Everybody's asleep, hungover, or in a remote time zone I guess....
Yes, the paint is softer than what I've been used to. I wish it weren't, but I do LOVE this car!!! I have to baby mine more than I'd like, and since it's never garaged, it has picked up a minor flaws here and there, some courtesy of those blasted birds!! Anyway, the flaws are very hard to spot, but, given the right angle, I know where they are.
The rear latch is very fixable...just a simple adjustment. (I think...I have a friend w/ an '04 who has the same problem you describe. We tweeked it into working much better, but she has yet to take it in for perfect adjustment.)
I do get flustered sometimes when I run around to the back to open the hatch w/o disengaging central locking (car is running) only to find I'm denied access, and then having to go back around to hit the button. The feel of the latch is different, but it doesn't bother me.
I guess I'm lucky in that, since sorting through a few initial rattles, I really have none to complain about after 2+ years. I love my MINI (quirks and all) and for what it is and what it does, it....is...awesome!!!
Much better than my old Geo Metro!!!
