Test drove this S yesterday.
It was a very spirited test drive as encouraged by the dealer's sales manager.
The car drives great and sounds even better.Corners with surgical precision.
The torque steer is gone!
I had a 2008 JCW and this car is overall a great improvement over the previous generation,in my opinion.
The big story is inside.
MINI's have always been expensive,now they also feel expensive.
Materials,fit and finish are outstanding and the cabin is a vastly superior place to be in than that of any 2,3 or 4 series BMW.
The sport seats are fantastic and for $250 a must.
What about the front look?
Better in person and i think if the car is black or BRG it will go unnoticed for the most part.

 

Was this at Vista Mini? If so, do they have cars with manual transmission and nav?

 

Yes,Vista.
The only one they have right now is auto and no nav but they're expecting more this week.
I was told most of the ones that are about to arrive are "loaded with equipment".
Interestingly,run flats appear as option and you're not able to order HK as a stand alone option but only as part of a package.

 

Nice, that's the radio i am getting

I couldn't get myself to spend an extra $1750 on nav as my phone does it and is always up-to-date thanks to Google

 

I had a quick test drive in an F56 base cooper. I agree, the interior is MUCH nicer now. The sport seats are great, and it rides very quietly and smoothly. No rattles! Definitely a more refined cabin, MINI has really stepped up their game on this one.

The transmission shifts very smoothly, the steering response and handling still feel very MINI. Overall I was pretty impressed with it. It didn't feel quite as punchy as my tuned R50, but part of that could be how quiet it is.

The price point is incredible, they start at under $21k in Canada now. I swear I've never seen even a base R56 below $26-28k. A friend is looking into leasing one and it's something like $250/m.

 

Pretty much my own reactions when I drove my MINI last week. Handling and performance were heightened compared to the 2013 MCS that I drove in February. I didn't experience ANY torque steer. That surprised me. Very light clutch. Felt great. The interior is luxurious and high quality. Sport seats are outstanding...comfortable and supportive. The front brake air intakes definitely are less noticeable with BRG paint. Going with the chrome trim will make them definitely noticeable with any paint color. I prefer them to blend with the bumper.