Here's the deal: I have an 03 Cooper S, first Mini I've had and I really like it but it has 82k miles, so I want to upgrade.

I found an '06 S with 40k miles, JCW suspension, CAI, Borla, leather, loaded etc... they want my car plus $8500, won't take any less, no warranty (available as an add on 3 years for $1600)

So today I drove a 2008 S, 40k miles, loaded but stock. The handling is NOT even what my 03 has. The car slid on me, with the traction on, dry pavement, not even going that fast.
They will take my car + $8400. Still has factory warranty!

Sooo this would seem like a no-brainer except for the handling. I like to go fast in curves and it takes hammering it in a TIGHT curve to break the tires loose on my 03. So do I get an older car with mods and get the handling/fun factor?

Or what about the 08 and buy the Alta suspension kit?

I would even consider a '11 if they handle better! I just want to be happy with this next purchase, as I don't think the 03 was up to its full potential.

Any opinions? It's a tough decision!

 

Hang on to what you have! This is the consensus of most people that are used to driving a R53 and go to a R56. They love the R53! Is your car falling apart? At 84,000 miles, you still have a lot of fun left in that R53.

To get the R53 feel back to the R56 you need to lower it at least 1.5" (coilovers are the best route), add polyflex front control arm bushings, and of course drive with sport mode on all the time for better steering response in addition to better throttle feel. Still many will argue it is not the same.

 

Thanks for the input! I have read up on the differences and opinions on here but it is still a tough decision! Can't they just combine all the great aspects of both and make me a custom one?? lol

The only problem with my 03 is there is a rattle in the clutch (throwout bearing?) and I'm afraid its gonna crap out.. and cost a lot to fix.

Also my A/C robs allll my power when I go to pull out in the 03, seems like they fixed that in 05-06 though.

Not sure I wanna put that much $$ into coilovers, etc on an 08.

I might keep looking for an 06 that I can get a better deal on.

 

A 15-17% pulley should fix the AC issue.

 

It has a 16%, BPV and CAI. It's almost like it's not geared low enough in first. We live near the mountians so their are a lot of hills to pull out on. Seems to be better on the 05+.

 

did you consider that your car might have much better tires then the run flats that may have been on the 08?

I have two cars well over 100k and they run great. even a clutch repair is less then car payments (i know you are not doing that but it puts in the perspective)

The power rob is interesting. You have a pulley and you still feel the drain. check you belt tensioner and see if everything is looking good. It may be your SC is getting tired.

Keep your car you know it you love it. If 8.5K is getting you mods you would like to do maybe get the fresher gen1 and call it a day.

 

Keep what you have. Helix has a lowered gearset (final drive) for the MINI that Uses straight cut (DOG) gears that will lower your gearing farther than the '05 - '08 GETRAG box, and make it just as strong. While you have the trans apart it would be in your best intrest to swap in a Quafe limited slip, with all the extra geared power you may need it, and throw an ACT clutch in since it is apart anyhow. This is the (well almost) trans setup of my dreams, your car has plenty of power just put a little more of it to the ground.

As for the almost 90K miles, you have a pretty stout iorn block that is up to more abuse than most people want to throw at it. A strong built motor is a long lasting motor.

 

the power robbing ac is because the turbo engine makes torque sooner so you dont feel it as much. Once you have an r56 youll get used to it and feel the diff in a/c power vs non a/c power.

 

But it's everything else that surrounds that motor is crap and expensive to replace. I'm not anti-R53, but the OPs is getting up there, and that car could become a cash vacuum/money pit sooner than later. Fun? I think not

OP I had a R53 and I was soooooooooo glad to get rid of it-- poor build quality, crappy d/t components, electrical with its own mind, etc etc. I have an 09 now--so much better across the board--and while I understand your concern about handling, even if you replace the control arm bushings and go with non-RSCs like Shane said it will make a difference.

