Anybody own an R53 Mini?

"The Real Dacia Sandero" (the-real-dacia-sandero) 01/08/2014 at 17:40 • Filed to: None

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I've got some potential job opportunities soon, and would have some cash to get a nice DD so the Miata can be relegated to fun duty. I'm looking at '05-06 Cooper S models. How are they really on reliability? I've done a good bit of research over the years, so I know a bit about the quirks and whatnot.

I've thought about a Mk5 GTI, but the Mini is about a foot shorter, and a good bit lighter than the GTI. My priorities are lightweight>small size>power. I'd love a Toyobaru or Abarth 500, but they cost too much. Especially since I want to keep the Miata.

Satoshi "Zipang" Katsura > The Real Dacia Sandero 01/08/2014 at 17:42

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It's good that you picked the later years of the 53 - and I think I know a resident oppo or two owns a few. Ask for Alex!

But from what I can guess, I doubt they can be irritating. Where do you live?

The Real Dacia Sandero > Satoshi "Zipang" Katsura 01/08/2014 at 17:44

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I live in Northern VA. I'd be looking for the cleanest one I can find.

190e30-Now with COSWORTH > The Real Dacia Sandero 01/08/2014 at 17:45

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Pretty unreliable from what I've heard, but good from every other aspect.

^1:45 is my favorite.

The Real Dacia Sandero > 190e30-Now with COSWORTH 01/08/2014 at 17:47

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Just like all good british cars...

djmanila > The Real Dacia Sandero 01/08/2014 at 17:48

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I work for MINI and I would say go for the 06. Easy tuning capabilities with pullies on the S. Reliability as I always say it is as reliable as a BMW.

Bushings need the necessary maintenance. The flywheel is a dual mass and some of them need replacing with a few mileage. The interior tends to have a bit of rattle after a good years of use.

Engine is simple and fairly reliable. Just make sure the belts are in good condition and the supercharger.

Best driving MINIs so far as they were raw in comparison to the R56. I would get the Sport Package as they came with Xenons and Sport Suspension some could come with factory LSD. They are one of the best handling front wheel drive cars in my opinion.

190e30-Now with COSWORTH > The Real Dacia Sandero 01/08/2014 at 17:49

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*German

I asked a similar question a month or so back, and the answer was pretty much a unanimous be careful. IIRC, the one to have is the last couple years of the supercharged models in terms of reliability.

Textured Soy Protein > The Real Dacia Sandero 01/08/2014 at 17:50

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Personally if I were getting something to complement a Miata, I would want to address the shortcomings of the Miata. So like, a decent sized back seat and trunk would be pretty high up my list. When I had my Miata, I almost bought a Honda Fit to go with it. Not saying you can't get something more sporty than a Fit, but at least something with that level of practicality.

Otherwise if you really want a sporty fwd 3-door hatch, I'd take a nice long look at an Acura RSX Type S.

The Real Dacia Sandero > 190e30-Now with COSWORTH 01/08/2014 at 17:50

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Well, German in a British suit...

The Real Dacia Sandero > Textured Soy Protein 01/08/2014 at 17:54

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I don't really need much in terms of practicality. I only ever really have my brother or girlfriend in the car. Even though I'm a musician, the Mini will have enough room for my gear(synths or stereo guitar rig). I can pack like a tetris expert...

djmanila > Textured Soy Protein 01/08/2014 at 17:55

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why not pair the Miata with a good used Mazdaspeed 3 or 6?

Textured Soy Protein > djmanila 01/08/2014 at 17:59

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I actually traded my Miata in to buy a Mazdaspeed 6. I got rid of it because it developed a lot of rust. They have rust problems. Not all, but it's pretty common. Same with the 1st gen MS3.

Textured Soy Protein > The Real Dacia Sandero 01/08/2014 at 18:01

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Welp. If a small 3-door hatch works for you then I would much rather have an RSX-S over a Mini Cooper S.

Anon > The Real Dacia Sandero 01/08/2014 at 18:01

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I own a 06' NA Mini. Let me tell you why you shouldn't buy an R53

1) The steering wheel does not come towards you, so if you have really long legs then it sucks.

2) The steering ratio is ungodly tight and heavy, this is wonderful for when you're driving on a back road however after 2 hours of driving you'll have changed your opinion on how great of an idea it is.

3) The cabin build quality is terrible! There will constantly be rattles.

4) The normal seats are TERRIBLE! They offer NO support at all! (However since you're looking for an "s" model it'll probably have the MUCH improved sport seats)

5) The ride is harsh! Now depending on where you live this might not be too big of a deal however when you combine crappy louisiana roads with unsupportive seats (once again can be fixed with the S package) and harsh suspension you'll probably want to set some money aside for the chiropractor that you'll need in a month.

6) The vinyl that the seats are made of is terrible! It's like sitting on butter and will allow your butt to fly everywhere during back road driving. Get Leather.

7) The clutch is extremely stiff and you will hate it during a traffic jam.

8) The Midlands 5 speed transmission is not durable at all!

9) Everything rattles! (I'm mentioning this again because I want this to be 10 things and also rattling in cars in really annoying to me)

10) Finally we have the engine. It's a fun little thing with lots of torque. However it's not durable. Mine exploded which caused the block to crack and cause all the oil to leak out leading to catastrophic engine failure. The engine had to be replaced. However I suspect that the person who had it before me hooned the crap out of it. However no engine should fail like that.

