Mini Cooper S - R53 Or N14 R56?
Discussion
Hi all.
I'm going to get myself a fun little car this year and I've basically narrowed it down to a Mini Cooper S. For my budget there seems to be a reasonably plentiful supply of early R56s which I know have the N14 engine and its associated problems and a seemingly less plentiful supply of late R53s (which I believe have a different supercharger among other things?).
My head is saying R53 - supercharged, no N14 worries etc but I think the R56 is a better looking car both inside and out. What do the collective think? is an N14 engined Cooper S just a ticking time bomb? Is there any preventative work that can be done on them to make them more reliable? And what are the differences between early/late R53s and is holding out for a late one worth doing?
Cheers!
Dave
I'm going to get myself a fun little car this year and I've basically narrowed it down to a Mini Cooper S. For my budget there seems to be a reasonably plentiful supply of early R56s which I know have the N14 engine and its associated problems and a seemingly less plentiful supply of late R53s (which I believe have a different supercharger among other things?).
My head is saying R53 - supercharged, no N14 worries etc but I think the R56 is a better looking car both inside and out. What do the collective think? is an N14 engined Cooper S just a ticking time bomb? Is there any preventative work that can be done on them to make them more reliable? And what are the differences between early/late R53s and is holding out for a late one worth doing?
Cheers!
Dave
I bought an r53 a few months ago, always fancied a supercharged one so bit £2k on a 2 owner LCI 2004 model with full leather, full history that had been dry stored forn3 years (90k).
It's great, drive it 100 miles home without any issue, history looks solid and I've booked it into a specialist for all fluids chance and belt change (£200)
My kids love it and ask to go out on the "mini car" for a drive.
Goes faster than it feels and great fun. For 2k I couldn't think of anything else.
I'm not up on mini's I'm more a vag man but been on the groups and it seems this engine is pretty robust if services peoperly post LCI 2004 onwards had a few changes and worth getting one of this era.
It's great, drive it 100 miles home without any issue, history looks solid and I've booked it into a specialist for all fluids chance and belt change (£200)
My kids love it and ask to go out on the "mini car" for a drive.
Goes faster than it feels and great fun. For 2k I couldn't think of anything else.
I'm not up on mini's I'm more a vag man but been on the groups and it seems this engine is pretty robust if services peoperly post LCI 2004 onwards had a few changes and worth getting one of this era.
DaveyBoyWonder said:
Thanks for the reply - so when was the LCI introduced on the R53? I'm a VW guy too but have had a couple of Minis (currently have an R55 Clubman on the drive as a daily) and theres just something about the Minis that has really got under my skin. Quirky little buggers aren't they!
To be on the safe side its 2004 September onwards, you can tell by the steering wheels and dashboard (earlier ones have a 3 piece not 4 piece dash and the 2 spoke wheel)It has an upgrade on the supercharge that was teflon coated to make it last longer apparently, they do leak oil though, mine drops a 1p size amount if left for 2 weeks but nothing noticeable on the dip stick. Clutch is like doing a leg press in the gym but adds to the character!
Agree with you on there's something about them, i wanted one when they were first out, not a huge fan of the newer stuff although have a BMW 3 as a daily / company car.
I got mine purely to have a hoot around in with the plan of keeping it 6 months and selling it to buy a family car ( family lease went back in November) but I think now I've cleared room in the garage ill have it for a good while yet!
I had a R53 and currently drive a R55 N14 Clubman. The early R53 is lots more fun, and the supercharge noise is very addictive. They can be made to feel alot quicker by uprating the pully to a 17%. The engine wears miles well and should be no issue well over the 100k mark. They are easy to work on, and loads of parts available. Due to the size of the car some things can be a pain to change, and will need a few hours labour at a garage.
The R55/56 moves more towards a BMW feel, and you can tell that on the interior of the car. They tend to be more comfy as stock over the R53 if you want a daily driver. The N14 does have issues though, but many cars will have been fixed already. I bought my clubman with main things already done on it (£2k bill). Being a turbo a remap makes them a very quick car indeed.
If you want a more classic Mini feel then defo get a R53. Tons of them about so you can be picky, just make sure they have a good service history and plenty of receipts of work. Lots get neglected and thats where you can end up spending money getting it back upto scratch.
The R55/56 moves more towards a BMW feel, and you can tell that on the interior of the car. They tend to be more comfy as stock over the R53 if you want a daily driver. The N14 does have issues though, but many cars will have been fixed already. I bought my clubman with main things already done on it (£2k bill). Being a turbo a remap makes them a very quick car indeed.
If you want a more classic Mini feel then defo get a R53. Tons of them about so you can be picky, just make sure they have a good service history and plenty of receipts of work. Lots get neglected and thats where you can end up spending money getting it back upto scratch.
Mate is a big cooper s fan and has had three r53's all of which i've done work on in some way from mechanical to detailing.