 

Good point. My R53s A/C struggled to keep the car cold (when it wasnt in the shop) and the power rob was very noticeable, but that is not the case with the R56. I feel only slight difference now between non A/C and A/C power, and man does the A/C work so much better!

 

Lol coming from my s2000 which i had also a lightweight fly wheel... the engine literally felt as if it was going to die with a/c on... Always ended up sweaty.


I will say that when i test drove an r56 thats one of the first things i noticed. Twinscroll FTW!

 

Well this has been discused so many times before R53 vs R56. But from what you have posted you are spending a hunder dollars left for a stock R56. I personally would never and I mean never buy a car with aftermarket performance parts on it. The reason being is that you don't what quake put them on and if the person that did it knew what they were doing. Its up to you what you want but 84k on an 03 isbelow avg mileage and as longas it has been properly maintained and continued to be maintained properly you have a lot of life out of it. The basic equation is that for every 10k miles you should add another $100 in maintence to it every year.

 

The R53's can eat up some money when stuff starts going wrong, superchargers, water pumps, belt tensioners, and thermostat housings seem to be the worst of it. Most of theese problems have started ocuring later in the life of the car, and not every R53 is affected by theese isues. As for build quality, after tearing my car down numorous times I can honestly say it beats out all the Japaneese stuff that I built up before. There are more security clips holding panels on than I have ever seen, the carpet on the floor is bonded to a THICK high dencity rubber fom pading with a glue that I cant seporate. Granted there might be a few mystery rattles in the dash on some of the earlyer models, but have you ever driven a LOTUS? You can actualy hear the chassis creeking and every non structural panel on one of those, making some sort of noise in a hard turn. The R53 has one of the stiffest chassis that has ever been produced, and that is where its handling comes from.
On the R56 they hid the rattles with more felt tape, changed the engine out with a not as strong as one would hope aluminum block, gave it 10:1 compression, then decided to add a turbo. its a perfect recipie for disaster IMHO. I have driven the H**L out of a '08 JCW that came in on trade at the dealership I was working at, and can honestly say my R53 handles better and lays down more power lower in the rpm range. Not to hate on the R56 but its not for me. I like the more performance less refined feel of the R53, not the squishy trying to cram more luxury into a small performance car feel of the R56.
But that is just my opinions on the two, take it for what you will, eather way it is still a MINI.

 

pretty much every dyno posted shows that is not the case by far even with your $10k in mods.

The r53 is great for high end HP but the R56 rules the low end torque. At 3k rpm the stock r56 JCW is pushing close to 200lbs of torque at the wheels. At a recent Jan tuning session I didn't see any r53s (and most of them there were modded r53s) crack 170 torque anywhere in the power band even after being tuned.

My 07 S was pushing 245lbs torque at 2700rpm with a tune, intake, and intercooler as the only mods. I haven't dynoed my JCW but it feels just as strong with a tune and intercooler.

 

I'd keep the R53 you have now and wait to see what MINI comes up with later next year. If not, I'd buy the '06 before I bought the '08.

Just my .02.

 

"The r53 is great for high end HP but the R56 rules the low end torque. At 3k rpm the stock r56 JCW is pushing close to 200lbs of torque at the wheels."

In a way you are right, in others not so much.
What is your car doing before 3000RPM? You are waiting on boost for the most part, I know I have been there done that, it seems like it takes forever to build boost from a dead stop. When it does start kicking in around 2800RPM it does push you back nicely though.

In my R53 if you are just slowly creeping along below 2000RPM, then smash the gas pedal chances are the tires are going to break loose and go up in smoke, NO lag just instant boost.

Say what you want about dyno numbers, dynos are more of a tuning tool rather than an accurate gauge of what your car is actually like to drive on the open road.

 

Agreed. If you're even considering R56 you might be better off at least waiting for the '11 to show up, as the refresh improves upon many things on the 08. If you have to purchase now I would go with the '06.