I love my R53 JCW from 2006. I have had about 50 cars and this one of the most fun cars to drive. The supercharger whine Just makes you smile every day!
I have a GP 1, they took out the sound deadening to save weigt, I swear it sounds like a been hive under the bonnet with helium being pumped around it, totally insane.
I actually own a 05' R53 JCW. It has all JCW options avalible back in the day (including the Sparco JCW-Seats), and it's the most fun car i've ever used to own. The whine from the supercharger with the crackles from the JCW-Exhaust is just heaven. And it's getting pretty rare now, try to find a decent stock untouched R53 JCW on the market, almost no chance ;)
I just bought one.... full service, no mods.. pure JCW... Took it for a drive, my copilot: 'I didn't expect that' ... sure after I finish the B road... :)) .
@@Esurient- Personally I don't care, I just do the oil, 99fuel, track the car to red line, the way it was built. I drive it at 4500rpm on a daily basis. I had a look inside the head it was black when I got it, now is clean, pulls, revs. What's the point putting a bigger pulley when its already installed, it's called rev counter. Either you rebuild the engine every 30k or you enjoy it as it is for 300k. It's not a drag car, is not a dump clutch car, it's a car that holds good speed in the corners. 😊. I also have a mini one 90hp... Proper fun if you drive it within the specs. Learn how to drive realible and fast (engine specs), wanna keep it clean? Push that engine. Hope it helps. Speed will desintegrate everything 😁
@@jackh1457 I’m looking to buy my first car, Mini Cooper R53 is looking like my best option (price wise) I have a budget of £4.500 what are the positives about yours? Would it suit me as a 17 year old... looking to just drive to the shops, to my mates, possibly a few trips to my family in London (5hours)?
@@Eliza_daniel1 I would look at insurance first. Im 25 and it cost me about £500 for the year to insure. Let's say that's not an issue. The r53 engine is bullet proof, really reliable but it drinks fuel. Like 25mpg whilst the r56 you can get between 35-40 might driving around town due to having a turbo. R56 has better tuning potential. My dad used to own an r53 Cooper s and for the time it was nice but its showing its age now with electrical issues and rust. Personally, without being biast. I would go for the r56 just because its newer and the supercharger whine of the r53 would do my head in haha But for you. I would look at an r53 cooper s and see what you think, test drive a few
@@jackh1457 wow thanks so much for your fast reply. I think once we “eventually” get out of lockdown I’ve just gotta see what I like. Thanks for your opinion on the matter. It means a lot.
My dad custom made his online back in 2003. Always wanted one. Finally early last year came across an mini R53 2004 MC40 with 89k on it for $5. Loved it ever since. Such a blast to drive. It may seem weird but I'll be at work ad see my car in the parking lot and just smile. Seriously love my car
I used to love my R53 Cooper S. Went from that to an EP3 and didn't enjoy the Civic as much as much as the mini, mainly due to the lack of steering feel. The only complaint I had with the R53 was the seats. If you used even half of the Minis handling potential, you would be sliding around in the seats like no ones business. On a side note, mine wasn't a John Cooper Works, but I had fitted a 15% reduced pulley and an Airtec intercooler, and that car used to out-pull my friends s2000 on the straights and would keep up with it on the twisties too. Not bad for a £3000 car with £500 worth of modifications.
Great review. Bought a very tidy, low mile and mostly stock 2006 (so very late LCI) R53 Cooper S manual with the factory LSD several months ago and of all the cars I've owned it's the only one I've not begun to tire of and think about selling. Certainly they are far from perfect and most of the negatives people raise about them in the comments are largely valid......but bang per buck at the moment, particularly if you bag yourself a good one I dont think theres much out there that compares for fun factor or sense of occasion. A facelift S I dont suppose is leaps and bounds slower than a JCW real world (particularly a pre facelift one) and an intake, catback exhaust and reduced pulley very quickly takes an S to similar performance levels for next to no cost. I foresee R53 prices going on the rise very soon, particularly facelift LSD equipped cars so it's a case of enjoying one before they become prohibitively expensive to buy (as well as run.....the maintenance and fuel costs considering what they are is somewhat laughable!).
This series is great! by far my favourite era of motoring, I personally believe the last era with some real character mk4 Golf, E46, Civics that didn't look like computer mice and clios that were fun and of course the 'new' mini.
@King Brilliant That is still just your experience. Personally, I found the E46 a solid blast to drive. Sounds like you had a lemon. I wouldn't say they're overrated either as they have people that love the chassis and the way it drives.
@@rahulmandala4930 I agree e46 great cars when looked after. People pick up neglected shagged cars and expect a premium experience you need to spend the money looking after them.
I loved my R53 Cooper S. It always felt like an event to drive with the supercharger whine. The handling was pretty good and it was a hoot on a B road. For me the subsequent models lost some of the fun of the first cars, the steering whine, the clunky gearbox etc. The latest F series car is better (owned one for three years) but I never gelled with it like I did the early cars.
Fee yrs down the line how was the mini, im going lookimg at a cooper s jcw with 65k and fsh. Has 15% pully reduction and bigger intercooler.... Is the mini as good as a car daily....
I bought a JCW last summer as a bit of a toy after getting rid of my bikes and ridiculous power cars. Your apprasial is pretty much spot on. I've seen better interior plastics wrapped around an over ready chicken. Some of the engineering solutions are stupid, some are genius. Having said all that, it is an utter, utter blast and one of the most fun cars Ive ever owned, and Ive owned over 40 cars..lots of much 'better' cars and certainly much faster...But as an overall package its nigh on impossible to beat because it is so much fun. The engineers obviously had a brief to make the car fun, and in this day and age, that actually made a car with, dare I say it, some personality and charm. They are also pretty easy to work on...which is handy by the way. I wouldnt want to daily one, but as a weekend toy to pamper, polish and then thrash, its unbeatable.
had one nearly 5 years. feels like a 2 litre thanks to the supercharger, more hands on than the F56, less comfortable than an R56 but personally I prefer it. Recommend anyone thinking of a track car to grab one of these as they're bottoming out and surely going to appreciate.
That was great. I own a 2003 r53 JCW . You are spot on with all of your insights, it's such a fun car. Makes me smile round every corner. Especially the fuel economy. Just filled up the tank with V-Power. £60 will get me about 300 miles. Thanks.....
Minis are one of the few cars where coilovers actually make them more comfortable! Great review, I've got one and agree with every word, especially the fuel economy :-/
Great video! I own the GP version of the R53 which is even more ‘race’ focused, bit more power, lighter, different aero etc. I’d also add the oil consumption on these is equally as bad as fuel, I’ve been looking at around 1l/1000 miles which is apparently not uncommon. You have to keep on top of it though! I get 25-34 mpg depending on how I drive but it’s possible to get down to single figures if you’re really pushing! The MINI community is excellent and you’re right about parts too, easy to come across and lots of support. Cheers
It's as much oil leakage as it is consumption. These cars stuffer from terrible oil leaks. There's 3 different places my R53 is hemorrhaging oil from right now. It's been a job I've been meaning to sort out but I just keep putting it off because it's a pain in the ass.
MrManBuzz that’s true, I changed the crank position sensor oil seal when doing the supercharger service recently as it was weeping badly from there, as well as the dipstick tube o ring. Occasional drop from the sump too 👍🏻
I have a r53 GP too. Oil consumption of mine is almost nothing. I'am the second owner. Bought it with 112000kms and now almost 8 years later it has 213000kms. It is not a perfect car, but it is great fun to drive. And it is the Generation that is giving the biggest go-kart feeling of the 3 Generations. My wife and I also own a R58 JCW and a F56 JCW so I can compare very well. People who want to drive a young Mini but can not afford it, don't be unlucky, you can have a lot of fun with the first Gen. New Mini. I would prefer a facelift r53 cooper s or jcw or a GP. This ones have a good gearbox too, better than the gearbox in a Cooper. But only buy one if you can reservate some money to pay repaircosts. Weak points are steeringpump, leaking engine mount, oil leaks at sensors(not expensive in parts because often only an old seal but a lot of work to get on it). More weak points you can find on internet. On RU-vid you can find a lot of videos to see how you can repair things yourself to save a lot of money. As with all used cars, you can have luck or not.
