So new owner of a F56 mini 2015 in volcanic orange S. What are some things, whether tips or tricks you wish you knew before or after a few seasons of owning a mini? Ive owned an SRT-4, Ford Fiesta SE, what are some things i should expect from a mini? Or what were some helpful comments or things you learned along the way you wish you knew before hand.

This is more for fun then anything else

 

• Upgrading the rear sway bar immediately instead of waiting.
• Should have looked for a car with a bigger head unit display instead of the crap small lcd.
• Should have upgraded the amp before replacing speakers, more power Scotty.
• Probably should have gone with non runflats instead of Driveguards. The Driveguards are an improvement in handling over OEM, but too noisy.
• Should have upgraded the brake pads early on. EBC Red pads are a great improvement over OEM.
• Should never go to the dealer for anything after warranty expires. They suck big time and will rip you off every chance they get on an out of warranty car. LESSON LEARNED finally.

Should have test drove a gti b4 committing to MINI HT. Wife just got the new gti and it makes me scratch my head in wonder how BMW gets away with the price differential. Maybe it's the newness of it, but I am jealous, although I do get to drive it.

 

Actually, as far as the car goes, nothing. It is what it is. a good mileage, fun to drive, upscale hatch. If you plan to race, there a many upgrades you can dom and I will any advice to those that do. The following are things that should be common sense, but often forgotten or overlooked.

Always run top tier gas in your car. Don't run less that 89 octane. If you like a bit more oomph, you can use 91 or 93, but don';t go "cheap" with 87 octane and non-top tier. The extra detergents used in the top tier blend will keep you injectors clean. If you go w/ race track or other non- top tier gas, you could be looking at an expensive and preventable repair. Google Top Tier Gas and you will get a list of gasoline stations that carry it. The list is quite long, so you shouldn't have trouble finding a re-fill point.

https://toptiergas.com/licensed-brands/

If you use a good paste wax, be really careful about getting it on the black wheel surrounds. It really never comes off. You can use "Back to Black" and other products to mask the stain (for lack of a better word), but under close inspection, you'll always see where the wax was.

For a new owner that has the three year free maintenance.. Pay close attention to the date the car entered service and the final free maintenance. I didn't, and got stuck paying for the last oil change by 9 days (to clarify, I was driving my car less than 10K miles per year so my services were yearly - however, it would still make sense to watch your mileage and the date your car entered service). My M240i sees even less usage than my Mini did...I took delivery of it on 21 Dec 2016. All my scheduled maintenance is done in November so my last annual service will with the 36 month (no charge) window.

If you replace your tires down the road, buy the road hazard insurance. Well worth it. Amazing how a stray nail or drywall screw will find the un-repairable edge of your tire. Additionally, if you have to replace a tire, make sure you get an exact matching replacement and not a newer version of the same tire. At the very least ensure you have identical tires on the same axle. I picked up a nail and found that Conti discontinued the exact tires I had on my car. Wound up having to buy two new tires. Now I have a replacement should I pick up a un-repairable nail on my two originals.

Have fun.. .

 

These are great fun cars and all I can say is: You have to maintain them, if you expect them to grace you with a happy return!
They are kick butt fun to drive!

 

I would not have gone for the Nav system or Mini Connect. The mini Connect refuses to acknowledge any phones other than iPhones, and the Nav system is just infuriating to use. Wish I had known about that when we got the wife a Countryman. I don't have either in my 2005 R50 or my 2013 R59 Roadster. Instead, I have Garmins in a Cravenspeed cradle which is hard mounted to the backside of the tachometer.