3rd Gen F56 Cooper S Drove the F56 Today

Discussion in '3rd Generation: 2014+ F54, F55, F56, F57, F60' started by JenLane, Mar 21, 2014.

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  1. JenLane

    JenLane New Member

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    #1 JenLane, Mar 21, 2014
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    Okay, I know I'm in R53 territory here. Accepting the Gen3 as a thing that is here and can't be changed, accepting it as part of the family and ignoring the "snouty" look of the front overhang, here is my review.

    I arrived at the dealership and saw it in PDI. It had less than 10 miles on it and next to no gas.

    We hopped in and rode along with one of the coolest sales people on the planet (we were at MINI of the Mainline) and he fueled it up. My boyfriend Matt took the wheel for the boring traffic congestion bits and I took the wheel for the fun parts (sorry, Matt). It's the toss of the dice.

    Handling: It's zippy and go-kart like and it hasn't lost a bit of "MINI." In fact, compared to the ultra stiff R58 that is my daily, this is a pleasant departure. To me, it sits somewhere between the R53 and the stiffest of the Gen2 line. Road feel is plenty and it doesn't lack one iota of agility.

    Interior: I love the seats. Comfy and sturdy and by comparison, I float in the sport seats of my R58. These would be great MOTD seats. The hidden compartment is smaller than the Gen2. I drove a Thunder Grey with the white interior and it looks amazing. Tweeters in the rear. And as for the back seats... I sat in the back for a few miles behind a guy who's 6'1" (I'm 5'9") and it wasn't painful. In fact, I had a few inches to spare. But does the interior "feel" bigger than the R56? Nope. Not one bit. It really doesn't.

    Tech: I hate tech in cars. I want a car that goes. I don't want to fiddle with stuff. But this car has one of the easiest panels to operate. It didn't annoy me. I didn't have a car with the heads up display (thanks for that) but the center speedo-area thing easy to use. The steering wheel controls for radio and cruise control are flipped so that would take 10 days of getting used to. And the side view mirror adjustment has a lever (to select which mirror you're altering) which looks like a button. That takes a second to sort because the door handle casts a shadow on it and it doesn't look like it slides but it does.

    Transmission: The Thunder Grey we drove was an automatic. So this doesn't relate to manual, obviously, but the flappy paddles are instantaneous. No lag at all. I expected start stop to annoy me but not one bit. It's instantaneous also. And green mode is comparable to the get up and go of the R50. Standard and Sport are awesome. Much more HP. Sport is similar to the R56 JCW. Big smiles there. And the lurching you get from a Gen2? Gone. Smoothest shifting MINI ever.

    Overall: If someone asked me 12 hours ago how I felt about BMW and Gen3 sharing features and platforms, I'd have spewed something diplomatic. Now, I'd give them a round of applause. Not only is this a MINI, through and through, but it also stands a better chance at QC. The fact that this engine is shared with BMW models means that SBs will be faster, that they'll be able to respond quicker to issues and that it will, in the end, be more reliable is a bonus. I'm happy to be able to say that, if faced with the demise of my beloved R58, I could put myself in the seat of an F56 with a smile on my face. The last piece of the puzzle is to be comfortable with that front overhang.
     
  2. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
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    Nice review Jenn but I can not get past the pure butt ugliness of it. :lol:
     
  3. mattsch1981

    mattsch1981 New Member

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    I agree, Dave. But once behind the wheel you don't see the outside. I loved my R53. I love my R56. I didn't think that I could love the F56, but after a bit of time behind the wheel I can see buying one in 5 or 6 years when I need a new car. Hopefully by them they'll have a LCI model with a better looking snout.
     
  4. cct1

    cct1 Well-Known Member
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    I really have to drive one. But virtually every review I've read has said it's lost a little bit more of the directness; test it's become even more civilized. That'll be great for the popularity of the brand, but not my cup of tea. Yes, people like me and Dave are in the minority; the MINI has gone from quirky to mainstream and has broadened its appeal at the expense of losing many of the initial enthusiasts (the F56 is about as appealing to me as an Aztec), but it is what it is.

