Test drove a 2016 Mini Cooper S Hardtop

[mremg]

Originally Posted by WolfGTI

My modded 2002 Cooper S is a hoot - had it from day one, it puts 230 to the wheels and has 205,xxx miles on it. It is a a true joy, I've driven several newer sports cars / sports compacts but still love it. It has it's quirks but it also has a lot of character which is harder and harder to find nowadays.

I would love to know what you think about the F56. If I remember correctly almost all R53 owners hated R56.

[gonzo]

I miss my S all the time. No failures over the 3 year lease at all.
Sport springs, yokos, drop in filter and tint was all I did. Having a full size truck too made it a great metro scooter. One 300 mile round trip with a buddy and that was that for traveling in it. Holds a mess of stuff with seats down.
If I get another I'll pass on the sunroof though and opt for fabric seats. Too hot/no ventilated option.

Dang I miss that car.

[alpho]

I also have an r53 that I can't seem to let go of. Just too much fun. I didn't like the r56 much.. However I recently saw a fully load F56 w the JCW interior and that thing was super nice..got me thinking I need to go for a test drive.

[WolfGTI]

I haven't driven the F56 Cooper S - We did drive the Clubman S when we were shopping (ended up getting the X1). The Fxx series MINI is very comfy, but it feels insulated / disconnected - I am sure it would make a great DD but it's not a car I would be looking to take on a track day in stock form.

Originally Posted by mremg

I would love to know what you think about the F56. If I remember correctly almost all R53 owners hated R56.

[TheBingoBalls]

Originally Posted by mremg

I would love to know what you think about the F56. If I remember correctly almost all R53 owners hated R56.

Same applies.

I wouldn't say I hated the F56, but it's a pretty significant change in ride quality and handling - it's a lot more compliant and passenger friendly.

The way R53 owners hated the R56, slim chance they even give the F56 a chance or look - that's how different it is.

While The F56 is built to appeal to more people, I wish BMW didn't make the F56 as soft as it did. If they put it around how an E90 felt, I think it would be the perfect balance because while I love my R56, once you encounter bad roads, it's uncomfortably jarring and it's definitely not a car for passengers to be in.

[Chez]

Originally Posted by TheBingoBalls

once you encounter bad roads, it's uncomfortably jarring and it's definitely not a car for passengers to be in.

So strange, that is exactly how I feel about my wife's car.. hmm

[W///]

I love the interiors on these new MINI's. I'd argue they are in some ways nicer than the current 2/3/4 Series.

I test drove a brand new F56 JCW when they just came out. That car has a ton of character, and the upgraded seats were simply amazing. And so was the price... $41k

[TheBingoBalls]

Originally Posted by Chez

So strange, that is exactly how I feel about my wife's car.. hmm

I guess it comes down to a person's experience with older MINI's. The F56 is still relatively more stiff the one would expect but if you had driven a R53 and R56, it's soft in comparison.

Personally for me, there was absolutely no way I could leave the RFT's on and be comfortable with the R56. RFT's with the addition of stiff suspension, you're feeling every imperfection in the road and your back paid the price for it. Even when swapping out to summers, it was tolerable but still pretty stiff.

But with that said, the F56 is a huge improvement overall from the R56. The ride is more forgiving and the interior, while still extremely subjective, is competitive with others in its class, something that I couldn't really say about the R56 which had a bunch of hard plastics all over.

[alexort99]

I just got one for a daily driver with a six speed manual... Its a fun car! Feels faster than my 320i with bms stage 1...

[jayely1]

Anything recent on this comparison? I'm contemplating a F30 328i or a F56 Cooper S... Cant decide!

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by jayely1

Anything recent on this comparison? I'm contemplating a F30 328i or a F56 Cooper S... Cant decide!

Neither? Both of those are the low point for each model. Any previous Mini or any other 3er would be much better choices. Hopefully Mini gets it back together with the next model.

We owned an LCI F30 328i and it was the low point of six BMW's and drove the wife to Audi. I test drove the F56 a few times and still bought a Mk7.