R56 :: Hatch Talk (2007+) MINI Cooper and Cooper S (R56) hatchback discussion.
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

R56 What you dislike about your MINI but it's still awesome thread

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
  #1  
Old 08-12-2008, 05:17 PM
sk8erguyzach's Avatar
sk8erguyzach
sk8erguyzach is offline
4th Gear
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 380
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
What you dislike about your MINI but it's still awesome thread

ok my mcs is awsome i love it but i am dissapointed.

comming from the r53 mcs i was used to the high end torque and now i have an r56 mcs i love all the low end torque but once i finally got into the throttle and up in the higher rpm's it felt as if it lost half its power

anyone else dissapointed with this or some other thing or feature?

ziggy/08 mcs/sport/xenon/driving lights/leatherette/hifi/multifunction steering


 
  #2  
Old 08-12-2008, 06:12 PM
SuperGreg's Avatar
SuperGreg
SuperGreg is offline
6th Gear
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Chandler, AZ
Posts: 1,733
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
I have a feeling that this will be a very short thread
 
  #3  
Old 08-12-2008, 06:17 PM
ClubmanS's Avatar
ClubmanS
ClubmanS is offline
6th Gear
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: South Florida
Posts: 2,972
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Originally Posted by SuperGreg
I have a feeling that this will be a very short thread

Why?

Is there a ban in effect for constructive criticism of the R56?
 
  #4  
Old 08-12-2008, 06:19 PM
ClubmanS's Avatar
ClubmanS
ClubmanS is offline
6th Gear
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: South Florida
Posts: 2,972
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Answering the OT's questions... Yes I agree. The R56/R55 Turbo have tons of low end torque and good mid-range power but the engine starts to lose steam after 5K RPM or so.

In the R53 S Supercharged the engine revs and pulls like a freight train from 3K ROM all the way to redline 6.8K RPM.
 
  #5  
Old 08-12-2008, 06:58 PM
Minidrivr's Avatar
Minidrivr
Minidrivr is offline
6th Gear
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 2,881
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes on 4 Posts
I dislike the price. Mainly the price of the options. Like they say on Top Gear, BMW only gives you the windscreen and the air in the cabin standard.

My Mini was way too expensive, with nearly every option, the price nearly doubled from base. Not double, but not far from it.

The car itself is great though!
 
  #6  
Old 08-12-2008, 07:29 PM
4cefed4's Avatar
4cefed4
4cefed4 is offline
2nd Gear
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Huntington, NY
Posts: 51
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
1) No option for non-run flat tires.

2) "Belt line" is too high to improve side crash test compliance

3) Rear and over the shoulder visibility should be better

Some other nit picky things, but otherwise a great little car.
 
  #7  
Old 08-12-2008, 07:33 PM
ClubmanS's Avatar
ClubmanS
ClubmanS is offline
6th Gear
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: South Florida
Posts: 2,972
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
The center console still bothers me to this day.

No front height adjustable seat belts

No water temp gauge in the R55/R56. This is not acceptable on a Turbocharged car.

Plastic chrome gas cap (In the R53 it was made of real metal)

Lack of bonnet grille alternatives in the S model

Option to leave the sport button on by default

Body gaps and shutlines in the front end still need work
 
  #8  
Old 08-12-2008, 08:37 PM
Horatio's Avatar
Horatio
Horatio is offline
2nd Gear
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 80
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by 4cefed4
1) No option for non-run flat tires.
i agree with this one, the runflats are rough, especially over such things as train tracks and the like
 
  #9  
Old 08-12-2008, 08:41 PM
gjhsu's Avatar
gjhsu
gjhsu is offline
5th Gear
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 876
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I dislike that I didn't order rear fogs.

At first, I thought I'd be disappointed by the lack of power, but, like the boys and girls in Miata-land, having a light car is much more fun than having a ton of power!
 
  #10  
Old 08-12-2008, 08:49 PM
sk8erguyzach's Avatar
sk8erguyzach
sk8erguyzach is offline
4th Gear
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 380
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
high under bonnet temps

amount of ***** needed to do custom mods
 
  #11  
Old 08-12-2008, 11:54 PM
x1morethanux's Avatar
x1morethanux
x1morethanux is offline
1st Gear
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
having to wait forever for my car to come
 
  #12  
Old 08-13-2008, 12:07 AM
minihune's Avatar
minihune
minihune is offline
OVERDRIVE - Racing Champion
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Mililani, Hawaii
Posts: 15,260
Received 69 Likes on 66 Posts
Dislike about the R56?

High prices for base car and options
No LSD for auto transmission
Stock wheels too heavy
Runflat tires with no option for compact spare
Total weight too heavy
Wheel spin too easy
Stock radio options not good enough
Limited dealership locations
Long wait times
 
  #13  
Old 08-13-2008, 12:30 AM
scabpicker's Avatar
scabpicker
scabpicker is offline
3rd Gear
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Fort Worth
Posts: 269
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Well, if you miss the high rpm power, just shift. It takes off all over again

My gripe: I want some hand crank windows!


They'll never make us all perfectly happy, a completely excellent car otherwise.
 
  #14  
Old 08-13-2008, 05:40 AM
zooki's Avatar
zooki
zooki is offline
2nd Gear
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 57
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I do like my car, but i wish the interior was less "legacy" and more "functional". I want the window controls on the doors, something beside that huge speedo in the center of the dash, different fan and A/C controls, variable speed intermittent wipers, and a radio I can actually upgrade if I wanted to. I think MINI is holding on to the heritage part a little to strongly. Or maybe I'm not "artsy" enough...
 
