I hear very little said about the optional GPS Navigation system available as a factory option in the Mini Cooper/S.

The dealer I spoke with had not had a chance to play with it so was little help.
Can anyone here elaborate on it? What are it's features? Do you need to by a map cartridge of any type. How do you load the area software you are interested in?

Any help and experience with it will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Yfoiler....

 

I love mine!
There is a CD drive underneith the passenger seat. There are disks for different regions of the US which can be purchased at your dealer. The feature I like the most is the dual MPG computer. It also keeps average speed and there's a high speed alarm. Also I like the overall look and balance it gives the instrument cluster. Makes the tach and speedo much easier to see and makes my MINI stand out at the meetings. At night when you open the door the MINI flag appears in color on the screen to greet you.
As for the GPS you can use it to find unknown locations, see parks along the road you never knew were there. It has helped me find a faster route to work (not to say I want to get to work any earlier)

 

can you have the gps added after the fact??

 

You probably "could" (install the factory GPS after taking delivery of your MINI), but it would be incredibly expensive. You'd need to remove the speedometer, buy a NEW (smaller) speedometer, rewire the speedometer (and trip computer), wire in the GPS antenna, drill a hole for the RADIO antenna (or buy the RH Rear window; which is where the antenna is "deposited" for GPS equiped cars), and then buy all of the GPS parts (display, hook into stereo speakers for verbal directions, hook up CDROM underneath passenger seat, etc).

If you didn't buy it WITH the car, you'd be better off buying a third party unit and finding a place to mount the display (some "fold" out of the stereo head set... which, of course, you'd also have to buy).

I played with one briefly at a dealer; included it as part of the equipment on my MCS (due in February). Seems like a great accessory for a little transportation device like the MINI!

 

If you haven't already, try a search in the forums on NAV. You should find a fistful of threads that discuss a lot of what you're asking.

Hope this helps!

 

I have owned a Garmin Street Pilot III for about a year and use it in ALL the cars I have and when I travel and drive rentals. Works great in my MCS. I think PORTABLE is the way to go. I cannot see buying one IN THE CAR! :smile: