1) The back window on my convertible is also always dirty. It doesn't really bother me, though...

2) Can't comment - I've got the leatherette.

3) I live in Toronto - lots of snow - the traction control works fine. Takes a little getting used to, and slows me down if I'm trying to gun it, but keeps me straight.

4) I agree - the heater could be warmer. Especially at those "intermediate" settings - if you put it on the round vents in the dash, it seems to get a lot hotter than if you put it on any other setting.

5) This has happened to me a few times.

6) Never had the low tire pressure monitor go off. Sounds like a warranty repair.

7) Can't comment - no service yet.

Also, I had my own little peeves:

1) RATTLE RATTLE RATTLE. Every time from a new place. Always tiny little sounds. Dash. Trunk. Back seat.

2) RATTLE RATTLE RATTLE. If the seat belt isn't put back just right, it rattles against the side of the car (passenger seat, back seat, etc.). Loud and annoying.

3) When you get sprayed by a SUV, it takes several wipes of the wiper blades before you can see ANYTHING again.

4) The fact that the steering wheel trim and tach are silver on an anthracite trim.

5) USELESS BUTTONS! I HATE USELESS BUTTONS! Bluetooth headset buttons on steering wheel do nothing. Asked dealer and was told I can't even buy the option, even if I wanted it (don't want it). I don't have a foglight toggle or a front glass defog button (because I didn't buy those features). I shouldn't have bluetooth buttons.

6) EPA fuel consumption figures are a myth.

7) MP3 player doesn't display the track names.

8) RANDOM TRACK feature of the MP3/CD resets every time you start the car. If I wanted random tracks before, I probably want them again now!

9) RANDOM TRACK feature incompatible with track forward button on steering wheel. If "Random Track" is on, when I push "track forward", I should get a new random track, I shouldn't get the next track on the CD.

But these are all REALLY MINOR problems - I love my mini. My last car, I wouldn't complain about anything, because I was lucky to get it from A to B!

Charles

 

I guess I should have included a winkie after my comment as having things flying around would be as a result of the driver enjoying how well the Mini takes the corners and as such the comment was meant to be humorful as in who notices that other stuff I'm too busy blasting the backroads.

 

My complaints:
- MINI needs window frames for the doors - I feel like the glass is gonna wimp out when I forget to use the outside door handle to close the door. Classic Mark I's had 'em.
- MINI needs better flow thru ventilation so you don't have to use the A/C so much - maybe operable or flip out rear windows.

 

Joe here in Kentucky. I have some tips for you...

For the seats, look into having them scotchguarded. I got the leather and always do. All fabric seats are too damn easy to stain and darn hard to clean.

For the window problem, get a rag and get it wet with WD40. Roll down your windows and then rub the WD40 into the window rubber and fabric "seals" at the top. Then rub down with a towell to get the extra off. Yes, you will get an oily residue on your window for a while, windex cleans it right off. If you do this in the fall and again mid winter, your windows will never stick again.

For the heat problem, cover up about 1/3rd of your radiator with a piece of cardboard and some duct tape. This is not a MINI problem, but a problem with ALL small engine cars. They actually cool the engine block too efficiently. Cold air helps them do it even faster, so your engine never gets hot enough to heat the car really.

 

I hate that my MINI is so demanding! Rex simply REFUSES to go the speed limit and wait behind other drivers. He insists that I romp on the throttle at every speed just so he can "stretch his legs". He hates being parked in tight spaces and absolutely despises other people's dirty sticky fingers on his body or nose prints on the outside windows! He likes to be bathed multiple times a week and if he's still dirty it's back in the wash!

What I actually hate about him is that his designers did a crappy job with his non-adjustable intermittent wipers. They suck but I can live with it. I suppose that's yet another reason not to stay behind other cars when the roads are wet

 

DITTO! The car definitely needs venting rear windows. Alternatively, let us tilt the rear glass pane of the sunroof up for venting.

 

Your wipers do not have further "adjustments" in terms of intermittent frequency, because this is automatically adjusted by the computer according to vehicle speed (The slower you go, the intermittent frequency increases, the faster you drive, the shortened the "wipe" frequency becomes). In other words, your wipers are "Speed sensitive" (Again, only on intermittent mode) and not to be confused with the optional "Rain sensing wipers" which are also speed sensitive but work differently by means of a windshield mounted infrared sensor that measures the amount of rain dopplets hitting the windshield surface and either turning on or off your wipers automatically. Their speed is also adjusted by the computer according to vehicle speed.

Hope this helps!

 

The Classic Mini has vented rear windows. I also agree it would be a nice thing to have, the problem is that with the current " Full glass wraparound" rear quarter design in the hardtop model, it is very, very diffcult to implement a manual or power (Like in some Minivans) rear vented windows. The design of the C-Pillar would have to be changed and that would not look good at all IMHO.

 

I only have two little gripes.

1. Keeping the rear of the car clean. Does adding the mud flaps help in this regard?

2. Keeping the wheels clean.

Other than that I LOVE LOVE LOVE MY '05 MC!

MTFBWY,
--Will

 

Then I guess I'll have to drive even faster!
Damn evil little car!

 

Gee. Mine gets great flow through ventilation... oh, that's right, I've got a convertible!

But seriously, the only minor annoyance I have is that there are not different levels for the variable wiper. Sometimes you need just one swoosh every 10 seconds or so.

 

Again, there are "Different levels" for the variable wiper (Please read my previous post). These levels are set by the computer according to vehicle speed and this explains why you can't set them manually via the wiper stalk. The faster you go, the wipe "pauses' are decreased and the slower you go the wipe pauses are increased.

 

is my number one complaint. If I turn off the A/C (Florida - its on all the time) because it might be a bit cool out then I get hot air through the vents. Only by shutting it off after tweaking the AC to maximum cool can I get outside air temp to flow. They coulda put a switch in to do that automagically.

 

Also in Florida, I only use the A/C when its
A)over 80 deg
B) Really humid
so roughly half the year the rest drop the window and open the roof, enjoy that fresh air. If its raining occasionaly kick the fan one to notch one when I get in keeps thing real nice. Guess its all a mater of prefrence really.
P.S. I have learned to straegically place anything thats not tied down as everything will fly when I find the twisties (hard to do in FL).

 

What I hate is feeling like a real bad *** in the cockpit of my new MCS.......only to catch my reflection in a store front window looking....well.....'cute'.

Boy, do I hate that.

 

Honestly, the only thing I hate about my MINI is that the stereo doesn't display elapsed time for the CD tracks. I really, really hate that, though.

My heater is at full strength inside of five minutes when the temperature is close to zero.

 

I can join the "Wish I Had Controllable Intermittant Wipers" club. Speed sensitive or not, they SUCK. Sometimes, when I'm going slow, I need a slightly more or less frequent swipe, and I would really love to be able to control that...

 

C4,

Thanks for the heads up, and it was raining lightly yesterday, so I was able to test. Yes, the wipers are speed sensitive, but unfortunately the underlying problem is not solved. I'd like to be able to manually set how quickly they swipe when in intermittent mode. At 60mph, the wipers were activated every 4 seconds~ish. What I wanted was them to activate about every 10-12 seconds. As a programmer, one of the early lessons I learned is that you can not write code for every possible user preference, so instead, you write your code to enable users to have flexibility. Unfortunately, the speed sensitive intermittent wipers work about as well as the speed sensitive audio in the H/K stereo.

 

High five! I'm working on that myself! to SoCal from MI that is............

-C

 

haha 1-5 apply to me too :P

 

Only a few small things, but they really BUG me. I hate the seat belt chime that won't shut up. I hate that when I put the air flow control on recirculate, it doesn't stay there and I have to turn it back on every time I start the car (or change ANY setting on the ACC). I use the recirc constantly because I am not a fan of sucking in other car's exhaust fumes. I hate that it won't just stay on. I did not have either one of these annoying features on my 04 MC. Oh yeah, I hate the ASC too. It's evil. And it is yet another thing I have to fiddle with everytime I start the car. Why not have it OFF all the time and let people turn it on when they need it, instead of the other way around? Oh well (sigh), the things we do for love...........