Yep, done the same thing. Owned an MX5 and then bought a mini exactly like this :) These are great fun! Most fun hatchback I've ever owned, apart from Clio Williams may be :) Very capable little car
Having worked in the accident repair industry most of my life , I absolutely hated the mini “maxi” cooper .....but I’ve only gone and acquired one , and boy are they fun to drive , it’s like a little go kart , can’t believe how much I love it , but also hate it haha 😂
Nice review. Nowadays the R53 only really makes sense if you can do the maintenance yourself, if you have to pay someone to do it it's going to be an expensive car to own. They have a reputation for being difficult to work on, unjustly so IMO. They are an absolute blast to drive.
5 лет назад
Lots of negativity towards this car and review which I find surprising as these are little stormers, pace and grip/handling aplenty in a fashionable looking package. I guess all the rwd only heros feel this car is far too slow compared to the Veyron on Forza.
@@paulforrester4057 I can confirm, owned an r56 and the door panel somehow got loose and had to kick it back in place. The current F56 has a proper interior in terms of quality.
Girlfriend owns one of these and I agree, it's a fun little car which has enough torque and power to get it going at decent speeds and handles really well. It was faster than my EP3 Civic Type R at the time anyway
Designed by Frank Stephenson.....the man responsible for the Escort Cosworth among other things.....actually the last Rover Mini; already designed and ready to go prior to BMW getting involved. I love my R53.....can’t currently afford a JCW.
R56 diesel is a solid fun car. It would be the diesel pick and it has unbelievable fuel economy. I remember doing runs in my old one from Cornwall to Devon averaging about 70mpg motorway. £40 for a full tank back then too! I’ve also owned the R56S with some mods putting it around 200bhp. One of the favourites of the cars that I’ve owned. That was a good few years back and I recently bought an 06 R53S, added a more exciting exhaust, airtech intercooler, intake upgrades and a reduced supercharger pulley. It really isn’t as plush as the decked out R56S that I had but you really could care less. It’s an absolute riot to drive. More visceral driving feel, just that bit more raw and darty and the supercharged set up just begs you to put the foot down more with so much more pleasure than the newer model. My criticisms would be brakes and the gear box. The brakes feel a bit naff. Could be this particular model though and having come from a much better sorted car (not a mini) in this department. Gearbox on the R56 felt generally quite nice. Well defined and accurate where this feels a bit more rough around the edges but not in a sloppy french slush box kind of way. Holding onto this for dear life. Good examples of these are going to become great classics very soon.
My friend has a 54 reg Cooper S (LCI) and I can't believe how much performance they offer for such little money. Even going for a 10 minute blast was probably the most fun I've had in a car.
Never thought I'd own one. Picked one up really cheap, it needed a lot of work to get on the road. Every since I've got it on the road, I haven't drove anything else I have. It's too fun, and exexpected power is like Christmas every time.
Love my R53 , had it 5 years +. Find a turbo swapped r53 if you want big power 350 to the wheels on the stock bottom end is common and built bottom ends are over 400 at the wheels . RMW in the USA and 1320 in Europe for power builds .
I blew my R53 engine and instead of fixing it I purchsed R56GP2. Both are fun car. R56 is very fast. But it doesn’t have this analog like feeling R53 has. Now I own both R53 and R56. R53 is addictive.
I have an 05 hyper blue with white roof/mirrors, wipac lights, single mass flywheel and hornet exhaust. Was low mileage but had 5 previous owners. Spent over 3 grand replacing parts to bring it back to mint condition but it's worth every penny. Drive it as a daily and fuel economy is shocking but there's no other car quite like it. Main parts replaced have been standard wear and tear parts as expected with a car this age. Bushes, brakes, clutch, exhaust, ball joints, drive shafts etc. Once you replace these things it should last a good while. Lemforder suspension parts are the only ones that seem to take a beating and last, don't bother with anything else. Also worth replacing the transmission fluid as its shared with the LSD. They say its lifetime fluid but its really not. Make sure it's the BMW Mtf2 fluid as it's got a friction modifier additive for the LSD. It's around £50 for two bottles but anything cheaper that's not BMW will cause a rubbing sound of the LSD.
Back when I bought my new '06 R53 JCW, random people used to come up to me and want to know about it. They inevitably would ask 'what kind of gas mileage does it get?' to which I would respond 'I didn't buy it for the gas mileage'. One point of clarification: although dealers could fit the aftermarket JCW kit, you could also get an S with the JCW kit added at the factory (mine has a certificate verifying the original factory installation). This was prior to the move (for the R56) to make the JCW its own model.