  #15  
Old 08-13-2008, 05:52 AM
hdvato's Avatar
hdvato
hdvato is offline
3rd Gear
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Valencia, CA 91355
Posts: 154
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by 4cefed4
1) No option for non-run flat tires.

Originally Posted by Horatio
i agree with this one, the runflats are rough, especially over such things as train tracks and the like
+2 ^^^^^

I'm not feel'n the love from my runflats. Tramlining = FTL
 
  #16  
Old 08-13-2008, 05:53 AM
4xAAA's Avatar
4xAAA
4xAAA is offline
6th Gear
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Bryan Texas
Posts: 1,369
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
The distance between the cup holders and the toggle switches could be further. A couple of large drinks can block the entire row.
Not to mention the amount of trials and tribulations it takes to get a drink out of the danged thing.
 
  #17  
Old 08-13-2008, 06:34 AM
callahan00's Avatar
callahan00
callahan00 is offline
5th Gear
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Posts: 622
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Here's my list.

1. The absense of a one touch open sunroof.
2. The doors don't easily stay open and tend to close on my shins.
3. I like the layout of the center stack [am i the oddball here] but the materials should have been higher quality.
4. Lack of the chrono-Pack option liek on the R53.
5. Being punished by BMW for not ordering a Rear Fog light. Gets my panties in bunch when I see the blank toggle. Just put it in even if it doesn;t do anything [like the hood scoop]
6. The GONG. although it is better than the GM chime.
7. Runflats. Just icky.

Even with all that said. It is the best car I have ever owned. Oh and for those of you [and there are a lot out there] that hate the radio volume dial position, it is really there for a particular reason. If you notice it is almost perfectly lined up with you hand on the shifter so you don;t have to fumble about trying to find the ****. Agreed it looks odd but it does have a reason for being there.
 
  #18  
Old 08-13-2008, 06:41 AM
Bishamon's Avatar
Bishamon
Bishamon is offline
3rd Gear
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 250
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
The JCW performance kit seems to have resolved the lack of torque above 5000 rpm, which is nice. Not that I was complaining about that before.

I do dislike the use of a proprietary radio setup built into the dash. I'd prefer the option of an easy replacement.

I dislike the stock shift ****... too large and cheap-feeling with an uncomfortable top. My Whalen **** is much better.

I dislike that there is now a faster model available through the dealer than my MCS with JCW kit.
 
  #19  
Old 08-13-2008, 07:15 AM
netsatwork's Avatar
netsatwork
netsatwork is offline
1st Gear
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 38
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
My big complaint comes from the plastics on the door interior. The piece that connects the arm rest portion to the main door, near the speaker, is so cheap. I often want to pull on this to close the door, but don't because I worry it will break. Nothing else really bothers me. The overall design of the car is just excellent I think.
 
  #20  
Old 08-13-2008, 07:29 AM
DanQ's Avatar
DanQ
DanQ is offline
2nd Gear
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Lake Zurich, IL
Posts: 93
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Squirrelly radio head unit design. It would be so much better if the speedo were smaller and they designed a double din radio spot in the dash. I know BMW won't change their design 'cause if they did I as suggest, they wouldn't be able to sell outdated $2500 nav systems, $500 Bluetooth and Ipod options... I, on the other hand, could buy a $1200 aftermarket system that does everything...

Here's an idea BMW, give me a $250 OPTION to have an empty double din radio slot and still have the onboard computer in the speedo! EDIT: I forgot to add, include a wire harness with antennas for FM, GPS, HD radio, speaker wires and speakers. Maybe another $250 HIFI double din delete option with wiring for external amp and component speaker upgrade?
 

Last edited by DanQ; 08-13-2008 at 08:03 AM.
  #21  
Old 08-13-2008, 07:33 AM
Loony2N's Avatar
Loony2N
Loony2N is offline
6th Gear
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 15,966
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
I have 3 significant disappointments:

1. The HiFi upgrade is subpar. Although, lately my stereo has sounded much better.

2. The center arm rest stinks. It's flimsy, holds almost nothing, opens too easily, is too low for a true arm rest and doesn't go up all the way.

3. Rattles that only SA's can't hear.
 
  #22  
Old 08-13-2008, 07:45 AM
RadishAttack's Avatar
RadishAttack
RadishAttack is offline
2nd Gear
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: New Jersey - U Just Feel Better
Posts: 69
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
.
 

Last edited by RadishAttack; 08-14-2008 at 06:59 PM.
  #23  
Old 08-13-2008, 07:54 AM
davo_florida's Avatar
davo_florida
davo_florida is offline
2nd Gear
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 106
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Cheap display for on board computer.... reminds me of a 1980's alarm clock.
IPOD navigation..... SUCKS!
 
  #24  
Old 08-13-2008, 08:16 AM
jw34's Avatar
jw34
jw34 is offline
6th Gear
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Ohio
Posts: 1,275
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
-I wish the vents would work without having the fan on
-Window toggles are hard to get to with drinks in the holders
-Radio should be easily removed
-temperature gauge and gas "gauge" instead of candy corn
-adjustable intermittent wipers (on all my other cars for the last 15 years)

Love the car, just being picky.
 
  #25  
Old 08-13-2008, 09:17 AM
amazingrando's Avatar
amazingrando
amazingrando is offline
Auto on Sport Button guy
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 702
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
If you don't like something, mod it! if you can't fix it, then complain.

I don't like the lack of an auto unlock feature, so I pretty much drive around with my doors unlocked, because I don't like the double door pull.
 


Quick Reply: R56 What you dislike about your MINI but it's still awesome thread



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 02:49 AM.