I have seen, touched and tried the new 3-spoke MFSW steering wheel and quite frankly don't care for it.

To me, the 2-spoke sport wheel matches better the interior design theme and character of the car, not to mention it looks better, feels better (Perforated leather is of higher quality than the flat surface leather cover in the current 3-spoker) and the audio controls behind the spokes are more intuitive, offer more functionality and generally work much better. I also like to have the cruise control buttons in the front, audio hidden in the back. The 3-spoke has a conglomerate of tiny Nintendo inspired buttons clustered in the front...not very ergonomically correct.

Given the success of prior petitions to MINI and MINIUSA (Rear fog lights and Anthracite headliner), why no initiate a petition to also bring back the 2-spoke sport steering wheel?

MINIs are all about choice and the steering wheel should also be one of them!.

Who's with me?

 

Are you planning to buy a 3rd MINI?

 

"Paddle" shift buttons may be planned for the back side, no?

 

The petition won't work because the part is no longer manufactured for Mini. The reason the others were successful was because the parts were already offered by Mini, not just in the US market. The fog light worked, because the fog light and all of it's associated wiring was already available in the US spec car. It just needed a new switch panel (which was already offered throughout the rest of the world for the Mini) and a small program switch to enable the switches. The anthracite headliner, was offered in the US and was discountinued mainly because of price for this market. Again, this headliner was still be manufactured for the rest of the world, and subsequently Mini decided to charge us for the item (which most people didn't mind).


Both of these things worked, because there was minimal cost for implementation and there was minimal changes if any, to the car. To bring back the wheel (which is currently not offered anywhere) would cost a great deal of money with little to no benefit for BMW.

 

I've been speccing out my (hopeful) replacement MINI and the 3 spoke wheel, while it may seem minor, is honestly a huge con on the 05s. I know it seems small, but I've given thought to either buying an 04 in order to get the 2-spoke or trying to swap out the 3-spoke for a 2-spoke if possible.

I hesitate to join the petition front, it seems (personally) a little 'complain'y, but I'm open to more info.

 

Count me in.. I really do not care for the 3 spoke steering wheel at all.. Definitely a con with the 05's

 

Two spoke!!!!!!!!!! I'm with you!

 

Me two(too) The three spoker just don't fit my hands.

 

i have an 04 that has the three spoke wheel. it seems to fit my hands fine, but i will agree that the 2-spoke does look a lot better in the car :smile:

 

Wow...I am amazed all you guys prefer the 2 spoke "mini-van" looking(and feeling) wheel...the three spoke is much more sports car looking in my opinion and has much better ergonomics, but then again not everyone shares my good taste.

 

I really like the overall look of it, except the ugly circular control toggles. I really don't like the controls on it, form and function. They are unatractive and give the user less control then the controls on the 2 spoke. Also the leather is not as nice. I think with some refinement the three spoke could be quite nice, but given the choice, with the current three spoke, I would prefer the two spoke.

 

I really prefer the 2-spoke over the new 3-spoke. I haven't yet driven a car with the 3-spoke, so I'm basing this only on appearance. I just don't like the little clusters of audio buttons and cruise buttons.

When I get my next MINI (probably a 2006 :smile: ), I'm going to see if it's possible to switch the steering wheels before I sell my 2003.

 

having had both now (two spoke in my 03 and three in my 05), I actually prefer the look and feel of the three spoke wheel. I thought the controls on the MFSW were better on the back of the wheel, but having them on the front hasn't made much of a difference. All and all, I like the new wheel.

 

kfmuller,
Would you or another member post a photo of the three spoke wheel and an explanation how it works. I have seen pictures but, not sure how the controls work on the three spoke. Seems all the controls moved to the front would make it harder to use. Thanks :smile:
Charles

 

http://www.mini2.com/gallery/personal/picture42192.html

This is a photo of my steering wheel. The audio controls are on the left spoke and the cruise control buttons are on the right side. I believe there are fewer controls then the two spoke which had cruise on the front and all audio on both sides of the rear of the wheel. I like the rear mounts of the controls and the fact that they did a few more things on the previous wheel, but the new wheel works fine, looks good IMO, and wouldn't affect my desire to purchase a 2005. All of the other changes for 2005 make the decision to get an 05 a slam dunk over any previous year IMO.

