First - I tried configuring a Laser Blue cabrio but then ALL of the cloth options disappear, you HAVE to get leather. Is this correct???

Second - Is anyone using a cabrio as a family hauler? My last few cars, in order, were 04.5 Passat variant, 07 Civic Si, 07 Rabbit, 08 GTI, '10 M3, '11 A4 Avant, and Now I'm looking at Minis and a 328iT. I know, I'm a car *****. Honestly, if not for the auto in the A4 I'd keep it. I thought I could get past it...but I was wrong. :( The 328iT would be basically the same car but with a manual but also a bit anemic. That's where the Mini's come in. I'm asking in this forum instead of the others because something about the convertible is REALLY grabbing my attention. Background, it will be my 4-season daily driver and I have 14- and 11-year old daughters. I know the trunk is technically larger than the coupe (if the cargo stays under the hatch cover) but being stationed in Germany, road trips are common. Has anyone done any trips with rear seat passengers? Would it qualify as inhumane treatment in some states? Of note, my wife is FINALLY replacing her Wrangler, hopefully with something we can use as the family car, but I think it's better to be prepared and do some research ahead of time.

Sorry for the novel.

Thanks all!

Paul

 

With the convertibles and coupes, you don't really get MUCH room for luggage. The size issue has been addressed since the R53, but it's not much bigger. Realistically speaking, the boot is only as wide as a Jansport backpack (the regular 2 pocket version) and is maybe 2 feet high. With rear seat passengers, I wouldn't even consider taking a road trip to Vegas which is only 4 hours away from me, let alone going on a road trip with family. If you want to take a few things here and there like blankets and a small cooler, you'll be fine. But if you plan to pack luggage for you, your wife (especially if she carries a lot of clothes with her), and your kids, you're certainly out of luck. I would imagine it'd be an even tighter fit with the convertibles.

I hope that answered your question.

As for the interior option, it's more than likely just a glitch in the software. I don't know of any paint scheme that forces you to buy the leather seats. I realllllly dislike leather seats, so I wouldn't be too happy if I was forced to buy them with my favorite body color.

 

I was thinking more for overnight type trips, not camping or anything but that's definitely good info. I also need to see if I can get my bat bag in there as well.

Thanks for the info!

 

Unless you are extremely short, the room behind you is near useless. I take three kids with me all the time - but I have to sit with my knees on the front knee bolster and it's a squeeze in and out for all. Any trip over an hour and everyone is miserable.

 

Best answer: go to a dealer, sit in the car and see for yourself

To allow some rear legroom, the front seats must slide all the way forward. This is not bad for the front passenger, but I'm 5'10'' and cannot drive in that position.

I have taken several multi-hour trips with 3 people in the car, with half the rear seat folded to carry all our bags (soft bags work best, top up w/shelf in upper position helps too). Highway driving with top down gets very windy in the back seat.

With a hitch rack or trunk-lid rack, you may be able to carry a few more bags

 

I'm 5'9" so unless you like to drive farther back than I do this is REALLY good info for me. Thanks!

Oh, I have, believe me. It's just the difference between sitting in it for a few minutes and say, 10 hours on a drive to Italy. lol I'd have my 11-year old behind me so my oldest would be able to sit behind my wife for more room.

My wife currently owns a Wrangler so we're well aware of top down autobahn "fun" so with the girls in the car it would be around town only with the top down. We took the Wrangler to Berlin (6 hours each) and while it wasn't as comfortable as taking the M3 to Italy, it was doable.

If I could fit our camping gear/clothes for a week of camping in the trunk/hitch rack I'd be ok with that.

Do you have a link to a trunk rack? I've seen hitch racks but no trunk racks.

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate all the advice.

Cheers,
Paul

 

Ok, the more I look at the cabrio the more I'm fascinated by it. I drove a Justa last weekend and even that was awesome! I had my 11-year old in the back and she said she didn't like the seatback because it was straight up but she fell asleep as fast as always so....

Is leather something I should even consider in the cabrio? Chances are it would either be the JCW cloth or the JCW lounge leather so black is a HIGH probability.
Same question about the navi. Anyone have it and regret it or not get it and wish they did?

Thanks again all.