They are fairly easy to work on. Couple he's bought in less than pristine shape and we've worked on them to bring them back up to scratch. Parts can be expensive as they are popular little weapons and there is BMW pricing to contend with. But the second hand market is your friend as are the forums for other bits.
Some of the tuning companies i think charge way over the odds - but no different to any other popular marque.
For higher mileage models look for steering issue, pumps, ecu's, steering racks are all weak links the older they get. Likewise, supercharger service and the big 100k service mentioned. But alot of it is easy enough to work on if you are handy with a spanner and have some space.
I would recommend the r35, smaller pulley and a nice exhaust as they sound good with a Miltek etc. Especially if you like cracks and pops (not my thing but my mate loves it). Plenty can be done to make the r53 quite the weapon power wise, but compared to the Turbo model its a little harder and more expensive to get there. I wouldn't necessarily let that sway me to the turbo though. Try and get an 05 car in r53. Chilil pack had LSD as standard and came standard after jan 05 - makes a big difference to how they handle. (happy to be corrected on dates).
They are fairly easy to work on. Couple he's bought in less than pristine shape and we've worked on them to bring them back up to scratch. Parts can be expensive as they are popular little weapons and there is BMW pricing to contend with. But the second hand market is your friend as are the forums for other bits.
Some of the tuning companies i think charge way over the odds - but no different to any other popular marque.
For higher mileage models look for steering issue, pumps, ecu's, steering racks are all weak links the older they get. Likewise, supercharger service and the big 100k service mentioned. But alot of it is easy enough to work on if you are handy with a spanner and have some space.
I would recommend the r35, smaller pulley and a nice exhaust as they sound good with a Miltek etc. Especially if you like cracks and pops (not my thing but my mate loves it). Plenty can be done to make the r53 quite the weapon power wise, but compared to the Turbo model its a little harder and more expensive to get there. I wouldn't necessarily let that sway me to the turbo though. Try and get an 05 car in r53. Chilil pack had LSD as standard and came standard after jan 05 - makes a big difference to how they handle. (happy to be corrected on dates).
R53. The supercharger whine provides unique soundtrack but will be a tad third tier than the R56. Check exhausts as they are made of cheese as are brake lines at this age. Think LSD came as standard on cars speced with chilli pack from late 04 onwards until they stopped on 06 plate. Easy way to check is to call mini with the vin or reg.
I'd try for a facelift if you can, nicer place to sit and slightly better exterior and xenon lights. Brilliant cars for A road blast. Run flat tyres should be swapped asap for better ride.
I'd try for a facelift if you can, nicer place to sit and slightly better exterior and xenon lights. Brilliant cars for A road blast. Run flat tyres should be swapped asap for better ride.
I've owned a couple of both pre and post FL. My most recent one was a basic preFL model and it was by far the best I've owned.
Facelift changes over preFL were as follows
- teflon coated supercharger vanes (the charger is exactly the same and most I've seen the teflon is flaking off causing more issues than its worth)
- 3 piece dash instead of 5 piece (rattles a bit less bit still rattles)
- different/shorter gear ratios (personal preference but I preferred the longer ratios in the pre FL)
- different ECU tuning that included pops and bangs (ideal if you want everyone to think you're a t
t)
- redesigned headlight units (they look better but still like candles)
- door cars had a slightly longer armrest pad (whoopee)
With that in mind, I would just buy the best pre or post FL you can find as at the age most are at now, condition is everything.
In terms of reliability and costs. The engines are pretty strong as long as the plumbing is kept healthy. Thermostat housings and expansion tanks can leak and as the engines run very hot the head gasket will go quick if ignored. Oil leaks are common but are easily fixed so walk from any where they've not been fixed. They don't suffer massively from rust but for some reason tailgates and under the rear lights like to go on the FL cars. Subframes can also get pretty rotten.
I found parts were cheap for a hot hatch. They are pretty basic to work on but are very awkward due to how everything is crammed in. Many simple jobs involve removing the whole front end (bumper bar, compressor, radiator etc). For that reason a lot garages don't want to work on them. They drink petrol like a V8 and have the VED to match.
Facelift changes over preFL were as follows
- teflon coated supercharger vanes (the charger is exactly the same and most I've seen the teflon is flaking off causing more issues than its worth)
- 3 piece dash instead of 5 piece (rattles a bit less bit still rattles)
- different/shorter gear ratios (personal preference but I preferred the longer ratios in the pre FL)
- different ECU tuning that included pops and bangs (ideal if you want everyone to think you're a t
t)- redesigned headlight units (they look better but still like candles)
- door cars had a slightly longer armrest pad (whoopee)
With that in mind, I would just buy the best pre or post FL you can find as at the age most are at now, condition is everything.
