1000 miles impression

just broke the 1000 mile barrier for my 2012 CMSa. Here are some of my thoughts...
1. I can't stress enough the practicality of this car... and in some sense, it's sort of funny to have practical and Mini Cooper in the same sentence. But with the combination of the bench seat and more boot space, this is fast becoming our family hauler.
2. Power - it feels very lively when you step on it.... and with the sport button on, watch out... compare to my 09 R56 MCSa, it feels a bit faster.... maybe it's the gearing on the CMSa but definitely feels a bit faster in pickup
3. Ride & Handling - 1st the ride, and I know that this has been talked about a lot, but the run flats just blows.... they feel heavy and like they are made of wood... I can't wait to replace them with non RFTs. but maybe with the size upgrade (from 17s to 19s) they may or may not feel the same.... we will see..... 2nd, the handling. I just have been able to take it to my fave twisty road for a couple of times, pre-break in, and I can say for a big car (compared to my previous mini's), it does very well.... I can definitely feel the roll in the turn in but it does follow through wit it's sharpness.... I guess a more thorough drive (maybe to ACH) is in order.
4. economy - after several fill ups, I've been getting a wide range in the MPG dept. We drove from LA to San Diego and with 5 people and a boot full of stuff, I averaged around 31 mpg with speeds averaging about 70-85mph (varying the rpms at the same time).... in city driving though, it drops off quite a bit... about 27 mpgs.... which still isn't too bad in my opinion and for sure it'll get better once the engine is broken in
5. style - definitely a head turner... people seem to point our way when we drive it around... asking what it is and is it a new model from Mini... fun stuff....

and now for some questions
1. Engine seems to be louder (on idle) than I remember from my 09 R56 MCSa. it sounds like the cold start issue from that era... gets quieter once the engine is warm but still a bit noisy.... do you guys have the same issue?
2. Sat radio - sometimes the satellite radio pauses as if it's rehoming to a new signal... doesn't happen often and I've been trying to see if it happens only when my bluetooth phone is connected (not being used but just connected)... I'll observe more and report back
3. rattle from the boot - and I know it's coming from the boot cover... and it doesn't happen often... definitely does it when the boot is full and the lid/cover rests on whatever is in there..... not sure what it's hitting....


Overall, I'm very happy with our new CMSa... it's a very fun car to drive around and still gets pretty good mileage.... workable trunk space and the bench seat is a great option (in my opinion, of course)

 

That usually means that the signal was lost briefly. This can be caused by all sorts of things, like driving under an overpass or unfavorable atmospheric conditions.

 

Those of us that have had Sirius for several years are familiar with this problem. Back in the old days, Sirius never broke a signal - Cottage City, MD to Wetumpka, AL and no problems. About 4 or 5 years ago, it got really bad - I knew places where I would alway loose the signal - stretches of road for no apparent reason and no matter which car I was driving. It's much better as of late. Although they've never said so, I think the delay has either been shortened or eliminated. There's an overpass down the street that cuts the signal when you enter, then picks up about 2 seconds after you clear it. The delay used to be enough that it would keep playing through the tunnel, then pick up seamlessly.

 

i have sat radios in my other cars and they don't exhibit the same issue.... and it happens even when under an open sky.... if that makes any sense.... I do think that the BT connection has something to do with it but I'll observe it more and see...

 

We have the Sirius signal loss issue occasionally with our other car, a 2009 VW Sportwagen TDI with OEM audio. Driving in deep mountain canyons it is very bad, and also it sometimes happens briefly when crossing under overpasses.