We've being living with our long-term Mini Countryman Cooper S All4 for a little over two months, but we haven't spent much time on one of the most often used – and complex – bits of the car.

Mini Connected is essentially a reworked version of BMW iDrive for the Mini line-up. The system uses the same architecture and a tweaked user interface to provide drivers with a range of entertainment, connectivity and infotainment functionalities. Some components from iDrive have carried over, most notably a multidirectional joystick in place of the standard **** found in most BMWs, while others have been completely redone for both the Mini aesthetic and the circular display mounted in the central speedometer.

Drivers can connect their iPhone to the system over either Bluetooth or USB to take phone calls, stream Internet radio stations, play locally-stored music or listen to Pandora, along with using their data connection to see timelines on Twitter, Facebook and customizable RSS feeds. Include Google search and send-to-car functionality, and it's a pretty compelling package. But it's pricy.

If you opt for Mini Connected by itself, it's a $2,000 option, with the navigation functionality commanding an additional $750. That's a lotta scratch, but after using the system day-to-day, we're just about sold.

There's plenty going on with Mini Connected, so rather than assault you with a few thousand words, hit the jump for a detailed video review of the system in action.

Video review and blog commentary at Autoblog...

 

Neatly skirts the issues we've been having with cables and phone cradles. Other than that, good review.

 

I agree And now with I phone 4S5..wonder what the cradle excuse will be Just wish "Office" would do it's thing...

 

What is office supposed to provide? I just get my phones contact list when I'm sync'd via BT. Is there more functionality?

 

Calendar, Appointments, Emails, etc. (I know…not to send..just read them).
Or now with IOS5…out on the 12th..it's read them for you, which I guess technically you can do straight from the phone..but your still fiddling around and not watching the road.

 

The video is a good review overall! I have Connected without Nav, and I'm impressed how much the maps "look" and interface have improved over previous versions.

I also lament that in Canada, we don't get Pandora or MOG

 

Thanks for the review--a bit of a refresher for me before the CM gets here later this month.
We got a chance to do a bit of hands-on testing for a few minutes when we test drove a CM this summer. One of the big things I loved about MINI was how "British" it is. We saw, a couple years ago, a Nav system from MINI that used British-accented voice direction. When we asked our MA if that was still available for the CM, he said he was pretty sure it is, but we haven't gotten a definitive answer from him.
So... is it? Anybody?

 

what issues





mojito, who excitedly uses his pre-march firmware connected with nav