Fair point.

BTW the Australian warranty runs to 100,000km or arond 62,000 miles. I guess they just pick whichever round number...

 

Originally Posted by gama
... the pop and burble sound it makes is very gratifying.

this annoys me too!! I love my 2010, buggers just had to make this change for the next model year!

 

The more fun option is to break them off with tree loppers

 

This may not be specific to the 2011, but I had to get it off my chest. I left Madison for Southern Missouri a week ago, 1,000 miles round trip. I only had 200 miles on the clock of my MCSC.

About 200 miles into the trip, my seat belt warning buzzer goes off. Grrrrrrr. The seat belt was fastened. So I unhooked and rehooked. The sound went away. Over the next 100 miles this happened about 20 times. I tried jiggling the connector, etc - everything I could think of. I'm thinking, there are no MINI dealers where I'm going. I'm going to have to put up with this for 700 more miles.

Then I glanced over to the passenger seat where my computer bag was sitting. The next time the buzzer went off, I gave the bag a little shove. The buzzer turned off. I repeated the buzzer starts, give it a shove, buzzer off two more times. Then I put the bag on the floor. End of problem.

That bag weight must be just on the borderline between the weight used by the passenger/no passenger sensor.

Let me tell you, I really enjoyed the last 700 miles of that trip. That was especially true the last 200 miles (hit 1,000) when I hit the Sport button the first time.

I was gentle on the throttle on this trip as it was mostly berak in miles. I averaged 32 mpg in 0 degree weather with an average speed of 71 mph. On the other hand, I did pass a truck who accellerated as I went by. When I pulled back in, I glanced down at the speedometer and whispered OMG.

Great car.

 

I found myself on a wide open road in west Texas when I passed my break-in period. Ran the thing up to 125 mph; very smooth!
(then I got busted for doing 84 in a 70 about 5 minutes later)

For the seatbelt chime, you may want to pick up one of these.

 

How do you change the default? On the 09, I got the reading I wanted on the lower display, and held in the computer toggle button for a few seconds. Does not appear to work on the 2011...

 

Thanks all for this thread. My beloved '06 MCS, El Kabong, was totaled 1/28/11 so I just ordered an '11 MCS on Friday. I had no plan to ever get rid of El Kabong, I was hoping to keep him forever, possibly loan to my kids and buy myself a GEN2 in another year or 2. While I am excited about my new MINI, I can't help but constantly remember the things I am never going to have again(the supercharger whine with the Alta CAI for instance, or the headlights mounted in the bonnet). I'm happy to hear that I won't have to live without the burble as I never got tired of it in my R53.
I know once the new one gets here I'll fall in love with it, too (yet to be named) but this thread makes me miss El Kabong just a bit less.
Annette

 

I have seen your story in other threads. Sorry to hear it. Just curious what you ended up ordering. I placed my order a week ago. My son has an 09 Clubman S and I have really come to enjoy it. Fortunately, I am not replacing an accident damaged vehicle, but on whose motor is just starting to show it's age after 132,000 miles. Since we ordered about the same time, it will be interesting to see who's is delivered first.

 

I ordered Horizon Blue/Black MCS manual, Premium, Convenience, Cold Weather and Sport Packages, MINI Connected with Nav, Black Headlamps, Black Wheels, Sports Suspension. Pretty much what my '06 had except I didn't do the Nav on the '06. I did the cloth interior since that is what I had on El Kabong and it held up beautifully. You ordered a week ahead of me it looks like so I'm guessing you are a week ahead build wise as well.
I love the Green leather interior and almost did another PW so I could do just like yours but felt kind of disloyal to El Kabong so ended up with the blue instead. Hope I don't regret it, I did love the PW.
Annette

 

Excellent choice. I went Pepper White primarily because of the Green Lounge Leather. My son has cloth seats in his 09 Clubbie and they are nice. It was a close call on spending the extra 2K on the LL, but I figure I spend my time inside the car, so I want to make the interior environment as much to my tastes as possible. I am also planning some type of dark green stripes, just not sure which ones yet, to tie it all together. Once complete, it should make for a rather unique MSC. Also, I am a big fan of classic Porsches, and I have admired a late '50's 356 in Ivory over Green Leather for a long time, so this will be similar.

