Well finally the time came, I passed my 1,250 "breakin" period. Tho I've been driving more or less normal since mile marker 750ish.

My Mini Photos

Overall I'm pretty impressed with the Mini, coming from a 2002 C5 Vette- some adjustments were surely necessary. For one, the power and low amounts of torque were one.

The spec-
2004 MCS- Car 80285
Electric Blue
Lapis Leather
Premium Package, Cold Package
DSC, HK, Front/Rear Fogs. Xenon lights, Dimming Mirror/Rain Sense wipers
16" V-Spokes

Accessories/Mods- Mini Alarm, MINI Fini armrest, luggage net, rubber floor-mats,
Alta Intake, XM Direct kit, diode brakelight mod.

No stumble, no hard-starts, yo-yo is noticable, but no dangerous or sickening.

*****The Good*****
*Style- Even tho many are apearing these days (I see one nearly every time I'm out in Detroit or Cleveland), I still catch stares.
*Interior- Looks good...

*Space- I constantly surprise people, I've fit 4 people in it before (Granted 2 were short). As a 2 seater (which is how I use it)- I have plenty of room... Being 6'2", I fit with no problem. Tho my legs are cramped if I have to put someone behind my seat. Ryephile can attest to my bizzare seating position.

*Handling/Ride- I really like the handling, and (IMHO) the ride is choppy in certain instances- but tolerable. On the highway, it's pretty good.
*Transmission/Clutch- snick-snick on shifting.

*Heater- IMHO very good, even around 0 deg F.

*HK Stereo- for an OEM stereo, I'm impressed. So far, no rattles and such in the speakers. Low end-distortion is a bit much, tho.

*Like the sport seats, for up to 3 hours (longest drive), they were fine. The down-tube does get a little annoying on my right leg, tho (I'm 6'2", medium build)

*Lighting- Like my xenon's and rear-fogs...

*Dimming mirror is great, rain-sensing wipers are good- but Rain X confuses them. A defeat feature would be nice.

*Parallel Parking- Nuff said

*****General Review*****
*Engine- I can't say I'm disappointed by the engine, but still felt BMW could have done better. My main complaints are the yo-yo (grrrr) and low-end torque. I know this is a 1.6L, but it seems lethargic at times.

*Brakes- Ho hum IMHO, I think pads may help... ABS is good, modulates well and has enough feedback.

*A/C- Run of the mill, it does the job, but nothing spectacular.

*Tires- Do the job, but typical of runflats- some compromise.

The not-so-good-
*Rattles/squeaks- I have a sunroof rattle in the track, only when the roof is tilted up. Not when closed or open. Also a creak/squeak over the center speedometer. Random and hard to come across...

*Fuel economy- I do ~70% highway (~80MPH), 30% city driving. Since about 500MI, I've been averaging ~27.4MPG between the two. I suppose thats good, but I was expecting a bit more. Highway econ is running about 30MPG on average. Around 31-32MPG if I keep it around 65, naaaaah

*Cruise Control- Fine on flat/linear hills (+/- 1.5MPH), but on even moderate hills I go +/- 3MPH. Occassionally it's power, but mostly just poor throttle management. Unacceptable.

*DIRT!!! This car is a needy one, always dirty. The back gets dirty even on a dry road, just from dust. In fact, the dirtiest car I've ever owned... Needs washing weekly...

*DSC- Great in the dry and wet (xsp at higher speeds), I had to swerve hard to avoid a spare tire in the road this past weekend. Was raining and the DSC caught my skid and coaxed me in the right direction. Without it I would have likely hit a retaining wall... In the snow it doesn't seem to do much, also when pulling out into traffic- it is VERY heavy handed. When I'm pulling out into dense traffic, I usually disable it. The skid control in my C5 vette was much better overall...

*CD Player skips on bumpy roads (really bad when it's cold, specifically when playing CD-R media). Dealer found "no problem"... Typical of Motor City Mini...

*****Nitpicks/Improvements*****
*The door armrests suck, tho I hear this is being addressed in 2005?

*Sun-visors are poor, again, I hear it's being addressed?

*Washer fluid level low sensor

*Second power outlet in the front

*yo-yo- hopefully fixed soon

*I still debate about whether the Lapis Leather was worth it, they are wrinkled
already. I knew this going into it, tho...

*Highway fuel econ- I think perhaps it's partly the supercharger, the cars shape (Cd) and also the gearing. A little lower ratio in 6th for crusing would help.

*Motor City Mini Service- SUCKS (tho Sales is Super!)

*New engine- 2007???

Overall I'm happy, and if things go south- the resale is good... I don't intend on keeping this car past it's warranty period, honestly. If all goes well over the next 2 years, I may be looking for a 2007...

 

Very good review. I agree with everything you said. My 2004 is overall a very good car but the Yo-Yo, heavy handling, cheap leather seats, and skipping CD player drive me nuts! I am about to invest in an armrest - probably the MiniFini type although I wish they were real leather - $250 is a lot to spend on vinyl. I will probably have it recovered with the type of leather that I have on my new Redline shift and brake boots with some red stitching to match.

 

I now have a little over 3000mi on my '04 MCS, and agree with many of your observations. A couple points:

- The dash rattle near my speedo went away around 2500mi and hasn't come back. Maybe the adhesives inside just have to thicken up somehow.

- I think you can defeat the rain-sensing feature and return to a normal intermittent. Check the manual. Personally, I agree with the sensor's selections most of the time (haven't applied Rain-X).

- A door armrest would be really nice!! Like you, I added a center armrest, which helps quite a bit.

- If you think your car gets dirty, take a look at my white wheels after a few days of driving! They certainly force a weekly washing

 

Great review! I know many of us are feeling like you perfectly desribed our own cars. Overall I think the warts are minimal and I LOVE my car. My wife now feels the "other woman" is my Mini.

 

Great review. The only major issue I have had so far is an intercooler cover screw came loose. The brakes need to be a bit larger for screaming through the twisties. More power, higher low end torque would be a big improvement. Hopefully we will be able to add the LSD as a warranty approved addition, if not I'll still do it and add some other light weight goodies. I have noticed a slight yo-yo but attributed it to me. The HK is sweet to my tin ears and have yet to notice any CD skips.
So far I have been displeased with the aftermarket arm rest styles, function and pricing. The need for more storage may leed me to building an arm rest that actually fits its purpose and space. The lack of an arm rest has been no big deal for so far. I do miss it and have adapted to not having any place to flop elbows.
The bugs imbedded in the radiator has been an issue for me. Crispy critters are easily removed using a toothpick and a gentle touch but adding a screen behind the grill may work best to keep the radiator for clogging.
After 3K miles and 15 weeks I will say that I am most pleased with the build quality and factory handling and ride quality. I am patiently waiting for for several JCW upgrades to be approved for warranty.
:smile: :smile: :smile: :smile: :smile:

 

I can certainly look past these small issues. Rattles, squeaks, yo-yos, skipping
CD players, wrinkled leather. Annoying, but nothing dangerous or end-of-the-world (ie. I can't get to work or am stranded somewhere).


However, if out-of-pocket costs or reliability (ie. get stranded somewhere or a major feature dies on me- ex. power steering or headlamps) then my attitide towards the car will change...

My affection started in August 2002 when I test drove a regular Mini in Chicago. I drove an "S" in Summer 2003. After reading NAM and JD Power data (I ran the 2002 then 2003 data- big difference, 2004 is better still)- I waited until the 2004's. It seems like many of the problems have been worked out in the first two years of production...

 

Nice review. I currently have a bit over 8,200 miles in my '04 MCS and the car has been flawless in 8 months of ownership...no stumble or yo-yo to speak of.

I plan on writting a brief 10K mile report shortly when the car will be going for its first ever scheduled maintenance stop and oil change.

Since I also own a 2002 MINI Cooper CVT, for comparison basis, I feel that the A/C in my '04 MCS is vastly superior to the one in my '02 MINI. For starters, the fan in the '04 is much quieter than in the '02 and seems to be more powerful for better air distribution. The A/C in my '04 has been able to brilliantly handle the scorching South Florida heat and humidity. Today the exterior temp readout read 90F and the interior was nice and cool. Perhaps not having a sunroof helps tremendously in keeping the cabin heat out. I don't have tinted windows either.

The A/C in the '02 cools down the interior but it does struggle so much more and the fan is much noiser. My '04 with manual A/C controls cools down the cabin FAST in less than 2-3 minutes...very pleased.

 

>>Very good review. I agree with everything you said. My 2004 is overall a very good car but the Yo-Yo, heavy handling, cheap leather seats, and skipping CD player drive me nuts! I am about to invest in an armrest - probably the MiniFini type although I wish they were real leather - $250 is a lot to spend on vinyl. I will probably have it recovered with the type of leather that I have on my new Redline shift and brake boots with some red stitching to match.

Heavy handling?

maybe you wanted a Hummer with totally flaccid and disconnected steering instead?

 

Cooper4us, I'm very envious of your trouble free MINIs.

 

>>Cooper4us, I'm very envious of your trouble free MINIs.
>>
>>
Friend, what happened to yours? I think our MCS' were assembled almost during the same week (Sept 6, 2003).....

 

zfxr - excellent review

*I get MM2 back from Classic MINI (who RULES in Service, btw!) tomorrow morning with V38 uploaded, so hopefully I can confirm Koopah's initial findings that the Yo-Yo is fixed!

*H-Sport springs will improve the ride and the handling

*A s/c pulley and some better brake pads will eradicate any of that stock blah-ness

*It's about damn time you passed your break-in period! :lol

Cheers,
Ryan

 

My 2004 (Sept/ build) MCS has been troublefree as well. 11,000 fun miles so far. I agree with all you have said about yours. The build quality is way better than the early 2002 builds. The Cold Air Intake w/MagnaFlow exhaust combo has really doubled the fun quotient of this car. I am very impressed how parent company BMW is always trying to improve the Mini. From rattles and sun visor complaints, they are improving the car every month it is being built. Here in CA, I could sell the car for at least what I paid for it. The resale is fantastic.



_________________
2004 MCS - PW/B w/Xenons

 

Nice review zxfr...

I am a 2003 MCS owner and I agree with many points in your review.

I don't have quite the squeaks and rattles as you do, maybe I listen to the radio louder.

As for fuel economy, I had the same observation early in my owner ship. Then, somewhere around 10K miles, economy starting getting better, maybe as much as 10%. I think it takes quite a while for the engine to break in.

As for power/torque, go for the pulley upgrade. I gained 20HP at 5900RPM. It makes driveability much better and I swear even better MPH. The engine doesn't run quite as rich.

On a recent trip after a driving school week-end, I got 38MPG (uncorrected, which would be about 35 corrected) on a mostly highway drive with a few small towns and stop lights.

After a year and a half and 24K miles, I still love the car dispite the few quirks and problems.

 

Good review - just one comment.

You weren't specific about your rain-sensing wiper complaint. If you mean that they wipe too frequently, there's an alternate setting of "less sensitive" that the dealer can program for you so they wipe less often.

 

ohhh, the dealer can program them to be less sensitive? That sounds like a possibility. I find that they OVER wipe sometimes, causing the dreaded "screeeech"
sound on the windscreen sometimes. They are much better than the GM setups, which alternate from delay to "high". It's like the wipers are freaking out...

While I think they did a decent job on the rain-sensing, I would have passed on it and gotten just the dimming mirror. Dimming outside mirrors would have been neat (my Vette had that), but I'm sure that adds cost. It's also my understanding the dimming cannot be deactivated? Not a problem for me, but I know some people hate dimming mirrors. My dad likes em, mom dreads them.

Oh one more thing, I feel the heated external mirrors being heated ALL the time is annoying. I get water spots on them sometimes, I wonder why this wouldn't be activated by the rear defroster and/or the defroster mode? Or (at minimum) have it activate whenever the climatre control system is on. No point in wasting car electrical system power.

 

>>ohhh, the dealer can program them to be less sensitive? That sounds like a possibility. I find that they OVER wipe sometimes, causing the dreaded "screeeech"
>>sound on the windscreen sometimes. They are much better than the GM setups, which alternate from delay to "high". It's like the wipers are freaking out...
>>
>>While I think they did a decent job on the rain-sensing, I would have passed on it and gotten just the dimming mirror. Dimming outside mirrors would have been neat (my Vette had that), but I'm sure that adds cost. It's also my understanding the dimming cannot be deactivated? Not a problem for me, but I know some people hate dimming mirrors. My dad likes em, mom dreads them.
>>
>>Oh one more thing, I feel the heated external mirrors being heated ALL the time is annoying. I get water spots on them sometimes, I wonder why this wouldn't be activated by the rear defroster and/or the defroster mode? Or (at minimum) have it activate whenever the climatre control system is on. No point in wasting car electrical system power.


Put rain X in your rearview mirrors

 

I felt the rain sensor never quite gets it right. It is always either too fast or too slow. However if it is too slow I can always move it to the constant-wipe setting, so no big deal.

For those who don't have the rain sensor, how often does the intermittent setting wipe? On my old 3 series, the interval is so long that the intermittent setting is basically useless. On my old 94 325i, the interval is between 7 and 14 seconds, depending on vehicle speed, and the interval is not adjustable.

I actually love the way our outside heated mirrors work. I know on BMWs, the resistance of the heating element changes with changing ambient temperature. The amount of heat applied to the mirror is self regulating. Low parts count, fewer things to break. I would guess our MINIs work the same way. I see your point about having a switch though......

 

It was my impression that the heated mirrors (side ones) only come on when it is 37 degrees or below. Same for the washer jets. I'm sure I remember reading that in the manual. But who knows, the manual is not always right. :smile:

 

Interesting -- I just left a '93 Vette (300hp LT1) for an '04 MCS. 2500 miles down, and I'm soooo happy with this car.

On your multiple complaints about engine power, I'd also go as far as to defend what Chrysler / BMW did here...

Cooper: 115 hp / 98 cubic inches (1.6L) = 1.18 hp/cu in.
MCS: 163 hp / 98 cubic inches (1.6L) = 1.67 hp/cu in.
'02 Vette: 350 hp / 350 cubic inches (5.7L) = 1.00 hp/cu in.

 

>>Cooper: 115 hp / 98 cubic inches (1.6L) = 1.18 hp/cu in.
>>MCS: 163 hp / 98 cubic inches (1.6L) = 1.67 hp/cu in.
>>'02 Vette: 350 hp / 350 cubic inches (5.7L) = 1.00 hp/cu in.

MCSW: 200 hp / 98 cubic inches (1.6L) = 2.04 hp/cu in.