I know there's been a couple of threads asking what we like most about our CM's, but I don't recall the opposite. I thought a thread like this might be helpful to potential buyers. I have five gripes worth mentioning:

1) The clutch action is too light and vague. This has been well discussed in other threads.

2) Why doesn't the Nav system allow you to speak the house number, street name, city, and state all at once like we can on our '11 X5? It seems like it's the same BMW nav system underpinnings. And there's no "RPT" button to get the system to repeat the message you just heard.

3) I hate the outside mirror control. Perhaps this is unique to cars equipped with folding mirrors, but I find it's hard to reach, and the control is counter intuitive...you push forward to raise each mirror, and push up to turn the mirror out. What a silly design blunder!

4) Wish the Turbodiesel engine was an option here in the U.S.

5) Mini Connected seems to be useless if you don't have an Iphone.

 

I'm not a fan of my check engine light that seems to illuminate too often...

 

The clutch is way too light. Keep on stalling the damn car and I've been driving manual for over 4 years.

Phone holder at the railing is too tight with the weird shape handbrake.

Passenger side mirror has a weird placement. The door blocks the lower part of the mirror and it's driving me crazy.

Headrests doesn't go all the way down.

 

I thought that at first. You have to push both bottons, there is an obvious button then on the other side is an indented button, push it in with a key or small nail, then use your third had to push it down ;-) or chin.

I put all my back seat, 3 (Bench seat) that way.

 

The e-brake
The short Y-cable
Useless rail w/armrest

 

Yep the headrests indeed go down all the way. What I don't like most:

1)Cup holders and their location. They should be larger and further back behind the shifter rather than in front of it.

2)Center console. Needs to be deeper so you can actually hold stuff and have it be more useful than an armrest.

3)Navi. WAY too complicated and time consuming to learn to use and use. A touch screen version would be superior. Street names and speed limits need to be added - you know, the expensive features you can find on a $50 Garmin.

4)Window and outside mirror controls. Location for the window controls and the way the mirror controls work could be way better.

5)AC and fresh air system. Just give me something simple that blows cold and has three dials and lets fresh air in, without the mumbo jumbo.

 

Totally agree with you.

 

I'd have the head of the Product Development dept on a stubby antenna for approving silly ***** like this on a $30k car.

 

None of the things mentioned above bother me a bit. Sure, the cup holders are basically useless for anything bigger than a soda can, but I shouldn't be drinking in my car anyway. I have no issues with the clutch, didn't order Connected or Nav, so nothing to complain about there. The Y cable is long enough to plug in my iPod and place it on the phone holder in the rail, not sure it would need to be longer. Maybe I'm just easy to please?
My only complaint after a month and a half is the fact that this car shows water spots like no other car I've ever had, including my '03 chili red. Not sure if it is the True Blue color, or if I need to give it a wax. But if I don't dry it right away after getting wet, there are spots all over.

 

I really do love my CM, but I have a few gripes to add to the list:

* I find that the clutch is a bit on the stiff side ... in traffic I've even gotten a bit of a leg cramp. I know this probably sounds pretty sissy (but I am a girl, after all), but years ago I had a Honda Civic coupe with a clutch that was like buttah. I wouldn't mind if this clutch was a little more buttery.

* My model doesn't have a lot of extras, so this might be a feature included in an upgraded package, but I would love one-touch open and close for the power windows and sunroof. (My 10-year old Passat had this, and I got used to it.)

* Outgassy smell of the leatherette seats (I started a thread about this).

* I wish my model had the split center rail after all, as I'm finding the single rail is in the way of kids sliding in and out of the car from one door. That would be a nice spot to keep my purse, too. (A minor inconvenience, though.)

 

• cup holder location and the fact that they are too small
• No remote starter
• I want more storage compartments/cubbys (my wife's VW '12 Tiguan has tons of storage nooks & crannies)

 

scott

 

Most disliked for me: location of the SPORT button. I would prefer it to be on the steering wheel, so I can switch it on quickly and easily without looking down.

Cup holders are no problem for me since I forbid huge drink containers in my cars. Only medium to small re-usable travel mugs allowed. However the lower switch row above cupholders should be removed and switches put elsewhere. Apparently there is a redesign for 2013 that may do this.

Dislike also the unlock switch being on the console. Move to driver door please...

 

I actually like the cup holders. Haven't found them to be a problem with the drinks I have. The only thing I don't like about them is if you have a tall drink (like a med or large iced coffee) the cup bumps in to the heated seat button. If the heated seat button was just a tiny bit back further or the cup holders were moved a tiny bit this wouldn't be an issue.

Maybe I got lucky but the big hard plastic iced coffee cup I got at Bed Bath and Beyond that I use every day for my morning iced coffee fits perfect other then bumping in to the heated seat button. Luckily it doesn't trigger the heated seat taking the cup in/out of it.

And the blocking of the bottom row can be a pain but in all honesty I don't mess with those buttons too much so it's really not a hassle

 

I dislike that once I have turned the car off, the only way to move the windows/sunroof or up/down is to start the car again.

Why can't I put the windows down while only the ignition is on like every other car?

edit: it works for about a minute after the car is turned off, but after that it needs to be completely started again for windows to work.

 

+1 on moving that sport button, or at least shift it as far to the driver side along that panel as possible.

Also, I was driving on the freeway this week and had my iphone on the passenger seat. I removed the sunglass holder from the center rail, and put it on the passenger seat. Next thing I know the seat belt alarm is raging at me. Now I know why you can buy a faux buckle to engage in the front passenger seat.

Dash rattle. Door rattle. And, as of yesterday, seat rattle. 496 total miles on the odo.

 

The only thing so far (after a day of ownership) that I wish it had was auto open / close of the sunroof.

 

+1 couldn't agree more. The other windows do it!

 

i do not like the hill assist. it is allways on. even when im on flat ground. it seems to cause me problems feeling out the clutch too gas transition. but the worst thing is the parking brake handle. it makes the front rail system almost useless to attach stuff. also a few other thing allready mentioned. but those 2 are most bothersome

 

Some of the things that bug us are the very things that differentiate the MINI from other more ordinary cars. In other words, MINI's "quirkiness," which has been designed in and refined over the years, doesn't always translate well into more modern times, apparently.

There's really nothing about my R-60 that I "dislike," but almost all of my gripes are ergonomic ones.

The lower bank of toggles could easily swap places with the CD player. This would take the window switches out of conflict with tall stuff in the cup holders (although changing CDs would now be a challenge). Since I use the toggles every day and the CD player never, this would be better for me. Others, too, I suspect.

The Sport Button, which I engage 80% of the time, is also far too low on the console. And, with something in the cup holders, it's almost impossible to activate. It should move up, too.

Parking brake and center armrest do not play well together.

The "rail system" is a nice looking design feature that's impractical, IMO. The front rail is made all but useless by the armrest and parking brake. The back rail, if loaded up with, say, cup holders, becomes kinda dangerous to your passengers' elbows. And for those with the full-length-rail, it's a foot-space waster. (It is cool, however, that the rail system is exactly the width of an iPhone 4S. But, the new iPhone is changing dimensions, so...)

Finally, the gas gauge's non-linear behavior is quirky bordering on misleading, not a trait you want in a gas gauge.

I sound like I don't love my Countryman, which is NOT true. I just think a lot of little things could be improved in the design, and MINI could do it without giving away too much of the marque's coveted style.

I understand the interior, particularly the dash/controls, gets a mild makeover in 2013. Maybe some of these things have been addressed.

 

Yup, for a few years now, having a CD player in a car is about as useful as having a Cassette player.

But it is a good place for one of these : http://amzn.com/B004E5W3D4

(Link = Amazon site @ Universal Phone Mount)

 

I agree with lego. Even at the highest eye level, the lower part of the right side mirror is obstructed. The mirrors are too small to have any part obstructed.

 

it would be nice if there were vents for the people in the back seats.

i don't like where the side mirror controls are - i seem to bump my knee into it.

the sport button should be on the shifter (i have an auto). my pathfinder has the o/d button on the shifter and is perfect.

i think the door handles are kinda cheap....usually it's pull on or up on the whole handle to open the doors.

on my particular car which was not custom ordered, it would have been nice if it came with the black headliner since everything else was black....trim, roof, interior, headlights.

i also agree that the side mirrors are too low and are partially blocked.

 

No place for a compact spare. Really? I can understand being too cheap to provide one, but at least leave a space for one. In fact, the extra money you (BMW) pay your suppliers for the crappy runflats would probably pay for Michelins and a spare.

 

Yeah, I'm not liking it so far either. I'm sure I'll adjust. I've been driving a manual for 22 years, and Pittsburgh is anything but flat. I don't need a hill assist to keep from drifting on a hill.