Just how noisy is it when the top is up???
This has been getting attention in the reviews, so please share your perception / experience with this phenomenon ...

 

Folks chimed in on the "Any Regrets?" thread. I suggest you test drive one and decide for yourself. It's the only real way to know if any noise will bother you.

 

I will test drive the car. However, you can't compare a test drive with the months of driving experience that most of you mini roadster enthusiasts have had. I would be surprised if anyone regrets ( or admits to ) buying the roadster
due to top up noise.

 

it's not bad at all with the top up.. just don't expect it to be Maybach quiet. lol

 

Top fits quite well, better than other convertibles I've driven in the past.

Who knows if it will stay that way down the road?

The biggest issue with the top up is visibility. It sucks! Almost scary if truth be told.

 

I just took possession of a 2013 Eclipse Gray S on 8/21 - had a 2003 Clubman S prior. Obviously I'm adjusting to the soft top

I had a bad rattle in the passenger seat only to find that the seat belt retainer wasn't high enough and the metal part of the seat belt was vibrating against the side post.

+1 with Rev's comments on visibility, especially when backing out of a parking spot. Have to admit, though, you can't beat the visibility with the top down! :D

 

There are quite a few intersections here where the roads meet at other than a 90 degree angle. They can be difficult top-up without a passenger...

 

Noise isn't an issue for us. The only time it's really noticeable is when there is a loud vehicle right next to you. Agree with the other comments about the top up visibility when backing out of a parking space. We are talking about backing into spaces so we don't have to worry. Love the car though and wouldn't not buy it because of those issues.

 

Between high beltlines and thick C-pillars, it seems like every new car has bad rear visibility these days. I saw an article in Automobile magazine a month or two ago that suggested Government intervention was necessary to dissuade automakers from continuing down that styling road. I disagree with that sentiment, but I think it's telling that sightlines out the back have gotten so poor that someone is even suggesting it.

As for Roadster rattles and squeaks, I've yet to see a noisy panel that can't be silenced with some foam rubber glues to the back. You just have to be willing to keep going back to the shop and saying "Found another one. Fix."

 

St G:
My friend owns and loves her 2012 Mini coupe convertible.... I will test drive her car to get a feel for how the roadster will handle and feel. As I said, she LOVES the car... However , to be honest with me , she said that the visibility ( sight lines ) are awful, and almost got into two accidents.... She had to put the top down on a few occasions in order to back up safely.... I will also test drive the Fiat Abarth at some point before deciding...
Best,
JoNack

 

JoNack,
If visibility is a concern, consider ordering your car with rear parking assist. I originally did have it on my order because visibility was a concern for me when the top was up. In the end I didn't get rear parking assist but it would have been a useful but not critical feature.

I drove both the Mini Covertible S and the Roadster S back to back. To me, the Roadster S was noticably more fun to drive and had better visibility with the top down. Don't even consider the Fiat 500 convertible if visibility is a concern.

Concerning the Fiat Abarth, they are nice cars at a reasonable price but are more comparable to the Cooper S not the Roadster S. If possible, I would drive the cars side by side to get a good comparison.

 

Thanks II Kings:
I have rear assist on my car, now... I see a radar visual on the Nav screen and hear a beep.... Is this the same on the Mini? I'm surprised with all of the new technology that some side sensors (etc) haven't been considered / added as a safety feature... Have you driven the Fiat Abarth? How does it compare to the Mini Roadster in handling , fun factor, power, etc.
Thanks ,
JoNack
PS: I think the transmission is made in Italy, but that is it .... Engine made in Michigan, assembled in Mexico.... Not the Fiat Abarth you would get in Italy... The Mini Might have a better pedigree ...

 

Same radar visual on the Mini as the 135i. I agree that with technology where it is today, it should be a better system. My wife has an Evoque, much better system.

I have driven the Fiat Sport and convertible, not the Abarth. I like the Fiat but prefer the Mini - better steering feel and more power (more fun). Most reviews rank the Mini 1st when compared to the Abarth but it comes down to personal preference.

I suspect that the Mini would be easier to tune if you are into mods.

