My MINI still is waiting for a scheduled production date and my MA told me I could make a change up to start of production. I'm kicking myself for not getting CA for a couple of reasons
1) Ease..no fumbling for keys and digging it out of the black hole my purses/bags are 2) I don't have to worry about my other keys banging up my dash

I have a few questions on how it works
1) How does the auto-locking work? Do I chose an auto-lock setting and say, after 15sec of the door closing, it locks automatically? Or do I have to touch the door again?
2) If I leave them on my front seat or something and shut the door and auto-locking is enabled, did I just screw myself? Or is there no humanly way possible to lock your keys in your car?
3) Ordered me a Clubby, do both boot doors open like magic too?
4) Does anyone regret getting CA? I can afford throwing an extra $500 down on the down-payment, so money isn't truly an issue, but it is $500 I don't want to regret

Thanks!!

 

I must say, I understand your conundrum. I mean it IS $500! So I completely understand how money is money and it's always hard to part with it. However, that said, I LOVE LOVE my comfort access and I'm completely happy that I chose the option. I'm sure that the MINI is just as wonderful without it, and I probably wouldn't miss it considering all the other fantastic qualities and it really isn't necessary (ie it is called comfort access). Put it this way, when I buy a second MINI it WILL be included in my list of options! Hope that gives you some insight.

 

1. Best as i could tell, auto-locking locks the doors after a period if you unlocked them but didn't open them. This is on the '08. I tried walking away but never felt comfort (hahaha) in walking away with it unlocked.
2. If the keys are in the car, you cannot lock them inside without the other set of keys outside. The door will just magically pop back open. When you get it, try putting the keys in the boot. hi-la-ri-ous.
3. when you use the remote on the boot, the right barn door pops unlocked and then you press the door button to pop the left.
4. I'm sure -someone- has regretted it. I'm not that person though.

 

No regrets at all - I love CA.

 

I chuckled through both of these! Fantastic jonabad!

 

So I guess my biggest concern now is auto-locking/how the car locks itself on comfort access. Does everyone just use their keyfob or I read you can touch the door button and it locks. Seems kinda non-lazy

 

You can touch the door button and it will lock. It's great in the morning what I'm running late for the bus...I just leave my keys in my briefcase, get out and hit the button on the door and I'm on my way without fumbling with my coffee and bag while trying to reach for keys in my pocket. I never really thought this would be one of my favorite features of the car, but I really love having it.

 

Spend the $500, very nice option. It is wonderful not to have to fumble with keys. Remember when nobody had garage door openers....I thought it was quite unnecessary...until I got my first one. I cannot imagine getting out of the car to open the garage door....now I cannot imagine fumbling with keys. Give yourself an early Christmas present and order the CA....

 

Comfort access alone - forget that - Get the whole convenience package - wish we had.........

 

Had CA in my first MINI and then traded in for an on-the-lot Cooper, I love the newer car, but.....I'm kicking myself for not holding out for one with the whole comfort access package. Besides the fantastic ability to never dig for keys again, the package comes with the rain sensitive wipers that are almost essential up here where it's always snowing or foggy. I have a feeling I'm gonna burn out the wiper motor switching them on and off all the time when I'm traveling behind a truck spraying mist on me.

I also liked the auto-dimming mirror as well as the mirror-mounted garage door opener (never had to worry about the regular remote's batteries wearing out).

And best of all was the whole bluetooth thingie along with the USB port. I know all this adds up to $1250 but to me, it was a far better option than the silly Premium Package I did end up with. Sure, the H/K stereo is nice and the auto climate control saves me a millisecond every day when I had to work, but the sunroof is pretty much wasted living in a place where it's either freezing cold or stinkin' hot every day of the year.

 

I bought a pre-owned MCS, that came with the full CA Package. At first I thought it was pretty neat, but terribly overpriced. Now after 9 months of driving the car, I really love the convenience of the CA, and wouldn't dream of not ordering it on my next MINI. Just a heads up to anyone considering ordering it. My CA stopped working about 3 mos ago, and the dealer needed to install a new rear view mirror, that houses the guts of the CA. The mirror alone cost +/-$850. I was lucky because I was still under the original warranty.