    Nice review though, glad you got some time in one.
     
  5. Dave.0

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    I do not like the inside either. :nonod:
     
  6. cct1

    cct1 Well-Known Member
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    I've only seen pics, but loss of the central speedo is in and of itself a deal breaker for me.
     
  7. JenLane

    JenLane New Member

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    Honestly, if I ran a car company (and no offense is meant here), the option to gain more customers by giving more customers what they want would trump keeping early adopters of the product happy. And continuing the brand is important because I like parts and having access to parts. And I like quality, which only increases when they can afford to employ people who will provide, ensure, and maintain quality. I think it's a good thing that it's a car that's a thing to aspire to, as opposed to an over-priced thing that's a let- down at its price point.

    Sure, I'd love to be able to buy a brand new, out of the box '06 R53 but they don't make those anymore. This is what they make now. And I'm glad that, considering all of the Euro regulations, US regulations, consumer desires, buyer survey results, journos reviews, and competition, that they've come out with something that made me smile when I put my foot on the gas.

    What I really can't wait for is the aftermarket front bumpers. You know they can't be far off. And they can only do that overhang a favor. It's going to take some getting used to. Although, I have to say, it does look better in person. It photographs terribly. But it's not so great in person that I feel a miracle has happened. It's still jarring. Looking forward to what the fabrication world comes up with.
     
  8. Justa Jim

    Justa Jim Well-Known Member
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    Very nice review and thanks. Some of us will move on and some will remain in the past, but that is OK, too each their own.....or is that "cut off your nose to spite your face?". Whatever...............:D
     
  9. Dave.0

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    The looks and price kills it for me. I don't care about all the other peoples wants and other garbage I want a car that I like to look at inside and out. I would rather buy a BMW 1 series or get away from BMW /MINI altogether and buy a more reliable and quality built car from another manufacture.

    Thank god I still have my R53 and I will not be getting rid of it.
     
  10. cct1

    cct1 Well-Known Member
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    #10 cct1, Mar 21, 2014
    Last edited: Mar 21, 2014
    Jenlane--I don't disagree with that, it's just that the original R53 was a totally different beast, and the current beast is a completely different animal that frankly doesn't have the appeal of what got me into the dealership in the first place. We all get that for the brand to continue, it's got to be profitable, but something has been lost along the way. Some people get that (and I think you fall into that category), some people don't, and accuse us of nasal self-mutilation, but whatever....:wink:

    But when everyone is clamoring for aftermarket bumpers before the car is even on the street, I can't help but think that somewhere something has gone horribly wrong...A large part of the MINI's appeal is its simplistic, understated lines and looks, and this has been completely lost on the new S.

    The community will be fine--main streamers buying the F56 to be trendy aren't going to be active on these forums anyway; they'll be on Edmunds asking where to find the dipstick. There will be plenty of F56 buyers who are goofballs like the rest of us to keep things interesting, and buy reasonable looking fascia to make the F56 presentable.
     
  11. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
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    Good review! I must say you are very brave taking a chance on incurring the rath of the R53 mafia. We are everywhere :devil:
    When my dealer gets one I will go drive it. It may not be my cup of tea but it is a MINI.

    You no what they say keep your friends close and your enemies closers!:lol::lol:
     
  12. jiminni

    jiminni Well-Known Member

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    Maybe Mini can make a stripped down RS version of it? :lol:
     
  13. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
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    Ok so I agree it has lost some of what made a mini a mini, at least to me. The R56 had retained the essence of the Mini. I know that they had laws that drove some of the design but some things they didn't need to change.
     
