Please forgive my lack of knowledge on this. I have a MCS on order and got it pretty well equipped (maybe too well...sport/cold weather/premium and convenience packages + punch black leather). A friend was telling me that even after all those options, I still need to order floor mats separately. Is this actually true? Kind of a dumb thing, but one more item to all I guess.

Also, up to how far away does the keyless drive signal work with the comfort access? I live in a condo building with tandem parking (i.e. two cars parked in a row) and keys will be held in a lock box not far away. I'm worried about the car possibly being taken by someone just pushing the start button and driving off. Is there a valet key that comes with the car?

Thanks in advance for any help and again, apologies for my ignorance.

 

MINI/BMW would like to charge you for anything, and they will try! Just what makes up the unlimited ways to customize.

That being said, most dealers I have worked with will give you a set if you ask upon P/U your new car. Usually i ask for the rubber ones as they are good as my winter set.

Comfort access you have to be pretty close, not sure how close though.

But heh, even if someone takes it, without the key it wont start again as soon as they turn off the engine for a couple seconds.

 

Thanks for the info. Here's my fear: I live in the town next to jersey city, so even if it won't start again, it'll already be on the chopping block.

 

When I made the deal for my Mini, at the end, I made sure they knew I wanted floor mats thrown in. But you are correct in that they don't come with the car with any available package that I could see and are a "dealer installed" option.

 

I ordered a set seperately but the dealer is selling you a 20k-30k car - I'm sure they'll throw in a couple of floor mats if you give them a little nudge

I've never used the comfort access on the MINI but I've dealt with a couple of other cars and they wouldn't even open unless the key was real close. It would sometimes not open if I reached for the handle and the key was in my far pocket. Also, if the key is in a metal box then that would make a difference as well I'd think.

The more amusing thing is what happens when you start the car, walk away with the key and then come back without the key to drive it. Has anyone done/tried that? I've always been curious as to what would happen.

 

They threw in the front rubber floor mats for free when I went to pick up the car - i didn't even ask. I ordered the back ones online.

The key has to be about a foot or two from the door to unlock it. For example, If i have the key in my purse going to get in the passenger side of the car, my boyfriend can't push the driver's door button to open the car. I have to unlock the car from the passengers side. I don't think you can even have the key out by the boot and unlock the car with the door button.
And the key has to physically be inside the car (between both doors) for the car to start.
Once the car is running, you can take the key out of the car (it will beep at you once) and the car will continue to run. However, I don't know if you can turn the car off without the key inside... I haven't tried that.

 

Well the thing is if you are worried don't put the keys in the box, problem solved. Also since I have never dealt with it doesn't the key need to be inside the vehicle for it to start ie at least on your person?

 

Not totally true as someone else has started my car when the key was outside the car. The key in this case was sitting on the sun roof along with some other stuff and someone got in the car and started it by pushing the button.

This lead me to test how far the key has to be outside the car for the car to start. What I found was that the key has to be within about 2-2/5 feet of the center of the dash. I.E. if the key was on the bonnet about 1 foot in front of the windshield it would still start. Any farther than that it would not start.

As for the OP concerns, there should be no concern.


You can turn the car off with out the key near the car.

But I would not leave anything in the car as the key can be up to about 3 feet away from the B-Pillar (pillar behind the door) for the car doors to be opened. Some cars seem to be more sensitive than others but in general 2-3 feet will allow the car door to be opened. And depending on where the key box is in relation to the car may be a problem.

Not sure the OP can do that. It sounds as if there may be a parking lot attendant that has to have access to the keys so that cars can be moved to let others out.

 

haha, well I didn't really think of putting the key on top of or under the car. Seemed like it needed to be between the two doors because if it is right outside the drivers door, it doesn't start.

 

Convenient assess is something we did not realize was not standard, so did not order the $500 lone option or the whole $1,250 package. It should be real handy for you.

Asked our MA about adding it when it arrives this month, thinking it would just simply be programming the remotes or something. But it takes all kinds of wiring and they said it would be expensive, if it could even be done. And we don't want our brand new MINI torn all apart just for that, so that's one thing we will live without.

If the MA had made it known it was not standard, they would have sold one more option. He demonstrated it like it was a standard MINI feature in our test drives, for both hardtop and convertible functions. About the only thing he recommended to add that we did, was the Xenon headlights.

MA stated he never saw a MINI without the Bluetooth/iPod hook-ups, they all come with it - maybe true - but you have to pay for it (Again a $500 lone option or included with the $1,250 Convenience package). He could have explained it better.

Seemed he was more about saving us money on options that we really did not want/need. But actually we did pay $500 for the Bluetooth/iPod adapter as listed on the order sheet, and would have been another $500 to add just Convenient access. So might as well added the whole $1,250 convenience package. Even though we did not care about the garage door opener, auto wipers and auto dimming mirror.

 

Now I see for another $250 you can have your phone/iPod in the arm rest called Comfort Bluetooth/iPod - that was never demonstrated or expained by the MA either.

 

The interwebs and MINIUSA car configurator are your friend.

 

Called service and they explained it requires different door handles, modules etc that they cannot install or obtain.

No biggie. A few less things to go wrong.

Even with my truck, after buying it with the cloth bench seat we thought we wanted… Came to realize we probably would have preferred the bucket seats that came with leather and Bose sound system. There's always pros and cons. Ended up adding 2-tone KatzKin leather a year later…. that GM cloth was a terrible lint magnet.

Well the wife is most def is anxious to get her MINI….. Since selling her PT Crusier GT HO to a cash buyer thru the local AutoTrader.com June 28th..... She's been running errands in "the Beast", my 2007 GMC 2500 crew-cab diesel, while I commute to work on my Honda Ruckus scooter. That will be quite the switch for her back to a small car.