 

Welllll...just talked to my MA, apparently my car began production yesterday and ASK-MINI is delayed. DANGIT! I was sold on adding it and coughing up the $500 because I reaaallllyy do not want to have to be constantly separating my keys. Ohwell, lesson learned.

 

1) The auto locking is not really part of the CA system. The autolock has 2 settings. 1 will automatically lock the doors a minute or 2 after you begin driving or a certain MPH I don't remember which. The other setting will lock the doors after 2 or 3 minutes IF you unlock the doors with the FOB (or CA button) AND then never open ANY doors. Both options can be on together or turned off via settings in the Tach menu. I don't really see the point in the 2nd setting. Maybe useful if you get out of your car and walk away and hit FOB unlock button when you meant to hit the lock button. As I said if you open any door the auto-locking is canceled until you press unlock again.

Note that if I am not carrying anything I will often use the FOB to lock/unlock rather than the CA door button. Especially when walking up to the car with passengers who get to the car before I do.

2) The doors will not lock if one of the CA FOBs is inside the car. If a FOB is in the boot area then the boot door pops back open and the lights flash.

There is one way to lock your keys in. With driver door closed and only the PASSENGER side door open. Lock the doors with your FOB, CA button or manually. Now throw your FOB in and shut the passenger door. Note that the doors will not lock if the driver side door is open.
Read on another NAM thread were a lady was putting a small child into the back and laid her keys on the front seat somehow locked the doors and then closed the door. The child was locked inside the car until they retrieve the 2nd set of keys.

3). Yes the boot doors open with CA. On the Clubman there is no extra button on the rear door. The CA is built into the existing latch pull bar on the right side door. I wish the other doors were like that as well but I guess you would still need a locking button.

I like this about CA on rear Clubman doors: I can walk up to the car, open the rear door and put stuff in and then close the door and walk away and all doors will remain locked without touching any buttons or FOB.


4) I don't have regrets. I ordered CA as a standalone without option. ...I do get annoyed when I drive one of my other cars and have to dig for the keys...

One other thing I have found that does not work correctly with CA.
Settings for the radio station and other preferences or settings such as the auto door locking are saved independently in each FOB. The means that each driver can have their own unique setup stored in the FOB that they use.
The CA system does not automatically recognize that a different driver (FOB) is present and reverts to the last drivers settings even though the car is started with the different FOB present. In order to make sure the changeover happens correctly you have to use the FOB buttons to unlock the car. The CA button will not do it.
Edit:
Sorry that last statement is not correct. Using the CA door button will make the changeover, it is just that we frequently do not lock our cars in our own driveway. However I still think the changeover should happen whenever a different FOB is used to start the car - without having to push any buttons.

 

I loved the CA option in my 5 series BUT not anymore. It's great to have the convenience and novelty of never having to use the key to open and start the car. However, CA is quite fragile with the wear and tear of time. If you are unlucky like I was, it will develop problems - insensitivity and defects - that will lead to battery drain, especially when you are out of warranty. And fixing them will be quite expensive as it require the dreaded programing cost.

 

You can still roll down the windows and pop the sunroofs with the fob, from a long ways off too. And pop the boot. I like those features.

And if CA becomes problematic like a couple posters above stated, maybe we are better off.

 

Absolutely would not be without the CA.As some posters stated, both guys and gals you don't have to fumble with a set of keys just put it in your pocket or purse,push a button,bingo your off and running....

 

CA is one of my favorite features. I would get it again for sure. I found that if I toss the fob on the seat through the window I can lock the doors with the button if I do it fast. It probably takes a few seconds for the locking mechanism to realize the fob is inside.

 

I can't stand cars without Comfort Access. I recently drove a Mini without it and let me tell you, having to fish around for the damn key all the time was annoying. Its sounds so trivial to the folks that don't have it but, it is great to walk around the car and open any door without having to fish around for a damn key....to start it just by pressing the button.

You'd think after all the years of driving a car, it would know you... my Mini knew me from day one. I'm not a big options person but an option like this will always be at the top of my list.

My only gripe is that it won't automatically lock and unlock. You have to press a button. It would be cool if you stood next to it for 10 seconds, or waved your hand a certain way, or whistled, or said a code word, etc. it would unlock or unlock. Now that would be sweet!

 

I had CA on my BMW, and wish I would have gotten it on the MCS. It will be on my next car for sure.