  14. Spa2k

    Spa2k Well-Known Member

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    Dave, forget the looks of the outside and the inside. When you get to see and fondle the front muffler clamp bolts, it will be the most intense emotional experience of your life - and you'll rush to the closest dealer to trade in your aging, old-tech R53 on a new F56. :D
     
  15. JenLane

    JenLane New Member

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    #15 JenLane, Mar 22, 2014
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    Haha! There are all kinds of fans. Every sect is trumped by another at some point in the purism chain. The R53 purists have to tip their hat to the "BINI" haters and even the Mk II crowd can find some playful animosity among the Mk I crowd. There are the pro-Mokes and the Moke haters and God forbid you own an Elf Mk II in some parts of the world because the grille is all wrong and it should be killed with fire. But they're all Minis in some form or another and I know cool people who own them all. I'd never know them if not for the car and that's kinda what it's about anyway - people liking cars.

    Life is too short for anything else.

    I was fully expecting to hate it to some extent. To come away with more cons. That the whole package would make me feel justified for disliking the exterior. That I'd have this moment where I'd take a step back and say "I'm never letting go of my R58 and if I have to, I'll get an R53 again and I just can't see myself in this boring and soulless car." But that wasn't the case at all. It isn't soulless and boring and instead, I took a step back and said "I'll get used to seeing this - just like the Countryman - and if something happens to Fe, I can see myself having a lot of fun with this."

    I know it doesn't sound like much of a compliment but I mean it as a very high compliment, indeed. The tech doesn't mask the lack of fun. It's still in there. I didn't miss the center speedo (I never look over there anyway). And looking slightly to the left for the tach is an easy adjustment.

    They had a tough job and I think they did it well. Aesthetics are subjective and if they're designing for their largest market, it isn't us - it's Europe (the same crowd that thinks the Paceman is useful). What I ask when I look at this front end isn't "why did the designers think this looks good?" I ask "Why does Europe think this looks good?" But I'm a fan of a Euro brand that sells a Euro car with a Euro aesthetic. So I just have to deal. :)
     
  16. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
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    Its not about the people that buy them and are enthusiast its about MINI and what BMW is doing with it. For the recorded I'm a BMW fan, BMWCCA member. Why I love BMW? because they lets you mod your car and keep your warranty. They are a performance company. Even some BMW fans believe they have dumbed down the brand I am one of them, they are taking MINI down the same road.

    Let me use the tach and speedo as an example. All of us on this forum get the tach being in front of us, we are car people. The tach is more important then a speedo. I only look at it when I pass a cop. Side note I came up behind a police officer so fast the other day he puled over and let me by, pretty cool of him. So back to what I was saying. The non car people don't get it and complain(its not like my Camry:cryin:). So the J.D. Power initial ratings suffer. Then the fun suckers have the car for a little while and they get it and are happy. This is because Mini purifies there soul from the hum-drum existence they have been leading driving their appliance car. So then the ratings go up.

    Learn from Apple. Some times you don't conform to peoples wants. You build a product that is unique and well designed.

    We are Mini owners we dance to a different tune. BMW is trying to sing the same song as the rest of the car companies but in a different pitch. But that makes it the same old song the Prius sings.

    Thus says the R53 Mafia :lol:
     
  17. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
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    Have you been drinking....:lol::lol::lol::lol:

    You have a better chance see monkeys fly out my butt before I buy an F'ed 56.:lol::lol::lol::lol:
     
  18. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
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    Please please don't let them out at the dragon. I hate monkeys!:lol::lol:
     
  19. Justa Jim

    Justa Jim Well-Known Member
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    ^^^ I honestly understand what you and Dave and all the other R53 folks are saying. I do understand how you feel about the direction BMW is going with MINI. I also understand your likes and dislikes, your wants and needs in a car. I really do get it.

    What gets me, is that for the six years I have been on the forums, all I hear is R56 bashing, GPII bashing and now F56 bashing. The R53 is not coming back, so love yours, give other folks advice on modding theirs and tell us about what you have and are doing to yours, but give all the bashing a rest. Please.
     
  20. Spa2k

    Spa2k Well-Known Member

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    I'll bet I could sell enough tickets to an event like that to pay for a new JCW F56. We could set up a circus tent at the end of the Dragon, sell cotton candy - maybe even get a story in MC2! :ihih: :Thumbsup: :biggrin5:
     

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