I have to say, the MA picked me up yesterday to go and get my EB/W MCS from P&W that was in service for a bad crank seal and oil pan gasket (Thank you for coming 30 minutes away to pick me up by the way) in a 2008 MCS CR/Black top MCSa. I had originally went down to P&W to order a new LB/White MCS and while on order, I decided to buy a gently used '05 instead. Is it just me, or is the interior of the 02-06 MINI so much more Nostalgic and fantastically old school than the new R56? I love the interior of my '05 and I think MINI missed the boat on the R56 by a long shot. After that ride, I am soooooooooo glad I got the R53 hands down. Anyone else have an opinion? Maybe I didn't like it because it was Auto?

 

Some do, some don't...the pages of NAM are strewn with one-off R56 encounters that left a bad impression only because folks are only used to seeing the first gen setup. R56's interior is just as nostalgic and just as fun as the first gen car and if you drive one everyday it's just as fantastic for a very long list of reasons that I won't go into here. My point is that it's a mistake to think MINI "missed the boat"...both interiors are very fitting for a proper MINI. I don't blame anybody for loving what they drive, but knocking one over the other is almost silly as both are strong for different sets of reasons.

 

I have the 03, and just bought a 08, I find my tastes like the current model much better.....and the ride

 

I have an 06 MC and I had an 07 MC courtesy car. Mine and the courtesy are both manuals and I preferred mine so much more. The 07 felt less attached to the road (if you want to put it that way) and it felt more closed in. Very different in my opinion. I was also used to shifting just by the sound of the engine and after the first roundabout I was waiting to hear the exhaust and engine telling me to shift. Silly quiet engine, had to keep checkin how many revs I was at

 

I'd say BMW got it part right, part wrong with the new interior. The positives are the amount of customization and upgrade in the quality of the materials (with the exception of the center stack), the negatives are the relative cheesiness of the looks/plastic on the center console (Do we really need silver fisher price wings to remind us its a MINI?), and the increased size of the speedo. I'm willing to bet the center stack will be readressed on the facelift, although I doubt the speedo will.

I prefer the look of the old interior--its a bit less busy, a bit more retro, and a bit more refined--sometimes simplicity can look more refined than complexity. Its part of the reason (although a relatively small part) that I'm waiting on the next generation of MINI before I'll consider trading mine in. But I'll admit my opinions are probably in the minority; it doesn't appear BMW is having any problems selling the R56.

On the other hand, the seats in the new MINI are a significant improvement over the old, BMW did a very nice job with that...

 

the interior is what sold me on my 08. i liked the 06 but something about the interior left me flat. i think i reminded me too much of my dad's old BMWs. and that cup holder floating in space is brutal. only because i think of this car in the german sense of the idea. a car is built to drive not cart you around while you have a picnic in it.

 

The "floating in space" cupholder is very easily removed... in fact, it's the first thing I did when I picked my MINI up. I actually removed it before I even drove the MINI out of the pick-up area!

 

I'll give you my .02 opinion here. I have an 06 MCS that I love. Yep that cupholder floats in the air & I had it removed at delivery. A week later I reinstalled it as I really needed a place for my coffee cup.

I had an 07 R56 MCS as a loaner for 4 days. All in all I liked it & yep it is still a MINI, but some things just didn't seem right to me. Yes it does ride smoother even with runflats, but it also felt a bit disconnected from the road. Now one has to pay extra for the sport suspension that was standard on my 06 R53 MCS.

The turn signal & wiper switches just felt strange to me. After 4 days I still hadn't gotten used to them.

The new improved cupholders didn't seem like much of an improvement to me.

The center stack looked a bit cheapish to me, but I did like the way it gives a little more room for one to spread your legs out.

The door pockets are smaller giving less storage space.

My biggest gripe was the radio built into the speedo. What's up with that? To top it off the radio controls are in the speedo & on the center stack. Not too brilliant. Also the sound quality seemed to be not as good as my base system in my R53.

Things that I liked more than my R53. Seems to have more power. Gets much better mileage.

When I wear my MINI out I can see me moving to an R56. At the present time there's no reason for me to do so.

 

Well something they missed on the '05 and did right on the R56 is the storage under the eBrake! On my '03, I had a MINI accessory cubby tray that stored in front of eBrake and between the seats. The '05 console prevents you from using it and substitutes it with a miniscule change holder.