Most people here are in the comments are thinking about the Cooper s. This is not that car. The JCW is definitely something else. I have one and it's ridiculously fast and handles it's power well. And yes, keep some extra cash at hand to fix whatever will break down, because it will break down, often. Is it worth it? Maybe. Let's just say most people who have sold their r53, regret it. As for my opinion, the JCW doesn't need anymore mods, I don't see a need to upgrade anything unless it's for reliability or cooling.
Have a 2006 late facelift Hyper Blue/white roof R53 S with the factory diff and it's just superb. Sure it has its flaws but I haven't driven a car yet that months down the line I still look forward to getting into every time I drive it and makes me grin ear to ear. Questionable reliability, awful ride, barely adequate brakes and daft running costs (for a small 1.6 4 cyl car) but I forgive it all that every time I get in it. For sure a sure-fire classic that is far better (in terms of staying true to the original) than anything that's come since. Sadly it's at my mates garage in bits having its supercharger serviced......and probably will be there some time now thanks to Co-Vid19.....boy am I missing it!!
Ride can be improved with light 16 x 7" wheels and 205/50 non-runflat tyres. My 2003 R53 has been the most reliable car I've owned in the last 32 years. My annual mileage is less than 5,000 though.
I also have an 05 lsd hyper blue with white roof/mirrors, wipac lights, single mass flywheel and hornet exhaust. Was low mileage but had 5 previous owners. Spent over 3 grand replacing parts to bring it back to mint condition but it's worth every penny. Drive it as a daily and fuel economy is shocking but there's no other car quite like it. Main parts replaced have been standard wear and tear parts as expected with a car this age. Bushes, brakes, clutch, exhaust, ball joints, drive shafts etc. Once you replace these things it should last a good while. Lemforder suspension parts are the only ones that seem to take a beating and last, don't bother with anything else. Also worth replacing the transmission fluid as its shared with the LSD. They say its lifetime fluid but its really not. Make sure it's the BMW Mtf2 fluid as it's got a friction modifier additive for the LSD. It's around £50 for two bottles but anything cheaper that's not BMW will cause a rubbing sound of the LSD.
@@andrewwharmby6834 spot on 👍 when I got mine I gave it an Inspection II service with OEM parts, but also changed the fuel filter (used a Vaico item as the BMW part was extortionate) and like you also had the gearbox oil replaced. I used Redline MTL on mine, but the GL4 spec one that's recommended for LSDs (basically to MTF94 spec). Totally agree made a big difference to the quality of the gear change and no rubbing sound on the diff. I believe some people make the mistake of using the wrong grade or worse GL5 oil which can destroy all the brass bits in the box which is no good. I think something that also gets overlooked is replacement of brake fluid and proper bleeding of the system......I found with mine that the clutch wasnt disengaging quite right and led to slightly crunchy gearshifts unless you purposefully changed gear very slowly.....I thought it was the clutch slave cylinder leaking but turns out the brake fluid could do with a change (past its best) and also hadnt been very well bled before......full change of fluid and properly bled it was then A1 again. These things need over maintaining to keep them in good working order I find.....I dont do many miles a year in mine but I plan to service it every year, maybe alternating inspection I and II schedules.
@@allseeing357 I haven't done the fuel filter on mine yet but defo on the list. Tried redline MTL on mine but had the rubbing sound after a few weeks, maybe the diff is a bit more worn. The Getrag 6sp gearboxes are a lot better than the midland in standard coopers. With the brake fluid, I didn't change it when I got it and that's why I needed a new clutch after a few years because it wasn't disengaging properly. Also did the slave and master when I was troubleshooting (hoping it wouldn't need a new clutch!) Not too fussed as I wanted a single mass fly but most people don't realise (like myself) that the brake fluid is important to change every year like mini recommends and I guess it's because of the clutch. Best car I've ever owned but people don't realise that they need to be maintained like performance vehicles and then slate them. Previous owners tend to just leave them.
I have the r53 but it's the cooper s not the jcw but I have put a 15% reduce pully on it with a custom exhaust and a jcw air intake better plugs and new clutch. Of the line its fun and where I live it's all country roads so perfect for what I need.
I’ve driven the R56 Cooper S and I like the pops and turbo spooling up but the RR3 supercharger sounds epic. I hear faint A series whine coming from the R53
My mate has one, its a geat laugh, a bloody quick car and I'm addicted to the supercharger whine. All that said I wouldn't have one, not practical enough for my needs and he says regular driving he's getting 25mpg, hoon it on properly and he gets 16mpg or so.....that would make my wallet go on strike!!
