Well, I picked up my MINI-S an hour ago. Great dealer experience. My MA went through the whole car, outside and inside. Of course I probably forgot about 50% of what he told me so I'll be reading through the Owners Manual (which is also built into the Mini-Connected system).

I have to point out a few things I noticed right away on my trip from the dealer to my office.

The quietness inside the cabin is a bit unexpected. Exhaust "roar" at WOT is pleasantly there, but when cruising on the freeway the cabin is really quiet. That impressed me.

The second thing that was very noticeable (well, actually 2 things) was the power this engine makes and how it translates nicely to launching from a start. And, without any noticeable torque steer. I will not be modding this engine. I'm totally fine with the 189hp (and 207tq) it puts out. Although my MA swears it feels stronger than the 2014 blue MINI-S he's driven there.

Next, the 12-speaker HK audio system. My iPhone connects through Bluetooth and I can play music stored on my iPhone or I can stream through Pandora. The sound quality is equal to or better than my premium surround-sound audio system on my (old) 2011 Buick LaCrosse, and that is saying something. It is better than I expected. I'm quite pleased.

The sport seats will take getting used to. On the plus side, they are as close to full-blown Recaro seats as they can be. VERY supportive side to side. The down-side is that they hug me a bit tighter on the right side than I expected. I'm not a big person, but I am in the process of shedding (a goal) of 15 lbs. It will be interesting to see how they then fit if my weight loss goal is reached. If I only lose 10 lbs., I will have to adjust to the tightness on the right side. It's not a major problem, though.

The MINI-Connected display with navigation is awesome. There isn't much that it can't do or display, information wise. The caveat is that there will be a learning curve here, but I'm willing to put the time into learning as much about the display as I can. It even displays real-time horsepower and torque.

The voice-actuation is very good. Works great with the phone and radio. I like that I can speak a complete address (street number, street, city, state) for directions. I really like the navigation system.

Visibility (front, sides and rear) is superior! I can glance over my right or left shoulder and see everything around me. No real blind-spots IMO.

I have the all-season run-flats and the ride is firm without being too firm. Definitely not harsh in any way. I was concerned that I might not like run-flats, but to me the ride is about perfect. And, no tire noise whatsoever. Maybe the quietness of the cabin helps a lot here.

The car requires at least 89 octane but I'm using only 92-93 octane. It's got a full tank of 93 octane now. Only the best "food" for my MINI.

The rev-matching caught me by surprise on a down-shift. I wasn't expecting it. I liked it, though.

Well, that's it for now. I will post more comments (positive and negative) over the next day or two. I will post some photos early evening. Exterior and interior.







Seat & trim color match

Seat & trim color match

Cottonwood trim

Arm rest

Showing Alcantara trim



Note battery is fully enclosed



Nice looking pedals

Seating & trim color match

 

I came for photos, I leave disappointed. Good review though!

 

Congratulations! Keep the updates coming and photos. Must feel like Christmas.

 

With regard to all season run flat performance, my biggest complaint is the "jump" and loss of contact when encountering expansion joints or bumps on clover leafs and off camber turns, especially at speed.....very disconcerting !!

 

Photos pleeeease...and congrats!

Edit: great pics, the green exterior looks amazing!!

Also, I'm really impressed with the wood and Alcantara/faux suede interior parts...they give the impression that the interior is from a much more expensive car, $60k+.

Enjoy the car in good health!

 

Very cool ..welcome to the cult. Yea I'd always run at least 92-93 octane that's all I have ever ran in my '11 R56 and no problems except the POS thermostats they came with. Hopefully that is all new also.

 

You may want to google using regular or premium. If your car is designed for regular, premium is just a waste according to the experts.

 

As I said in my post, photos will be coming early evening. An hour or so. I wanted to at least get "first impressions" out.

 

Congrats! Looking forward to the pics.

 

Bob. Sounds great - I can't wait to get mine now !


Is yours a standard - cant remember?

 

More reviews and photos coming tomorrow and Saturday.

 

All right!! Good to see those pictures.

Hope to have mine w/in 10 days or so.

 

Great review!! Congrats on the new MINI!

 

How's the armrest Bob? Looks like it came from the Caddy design department! Thinking I'll remove mine if it gets in the way.

 

Congratulations and Thank you for the photos! This was just the fix I needed

 

It looks fantastic. I'm jealous.

 

Looks great, CobraBob! Maybe I should have ordered the BRG too like my wife said. And just like SpartanVet, this was the fix I needed.

 

Can't wait...I need more reading material to tide me over until my Mon./Tues. delivery.

 

Photos look great and that BRG is gorgeous. You will enjoy it.

 

Excellent photos, looks very nice, thanks.

 

YEAH BUDDY!!! Very excited for you. Although, Barnaby already misses his new friend.

 

Just wondering does the F56 have the little net on the passenger side by the dash? It was perfect for my iPod I had wired to my radio on my R56.

 

Yes, it does. Also, the center console pocket is a little bit more usable.

 

Hi Michael. I really had a good time this morning with you. You did a great job going over all of the features with me. You made my buying experience at New Country a extremely good one. Awesome that I got to take a photo with "Barnaby". You know, Barnaby and his new friend (name to come) should get together sometime soon for some afternoon tea. Or coffee!

 

I don't believe so. There is a tray under the dash (center) that can hold change for tolls or an iPad/iPhone.

EDIT: I stand corrected. It does have the net. It is close to the floor on the passenger side and is about a foot long. Neat! I learn more and more cool things about my MINI every day.