Anyone else having issues with the Sports Seats? I have the electrically adjusting seats and my back starts killing me after 30 mins in the seat. I am really considering selling the car. Have no such isssues with my R59 sports seats but do have a history with BMW seats.

 

I generally like my first Mini 2014 S mainly due to its awesome 2.0T motor that's got plenty power for me with fairly good mpg.

But there are few items that are really annoying me.

> Too much of cheap hard plastic used on the dash and everywhere else inside the interior.
> No engine oil dip stick.
> No trans oil dip stick nor drain bolt.
> No stand alone gauges for turbo boost, coolant temp, battery voltage, etc.
> No (right) arm rest.
> Center exhaust (difficult to find hitch).
> Hard to read "mini" characters on the dash.
> Hard to tell which is Lock or Unlock button on the key FOB.

Would I buy a Mini again?
Hell ya!

 

Keyless start without keyless entry/exit is dumb. My father has a ATS Coupe and a Vette. Say what you want about GM their key fob makes sense. Walk up to the car and it unlocks, no fiddling around with buttons on the door handle. Start car and drive. Get out the car and walk away and it locks. The key is safely in your pocket the entire time, no fuss no muss.

 

I get that many would like a marginally fun car to drive as long as the cars have all the "bells and whistles". And, I am on my third MINI, but I have lost interest because the softening of the cars has not led to quality improvements.
My current '15S , with 35,000 miles, has to have the front A-arms and bushings replaced under warranty. How much would that cost outside of warranty?
I am 65 yo and have owned many cars and MINI is on the lowend of dependability.

 

We are loving the bells and whistles for sure. And our 2017 Clubman S All4 has a bunch of them.

However, it is unacceptable for a modern vehicle, especially one that can cost upwards of $40K fully-kitted, to have basic systems like A-arms and bushings fail early, if ever.

We have learned over the decades that high line cars should be leased because things that shouldn't fail, do. We had a stunning 2008 Jag XJ that our dealer told us to unload before the warranty ended because the cost of air suspension parts and the serpentine belt replacement was high and inevitable. How can belt replacement be costly?? Turns out there are hours of labor just to get to the damn thing. We turned in the car, lovely as it was, and have gone through a few more since then, and now we are doing a 3 year stint with the new Mini. Hoping it holds together. Sure is fun to drive. Especially since we added the Dinan sport performance box.

 

My cars in he '70's ( Corvette,912 Porsche) were actually fairly, dependable. My '66 912 ran like a top. Of course, everything was so simpler.

 

Yup. And when you looked into the engine compartment, you could see all the parts, know what they were, and fix them or yank them out quickly and get a replacement for a reasonable cost.

I do remember back in about 1970 a bulb went out on my daddy's 1968 Porsche 912. The VW/Porsche dealer parts guy said, "I don't have the Porsche bulb in stock but I've got one in a VW box that's the same bulb for about half the price.

I think the bulb was about 79 cents. Those were the days.

 

Today I took my '15S into the dealer ( after backordered parts finally arriving) to have my front A-arms and their bushings replaced. MINI has done the right thing and , hopefully will be fixed.
I just can't help but think that this problem is related to trying to design these light cars to be compatible with run flat tires. Oh well.
And on another note the dealer gave me a loaner, a new Clubman. It's a very nice car but very numb feeling to drive. The engine ( 3 banger with auto transmission) reminds me of driving a diesel. Loves low revs but nothing at the high end. And the ride ( although very nice ) reminds me of driving a Honda or a Toyota sedan.
I guess what I am seeing is a car manufacturer going more mainstream, but then why buy a MINI?

 

Glad to hear the dealer stepped up with your suspension issue.

Regarding the direction MINI is heading. It seems they are trying to offer something for original MINI loyalists with the JCW's, and yet trying to support 1,000 vehicle/day production capacity with newer, larger offerings that appear big and drive with a relative "numbness" when compared to smaller, tighter, lighter, rowdier MINIS of yore. Here comes the new Countryman!!

What absolutely hooked me, and my discerning wife, on the Clubman S was the adaptive suspension, the fit and finish, the 8-speed auto with shift paddles, and the fully loaded toys that bring the car closer to the more refined, highly-engineered vehicles to which we have become accustomed.

One could argue that my mother's 1968 BMW 2800 with the carbureted hemi straight 6, hand crank windows, 3 speed automatic, AM/FM Blaupunkt with terrible reception, and no air conditioner was a "true" nuts and bolts BMW and that later iterations softened the edges that made a BMW a BMW. But that car, fine in its day, would be a gutless, smog-spewing truck by today's standards.

Had BMW not expanded into SUV's, M-cars, and electrics, there would no longer be a BMW. Some might argue that, given the newer mass-market BMW products, it would be just as well if the company had died.

I, for one, enjoy the evolution. Some of the old soul is lost, yet some is retained. Not an easy thing to pull off in a world of corporate average fuel economy, safety, emission, and global market requirements. MINI owns less than 1% of the US car market. They gotta do what they gotta do just to hold on to what they have. A little numbness is required in order to get folks like my wife to pull out the checkbook. It is what it is, and leather and power seats, and a smoother ride are required.

 

I have to say, when I test drove a Cooper S many years ago, it was the stiff ride that was the main turn-off. I've driven a number of sports cars, and none were that stiff. It almost seemed to be stiffness for stiffness' sake. I mean, other sports cars can come to a reasonable compromise and still have great handling.... So, yeah, count me in as someone who wants something a bit more reasonable. An adjustable suspension would be ideal, although if the cost of that is a lot extra, then I wouldn't want that either. Go figure!

But, yeah, I don't blame Mini/BMW for making a larger car like the Countryman. I think I would prefer the normal Hardtop, but I need to visit the Mini dealer sometime and see. Based on comments about things being "softer", it encourages me to give Mini another chance. :-P

 

Well today I got my MINI back after the front suspension repair( covered by warranty, thank God). The local dealer( Niello MINI in Sacramento,ca,) did a great job. Thanks to them.
It's funny how an owner can adjust to wear in the suspension of their car. The springs and shocks were not replaced, but the a-arms and their bushings were.
The improvement in handling and ride were significant. Kudos to MINI and my dealer.

 

What went wrong with your suspension that it needed to be repaired?

 

The front a-arm bushings failed. It's a very common problem with '14 and '15 F56's.
At first I thought I had something loose in the car. I emptied the car and then drove it. Before I couldn't tell if the clunking was coming from the front or the rear. Well, it was definitely coming from the front. When turning the outside front suspension would clunk over even the smallest bump. When going straight over a hump ( like smooth RR tracks, the clunk would happen when the front would compress after crossing the tracks.
Anyway, it's fixed.

 

Love my 15 Cooper. Compared to my 12 Justa, this 3 cylinder has a lot more power with the manual. Ride is compliant even with the Sports Package. Complaints are few--hate the run flat tires and wish I had regular tires with a spare. Locking and unlocking is less intuitive than my Ram, where I just touch the handle to open and one push the door handle button to lock. Steering wheel controls are opposite what my 12 were so I tend not to use them much. True, the new models lost a bit of that edge but mine is also free of rattles and more comfy on longer drives.....trade offs I guess.

 

Available thru some coding now

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...amming-27.html

 

i have similar issue but i only get the slight clunk noise when i turn the wheel and move from complete stop. could still be the front a-arm bushing anyway? if anyone can help please reply or PM me thanks!

 

Two things:

An audible beep when locking the car w/ a fob. Not a horn beep, but a "computer-like" POST beep.

Better contrast on the center stack screen. Daylight and the different brightness's of orange text makes reading music info difficult if not impossible with sunlight in the car

 

Vehicles equipped with factory alarm kit have the audible beep (one for lock, 2 for unlock). this can be disabled in the I-Drive screen if the user wants. I wonder if its possible to code this to non alarm cars with bimmercode or if it required the alarm system hardware to produce the beep.

 

Last time I checked (over a year ago) you could program the function, but without the alarm system it didn't make a difference.

 

Hopefully the Iconic trim level includes the "beep" on lock. I like the feature but not enough to spend $500 for an alarm I'd never use. My M240i included the feature as standard. You'd think Mini would do the same. We will see in June when car arrives.

Perhaps a 2019 Iconic w/o the alarm owner will chime in a dash my hopes prior to delivery. I'm bracing myself for the bad news...............

 

I agree. Even my 2000 Suburban beeps the horn when I lock it. Can't always hear the locks click in a busy area, especially if you have old ears.

My biggest gripe is still the tiny gas tank. I wish mine would hold at least 15 gallons.

 

I do get it that some don't like the horn to beep if they live in a apt and come late so as to not disturb neighbors. The little computer beep I get w/ the BMW isn't at all offensive and can't be heard beyond a dozen or so feet from the car.

The small tank is kinda nice (for me anyway) when I fill it up and the pump shuts off so early the the $ shown is so much less than expected. Yes, just an illusion, but one that still puts a smile on my face . Averaging 36 MPG in all around driving so car does go pretty far between "drinks".

Being an ex-AF guy, ever thought of putting some "drop tanks" on your "wing".

 

Now, there's a thought.

 

I just double-checked with the factory. If you add the drop tanks you can't have the 20mm Vulcans that are concealed behind the front driving lights. Man I hate the new ordering restrictions!

 

Was your problem solved?