One day I'll restore a proper Mini, Italian Job style … racing green, white stripes, straight through exhaust and hinged number plate on the back. Saw one not so long back cruising around Queensland, super jealous of the elderly owner, gave him a thumbs up though :). I'm sure these are fun but it's just a tarted up small BMW … lack of storage space, poor fuel economy … yep, goes completely against genius of the original design.
Engines are good for 280bhp mate, however the timing chains tensioners and hpfp are a bit dog shiteon them, poor maintenance of them will create these problems, much better on the n18 models as most of these problems were rectified.
JM productions My auntie had one on a 52 plate, grey GB flag on the roof. A friend has bought one recently on a 53, charger wound up and sounds ace ....but it's started to give him electrical problems
always fancied one of these having renounced my waiting list position for a cooper S when it was first launched (2002?) in order to buy my first flat instead...
Got an r53 for my first car crashed it a week later, then bought another and it’s nothing but trouble however when it works it’s class. Aka love hate relationship
I've been torturing myself watching videos about the R53, I want Balthazar back but must admit that the turbo conversion was a mistake? He mentioned the F series and I have a 2020 F56 Cooper S and as nice as it is to just cruise around in just isn't a patch on a well sorted R53 when I want to 'hoon' it! It's too soft wobbly and the 2.0 turbocharged engine has almost zero character! Btw, the F56 is on Motability and will cost me pretty much £10k over the 3 year lease agreement then I'll have to give it back!
im 19, bought one as my second car, it is a good car, however riddled with problems, that might be my fault for buying a crap example but I regret my choice now, I should have gone for a mx5, I will get rid when I get my 2nd ncb and go for a rwd sports car hopefully like the mx5
I would love one of these, but I do just enough miles that the terrible fuel economy becomes a problem. I'm saving my money so I can get an R56 later on instead.
We do share an awful lot of opinions on SUVs, marketing and a lot of the garbage that comes with cars these days. You were complimentary about the Juke, though, which I find hard to forgive.
Had a 2002 plate jcw for 1 1/2 years, it was one of the most unreliable cars i have ever owned, cost me a fortune in repairs and wasn't even that quick. Was on first name terms with the AA guys.
I absolutely love this generation of mini but reliability puts me off buying one
5 лет назад
I didn't realise reliability was an issue as I'm my time working with this generation their tenure in our workshops was doen to nothing but a few gearbox failures and the electric windows not dropping when opening the doors (duff microswitch.)
I have to disagree on R56 being better quality interior than R53. That complete rubbish. Sorry, second Gens are complete rubbish on tbe inside. Cheap rubbish plastic whereas these are fairly well made actually. It again depends on how well it was looked after by previous owners.
No. Engines are built like brick houses and the engine itself is very reliable if looked after and not hooned. It's just cosmetics that will eventually give out. All the cheap plastics mainly. The plastics have never given out for me but from what I have read just outside cosmetic bits, pieces like plastic trim are the parts that decide to fall off if your lucky.
@@junkyardgemsofficial Head gasket problems, cracked heads, superchargers that need a rebuild by 100k, clutches that dont lask all that long. electrical issues and a power steering pump that gives out at about 90k. Rear brake calipers frm a rver25 that were super low quality. List is endless.
My sister in law has a mini something that has over 250 bhp and it scared me when I first drove it. I have no idea what model it was but it was black and had red bits on it
How do they stack up against the Clio 182, all round driving experience. I know the R53 have reliability issues, oil leaks and can have electrical timing chain & thrust bearing issues.
I've had 2 R53s and a 182 and from my experience the mini is by far better. The clio looks like every other and inside was boring. The drive was ok but not as much fun as the mini. I still have my R53 :)
I have not experienced any of the problems you have stated and had my car 4 years. Supercharger service is a must. Apart from coil pack and o2 sensor I've had no issues. Not all minis are knackers 🤣
The engines are built like brick houses and the engine itself is very reliable if looked after and not hooned. It's just cosmetics that will eventually give out. All the cheap plastics mainly. The plastics have never given out for me but from what I have read just outside and maybe inside cosmetic bits, pieces like plastic trim are the parts that decide to fall apart if your lucky.
