.htm
Do the performance modifications limit the market and therefore the value?
Any thoughts on the trade in value and private sale value for this car;
http://pistonheads.com/sales/3655705.htm
Do the performance modifications limit the market and therefore the value?
Sideways Rich said:
Similar conundrum, however I've decided it's the R56 MCS I'm after (it's for my good lady but needs to be something I would enjoy driving).
Any thoughts on the trade in value and private sale value for this car;
http://pistonheads.com/sales/3655705.htm
Do the performance modifications limit the market and therefore the value?
Looks like a great car, as long as an HPI check and all of the claimed service history/receipts etc checks out. TBH the performance mods will drive down the value of the car, lets be honest - when a car has been 'fettled' it has also usually been ragged! Any thoughts on the trade in value and private sale value for this car;
http://pistonheads.com/sales/3655705.htm
Do the performance modifications limit the market and therefore the value?
However, thats not always the case! I have a FIAT Barchetta that is 'much improved', uprated suspension, custom induction kit, upgraded brakes, wheels, S/S exhaust and a host of other bits. I have self serviced the car at 6000 miles and always cherished it but will be selling it this spring (as I have a Cooper S now), despite its condition and upgrades I know I won't be able to get as much as a bolt standard one.
The other thing I would check before you set your heart on the MCS in the advert is what the mod's will do to your insurance. Don't forget, if you don't declare them and you have an accident the insurance company can declare your insurance nul and void!
For £7k you should be able to find a MCS on a BMW forecourt under the 'cherished mini' scheme. . . .
MadDad said:
Looks like a great car, as long as an HPI check and all of the claimed service history/receipts etc checks out. TBH the performance mods will drive down the value of the car, lets be honest - when a car has been 'fettled' it has also usually been ragged!
However, thats not always the case! I have a FIAT Barchetta that is 'much improved', uprated suspension, custom induction kit, upgraded brakes, wheels, S/S exhaust and a host of other bits. I have self serviced the car at 6000 miles and always cherished it but will be selling it this spring (as I have a Cooper S now), despite its condition and upgrades I know I won't be able to get as much as a bolt standard one.
The other thing I would check before you set your heart on the MCS in the advert is what the mod's will do to your insurance. Don't forget, if you don't declare them and you have an accident the insurance company can declare your insurance nul and void!
For £7k you should be able to find a MCS on a BMW forecourt under the 'cherished mini' scheme. . . .
However, thats not always the case! I have a FIAT Barchetta that is 'much improved', uprated suspension, custom induction kit, upgraded brakes, wheels, S/S exhaust and a host of other bits. I have self serviced the car at 6000 miles and always cherished it but will be selling it this spring (as I have a Cooper S now), despite its condition and upgrades I know I won't be able to get as much as a bolt standard one.
The other thing I would check before you set your heart on the MCS in the advert is what the mod's will do to your insurance. Don't forget, if you don't declare them and you have an accident the insurance company can declare your insurance nul and void!
For £7k you should be able to find a MCS on a BMW forecourt under the 'cherished mini' scheme. . . .
I've put a deposit down on the car, looking forward to collecting it!
I can only speak for r56 as I've owned a fjcw since December. Perhaps too soon to speak but mine hasn't used any oil, is still excellent fun and I still love the looks. Bad things are dashboard rattles caused by the garage that tried to fix a windscreen noise by removing the dash and a high clutch biting point.
We bought a r53 last may on a 53 plate with only 21k on the clock. the car drives great and great fun, Not too bad on fuel we get 30mpg around town some times less some times more if we do a few runs, And can even see 43 mpg on a steady run.
It seems to eat run flat tyres i have had to change 3 tyres since may. I am on standard tyres on the rear now as i am not keen on run flats. When the fronts are done they will get standard tyres as well.
Few things have gone wrong on it.
Rear Brake pipes rotten
Near side front wheel bearing is dead
Exhaust is blowing and needs changing soon
found a rot trap when under doing the brakes on the offside rear wheel arch area that will need cleaning up before it starts to really rot.
Steering has a creek in it, top bush i think.
seat belts sqeek when cold in the cabin ( really irritating )
Air con does not work.
Not that great with only covering 8k since last May really. Getting a bit feed up with the crap build quality TBH. Will give it one more year once it is all sorted and see how i feel about it as it is such great fun and a good looking wee car.
It seems to eat run flat tyres i have had to change 3 tyres since may. I am on standard tyres on the rear now as i am not keen on run flats. When the fronts are done they will get standard tyres as well.
Few things have gone wrong on it.
Rear Brake pipes rotten
Near side front wheel bearing is dead
Exhaust is blowing and needs changing soon
found a rot trap when under doing the brakes on the offside rear wheel arch area that will need cleaning up before it starts to really rot.
Steering has a creek in it, top bush i think.
seat belts sqeek when cold in the cabin ( really irritating )
Air con does not work.
Not that great with only covering 8k since last May really. Getting a bit feed up with the crap build quality TBH. Will give it one more year once it is all sorted and see how i feel about it as it is such great fun and a good looking wee car.
JamesK said:
Had to laugh at that one - my 55 plate has this and it drives me MAD!!
It's a 9 year old car now and you seem to enjoy the actual driving of it - maybe a touch harsh to criticise build quality on that basis?
Well i did drive a volvo v40 tdi for years before this when i used to commute 1200 miles a weeks i sold it with 190k on it and did over 100k in that car and i think the Mini is Crap next to it build quality wise. It needed very little on it apart from tyres and normal service items and when i sold it the only thing i can think of that did not work was the rear window washer ( probably blocked up) It's a 9 year old car now and you seem to enjoy the actual driving of it - maybe a touch harsh to criticise build quality on that basis?
Oh add that to the Mini's faults list as well lol
I hardly drive it i do less than 5k a year now so SWHBO use's it 80% of the time so it gets a easy life. Just a bit disappointing with built quality .
Good fun to drive but they good have been built more like a real BMW in my eyes. Maybe the later cars are better. Il give it one more year if it keeps eating itself i will think about moving it on. It is probably worse than my TVR's i have had for eating components lol
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