MF Exclusive: MINI’s Mid Life-Cycle Refresh

The center stack is what is keeping me from upgrading from my 2005. I know that is a very small thing, but I really don’t like the look of it at all, and really love how my current car looks.

Oh and very important on a turbocharged car…… Please bring back a proper water temperature gauge, not an idiot light.

Also….

Bring back the option of a chrono package for additional gauges (Oil pressure, water temp, fuel gauge, etc).

c4 sums it up pretty well. Last week my ’05 MCS was in the shop for routine maintenance. I was given a R56 Cooper with an automatic transmission as a loaner. Based upon that experience as well as the R56 MCS drive I had earlier in the year…..the New MINI just doesn’t get it! I wouldn’t buy one!!!! MINI really ruined a wonderful car. IF…..they had kept the car closer to the original form and spirit……I’d have a new car on order. When it was time to pick up my car…..it was a wonderful reunion….and I couldn’t help but admire my car as it was pulled up for me to drive away!!! The new one is now just a cheap box! Sorry MINI…

I guess I can still wish for a center stack redesign. Oh well.

Gabe,

What do you think of the Nav sytem in your R56? I am on the fence between the factory Nav and Garmin unit [which would free up some room for some additional toys in my MINI budget] The MA at Cincinnati MINI recommeds the Garmin unit but i am suspicious that he is just trying to sell more delaer added accessories.

Any chance for an official “Gabe Review” of the factory Nav?

Hmm well I was hoping they’d squeeze the refresh in before the 50th anniversary and release a special edition which would be ’09. I can’t imagine they’ll pass up cashing in on 50 years of Mini heritage. Maybe the anniversary model will debut the facelift. Only the headlights, center stack and wheel arches bother me. They could make the speedo smaller IF when ordering Nav you get a double gauge cluster on the steering column. C-Pillar wrap won’t change because of $$$.

I suspect any who are hoping the redesign will go back to an earlier “look” will be disappointed. For example, I’ve grown quite used to the R56 center stack both for it’s added function and for the additional leg room it offers. In light of this, I really prefer it. That’s the thing…many of the design tweaks actually offer some real (although often small) benefit/function and in the end, I think parting w/that benefit would be a big step backwards. To me the current MINI is a big bundle of little tweaks that really add up to big pluses, but they’re small enough to miss unless you actually drive one every day. Anyway, things are always changing and so I look forward to the next batch of tweaks, having been pleasantly surprised and delighted with what has evolved thus far.

I own a 2003 CR MCS. I have to say, with regular maintenance the car still looks and runs like new. People cant believe its almost 5 years old. So in that regard, I have to commend MINI.

However for me, the new look is harder to like in its stock form. However, with the JCW Aero kit I think it looks terrific. The car actually looks chunkier than the R53 and gives the impression of being quite larger than the R53 when in reality it’s just barely.

If i could redesign something it would be the “fishy” headlights.

I also thought they’d squeeze it in before the 2009 models.

The refresh for the R53 came in time to incorporate into the R52. It’s weird that the R57 is coming out and being “refreshed” within a year. . . i would’ve expected the refresh to coincide with the coming of the R57.

Gabe – can’t wait to hear more about new colors before 2010, you tease.

I may be the only poster who would like to see the Chrono-Pack option (moving a small speedo next to the tach behind the steering wheel) brought back for the dash on the R56s. I have it on my 2006 MCSa and I prefer it to the central speedo. And where’s the athracite dash option gone? Also, I love the SB/S color option for the 2006 model year. I don’t know why they didn’t keep silver as a roof/mirror color option and I hope they will bring it back. I have only seen photos of the R56 central stack, and it looks pretty revolting to me, but I have also heard that it’s not so bad in person, so will reserve judgment on that. The rear bumper and tail light configuration on the R56 needs some re-working. I love the R50/R53 body design. I did not think it needed to look more “aggressive”. The re-design just makes it look cheesy and cheap to me.

One thing for sure: PLEASE GET RID OF THE FAKE SCOOP ON THE MCS. Nothing I hate more than useless design elements that feign functionality. There’s a reason for the hood scoop on the R50/R53s. It’s a lie on the R56s. I hope they remove it, or make it an option.

Bring back Mellow Yellow, especially for the Clubman.

I’m contrary to most of what’s posted here.

Center stack design is fine with me. If they want to play with the material texture, or the shapes of the “pods” I’m guessing that would be fairly easy to do. I definitely would hate to see it go back to a series of rectangular panels with dials and buttons – egads, who likes this? That’s what my 1993 Acura had – its this really what people want? Geez, buy a used car..

