Okay so there is a thread in the Gen 2 forum so I thought I would star one in the Countryman forum as well. We picked upo my wife's from Cinincnnati MINI on Saturday. I haven't really driven it enough yet to find new and suprising things. So what has everyone eklse found......

 

realized today that the Countryman windows don't do the "drop" before opening the door as the window doesn't need to drop partially prior to opening the doors like the Cooper or Clubman. Does still require the "double-pull" (as noted by another poster) on the door handle though prior to exiting the vehicle.

 

Double pull is a function of whether your doors are locked. If the door is locked you will need the double pull. Your key fob presets can tell the car to automatically lock the doors when you start driving or not to.

Bill

 

I have nav + mini connected, the nav screen, at I think 400 feet, instead of an arrow of your present location, is a mini cooper, which is cool. Also, I have the rear park distance control, and the nav screen shows a mini (I know that post was listed before), but thought I would still mention it, and the sound of the back up sensors is very cool, much different than the door "gong". 2 cool touches I think.

 

I knew a MINI was going to be entered into FIA Rally car this year, but I didn't know it was going to be in a Countryman! Sweet!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.topgear.com/uk/photos/min...5-09?imageNo=4

 

Might want to check out this thread

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ster-eggs.html

There was another one too but I can't seem to find it.

 

You can turn the seatbelt alert volume down a lot if you have the mini connected (that's an annoying sound), there are many cool things under settings too, such as...auto lock door when drive, 3 blinks on the signal light, day time running light...etc

 

but if you hold down the switch that controls the color of the ambient lighting for about 5-10 seconds then let go, the lights will continuously cycle through all of the colors over and over again.

 

Interesting, will have to try... Thanks

 

The paint sucks.

 

Agreed... Just had mine clayed, polished and waxed which made it look "acceptable", but not much past that. A shame really....

 

Might want to qualify your statement with an anecdote or some sort of evidence. Otherwise it's worthless.

 

one more things i thought it's pretty cool, there is a little AC vent in the glove box, to keep things cool in the glove box? and u can turn it on and off

 

That is a handy option. If it is still the same as the older R53s, which I would assume it is, it will become a heater in the winter time. It's best to keep it closed then if you are going to keep gum in there.

 

Heated and cooled glove box is also on the R56.

 

Double pull is the default, factory, setting but can be reset to single pull if you want for some reason I can't think of.

 

Looks like they buffed mine with steel wool.

 

Welome to present time... haha. they've been talking about it online for something like over a year now.

They did pretty well in Italy, Sordo made 6th place. Not bad for testing the car at it's full potential for the first time.

 

The hood has a "clear" spot that you can see the primer below and it seems to scratch very easily. Sorry, but for a premium product, the paint is garbage. Is the paint base/clear? I asked for touch up paint, that has to be ordered as none is available and it is $35. Are you kidding me? $35 for touch up paint? Hope it comes with Vaseline.

 

I think our daytime running lights bring on the taillights also, so this is a first that I have seen as typically only the headlights are illuminated. Also, if you leave the headlights on, when you shut off the car, they shut off also. I didn't think ours had auto headlamps since they are just the base lights, but kind of a cool feature.

 

Although there is 36 presets on my H-K audio (like my old Buick) the buttons can only be programmed for 12 AM, 12 FM, and 12 Satelitte. I listen to maybe one AM, and 3 FM, I wish I had more presets I could use for Satellite.

And the having to bush a button to change to manual tuning mode is dumb.

I still love my CM, but a car that costs this much should not have such a cumbersome sound system.

 

any "weather" radio stations?

 

Sirius has some local weather/traffic stations. Also, check the windows - if they're wet, it raining; bright and hurts your eyes, it's sunny; cold and blurry, ice and snow; etc., etc.

Things about my CM I didn't know? That it would be this difficult! Push, pull, rotate, squeeze, this button, that button, big screen, little screen, connected, unconnected - - - the list goes on and on. But, I will say it's all worth it.

 

Debatable, I happen to think the paint on mine is excellent. I've had 2 Audis, 2 Minis, and 1 Subaru as my last five cars, Minis by far had the best paint quality.

You clayed your car already? How long have you owned it, I mean correct me if I'm wrong but using a clay bar on your car is simply for removing contaminants in the paint that have built up over time, its going to do nothing to improve the paint, or the look of paint of a new car.

 

I clay and then do a coat of polish or wax as soon as I can after getting a new car. The paint picks up all kinds of contaminants on the overseas trip and then on the truck in. On my most recent MINI I talked to Octane Guy to make sure things hadn't changed drastically since '05 when I got my previous MINI. He told me if I had the time then a clay and a coat of Epic was the way to go, so that's what I did. I got all kinds of gunk out when I did the first clay, so I'm guessing my time was well spent.

Annette