Okay, so I ordered the car, now I'm buying accessories to keep on hand until car arrives to fully personalize it.

I love to stream music through BT and want to add a nice cell phone mount to the Mini. Not a iPhone guy, but have a 4.8 inch LG to android based phone.

I see that there are a few options that seem to exceptionally nice (although the price point difference between the three I am considering is rather large.

1st is the FlexPod Pro Xxl @ $93.50.
http://new.minimania.com/part/G3NMI7...Mini-Cooper--S

The Flexpod looks like a clean install and puts the phone in a nice spot for easy access.

2nd is Craven Speed Smartphone Pro-Series @ $99.00

http://www.cravenspeed.com/products/...nting-Kit.html

Another clean install with a universal holder that seems to accommodate pretty much any size phone.

Last on is the Mini Click and Drive system @$180.00 (approx $90 more than the other two)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MINI-Cooper-F56-Coupe-Click-amp-Drive-System-iPhone-4-5-Galaxy-S4-Holder-Mount-OEM-/301312139225?_trksid=p2054897.l4275
This is the one that intrigues me. It appears to have the cleanest install and the most factory appearance.

This one appears to come with a wiring harness and USB port that allows the phone to connect to the base of the dash mount with a short USB cable, and has a longer cord that can be routed to a power source allowing for another 12V power socket to be added to the Mini in another location to get power to the dash mount (or if one didn't want to route the power cord to a fuse box, just use the 12v power plug on the cord down to the dash power source).

Looking for any input on any of the three listed above but mostly on the 3rd choice. Spending north of $31K on a car, an extra $90 for a truly integrated phone mount isn't a consideration. Providing the item is worthy of consideration in form and function.

I have mounts in my other cars now and like to have the phones plugged in and charging when driving and use the BT function to stream my content.

There are plenty of videos on install of the first two items, but not much on the "Click and Drive". The Click and Drive looks like it needs a dealer install for proper cable routing to the fuse box.

Decisions Decisions.

 

The Flexpod from MiniMania is a Cravenspeed FlexPod.

Both the Cravenspeed mounts and the Click and Drive will install very nicely. My dealer charged me quite a bit to install the Click and Drive, so if you can do it yourself, and you probably can, it will save you!

The Click and Drive is a plastic that matches the instruments, the Cravenspeed mount is high-end "Unobtainium" metal of some type.

I bought the Click and Drive and a different cradle. I don't have bluetooth streaming so I have a cable running down to the USB. Someone on the forum was able to use some trim tools to hide the cable. [I'll post a link to that...Sal1K, but I think MINIwuff did it too. https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...l#post3979266] [Yes here's MINIwuff's, and a great explanation later in the thread, also great pictures off the Cravenspeed mount https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...l#post4031510]

The Click and Drive uses a Garmin ball, so you can use any G-Ball mount cradle. I even mounted my Garmin GPS on it once!

I don't understand your description of the Click and Drive USB power. This is the way I understand it. There is USB slot on the body of the Click and Drive that you can plug a device into. There is a USB cable that comes from the unit. I suppose you could plug this USB cable into the dash if you wanted to. The way it comes in the box, this cable is zip-tied to a USB-lighter adapter [male] that is zip-tied to a lighter socket dongle [female]. This all gets zip-tied under the dash somewhere. The lighter socket dongle has bare wires on the end that plug into one of the fuse boxes.

If you were to plug the USB cable into the dash it would connect to the radio, I think, but the way it gets installed through the assortment of adapters and into the fuse box it only gives you power.

I've got my iPod plugged into the dash, connected to the radio. Sometimes I'll plug something into the USB slot on the Click and Drive so it will charge.

The Click and Drive installation instructions: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...lick-drive.pdf

There are lots of threads about these mounts!

 

Here's a couple of MINIwuff's pictures of the Cravenspeed mount.

 

Here are a couple of terrible pictures of the mount in my car, open and closed.

Also the Garmin ball. What I wanted to show with that [but there's too much glare] is there is a hexagonal shape to the part that clicks into the arm. Its too bad that it isn't square or octagonal because you can't turn your device from portrait to landscape without readjusting the cradle.

 

Arm extended, cradle attached.

 

Arm retracted.

 

Thanks for the feedback and links. Yes, my description wasn't the greatest, but yours sums it up exactly as I understand it. Having that Click and Drive hard wired eliminates the dangling cables, to the cigarette lighter or the USB jack and frees up both for use with other accessories. Not sure I wan to try the professional install myself. Guessing dealer will charge $100 or so for the install, so the Click and Drive is getting a bit pricey.

Alternately, using the Cravenspeed mount, and a dual USB cigarette jack, one could route the cable using the dash cracks to one of the two USB jacks on the cigarette lighter adapter, still have another one to use for ohter accesories and keep the Mini USB media jack available for a flash drive and music.

Hmmmmm, my route is becoming a bit more clear.

 

So Hammerhands, have to ask about this Akron cradle you seem to be fond of... are you using this because it accepts a "wider" phone? Just curious because I have an HP X3 Elite and it's a wide phone?

 

I have used both the CravenSpeed FlexPod XXL and the Click'n'Drive. They are both good units. I have the FlexPod installed in my wife's Countryman and te Click'n'Drive in my JCW HT. I like the Click'n'Drive because it works with my Mini Connected and links with the car as soon as I connect the USB cable. I did not route it to the passenger side location. I just tucked the cable into the trim and routed to the USB port in the center dash. Really made it easier to transfer navigation location to the on-board nav system with the Mini Connected app.

 

I bought the CravenSpeed mount with the clamp. For power I just set the USB cable on top of thr center display. It sits nicely and doesnt fall.

 

Interestingly, my dealer said they're now ordering their cars with the Click and Drive. It must be popular. I bought mine from the dealer and installed it myself-I don't think it was 180. It only had two wires for power to the integrated usb cable. I think for more flexibility and your purpose, it'd be good to replace that cable with a full feature usb cable and hook it in to the console usb. I have my Garmin gps on it all the time, so have no use.

 

Love my craven speed pro series. I tried wiring it up by tucking into the moulding, but ended up just leaving it out. Over time found it annoying as you'd have to unplug your phone to interact with it or have a passenger use it.
Bought a 1.5 foot cable thats perfect length to get to your phone from the USB port without leaving a ton of slack. Very tidy.

 

Interestingly, it's possible to do an installation where your click and drive would be connected to multimedia over USB, while retaining usability of the console USB port. I haven't done this, nor have I heard of anyone else trying it, but I tested this theory by using a USB splitter out of the console. With 2 phones plugged in through that console port, both charged and both came up as wired devices. You can put this splitter BEHIND the console, have a super tidy setup with full multimedia functionality and still have an extra port.
I can't think of any reason Mini doesn't recommend this install!

 

I don't see why they didn't make it a full fledged usb cable either. Who knows, maybe on the new cars they changed it.

On another note, I went for a hike the other day and to make things less inviting, took the Garmin off the click and drive and hid it. It came off very easy, and the arm folds neatly back.

 

The local Mini dealer quoted me $300 just for the install of the Click & Drive system. I had received the part as a gift and thought I would try installing it myself, but didn't really have the tools required to make it worthwhile. I also didn't really think it was worth shelling out $300 for a phone holder, but if you're lumping it into a new car purchase it's probably a bit more justifiable. I'd even go so far as to say you might be able to talk the dealer into a free or deep discounted install.