Overall the R53 Mini is a fun car! However that's all that it is. If you want one go for the next gen one that was actually built 100% by the germans and not designed by the germans and built by the british. Also almost all of these issues are fixed on the most recent generation. I know that I'll be getting rid of mine as soon as I have a chance.

djmanila > Textured Soy Protein 01/08/2014 at 18:03

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yeah I heard that from older Mazdas. Well rust issue is very rare with the MINI. They actually hold up pretty well as I guess the production is similar to BMWs.

camaroboy68ss > The Real Dacia Sandero 01/08/2014 at 18:04

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I really like the Mimi's as long as car is a s you should be fine. The std cars are ticking huge repair bills. My sister has a 03 std cooper with the cvt auto. They will drop a tranny no matter what. My sisters went out at 110k miles and the mechanic was flat floored she got that many miles out it. Most only get 50-75k before going. They are not serviceable and in total after everything and finding the best deal were into a new tranny for it at around $5k but going straigh through a mini dealer don't be surprised to pay $7k or more. Only other problem is the power steering pumps will go out too.

As for size they can actually hold a lot. It fit people better in the front than my 98 camaro. The handle like a little go cart around town. But insurance is trough the roof for them.

The Real Dacia Sandero > Textured Soy Protein 01/08/2014 at 18:05

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I've looked at them, I just don't personally care for them, no real reason why. Although, an 8100rpm redline(well, fuel cutoff) is pretty tasty.

The Real Dacia Sandero > Anon 01/08/2014 at 18:12

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I've seen some of your posts about the car.

I have long legs, but the wheel in the Miata doesn't move at all, so I'm kinda used to it. Plus I have long arms to compensate.

I LOVE heavy steering, so that's not an issue. I drove my Miata for a few weeks with just the belt removed, so heavy steering is not an issue.

The rattles may be an issue for me, but I know ways to fix some stuff, so that may be able to be mitigated.

Textured Soy Protein > The Real Dacia Sandero 01/08/2014 at 18:12

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They're sorta meh looking and the power numbers don't really seem all that impressive on paper. But it's one of those cars that if you drive it ends up seeming much nicer than the specs would suggest, and it's a nice reliable Honda, and it's got a timing chain not a belt. $8-12k for a decent '05-'06 ain't a bad deal.

The Real Dacia Sandero > Textured Soy Protein 01/08/2014 at 18:17

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Hmm, I'll at least check it out.

Two questions:

1. What's insurance like?

2. What RPM does it turn on the highway? My NA does 4000rpm+ when on the highway and 3250 when cruising(I live on the outskirts of town). I don't want another car that screams away on the highway.

Anon > The Real Dacia Sandero 01/08/2014 at 18:24

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Oh well you're better off than me I have abnormally long legs with a shorter torso and average sized arms, I am probably the least ergonomically inclined person to drive that car. As far as the steering weight, see if you can get a 48 hour test drive or something and take it for a long drive just to make sure that you can live with it. Also I can't really say anything about solid about the engine as I bought mine used.

I'm sure that it's perfect for some people but I've discovered that I'm a grand tourer/big v8 sedan type of person. I really want to get an E550.

Textured Soy Protein > The Real Dacia Sandero 01/08/2014 at 18:26

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No idea on insurance. When they were newer they were probably kinda expensive to insure but I'd wager that nowadays since the resale value has dropped and the boy racer crowd has moved on to other vehicles, they probably wouldn't be too bad.

Googling around a bit tells me in 6th gear it's turning over 3200 rpm at 65 mph and 4000 rpm at 80 mph. Apparently some folks swap in 5th & 6th gears from the '04-'08 TSX to get lower RPMs on the highway.

Nate > The Real Dacia Sandero 01/08/2014 at 23:32

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I just picked up an 03'. If its any testament of reliability, the car has 150,000 miles and feels as tight as a drum. No squeaks or rattles and the drive train is fantastic. The engine is the only thing to really look out for, the valvetrain likes to give up the ghost if the cars been particularly thrashed or neglected.

Jonnywaffles > The Real Dacia Sandero 01/11/2014 at 23:34

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05 owner here. The car is not cheap to maintain in all honesty. It has been nickel and diming me ever since I got it 3 years ago. most simple maintenance issues result in a ridiculous repair bill. I had to have my oil pan removed for when my WOODEN dipstick broke off and got stuck in it. The final cost was about $500 because the engine had to be removed.... All this being said: would I buy another one? Hell yes. I love the car and wouldnt trade it for anything. The mini community is really energetic about the cars and local mini clubs are present across the country. Any issue or question you may have has more than likely been answered on NAM. Also the steering is not unbearably heavy. It is definitely heavy (and HYDRAULIC!!! :D ) but it connects you to the road in my opinion. let me know if you have any specific questions and I'd be more than happy to share some insights

Christian Cameron > The Real Dacia Sandero 02/15/2014 at 19:52

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I bought an '05 R53 in 2012 as my daily driver, and it hasn't gotten old. I actually have over an hour commute every day, and I can't wait to drive it every time.

As for reliability, there are parts that will fail because of design flaws (front lower control arm bushings, crank-shaft damper pulley, and upper engine mount being examples that failed on my car), but the good news is there are lots of aftermarket parts that correct these flaws and are a "permanent" fix. Not as cheap to fix these cars as a Miata, because it's BMW after all. But the important bits of engine itself are very durable. Lots of R53s going around with 200K and 300K miles on them already and still going strong. After needing to fix a few items when I bought it (what 8 year old car doesn't need fixing a few things?) it has run great.

The car just feels special every time you drive it — I wouldn't trade this for a newer mini or an Abarth. If you want another small quick car, you won't regret getting an R53.

But this is very important: get a pre-sale inspection done by a MINI specialist. Even good mechanics, if they aren't familiar with MINIs, won't know what to look for. Before I found the car I own now, I had a very bad experience with pre-sale inspections from non-mini specialist mechanics, and even the mechanics at a MINI dealer. Hopefully there is a good MINI mechanic near you.