I'm ordering a new Clubman, and wondering about the auto lights/wipers. Don't really care about the lights part of it, but since the interval wipers are not easily adjustable, I would like to hear from folks who have the auto wipers. How do they work for you? Would you get them again? Thanks!

 

Auto lights are great. I'd definitely get them again. The wipers, those I'd only get if they were part of a package. They still need to be activated every time you turn the car on. You are correct that adjusting them isn't very easy. You need to go into the menu and change the sensitivity setting. However, I will say that they work better than the auto wipers I had in an older Volvo S60R.

 

The auto wipers aren't perfect but work well. They are very convenient when rain conditions are constantly changing. Sometimes they may wipe more slowly or quickly than you want. I decided to get auto wipers (and I would get them again) because the manual wipers only have a single, unadjustable intermittent speed. That would drive me crazy. If the manual wipers had adjustable intermittent wipe, I wouldn't have chosen auto wipers.

I find the auto lights way too aggressive in turning on the lights, sometimes when it may be very bright outside. I run my headlights in manual mode.

 

First time I've had them on a car; I think they're really useful. I like that you push one button to "arm" them when it looks rainy / is raining, and it takes it from there.

Rarely, I'll give the lever a poke for an extra wipe, (usually while sitting at a light). Almost always it knows just what to do.

I like this feature that replaces futzing with the slower-faster settings or fooling with the intermittant "dial" (didn't know that it was a PITA on MINIs...even more so, then!).

I mostly wanted the auto headlights, and got the wipers thrown in, nice to have.

I'd agree with another poster that the auto headlights are biased towards being "on" more than they'd have to be. I still leave them on auto, though.

Not to jump the thread, but I'm wishing that I'd ordered the auto-dimming rear view mirror, too. I'm long-legged enough that my seat is way back, the windshield is pretty vertical, so it's a long reach to the rear-view mirror to dim it quickly. Not a huge deal, but it would be a nice convenience to have, I'd think. I'd order it next time.

 

I dig the auto-wipers on my Passat (CMS not here yet) and envy the auto-headlights on my wife's car. Looking forward to the fact that my MINI with have both.

 

I had them on my 06 Cooper and liked them. But I'm going to leave them off of my '13 JCW Coupe when I order it.

The reason: I'm wanting to build a driver's car and not so much a car that feels like a cross between a sports car and a luxury car.

 

Definitely, I use them all the time, and the auto lights are great so you do not have to turn them on/off constantly.

 

Not sure I follow. It's not like the feature adds weight or affects handling. One could probably use the same reasoning to get it since it can help the driver keep both hands on the wheel.

 

Bells and whistles and gadgets... don't give me the feel of a sports car... too soft, not as much in tune with the car, or however you want to look at it. And I'm not talking just about auto wipers. But that adds to the overall feel of the car and the drive.

 

I think it depends on where you live and how much rain you see locally. We live in the PNW and the Auto Wipers were a must when I ordered Molly. It's a matter of opinion, but consider if you will be traveling in areas where they might be useful, the cost now would be a no brainer in my book.

 

I like the auto wipers, and would certainly order them again. Yes, the menu to adjust their setting takes a quite a few clicks to get to, but once its set to your preference they never had to be adjusted again. I've set mine to the least sensitive setting and it does a good job of keeping up.

As for the auto lights... those I've disabled.

 

So you're into self abuse. I can respect that.


I thought it was a ridiculous concept until I had the opportunity to use them on a borrowed BMW in a light mist. Certainly not a revelation, but IMO they do a good job of deciding when to clear. If I had a choice I'd make them even less sensitive, but the 'less sensitive' factory setting stops the wife from demanding I hit the wipers.
I have no interest in auto-headlights, especially with xenons, which are affected by the number of on/off cycles.

 

My wife's LR has auto wipers. They work pretty well, although not perfect. I guess it's one of those things (like auto climate control) that seems like a waste of money until you get used to having it, and then the thought of going without it is horrifying.

I'll give you one very, very valuable piece of advice. Make sure you turn them off BEFORE you go through the automatic car wash.