In terms of reliability and costs. The engines are pretty strong as long as the plumbing is kept healthy. Thermostat housings and expansion tanks can leak and as the engines run very hot the head gasket will go quick if ignored. Oil leaks are common but are easily fixed so walk from any where they've not been fixed. They don't suffer massively from rust but for some reason tailgates and under the rear lights like to go on the FL cars. Subframes can also get pretty rotten.
I found parts were cheap for a hot hatch. They are pretty basic to work on but are very awkward due to how everything is crammed in. Many simple jobs involve removing the whole front end (bumper bar, compressor, radiator etc). For that reason a lot garages don't want to work on them. They drink petrol like a V8 and have the VED to match.
From my experience, definitely not a N14 engine. They leak oil all the time - valve cover, sump, transmission sump, timing chain tensioner seal and a load of other places. The engine drinks oil galore. I think the worst was 1 litre per 400 miles and on a good month 1 litre per 1,000 miles. I used to buy oil from ECP/Asda whenever it was on offer and I have so much oil staining my drive. Just when you fix one leak, something else leaks! Then there is the engine coking etc etc.
My Romanian mechanic loved my car as he would see it every 3 weeks. Leaks from coolant on thermostat seals etc etc. Quite frankly the French engine is a POS and the N18 not much better. As my mechanic says "Too many plastic components".
My Romanian mechanic loved my car as he would see it every 3 weeks. Leaks from coolant on thermostat seals etc etc. Quite frankly the French engine is a POS and the N18 not much better. As my mechanic says "Too many plastic components".
As an ex Mini Cooper S R56 owner I wouldn't touch the N14 engine with a barge pole. Expect the following problems -
- Very high oil consumption
- Oil leaks
- High-pressure fuel pump failure
- Cam chain rattle from cold
- Followed by cam chain failure
- The worst dipstick design you'll ever encounter
I read about all these issues before buying mine at 2 yrs old, and I had every single fault which people on forums complained about.
My local Mini dealership was brilliant, but they could never fix the oil consumption issue. The car never bellowed blue smoke from the exhaust, but it would use 1l over 600 miles. Mini kept telling me this was normal, but not even my 1992 Land Rover Defender would use this much oil.
If I were you, do not buy an N14 Mini. Save your money, pay more for a N18 engine and you'll save money and headaches in the long run.
It's not all doom and gloom though as the R56 is a very good looking car, handles brilliantly, sounds fantastic and has great performance. Shame the early models are utter dog ste
- Very high oil consumption
- Oil leaks
- High-pressure fuel pump failure
- Cam chain rattle from cold
- Followed by cam chain failure
- The worst dipstick design you'll ever encounter
I read about all these issues before buying mine at 2 yrs old, and I had every single fault which people on forums complained about.
My local Mini dealership was brilliant, but they could never fix the oil consumption issue. The car never bellowed blue smoke from the exhaust, but it would use 1l over 600 miles. Mini kept telling me this was normal, but not even my 1992 Land Rover Defender would use this much oil.
If I were you, do not buy an N14 Mini. Save your money, pay more for a N18 engine and you'll save money and headaches in the long run.
It's not all doom and gloom though as the R56 is a very good looking car, handles brilliantly, sounds fantastic and has great performance. Shame the early models are utter dog s
teI own a 52 plate R53 as a toy/track car with I think a little under 90k on the clock now, given the amount of hammer it gets I think they are really solid little cars, I wouldn't get too hung up on the supercharger difference between pre facelift and facelift, the Teflon coating doesn't add a great deal, the main thing is if it hasn't had a supercharger service then get that done and you should be fine, its a good opportunity to add a reduced pully at the same time which I did.
Build quality isn't great on them, mine does seem to have a lot of panel rattle but that said I have a feeling a previous owner may have messed with them, I had to remove some dubious modifications when I got mine but I got it cheap with that in mind.
Build quality isn't great on them, mine does seem to have a lot of panel rattle but that said I have a feeling a previous owner may have messed with them, I had to remove some dubious modifications when I got mine but I got it cheap with that in mind.
nunpuncher said:
They're double the price for a reason.
Even starting to see good R53s sell for more than n14 R56s in some cases.
Kinda why I'm thinking that now is the time to get an R53 as prices seem to be creeping. Prices of early R56 Cooper S are definitely continuing to drop below the price of (in some cases) pretty average looking R53s.Even starting to see good R53s sell for more than n14 R56s in some cases.
I’d get an R53 too.
I never really got the R56 to be honest. It just seemed to lack some of the ‘magic’ that made me love the R53. It was silly stuff like the lack of whine from the steering and I hated the revised gear knob.
I loved my little R53. It was an AUC and did need a fair amount of warranty work. I’d have another in a heartbeat.
I never really got the R56 to be honest. It just seemed to lack some of the ‘magic’ that made me love the R53. It was silly stuff like the lack of whine from the steering and I hated the revised gear knob.
I loved my little R53. It was an AUC and did need a fair amount of warranty work. I’d have another in a heartbeat.
Gassing Station | Car Buying | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff