I know there are lots of posts out there with people's impressions of various options, car performance, etc.
I just thought I'd offer my two cents for folks looking to configure or compare notes.
(I know I scoured NAM for such information prior to puttin' in my order).

My Ride:

2009 MCCS PW/PW with roof rails (Week 37)
Manual Tranny (6-speed)
Convenience Package
Cold Weather Package
Premium Package
Stereo Upgrade
Leatherette (Whatever happened to Pleather?)
Anthracite Headliner (A no-show and a different story)
All Season runflats on 16" Bridge Spokes
Comfort/Bluetooth Smartphone Prep
White Turn Signals, Rear/Front Fog
Rubber floor and boot mats

The First 48 Hours:

About 300 miles of twisties, city and highway driving.
Driven alone, loaded with wife and 2 kids (2 and 5 years old), and with four adults to a wedding.
Still on the first tank of fuel and the OBC reports about 28 mpg.

Impressions (i.e., my opinion; your results may vary)

Performance:

Plenty of pep but not overwhelming. I think it depends on the car you are coming out of. I had a Acura TL 6 speed with 286 hp, very fast and lots of power. The MINI isn't quite in that league but that's good as it makes me a slightly less aggressive driver.

I drove a justa Cooper and while it was fine on the twisties, it wouldn't have worked for me on the Jersey Turnpike. That's just me though. One potentially big caveat here, my MA made me promise to keep the RPMs under 4000 through break in. I suspect that there is more torque lurking there and my impressions on performance will improve. That being said, it's plenty fast and fun.

The clutch took about 30 seconds to get used to. Very nice and smooth, although reverse is on the same side and direction as first gear. It's easy to accidentally go in the wrong direction at least when you're just starting to get the feel of the car.

Turbo is pretty smooth. I wouldn’t describe it as a “lag” but you can definitely feel it kick in as the RPMs cross the 3000 range. And hot! Holy Moses! Just above the scoop on the hood you could fry an egg.

Handling:

Like nothing else. All go-cart, all the time. On the twisties, I find myself slowing down to let traffic ahead of me clear out so that I can go through the turns faster. The kids love it big time; Mom, not so much. As noted in other threads, on turns in rough roads the car will jump around (skip) so you can't be casual. Keep both hands on the wheel, especially in traffic, to stay in your lane if the road's rough.

Are the run flat's harsh? I dunno. Never had them before but it's a new car to me also so I've no point of comparison. I got the all seasons to maybe give a smoother ride. We'll see how it goes.

Interior/Options:

Getting the Bluetooth and iPod stuff to work was somewhat confusing but eventually it worked. I haven't tested out all of the hands-free phone options yet. There is some charging compatibility issues with certain iPod versions (i.e., won't charge with the supplied cable). Also, I think the iPod integration set up is retarded. Should be able to hook the thing up in the glove box and forget it but instead the iPod sits in the cupholder and says "steal me." If you’ve a large library it takes forever to scroll through the list two entries at a time to find the right song or album. I plan on hooking up a smaller iPod with a limited library/playlist and refreshing it more often. A 60gig iPod just isn’t working for me.

I got the upgraded stereo even though lots of people complained about it. I play everything except Death Metal and Rap and it’s been fine. On some classical and opera the bass is too top heavy and requires a quick adjustment but other than that it sounds great on jazz, rock, folk, country (real country (Hank Williams) not glam country (Shania Twain)), new age, world music, etc... Is it worth $500 bucks? I dunno since I didn’t listen to the stock stereo. Some have said the 2009 came with Bose speakers, others have said the head unit is back to a HK. Again, I don’t know and don’t care since it sounds fine (which may say more about me than anything else). Grab a CD, go to the dealer and test them out.

I also got the Smart Phone Prep for the armrest with the idea that I'd put my iPhone in there and could perform phone and iPod functions while hidden. A couple problems, the prep means little as you still have to buy a phone specific cradle. That's another $140 bucks. Unfortunately MINI/BMW does not make a cradle that fits the newest 3G iPhone. So I'm dead in the water until they catch up. (You can jam it into the first gen cradle (I tried) but it might get stuck and I don't think it'll charge.) If anyone has a work around or a way to attach a cable to the electronics in the armrest, please shout out.

Oh, the armrest. I got it and it works great. Doesn't get in the way of shifting or the parking brake. It's perfectly positioned for me. True, not a lot of volume but it's fine. We'll see how it holds up when the kids use it as a step stool. (Again, if someone can clue me in on how to cable the smartphone prep rather than buy the BMW cradle, I’ll like the armrest even more.)

I have the sunroof and it’s really nice. Might think about tinting it darker when it gets warm again. The kids love it.

Oh, yeah, the kids. I’ve a 2 and a 5-year old. The booster and giant plastic kid seats fit just fine with lots of room. I did pull out one of the headrests to make the giant seat sit snugger and lower. The side cup holders are perfectly placed for the kids as well. The leatherette wipes up very easily and doesn’t retain gooey kid effluvium like cloth or the punch leather. Both of them can get in and out easily and, compared to a standard MINI, the extra legroom makes the Clubman a functional 4-person car. I took my folks to a wedding and the four of us had plenty of room and the ride was very nice, not plush mind you, but nice.

The computer readouts and warning lights are still confusing to me. It seems to cycle through the warning lights and then give me a low tire warning for 20 seconds or so after starting. Not sure if this is normal. [It's not, a TPM was going off, I've reset it. Check the threads for TPM comments and false alarms.] Also, after turning the car off and shutting the door the dash readout stays lit. Locking the car turns this off. Again, not sure if this is normal. [ It is. also quickly pressing the start button again kills the dashboard lights.] Also on the last line of the dash readout that shows the odometer and something else (MPG? Miles ‘til fillup? I forget), it shows a small teeny triangle that might be a warning or caution light but I can’t find any reference to it anywhere. [It's an indication that an alarm's been tripped. It went out when I reset the TPM.]

The Boot has ample space but you have to take out all the divider stuff to use it fully. It comes with a cargo cover, a second cover/shelf that’s flush with the bumper to give a load flat floor and a hidden well beneath that (and a hidden well beneath that where a spare tire resides in the non-S version) I took the cover and shelf thing out and my rubber OEM boot mat fits perfectly. A couple Rubbermaid tubs for grocery hauling and I’m all set.

Incidental Stuff

Maybe it’s just how I set up my seat and driving position but my view of overhead red lights is mostly blocked if I’m closer than 10 feet to the idle line. I’ve ordered one of those parabolic gizmos to affix to the upper windshield. I hope it comes before I hurt my neck. My wife does not have this problem.

Of course I’ve been excited to drive the MINI but I didn’t expect that both my wife and kids would be so excited too. My wife took it out to get milk last night, came back two hours later and has been scheming to dump her minivan ever since. Then my two year-old was too excited to sleep and made me walk him down to the garage at 9:30 last night so he could look at the MINI. He opened the garage door, I flipped on the lights and he yelled MINI at the top of his lungs. Funny.

 

That is GREAT to hear (and adorable too). My husband hasn't been that wowed by my impending MINI (very similar build to yours and should arrive before Thanksgiving). That said, once he drives it a bit I think he may hopefully have a little of that MINI enthusiasm your two year old has...well maybe a little of it . Thanks for sharing your experience and your thoughts on your different specs.

 

Great Post, I'm in agreement with most of what you posted.
I have almost the same exact car, have a little over 4000 miles on it and averaging 33.6 combined city/highway, my wife drives it to work so she's not as aggressive as I. I just drive it for fun.

The vehicle is plenty fast for me, although my wife's Lexus is faster but it's life driving a refrigerator, smooth, quiet but no personality.

If I have a need for speed I simply jump on my Suzuki Hyabusa which is faster than any car I know of.

 

srahaim,

Well that made for some informative AND entertaining reading! Love the 2 year old opening the garage door and yelling MINI! Since I'm picking my MCS up in 3 hours, I have a feeling I'll be going into the garage and doing the same thing at about 2 AM! I didn't sleep well last night and probably won't tonight either.

I wish I could help you with some of the little things you're experiencing (didn't get the smart phone though). I'm sure there will be lots of feedback on the dash readings soon. Thanks for taking the time to post all of your personal experiences. If I find any answers to your questions tonight- I'll let you know!

 

thanks for posting this. i really appreciate the detail you went into and the humor. I also have a 2 & 5 yr old, so it's nice to hear experiences of other parents with kids the same age.

and I don't blame your wife. for wanting to ditch the minivan

 

My wife rolls her eyes at me...I too yell MI-NEE!!! and even point! I know it's infantile at 43 YO, but it just comes out naturally, and I'm too old to change now! :p

 

I've been yelling that now for about four months, and I don't even have mine yet!!

And thanks for the review!

 

Yeah, but..no, but..yeah,but...do you use your 'toddler' voice!?!?! FTW!

 

I bought the plastic gizmo for the overhead traffic lights. It works well for me. Loved your take on your new car. I've had Mouse for 4.5 years and I still go screaming down the streets on lovely nights with the windows and sunroof wide open. It's awesome!

 

Great write up - thank you for sharing!!!

Donna

 

Great review! and Congrats on the new Clubbie.

RE: the use of an iPod, I too thought the short cord was silly. But what I do is to loop the cord down along the edge of the cubby hole and out the passenger side. Then I can put my iPod in the little cargo net on the passenger side floor. I have put a little black booklet in front of the iPod to hide it and the cord coming out from under the center stack. The iPod and cord are invisible. I'm very comfortable leaving it there, hooked up, all the time. BTW, I'm using a Gen 4, 16 gig Chromatic iPod with the "Y" cord that came with the MINI USB/iPod option on my 2008 and have had no problems with the iPod charging from the car.

RE: the issue of an OEM phone cradle for your new phone, I understand that BMW/MINI may not yet have a cradle for a phone as new as yours, but I recommend the following:

First: Do not take the word of your dealer's parts department as to whether a cradle is available. I was confidently told by my dealer's parts guy that there was no such cradle available for my Motorola Razr2 v9m. But by combing this site, Googling all over the place (and learning a little German) I was able to locate the part number for the proper Razr2 cradle used in the BMWs. This cradle also fit the MINI (see more on this below)

Second: If you are able to locate a BMW part number for your phone's cradle, plan on purchasing it from Classic MINI in Ohio. They are an authorized MINI dealer and have a great parts department that will give you a great price and ship it to you. They also give a discount to NAM members!

So, once I cut through the original bull with my dealer by giving them the part number I had found, they wanted $159.00 for the cradle. But the parts guy also just kept arguing with me about where I gotten the part number and why it wouldn't fit in the MINI. So, finally, I gave up and called Classic MINI.

The guy at Classic was very nice to deal with. He was unaware the cradle was available, but was glad I had a BMW part number. On his own inititive, he was very careful to check and recheck his BMW and MINI sources until he was convinced the cradle would work in my MINI. Then he told me they were having a sale at the time, and their usual $99.00 price of the cradle was reduced to $79.00 (with a NAM discount). I don't remember the cost of shipping but it wasn't bad. I got the cradle in the mail, popped it in the armrest (instructions are in your MINI BlueTooth Manual) and it worked like a charm.

FWIW, Classic is also great for getting other OEM parts at a good discount. My chrome hood scoop was also a lot cheaper from Classic than from my dealer.

Hope this info helps and good luck with the new Clubbie!
Rich

 

Thanks for the tip on the cradle and the iPod suggestion. I'll get working on it.

Here's a couple pix of the ride.

As an infant and all grown up.

 

Dang! I love those roof rails. I wish they were available when I bought my Clubman. I also really like the color combo of the PW roof and the black rails. I went with the PW/Black combo inside and out. Those black roof rails would look great on mine!

 

Wonderful 48 hours! Love those roof rails, too.

Oh, and, I've been yelling "MINI" and pointing for almost 5 years now. Though I am the only one in my family yelling, my husband does enjoy our MINI counts when visiting different areas. Saw 10 in Annapolis last weekend - not as many as last time, but still a good catch.

Great story, srahaim.

P.S. Great pointers, too, Rich. Classic MINI is very helpful.

 

Srahaim,

Where did you find the "plastic gizmo" - I have the same problem. I am 6-4 and have the seat almost all the way back. Needless to say, My wife - 5-1 - does not have as much of a problem

 

Here you go: http://www.lightinsight.com/ - it's great and I am still using the one I bought in 2003 for my '04.

 

The triangle you see in the odo display means a warning has been activated; probably your TPMS. Follow the manual's directions for this procedure, and the warning you see at startup, as well as this triangle, should go away. If not, cycle through the SET/INFO level of the computer (via the button at the end of the turn signal stalk, unless it's different for 09) to see what else might be up.

 

When you hit the stop/start button to turn the car off, take your foot off the brake and or clutch, and hit the button one more time. This will turn everything off.

Funny, I just did that last night. I just had to look at her and feel how smooth she was after her detailing before I went to bed. Who, me? Obsessed?

 

I tend to laugh like Darla in Finding Nemo when she realizes she is going to get a present. Woohahahahah! I will at times include the bouncing up and down and hand clapping.

This is also coming from a 43 YO male and is very natural. The eye rolls from the wife seem universal.

 

Okay, you win the animated drama award, I'll settle for runner-up!

I'm well-versed in the 'exasperated scoff' as response.

 

Thanks for the great write up. I am waiting for a week 44 build.

 

What a great write up!! thank you! I am still waiting for November to place my order (to coincide with my current lease expiring) the wait is torture and I re configure literally every night. Your input has helped, I love when new owners do this. And yours was really humorous to boot!!
I am in the stage where I now to stalk other Mini's--- to the extent of U-turns and following....even if it will run me late to my original destination....

 

If it's a small orange triangle with an exclamation mark inside, located in the dash readout above the steering wheel between the odometer and the trip odo., then it's a warning indicator reminding you that you need gas. I just became confused by this the other day and looked it up in the manual (around p. 56, IIRC). As soon as I refueled, the warning indicator disappeared.

Enjoyed your review, BTW.

 

The pre-09 cars didn't have the option of the Smart Phone Integration, so at best, the cradles made before then aren't going to supply the USB interface in the armrest. According to MINI's press release a few months ago, a list of new snap-in cradles that worked with the Smart Phone Integration was supposed to be supplied to the dealers sometime in September 09.

I haven't seen it yet, but it's probably worth checking with the Service Advisor at your dealership first.

For what it's worth, I've collected all the cradle part numbers from the 07-08's that I've been able to find in the Bluetooth spreadsheet in my sig.