Our new MCS coming in May.
1.) Just how bad is the cruise control?
2.) Just how weak are the heated seats?
3.) Just how annoying is the "yo-yo?"
4.) Just what does everybuddy mean by "YO-YO?"

 

Here's my experiences with my '03 MCS (Oct. '02 build date):

1) Pretty poor, +/- 5 mph is pitiful for a drive-by-wire car.
2) Not weak at all, I like em (mine are leather, if that matters).
3) No clue, I don't have it.
4) I'm sure someone that has it will chime in with a detailed description.

 

As far as the cruise goes it is good until you hit the hills. When you go up a hill it may go down about 3 MPH. It will return after going over the top. It may speed up a couple MPH on the way down. When you have the cruise on and say hit the brakes, then hit the resume button I have had it increase about 8 MPH then return to the speed I had it at. I would still recommend the cruise even though it is the worst I've ever seen. We may have all just been spoiled.

 

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04 MCS 9/03 build

I. Cruise control works fine in my car pulled the donner summit grade last Sun into Reno, not a problem 75mph.
2. Heated seats are great, especially on the lower back area...I have leather seats
3. no yo yo for me...got the upgraded V36 with JCW kit installed from the get go in 10/03
4. well except I liked the duncan butterfly as a kid

 

H&J here again. Thanks for the feedback. Sounds like "yo-yo" is related to the cruise control's tendencies...???
Very happy to hear the heated seats are decent. Have used them in a Saab and Volvo in Colorado - amazing, especially while waiting up to 15 minutes on a cold (five degree) morning for the "heat" to kick in... the seats in those cars were rump-warming in less than a minute.

Any clarification on yo-yo appreciated...

 

2004 MCS

1. The car initially had problem maintaining the speed with the cruise control, fluctuating as much as 10 mph. After ignition wire and intake upgrade, now it's perfect. :smile:

 

1] don,t have cruise
2] heated seats are very warm, can be -45 here in manitoba.Car starts fine without block heater [electric heater keeps block warm,Canadian thing ,eh]
3]no yo-yo
4]had a yo-yo

 

I would imagine that most people who have a MINI have a manual, and cruise control with a manual is always kinda iffy, at least in my experience.

 

1.) it sucks for an e-gas car. I've had many manual-tranny cars w/cruise, and none were this bad. +/- 3 MPH, worse on huge hills

2.) the heated seats ROCK! 2-stage is "toasty" and "nuclear!"

3.) The Yo-Yo varies in amplitude from MCS to MCS, from none to almost-violent. In my case, it's VERY annoying!

4.) See The Yo-Yo Chronicles. Basically, it's an acceleration oscillation.

 

I too notice that the cruise is a little flaky.
My heated seats seem to work fine, and I am in Chicago. They were perfect on the miserable winter days when it was -20deg!

 

I've never experienced any difficulty with the cruise control...although I've probably used it less than a dozen times in the nearly 2 years I've had my MCS.

Other than that, I don't have heated seats, and have never had the yo-yo (had a moderately bad stumble though, but that got fixed with the CD 36 software revision).

 

I've got over 13K on my MC and I've got no issues w/ any of these things. Cruise works quite well enough for me to ignore it when it's on, the heated seats are wonderful and plenty hot enough, and I've got no yo-yo, something which seems to be found only on the S.