Radio – interface has disappeared for me – I had to learn it when it was new, and it’s no iPod, that’s for sure, but its also no issue. I’ve watched my daughter master it in a short time. That convinced me there was no issue even though it was not obvious from the start.

HVAC controls – love them, simplest, easiest hvac to use in any car I’ve ever had, loath to twist a knob ever again when I can adjust these effortlessly with a finger tip.

What do I hate?

Nav in speedo. I actually think the R50/53 solution was better, option of a chrono group too. Nav graphics look lame to me too. I’d never in a million years get this on my car – waste of money in my mind. Segue to:

No damn good place to mount a third party NAV – I image that Nuvi mount that Mini offers is probably the best solution especially since it gives power as well, but alas, thats not my brand. Why? Mine cost 1/4 and works just fine.

JCW body kit – sorry, I think it stinks. The funny vents on the back look too tunerish for me – maybe if they actually extracted air from the wheel wells…, the side skirts all but eliminate the black band which connects the front and rear black wheel trim – vents do nothing for me either, front kit to much big flat surface with nothing going on. Stock MCS kit is my favorite – nice aggressive lower grill reminds me of an old british sports car. Best look is in black because you can barely see it all. I forgive phony vents on the stock kit, JCW I don’t. Simplify the empty styling moves, emphasize the downforce and functions and I’m on board.

Wheels – silly designs. Man, I don’t get this when BMW offers a slew of great wheel designs on their cars, on the mini they have to play cutesy design games with their spokes. I guess I feel the way about their wheels the way many of you feel about the dash. Bridge spokes are the only wheels simple enough worth getting, anything bigger and better looking, there is a better value aftermarket. They need cool wheels in smaller sizes.

Same with lower suspension. R56 handles better and rides better – lower suspension is an aesthetic choice better left for the aftermarket. Some may like it, makes me feel like an old man wearing a baseball cap backwards and wearing pants sliding down my butt. I don’t want to look like a punk in a tuner car. Real performance, thank you. Tuner aesthetic, no thanks.

The idea of changes that rewind to R53 – forget it, never happen, never want it to happen. R56 generation stands on its own, no need to pedal backwards, thank you very much.

Lavardera, you are one of a kind.

Can’t stand the the center stack and radio. It is keeping me from replacing my 02 S with a new S. KISS applies to design as well and obviously Mini didn’t pay attention to this when the designed the current interior. Too bad, because I was ready to buy one…

The scoop is fine! Men have nipples should we rip them off?

Wah-wah-wah! The R56 is perfect! Maybe add more grill choices to the S, but dont change anything else! Cant wait for JCW factory and the Clubman. Go for training Feb. 11th – 13th in Vegas for the Clubman! Cant wait!

If they bring a new (not an old color back…) color, what should it be? Maybe start a new post on “This is the color we want, MINI!”

I hope the MINI design team is reading these posts and is actively taking notes of all those items that need to be reviewed either on the next R56 facelift or the 3rd gen MINI.

Please do not discard these comments as negative diatribe. The greatest disservice a successful company can do to themselves is to never listen to their customers.

I see much constructive criticism of the R56 here and hopefully all of this feedback can result in a much better MINI in years to come.

This is a topic we could all go on for hours – I love to look closely at the design of the cars. Looking back at what I wrote in all fairness I think the new 17″ clubman wheels are great – I’d like to see more like that. Also I don’t love the MCS rear bumper design on the R56, the R53 design is nicer.

Hey Frank(c4) – I’m going to try to be real positive because I’m not trying to be a “tough” guy whatever you think that means. I think you really restrained yourself with your list above compared to exhaustive lists you have posted before. I think you have a lot of sensible things on your list and I appreciate your self restraint because I know you could have said more, and in a less kind way. I’m surprised you are going for a clubman given it includes so many details you don’t like, rather than waiting to see if any of your hopes pan out. Your also jumping in for a first model year – something you felt was too risky before.

Sad to hear they’re unlikely to do any work on the center stack. I do agree with mike, who said that it seems some choices have been made in favour of expensive upgrades looking good vs. the standard equipment looking good. The centre speedo has become ridiculously big; it’s now a caricature of a caricature – the R50 one already was cartoonish when compared to the classic Mini’s centre speedo, but I got used to that and started to like it. The R56 one is a step too far, IMHO. And I do believe it’s not because the design team thought the huge standard speedo looks good, but because it needed to be able to house both a nav screen and the speedo ring around that, which does look better than the setup in the old car (the nav option has done a 180; it changed from something that makes the look of the interior worse to something that improves it). However, I did read a review last week (AutoVisie, for you Dutch readers) that said they didn’t like the readout of the speedo that comes with the nav.

A little longer ago, I did read a great suggestion for “fixing” the centre speedo (it was in MC2, a US Mini magazine you probably know); give the Mini the nav-screen from the BMW 1-series, that flips up from the top of the dash, allowing all Mini’s to have the same, smaller centre speedo (I vote for the R50 design, I like it miles better than the R56 one, with proper gauges for fuel and temp). That would probably increase cost too much, though. And, on a cynical node, it would largely remove the esthetical “need” to upgrade to the 2500 dollar nav system (that’s just really, sad, though, a 2500 dollar option that is supposed to be about functionality, is being considered by many because it makes the interior look better…). From a commercial viewpoint, it’s just unlikely to happen. Shame the marketing department always gets the better of designers. Maybe (yeah, right..) this will change the minds of the marketeers: the pizzaplate centre speedo, leds instead of proper gauges and the ghastly radio controls in the no-nav setup of the R56 will play a major role in my choice whether my next car will be a Mini again. There, I’ve said it, it may be weird, but it’s true. When I’m due for another car, there will be other small, fun cars around, and it will be relatively small stuff like this that can make or break the deal.

Another change I’d like (and which luckily does not involve going against marketing tactics) is for the front indicators and running lights to switch places. On the R50, the position of the front indicators was a lovely reference to the classic Mini. For the R56, the design team seems to have decided that the separate running lights of the R50 (which moved from the main headlights on the classic Mini to share the same cluster as the indicators on the R50) are more “signature” to the Mini than the position of the indicators. Which I very much disagree with; the indicators have been in that position since 1959, the running lights only since 2001. Also, I believe that with the indicators being in the headlights, it’s more difficult to notice them being on, so it’s less safe as well. Please move the indicators back where they belong.

Looking over wheel choices for the Cooper, and yeah, they do seem a little boring. New wheels are easy to add. And those smoked headlamps from the 1 millionth would be a nice option.

One of the main reasons for my trading my ’02 MCS for an ’06 MCS was that I was unhappy with the R56. I figure that BMW/MINI have a few more years to make changes that I like before I am ready for a new car. Let’s just hope that they do, because I really enjoy driving my MCS and do not really want to change brands. But it is in their hands.

I’d like to see a smaller speedo, like the R53. Revised center stack to fix the attrocious stereo control issues and poor material selection.

Even though the wheel arches are only about .5″ larger than the R53 ones they do look too large. I know they did this to keep the waistline from looking too high. And I can understand why they had to raise the waistline to comply with the new “Pedestrian Crash Safety Standards”. But I still think they need to tweak the exterior design a little.

The side view, the front and the rear all need some work.

Sorry to lose the whine of the supercharger but that ain’t coming back any time soon. To bad.

Wheel selection, I agree with the others. We need some better choices, especially some lighter choices. The last batch of wheels are all too heavy. Not a single decent light wheel in the bunch.

It is a shame about the suspension getting so soft and the throttle response and steering being dumbed down. It is the old “design for the lowest common denominator”. Don’t try to lift people up, just dumb down the product. Too bad. Not sure why the stiffer suspension should be more expensive as a factory installed option. They should be able to select the right piece on the assembly line with not additional expense. Certainly not $500. That has me a little frosted.

Wouldn’t mind seeing them offer a gear type LSD, from the factroy, instead of what we have now. Or both types and let us choose. Hey, I can wish, can’t I?

Bring back flat black! I have some ambiguity about my AB. I would also be glad if they did something with the steering to bring back the “go cart” feel. I have JCW suspension which handles great but still lacks the connected to the road feel of the R53.

No problem Lavardera. In fact whenever you wish to smoke the peace pipe, I am game.

Here’s my pet peeve with the “big” speedo. No problems with the “size” per say but the “content”. The R53 was busy with cool needle guages and MPH and KPH. Very retro and sporty. LOVED IT! Couldn’t take my eyes off it at night.

The R56 is empty and lacks all the charm of the last one even though it has plenty of room for MPH/KPH. Shouldn’t be a big deal to upgrade. Anyone listening over there at Mini?