 

this is the 3 spoke, cruise control buttons on the right, radio on the left. i haven't used the cruise yet, but the radio has volume up and down and forward and back for cd tracks or preset stations. no buttons on the back.

i've never used the other mfsw, but i'm sure it's much friendlier design for driving since the buttons are raised. i'm voting for a return of the other wheel, or at least another option.


[size=-1][/size]

 

LOL, I can't believe any true car enthusiast could prefer a two spoke wheel over a three spoke wheel! I refused to buy a MINI until the 3 spoke wheel was made an option in late 2003. Yes, you heard me, refused I say! I love my 3 spoke '04 MC. I already have a two spoke wheel - in my Jeep Cherokee! And I see them frequently in Buicks...they look very nice in Buicks...LOL

 

I say hacksaw that third spoke and party on!

 

me like the 2 spoke wheel

 

Ok fair enough. If you prefer the 3-spoke wheel, more power to ya, but for the rest of us who prefer the functionality of the 2-spoker, MINI should give this choice as well.

Maybe the part is no longer being manufactured, but I am sure MINI still has a good stockpile of those guys somewhere in Oxford.

And, no I am not planning on buying a 3rd at this time.

 

Does the 3 spoke have the horn button in the hub? That would be the only plus over the 2 IMHO.

regards,
Red

 

..and I say the opposite of Red - the thumb buttons on the 2-spoke are way quicker and safer to use than the take-your-hands-off hub-button of the 3-spoke.

Sign me up for the Petition!

 

Man, you must have a terrific sense of humor to laugh out loud over how many spokes a steering wheel has. In case you've settled down to a mild giggle let me tell you I too like the two spoke wheel much better. Sometimes Jeep and Buick just get it right!

 

The three spoke wheel rules!

What's not to like?

 

I have the 3-spoke in my '05 MC, but I was going to order the 2-spoke. Unfortunately, the 2-spoke was no longer an option by then, and I wasn't to thrilled by it. Regardless, I figured I could learn to live with the 3-spoke, and I have...for the most part. The button layout on the front of the 3-spoke doesn't work very well, generally requiring one to to take a hand off the steering wheeling to use, which seems to make having a MFSW rather pointless, except for the nice leather.

Other than the button set-up, and the fact that I need to take my 3-spoke back to the dealer to be fixed, I enjoy the 3-spoke from an overall look and feel point of view, though not as much as the look of the old 2-spoke. I've seen the old MINI video on how to work the 2-spoke MFSW, and it looks like it was a very intuitive set-up that allowed you to truly keep both hands on the wheel, which is the whole damn point of a MFSW!

I'd happily sign any petition to bring the 2-spoke MFSW back, even as an additional cost (above the 3-spoke) option. Then, when it comes back, I'll buy it, have it installed at my dealer, and have the change covered by my extended warranty I'm paying so much for!

Someone somewhere here once posted a thread on the loss of the 2-spoke MFSW in the '05 MINI, then mentioned that they'd be getting some aftermarket 2-spoke MFSW. They apparently knew where they were getting (NOT from MINI), but failed to mention where they were getting it in the thread. If anyone knows anything about this (who makes these, their website address, etc.), it would be much apprciated if they could post that information here.

The problem with my 3-spoke MFSW, other than it's lack of intuitive ergonomic design, is that the "down" volume button only seems to work about 9 times out of 10. Every other time, either nothing happens when I push it, or the radio switches to the next higher or lower radio station, which is pretty damn irritating. Luckily, that's something than can likely be fixed. I've heard one other complaint about this type of problem with the 3-spoke MFSW, so far, but I never heard any complaints of this nature about the old 2-spoke MFSW.

So, yes, please, let's get that lovely, ugly, 2-spoke MFSW back, regardless of how "un-euro" it looks. (The Brits apparently hated the 2-spoke, from a stylistic point of view, according to threads posted at MINI2.)