 

I totally agree with II Kings on a number of points. I didn't like the Fiat convertible. It's more like a big cloth sunroof. Also agree with mods on the Fiat, at least for the near future. The Fiat is new to the US market and being marketed to a different demographic. The differences between Fiats and MINIs are substantial. The Fiat 500 is more of a "people's" car. Quirky, fun, attractive (?) and fun, just not a "driver's" car.

I liked my Fiat enough to keep it, but not enough to keep me from also buying my MINI.

 

Rev,
Have you driven the Abarth? You appear to have considerable experience with sport exotics ... Each has its own compelling feature, I am sure, but I assume that the Mini Roadster is your overall favorite .... ??

 

Please do not buy a FIAT. Failure In Automotive Technology...

 

Wish I could, but my local dealer sells every Abarth before they ever make it to the dealership. So no way to do a "curiosity" test drive.

I'm a "car guy" and have probably owned over 50 cars in my life. Mustang, Corvair Monza Spider, Dodge Dart with a big V-8, Suzuki X-90, Fiat 124 Spider, Gran Torino, a few VWs, countless soul-less family sedans and SUVs, and on and on .....

But never a Minivan.

 

Clearly you haven't driven or done any research on the new Fiat. European car of the year and extremely well received in world markets. Not a MINI, but in the opinion of many (non MINI owners) a more reliable car. And feature for feature about $5K less. Just because Fiat owners trash MINIs all over the web doesn't mean MINI owners should sink to that immature tit-for-tat behavior.

Love what you drive and drive what you love.

 

Rev, just read an interesting comparison: mini roadster vs VW Cab vs Abarth....
http://www.topcar.co.za/road-tests/c...er-vs-golf-cab
Give it a read.... You're right ... Talked with two Fiat dealers tonight .... No Abarth... Sell them/ special order.... You can order , if you don't like it , they will give you your money back.. I will take my friend's mini convertible for a spin ... I would like to take the Abarth out... Btw: the evaluators really loved the Abarth, but they selected the VW... Read it. I am interested in your response .... How many miles on your roadster? Still loving it ?

 

I don't even drive a MINI, so its not a Mini owner trash talking the FIAT. I understand that it has been received in the world market extremely well, but its partly due to its overall cost to the consumer as well as its marketing tactics, not because its some break through in automotive engineering by any stretch. Honestly, your analysis of them being a more reliable car is ****, as the vehicle hasn't been on the global market long enough to have genuine unbias statistics for issues/failures. As for me haven driven one (or not), I have, and they are gutless, almost as bad as an n16 Countryman. Oh and I have worked on a few already, and lets just say...not impressed with anything I saw from a design or engineering aspect.

But I agree on the Love what your Drive, Drive what you love. To each is their own. I just find them to be Ugly, and not worthy of use on public highways. But then again, personal opinion.

 

With a month of driving, the R59 is everything I was looking for.

As for the article, I find it strange that the "winner" is the most expensive and "dull" to boot.

 

The 500 has been around since 2008, long enough to get an idea of its reliability.

Really, then I'd love to hear your opinion on the likes of a Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris.

 

Honestly, I'd drive a Honda fit over a 500, and for design/aesthetics I find the fit to be a much better vehicle for what it is marketed for. As for FIAT, im not sure who i feel more sorry for, Chrysler or Fiat, or both as a division. ObamaCar? Solyndra anyone? Didn't even brake 20k units sold in 2011. Sounds like a success. Guess Fiat is hoping that Alpha Romeo's re-introduction to the US market is going to save them.

Honestly though, I dont want to derail this thread anymore then I already have with my personal opinion. Like you said earlier in basic, to each is their own, Drive what you love, love what you drive. There is an obvious (minuscule, but still there) market for the 500 and if people buy it, then I guess it should be sold.

 

From http://www.autonews.com/section/ussales MINI sold 37,914 cars in the first 7 months of this year, versus 34,527 in the same period in 2011. That's across all models. FIAT sold 24,416 cars in the first 7 months, versus 7,982 in the same period in 2011 (when the brand was re-introduced), all the while selling only the FIAT 500, remember. I'm sure if you looked at only regular hardtop MINI and Convertible (removing Countryman, Clubman and Roadster) versus the equivalent FIAT 500 the numbers would be fairly close...

 

I don't understand the 500 hate. It appeals to the same part of my brain as the MINI Justa: good looking, small, slow, and slightly upscale.