33 replies to this topic

[leemcmini]

just out of curiosity, who owns both a Bini/mini, the reason i ask is i would like to get rid of my Mg6 and run a Bini R56 S as my main car, ideally i wanted a run an MPI as my daily, but work did not seem to pleased and as i have a car allowance i have to listen. 

 

if anybody has that generation of mini what are the like to live with/ problems build quality etc.

 

Cheers

Lee

[mab01uk]

 

I have owned a 2002 R50 Mk1 MINI as a daily driver for the past 7 or 8 years and love the way it drives, the R56 Mk2 carries over much of the original R50 designed by Rover but was updated by BMW in 2007 with different engines, gearboxes, etc......if you don't get much response on here from any TMF R56 S owners try also asking on the TotalMINI forum who are usually helpful to new members.

http://www.totalmini.com/forum/

 

(The 'MINI2' forum is more international but a useful reference and the 'MINI Torque' forum is very much a performance and tuning orientated forum).

 

PS. Bini is not a popular term amongst most MINI enthusiasts, better to just use Mini in capitals where necessary!

Edited by mab01uk, 26 October 2014 - 06:58 PM.

[Mrpeanut]

My wife has both.

Her daily is a bini R56 cooper. It's a decent little car. Reliable, economical and good to drive.

The thermostat housing/sensor/stat (all one unit) has failed and cost a few quid but that's been the only fault in 3 years of motoring.

[Stuart_BRG]

I have both - my MPI for fun and sunny days, and the R56 JCW for the rest of the time.

 

I know loads of people have an issue with them, but to me it's a modern car I can use every day that at least still has a character unlike the vast majority of modern euro boxes. And it's a hoot to drive. My JCW likes A LOT of engine oil though.

Edited by Stuart_BRG, 23 October 2014 - 12:34 PM.

[jaydee]

I have a bini to use for daily commuting here.

A classic car is not reccomandable for safety here, too much SUVs driven by irresponsible people.

I would have loved a mini as a daily drive, as it was ten year ago and it was so fun.

[humph]

As has been mentioned Totalmini is a good place to ask this question, but do avoid the term Bini.

 

I have owned 5 MINIs, and the wife 4, from 1st gen Cooper to 2nd gen JCW & a JCW Countryman.  We have owned a R55 Clubman S, R56 Cooper S 192, and a R56 factory JCW before the R60 JCW Countryman.  All but the factory JCW have been pretty trouble free, Cooper S had a number of belt tensioners but generally good. My preference was always for the Clubman for the extra boot space, but the wife liked the hatches. Early reviews say the Clubman handles better, but loses out by 0.5 secs on the 0-60.

 

Your post mentions an R56 S, just to clarify as many get mixed up with the R numbers, this is the 2nd gen turbocharged Cooper S, post November 2006. This is important as it's very different to the 1st gen supercharged version as far as owniership and running cost go. 

 

The R56 S is a really good car, but there are issues which I'll touch on later. The engine pre September 2010 (i think) was a Peugeot Citroen block, changed for a BMW engine after the facelift. The BMW engine brought with it a in increase in BHP, 165 to 182 i think, and in my opinion the BMW engine is a better drive.  All cars come with a 6 speed Getrag gearbox.  You also have the option of the dealer fit JCW tuning kit which took the PSA engine to 192bhp, not sure if this continued after the engine change.

 

Things to look out for;

1. the death rattle. Early MCS, i think it was sorted by the time the BMW engine came in, suffered from sometimes being really noisy on cold start up (gattling gun type noise).  This was solved by changing the timing belt tensioner, but it took MINI a lot of attempts.
2. the thermostat housing sometimes cracks causing coolant loss.
3. clutches have always been a bit of an issue if neglected.
4. rattles can be an issue on some cars, but I've always found these easy to sort (I haven't had many)
5. the standard boost stereo, especially pre facelift is poor, for both sound and user interface and replacing the headunit isn't easy.  Mikey at www.newministuff.com does great upgrades (have one myself at the moment). My choice would be look for a car with sat nav and Harmon Kardon for ease of use and sound.
6. packs such a Pepper and Chilli add resale value
7. manual aircon on early cars is fiddly to use, look for the standard auto aircon that came in later on Chilli pack cars.

Be aware if you go & read Totalmini that people tend to post in the advice and tech sections when they have issues, those who have a happy driving experience (and that's the vast majority) only visit for the socal side.

 

You are unlikely to achieve the inflated mpg figures BMW quote, I got 34-36 from my S on mixed driving and the wife got 30-31 on her around the city commute. Buying wise check the spec well if buying privately or from an independent as people don't know their specs and can't value the plethora of options when selling.

Edited by humph, 23 October 2014 - 12:47 PM.

[blackbelt1990]

My other half has a Bini and I have my mini as a weekend car. It's only a diesel but I like to turn the traction control off and drive the wheels off it. Can squeel round the B roads like a mini should! Lol

[humph]

My other half has a Bini and I have my mini as a weekend car. It's only a diesel but I like to turn the traction control off and drive the wheels off it. Can squeel round the B roads like a mini should! Lol

 

Only a diesel?   i've driven a number of Cooper Ds (PSA & BMW engined) and owned an SD, they're great cars, arguably better than the S depending on what you're using them for.

[nicklouse]

Tried one and bought a Suzuki Swift Sport.

[dean]

yeap i have both , 1962 mk1,  and  2008 r56 cooper

[psmini]

I've got both. Since Feb 2012 I've had a 2004 Cooper S, 2007 One Convertible, 2010 One Clubman, 2009 Clubman Cooper S, 2011 Countryman One D and I got a brand new F56 Cooper in April. Loved all of them, especially the One clubman and the Countryman but the Cooper is just awesome! 0-60 in 7.9, £20 road tax, 134bhp from a 1.5t 3cyl and I've had over 60mpg on a run. It's only a fraction slower than the R53. I've also got a 2012 318d sport for work but that sits on the drive when I'm not working. The Mayfair is still my favourite but the MINI is still a great small well built premium car that in my eyes, still has some of the classic mini DNA.

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[Ellie]

I'm looking at getting one now while get the mini restored over winter.
Probably just the standard one though, insurance and all that, I'm only 19.

[HarrysMini]

We have an R53 Cooper S. Great car, probably about as good as you can get hot hatch wise around that age and condition for a few grand.

[mab01uk]

Couple of useful buyers guides for the earlier R50/53 MINI's below although any prices may be a bit out of date now, not sure if there are any similar for the later R56?

 

Buying guide : MINI 2001-2007

http://www.aronline....mini-2001-2007/

 

MINI R50/R53 Buyers Guide

http://www.motoringf...3-buyers-guide/

Edited by mab01uk, 23 October 2014 - 06:22 PM.

[phebs]

my missus has one, but she loves driving my 82 city when its dry etc.....  grrrrrr