Ok, so I finally saw and tooled around with one last night. So torn on this car as I wanted to trade in for one after the fun I had for almost 4 years with my 03.
The new pics and everything I saw of the new car however didn't hit me in the gut like the original however. But I wanted to see and feel it in the flesh before passing judgement ...

Did not get a chance to drive it yet ... will update this post once I do

- sat in a SS MCS with the Redwood Leather and Sunroof. Seats felt cushy but for my height (6'7") the space in the cabin was small, especially knee room and headroom. This, I later found out, has to do with the more plush cushy feel of the leather ... as I sat in a bare bones MC with leatherette the feeling was totally opposite ... it felt a tad bigger than my '03.
The marketing pitch of additional legroom because of the tapered center column is greatly exagerated however

- the speedo is huge ... huge!

- the interior feels tighter and somewhat better put togehter as far as materials are concerned, but some stuff feels a bit randomly thrown in and gimmicky (mood lighting, the whole center stack)

- the arm rest on the door is actually functional and feels nice

- like the lever for rear seat access and the new seat forward/rear adjusting lever

- from the outside, if you stand really close to it ... the car does not look that much different. from far it definetelly sitting higher and feels a bit less proportional too much metal ... too little glass.

- the rear spoiler and C pillar ... why did these things needed to be messed with.


still need to drive it ... but as of now ... a lot of the bits and visual cues seem a bit random ... but i have to say the car looks much better in person than in photos

 

I don't know if any of you sat in the rear seat of the R56 MINI, but for some odd reason I felt very cramped back there. I think the shorter rear glass and the lower seat cushion make up for a slight claustrophobic feeling. Weird, i can't put my finger on exactly what it is, but I was expecting the car to be more comfortable in the back. I sat in the rear of my R53 and did not feel the closed in feeling of the R56 rear quarters.

This is something I would have to try again.

 

Please bring your laptop and give us a first hand, real time, stream of consciousness impression.

 

I'm 6'2" with more padding below that I should have, so I probably sit like someone that's 6'4". I can't realistically get into the back seat in an R50, and it's not claustrophobic, it's cramped.

As far as I'm concerned, the MINI (any gen) is a 2.5-seater. Two adults up front, one small child at most in the back.

 

Being tall I can definitely relate. Be sure to check to be sure the seat heighth is adjusted all the way down. Also, remember that the sun roof takes up, if I remember correctly, 1 1/2 inches of overhead heighth. I ordered mine without sunroof for this reason. Don't forget, the steering wheel telescopes (good feature, especially if you have to move the seat all the way back).

 

of course I did all this ... have an MC for almost 4 years ...
but leather and sunroof + tall don't mix too well

the MC without both gave me at least an extra 2" of headroom and knee room was great.

 

Both my parents got in the back seat of the R56 this past weekend, and my mother, who also tried out the back seat of the R53, said she felt the room in the backseat was "MUCH" better, her emphasis.

 

Interesting - thanks!
When I sat in the R56 it felt more cramped than I'm used to; I assumed it was the smaller glass or the sunroof lowering the ceiling height ... but maybe it was the bulkier seat too!
Another reason not to pay almost $2K for seats

 

Thanks for the update Lurch, I was interested in your opinion. The seat comment was an interesting observation. Did the extra steering wheel adjustability do anything for you? I just shoved my R53 wheel up all the way the day I bought it and haven't touched it since.

I don't know how the backseat stuff got in here, kinda pointless.

 

yeah the steering wheel adjustment is a moot point for us tall folk ... slam it all the way back and up and you're good ... but again, big knee room difference between the leather and non even when tweaking the steering wheel adjustment.

that being said, still the most amazing car for us giants ... great interior room

 

also it must be said that if the seatback is so far back that it is behind the B pillar ... reaching the rear seat lever is a bit convoluted as it sits behind the seatback under the headrest.

I don't think there have been actual photos of this new position anywhere on the internet

 

These levers?

 

In a small car perception counts as much as real space. Even if you have more leg room, the higher window sill could make you feel close.

I found the seat tilt lever fell very naturally to your hand. Its in the same place I would put my hand to tilt the seat after bending over for the lever - saves the bend.

 

I use the back seat a lot. When my 3 month old boy rides in the back either my wife rides behind me or I ride behind her if she is driving. Sometimes either of his grandmas ride beside him and even my 6'2" 225 pound father in law goes back there as well. Our MINIs are family cars all the way.

I just found it a little akward to feel so cramped back there in the R56. But this car had the red lounge leather seats. The seatbacks of both front seats are more contoured to provide better knee room. That works. But there is something else that makes the new car feel smaller in the rear seat. It is strange to say the least.

 

Well, you will be a happy man with a Clubman no doubt. I have a few more years with my daughter going in and out of the back seat, and then she will graduate to shotgun. She is going to have to sit on the passenger side when in the back as I need the seat too far back.

There is a little bit less legroom than our Integra, but a whole lot more headroom. Its surprising how similar in size the interiors are. But getting in and out of the Integra is getting old - I feel like I'm sitting in a hole.

 

6ft 7in. Bought the mini as THE only car I could fit in comfortably. (no sunroof though - takes almost 1 3/4 inches of headroom).

New adjustable steering wheel - a BIG difference.

Noone can fit in the backseat (driver's side), obviously. I bought the MINI because I couldn't fit in any other "newly redesigned" 2007 cars.

Cannot be happier. BTW - the 39.3 in headroom from the tech specs is very relative. Some cars (like the Prius) have 39.2 in and I couldn't fit inside comfortably. In mINI - I have about three fingerwidths in between the top of the head and the roof.

It's a personal preference. But - please - before buying it - drive the different DEAT combinations - I found the non-sport seats much more comfortable than the sport ones and the leather ones. Again - tall people - bad backs - good seats are a must.

MMM

 

did not try the back seat, but do you kind of sink into it? ... kind of with your butt low like the R53? or is it more "straight"? ... its seems more straight to me.
And the Lounge Leather definetelly made it "look" more cramped ... this extra plushness does make things feel and look smaller a bit.

 

being the same height as you and having tried both the regular and sport seats, they both feel kind of similar stationary ... but when doing a bit of spirited driving, the sport seats have a lot more support on the sides and feel cozier.

 

Sorry boys, I don't have the height issue. I sat in the back seat and felt fine. Unlike a Mustang or other "sports" cars, the Mini was comfortable as long as you adjusted the back part so it is not standing up straight.

 

Can you get the non-sport seats on the S? My rear didn't fit into the sport seats too well. Motivation to go on a diet, I suppose.

 

Im 6ft 5" and have an MCS with leather but no sunfroof (for the extra headrrom). The mini has more headroom than my Merc C class and i love the seats (i'm 250 lbs).

 

I drove initially the 2006 non-sport-seat car - it might have been more "broken in" or teh padding was diffeernt - but it seemed more... cushy.

I bought the 2007 MC with sports package (with sports seats) and it seems to be at least stiffer at the back. Now - I am 6ft7in and 200 lbs (reasonably thin) so it is not the width of the seat - it is 9I think) the lumbar part that does not sit well. Now - time will tell if a better angling of the seat and some movement of the seat back and forth would make it more comfortable.

I think (or I hope) it is like shoes - it just needs to be broken in. But definitely the comfortness of the seat can be evaluated only with long drives, and a test drive of few miles/tens of miles would not give you the clear feedback. The sports seats feel snug and comfortable. Now - sorry to put it bluntly - but if you have a rather large a** - do not order the sports seats. Just my 2 cents.

MMM

 

How large is difficult to define. I'm a large person (44" waist) and I find the sport seats comfortable. My wife however agrees with you. (posted with her permission )

 

I don't think so but I bet you wouldn't have trouble swapping them with an MC owner.

Seems the MINI is the affordable sports car for us tall folks. I didn't know the MINI sunroof took up that much space but I didn't want one in any case. I would have bought an MX-5 last summer if the top were a few inches higher and an S2000 many times if it were larger.

 

"WIDE" folks prefer MINI too. The new sport seats may have created some new width limits though. That's too bad.