 

Yes that is true, but we still have a cubby under the toggle switches that is missing on the R56.

I'm not bashing R56's just pointing out the somewhat odd to me differences. I hope in a few years that they make a few changes to ease complaints that folks have.

One more thing....

No supercharger whine on an R56.

 

+1

Dean.

 

The old R53/R56 classic story. Bottom line--they both make me smile.

 

A big +1!!!

 

the R53 interior with JCW leather dash/downtubes, JCW leather steering wheel and the speedo over the s.wheel can't be better..
the R56 feels smaller (I say feels, because is not smaller than the R53). I think this is becayse the lines of the dash.

But if you compare a normal R53 interior (no leather dash/downtubes, leather wheel and double rev/speedo) then the R56 is better.
But a nice R53 with some of JCW adds is by far more classic

 

I was never very worried much one way or the other about the interior of either version. I like the extra displays on the R56 (where you get time and temperature as well as whatever readout you've chosen). There are some quirks of the R56 that you have to get used to, like the indicators. Having to get used to something, rather than it being like what you're used to is usually bad ergonomics. But I'm used to it now.

My wife likes the R53 better, she likes the architectural quality of the curved support of the centre console.

 

There are a lot of defining elements of R50/53 that I do like, and moving to R56 took some re-understanding of things. Yes, the downtubes are cool, but since all those bits are supposed to give a roll-cage feel (and scratched easily), I came to consider them faux-ish and non-essential, especially in light of the added legroom in R56...it's a good trade-off.

Same w/ the new radio position. Yes, R56's layout is different, but I too love having OBC and other info available in the speedo and use it all the time. I also like the extra set of toggles up above. I don't have a sunroof, so mine are all for interior lighting. We said we loved toggles, and MINI gave us a whole other set.

The left and right manual climate controls seem odd in R56 as they are mounted as a 90 dregee angle to the console, but then again that helps make that added legroom possible, so to me, I see that as a pretty clever thing.

Don't get me wrong, I am still a big fan of both interiors, each for different sets of reasons, and I do not even consider anything particularly a problem. I just had to reconsider things to make room for a different way of understanding the interior design, and in doing so I find that the benefits justify the change.

If I look at all the various car interiors out there, both first and second gen interiors are all extremely recognizable as MINI and very distinct to the marque. The differences are there, but they are not worth getting too dogmatic over.

 

So much equivocation from some posters, how about another take from an ex-R56 owner: Upon first viewing and even 6 months of ownership down the road the interior never became more ergonomic (i.e., manual HVAC controls), more intuitive (e.g., stereo ***** and display), or more aesthetically pleasing / less aesthetically horrifying (e.g., entire centre stack, speedo face, tachometer surround). The seats are far more comfortable and resistance to creaking seemed better but those are about the only positive things I could say about the R56 interior.

Every single individual that recalls my R56 and now experiences my R53 commented on how much more attractive and "less cheap looking" the R53's dashboard is.

A speedo and centre stack redesign is one of the key items I think BMW will be attending to in the mid-cycle refresh. (At least that is my hope!)

 

Different strokes.

 

Having driven both (and my wife having an R56 on order) I just like the interior of my R53. I recall the first comment I made when I drove an R56 loaner. It seemed like the interior was designed by the marketing dept. People thought toggle switches were cool- so they added a bunch more! on a R53 you noticed the MINI wings on the center stack you thought it was a neat design touch- so they made it so the wings screamed "Look I'm a MINI logo!" Then again I'll get used to the R56 and when they make another change I'll wax nostalgically about that interior.

 

I'll second this - the Stereo and HVAC is clunky on the 08 R56....I much prefer the stack on my 04 R50. BMW --are you listening?

 

i would have never bought my new unless i looked at the new R56 had to have it after owning my other mini for 3 weeeks

 

I dunno about you all, but I like my interior, on my R63. See below.

 

That is Sweeeeet! What are the details of your interior?
CJP

 

i didn't have my 2006 long enough to really know the interior but when visiting the dealer to get the windscreen fixed I sat in a 2008 and hated the interior. my dislikes were mostly the narrowness of the switch panel and the little ***** in the speedo.

In my opinion no mini should leave the factory w/o a MFSW

Peter

 

I wish, that's a concept car.