Cheers,
Paul

 

For me, the cabrio was the only choice. As was the "S" and manual. I like your choice of color too. With the cabrio, definitely get the cloth. In the summer we use seat beads. As for the Nav, I have a Garmin mounted on the tach. It works fine and saved a lot of $

 

My main reason for even wanting the navi was for video playback but since it appears to be un-bypassable (which is odd since BMW navi lockouts can easily be bypassed) which kind of defeats the point, at least for me. I guess I'll forgo the navi and install a double DIN unit of my own and go from there.

Thanks for confirming my suspicion on the seats. Not knowing where my next assignment will take me I'd rather not end up in Phoenix or the like with leather seats and drop top. lol

I haven't decided on LP yet, especially since you can't do the JCW bonnet stripes but I can't lie, it's a darned good looking color. If only there were blue interior options again. :D

 

if you are stuck on leather consider the leather/cloth combo. I have it in mine and like the fact that my butt wont broil on the seats because of the cloth in the right places. It breathes pretty good and I have been riding around in 90 plus degree heat with the top down. I didnt want full leather because of the heat here in the south.

 

I thought about the leather/cloth combo but after seeing it in a car I didn't care for it. I've decided I'm going with leather and the R55 since, as much as I want the R57, I can't justify it for another couple of years when my oldest starts driving. Bummer too since the R57 is soooooooo freakin' sexy. It's ok, I can wait. Now to decide on navi or not...

Thanks all!

 

You can also go for a small utility trailer for longer trips, and a hitch rack for shorter trips. We've taken 4 people on a week-long Dragon trip with no complaints... with the trailer. I've also transported various Large and Bulky items home, most recently a This End Up dresser...

 

It wasn't so much the cargo space but the rear seating position. Trips into Italy from here take about 11 hours and I'm not sure how the girls (14 and 11) would handle that. I have already looked into the trailers and hitches but being stationed Germany I wouldn't be able to make that a reality until I get back to the States.

TOTALLY agree about the bulky items. We do that all the time in the Wrangler. lol That's how we got our treadmill home!

 

11 hours in the back of a cabrio would be kind of a lot. We have the tintop...

 

Yeah. My wife is looking to replace her Wrangler but she won't tell me if she's even narrowed the choices down yet and we can't BOTH have "impractical" cars. If I knew she was going with, say, a Q5 I'd move on the cabrio in a heartbeat.

 

Quality Sound, I also bought my R57 in Ramstein. Antony was my rep and he was very good about the whole experience. I must have test driven the different models of MINI about 7 times before I decided on the R57. My reasons were:
1 newer engine with 20% better fuel efficiency (is it true now...I think so... I get 28.7 MPG)
2 Configurable interior options including the SATNAV - I knew my next assignment was going to be Virginia so I wanted the sat nav built in. That also gives you access to car computer. I didn't want to have anything else on the dash If I could avoid it.
3 Fun to drive! You already figured this one out. I had my fun on the Autobahn before shipping it here. I get no where close to the speeds I drove on the A6. However, I suffered some paint chips from that weekend.

We are a 3 person family. My 10 year old likes the MINI but does get tired of being in the back when the trip is longer than 2 hours. I've driven with 3 other adult men, and that get's difficult after 1 hour.

I did get the Punch black leather. I have the benefit of parking in a garage for work. So it gets sticky only days like these past weeks when the temps are 95+. The MINI AC in the R57 works very well. I am glad I got Auto Air as the carbon filter is included.

If I had to do it over again, I would have gotten the JCW Aero Kit. But at the time, the Aero Kits were still experimental in 2009. Some of the ones Antony saw come back were not done well. As we got closer to pickup, the had improved the process greatly.

Also, Nice thing about BMW/MINI is that the shipping back to the states is included. Of course, the 36K/3YR maintainance is also a plus.

 

Thanks for the feedback. I was FINALLY able to get my wife and both girls in there and it's just not a good fit right now. It'll just have to be my next Mini. :D

I actually decided against the navi. Simply because the iPod video performance isn't good (video out of sync with the audio) and as of right now, there is no bypass for it so the girls can watch movies. Sure, they could use another device but with a car that's already tight on space...I'd rather not. After looking at all the extra functions the only ones I care about losing are DRLs and the auto-locks. I'm going to have Euler disable both of those as that double pull will drive me insane. If connected/navi was sorted like iDrive I'd go with it in a heartbeat. For now, a nice double DIN unit will do everything I need it to do.

Antony was my salesman when I bought my M3! He's a good guy but he's in Italy now. :(

I feel a bit ripped off since the Clubbie will not get the Aero Kit standard for 2012 as the hardtop and cabrio will but I'll live.