I thought about Mini Connected with Nav, but I have Android, not iPhone, and my Garmin works great. In fact, I already have the Craven FlexPod Fixie for my Garmin. I did go with the Black Cone Spokes. I also thought about the Black Head Lights, but went with the Adaptive Headlights instead. I tend to like the bright chrome look better than the blacked out look anyway. I never really considered Sport Suspension because the ride seems pretty firm now, and from what I can tell, aftermarket may be a better solution.

Let's keep in touch to see win's the delivery race. I am in Louisville, KY.

 

Wife purchased Spice Orange 2011 MCS this past Friday, our first Mini! Got our fingers crossed we got a good one. I setup her Sirius and paired her phone last night. I would say my wife and the Mini are like peas and carrots in that they fit very well together....she's been extremely happy so far and I must say I like the car as well.

 

You can't.

 

The headrests for the rear seat - You do not have to break anything off, there is a pin in that collar that you can push out very easily and remove the collar. That is the first thing I did when I got the car home since I will probably never have any body in the back seat. All my kiddos are grown and have their own auto's.

 

you probably figured this out by now (and honestly I didn't read all the replies) but removing those rings on the headrests is very simple.

Just pull the head rest out, and have a paper towel handy in case they are drippy (one of my posts had a lot of lubricant).

Next look at the ring, identify the small metal pin that holds it on and find something that fits in that hole... I used a tiny screw driver.

Push the end of the pin, it will slide right out.

Next, slide the ring off and you are done.

 

I don't know if you named your new MINI yet but I vote for Babaloui!

 

Baba Bluey is in the final 3. I will make my final choice when I pick him up and bring him home!
Annette

 

Only realized a while back that when you're starting off uphill, it keeps the brakes on for you for a second or so while you get your foot to the throttle. I found it a little offputting at first but OK now. The only issue is that it only seems to work for about one second and after that lets go anyway, even if you still have your foot on the clutch.

Also, I think I mentioend in another thread that after about 1200 miles the exhaust took on a nice, deep note and the popping on overrun with Sport button started.

 

Having driven a superb '05 PW/B MC for nearly six years and with ~600 miles on the clock of my new '11 SO/W MCS, seemed like a good time and thread to share my initial observations thus far. Take them for what they're worth -- as a single observational data point among many.

------

1. The '11 interior seems to be more solidly constructed than my '05 (so far). I expected at least one door/dash rattle and some sunroof noise but there has been none -- even in minus double-digit ambient temperatures. The cabin is better insulated from road/tire noise. Doors close with a solid thunk. Window movement seems less sloppy. I'd driven a couple of 2nd Gen non-S rentals from Zipcar and they were absolute rattle-traps (probably due to some level of abuse) and I was fully expecting a slight drop in build quality, but in any event I've been pleasantly surprised. Hope it lasts.

2. I love the extra room between the right leg and the downtube.

3. The dual-adjustable steering column is nice -- makes it easier to get into a comfortable posture. The '05 only had up-down adjustment. A lot more of the tach face is visible than before.

4. I'm really loving the look of the speedo gauge in the '11 with the MINI Connected + Navigation interface integrated. It makes it seem like there was a legitimate reason for making the speedo circle as large as it is. In fact, I plunked down the $$ for this option almost as much for the look as for the functions. The system interface is a bit complex and certainly not as intuitive as it could be, but I'm sure a lot of that will come with time and patience. The conventional speedo in the R56 does nothing for me--I would rate it a distant third behind the "regular" speedo in my '05. I also like its configuration with the two center vent outlets, more so than the "mouse head" arrangement in the R60.

5. The mid-cycle refresh did wonders for the R56 interior, but the '05 interior was nice too. I call this one a wash.

6. The Auto-AC interface seems to be a bit more complex than it really needs to be. I'd rather have the simple, straightforward, "manual" controls that were in my first MINI.

7. The turning signal stalk function became involuntary after the first half-day of motoring, and I actually like the lane change feature. I have no complaints with it (and can't understand why so many others do).

8. The steering in the '11 is equally tight and responsive in a general sense but there is a difference that I can't quite fully characterize. In my '05 it seemed like I only had to "think" about minor steering inputs on the open road and they would just happen. The '11 seems to need just a bit more conscious effort, as if there is just a bit more steering wheel resistance to overcome in the first few millimeters of turning. Both are clearly superb, but I give the '05 the advantage here. (Of course, this whole comparison discounts the probability that my original EHPS Pump was probably on borrowed time--nothing to do with handling but a steering system factor nonetheless.)

9. The clutch in my '05 had a lot of throw distance between initial and full engagement (original clutch at 76K miles) and because it had the NA engine you simply had to rev the engine smartly to overcome static inertia. The '11 clutch is lighter and crisper with a tighter engagement range and the turbo power is enough that idle rpms are almost sufficient to get moving. I give the nod to the '11 (now that I have become accustomed to it) though the hill assist still surprises me every time it engages.

10. My old Getrag-5 never gave me any problems but I'm glad it is in my past. It was a bit clanky on shifts in the lower gears, giving the impression that if one dropped the clutch from a standing start it would have bad consequences. The Getrag-6 in the '11 is quiet and firm and certain. Also, it is really nice to achieve 70+ mph at 3000 rpm in road gear as opposed to only 60 mph at the same rpm with the 5-speed. (If one subscribes to the philosophy that an engine only has so many rpms to offer in its lifetime, well, you can do the math...)

11. The HK Sound System with all of the MINI Connected interfaces and Sirius is a clear winner over the standard OEM stock '05 offering.

12. I ran 205/50-16 performance tires on the '05 during the summer months. As you might guess, the 205/45-17 SSR All Seasons on the new MINI don't ride quite as smooth, but they've actually exceeded my expectations thus far and a lot of my driving has been on partially ice/snow covered and worse-for-winter-wear local roads. They are also quieter than I expected. I may not be as quick to shed them as I initially thought I might be.

13. It's a bit more difficult to do a good wash and dry on the '11 -- there seems to be a lot more nooks and crannys hiding water blobs and it takes forever to get them all sopped up. I'm more apt to get out the air compressor to help clear out the grill work / brake ducts / light fixtures.

14. The OEM optional driving lights are not quite as bright as the aftermarket two-light rally light bar with 100w IPF 6" fixtures on my '05, and there is some noticeable jitter of the beams with the OEMs on rough roads, but the performance is acceptable and the look blends a bit better with the design of the MINI. With the prevalence of deer around these parts, the optional driving lights weren't really an option.

15. Comparisons to my '05 that aren't really fair, since my '05 didn't have these features and my '11 does:
-- Clear bra (my biggest regret with my first MINI was NOT getting this)
-- Xenons (nice!)
-- Heated seats (even nicer, esp. when you can almost see the MN border)
-- Auto dimming mirror (almost passed on this but now glad I got it)
-- Turbo power (still in the break-in period so as of yet not fully tested, but I've made a pass or two on the highway and the latent presence of the extra torque is exhilarating and almost shocking coming from my NA engine experience)

I'm sure I can come up with some other contrasts but I've probably rambled on long enough.

 

Nice comparison, Gil-galad. Seeing as how we are coming from very similar vehicles I really appreciate your perspective. I got used to the signal stalk on my 2 test drives so don't think that will be an issue for me either. I always liked the clutch on El Kabong, but my husband, who didn't drive him on a regular basis, always found it kind of tricky. We both really liked the clutch on the '11 we test drove. It actually took me a bit to get used to it and it was never without thought for me on the test drive. I'm sure I will adjust to it in no time. I am still waiting for my '11 so will post my observations. I also never got around to the clear bra on my '06 so have made sure it gets done before pick up this time.
Annette

 

I agree - a delight to read a thorough set of impressions. I'm not the only analytical person here!
MINI fixed the sunroof with the upgrade - my MY08 R56 rattles and the new one doesn't. And of course the steering, clutch and gearshift all came in for changes (clutch worse, others better).

 

I agree with you on this.... I lost my 2006 Space Blue Cooper (Liv as in Liv it up) on valentines day due to an accident within an accident (long story) and I just picked up my 2011 Pepper White with black roof, mirrors, bonnet stripes and wheels and it too has to be named still.

The extras AND the maintenance/warranty going to 6yrs or 100,000 miles along with how cool it looks make this a little easier to take Liv's passing....

 

Sorry to hear about Liv. Whooda thunk you could get so attached to a car. Funny you going from a Space Blue to a PW and I'm going from a PW to a Horizon Blue(the Space blue got introduced the week after I ordered El Kabong and I always loved it).
I should be picking up my '11 in about 10 days.
Annette

 

im trying to figure out a name for my baby to but i cat thik of anything im hoping it will jut come to me when i see her

 

It will, both of the names I used just came to me randomly. I don't think that either name screams "cool, fast little car" but the names just popped in my head and from then on the names were just their names. Even when I tried to come up with other names it didn't matter.

Annette

 

i cant wait.. whens your car coming in?