R53 vs R56

I've been looking for a newer used car for a few months now and keep going around in circles. Lately I'm back to MINIs. Sounds like newest is best, but I prefer the look of the first generation. Sounds like '05-'06 is the sweet spot for MCS. Am I fooling myself by wanting the older ones, are the R56 a better bet?

Maybe I needed to put "MINI" in the title.

I like the turbo (2007+) Mini S models. It was much more fun to drive than the 03 MCS JCW I drove.

I have heard from racers that the supercharged motor is tougher than the turbo which is a little finicky.

I think IanF said it best:

MINI's are sort of like Corvettes. They made continual changes and improvements so you're better off buying the newest one you can.

So the 05-06 R53 would be the best pick of the first gen MINIs. The R53 has a decent amount of engine tuning knowledge compared to the R56 (highly optimized). But the engines are apples to oranges. There are some gotcha's with the R53, but you can plan for them:

• Supercharger rebuild. You will need it at some point. Water pump is driven by the supercharger, so that should be done at the same time.
• Thermostat housing is prone to warping. Entire assembly is replaced as one unit.
• Belt tensioner assembly - can fail and chew belt. Best to replace entire unit.
• Power steering (electro-hydraulic) - u-joint can rust and bind. but a failed pump is the kicker - $500 or more for a new replacement unit. you can thank Rover for that one.

The R56 was BMW's reiteration with a shade more bump travel and a new engine design with dohc tech like VANOS for the MCS. It is much more fuel efficient than the R53. My 05 MCS currently averages about 22 to 24 mpg around town. 27 mpg or so on the highway. The R56 MCS does better. if you do get the R53, spring for the Bentley manuals.