New to Mini ownership, F56 JCW.
Discussion
Hi all,
Just hit the button on a brand new F56 JCW and I can't wait for it to arrive.
One question I do have is, is there a running in period with these? I'm hearing mixed answers.
I'm swapping from a Fiesta ST which has surprised a few people. I would say I never 100% gelled with it for lots of little reasons that I won't bore you with.
Anyhow, so yeah.... Pictures will naturally appear once it arrives
Any advice anyone may have regarding new Minis feel free. I haven't even driven one yet. Only ever been passenger in a new Mini Cooper s last year.
Thanks in advance.
UT.
Just hit the button on a brand new F56 JCW and I can't wait for it to arrive.
One question I do have is, is there a running in period with these? I'm hearing mixed answers.
I'm swapping from a Fiesta ST which has surprised a few people. I would say I never 100% gelled with it for lots of little reasons that I won't bore you with.
Anyhow, so yeah.... Pictures will naturally appear once it arrives
Any advice anyone may have regarding new Minis feel free. I haven't even driven one yet. Only ever been passenger in a new Mini Cooper s last year.
Thanks in advance.
UT.
Firstly congrats on the purchase, the F56 jcw we've been running never had a bedding in period as such but you do notice improvements with fuel economy after couple of thousand miles. Whether its the engine bedding in or its the ecu learning parameters I'm not sure but it just got better everytime we drove it.
What spec have you gone for?
What spec have you gone for?
Thanks for the replys guys
It's volcanic orange with chili pack, media pack, heated seats, heated screen, black roof, mirrors and stripes.
The fiesta I found was a good car, but a bit flawed (to me).
After day one I noticed a few things. Runs in the paint on the first proper clean (after about a week).
There were a few rattles from bits of trim.
It suffered from brake fade after heavy use.
The rear discs started to crack at about 15,000 miles.
The radio/usb used to get itself all confused. As in your ask for a track with voice control or manually and it would select something totally different itself.
Suspension felt very crashy, you couldn't ever feel it load up, it just felt like there was no more to give when you started to push on. So you didn't get to feel the grip, it was either there or it wasn't.
But as a drivers car, I can understand them if they are a 100% spirited drive, but as a mixed bag thing not so much. For me anyway.
I would say I was using it 70% commuting 30% fun driving.
If they ever made the Fiesta RS I would certainly be tempted.
It's volcanic orange with chili pack, media pack, heated seats, heated screen, black roof, mirrors and stripes.
The fiesta I found was a good car, but a bit flawed (to me).
After day one I noticed a few things. Runs in the paint on the first proper clean (after about a week).
There were a few rattles from bits of trim.
It suffered from brake fade after heavy use.
The rear discs started to crack at about 15,000 miles.
The radio/usb used to get itself all confused. As in your ask for a track with voice control or manually and it would select something totally different itself.
Suspension felt very crashy, you couldn't ever feel it load up, it just felt like there was no more to give when you started to push on. So you didn't get to feel the grip, it was either there or it wasn't.
But as a drivers car, I can understand them if they are a 100% spirited drive, but as a mixed bag thing not so much. For me anyway.
I would say I was using it 70% commuting 30% fun driving.
If they ever made the Fiesta RS I would certainly be tempted.
Per the manual. Don't exceed 4k revs, 100mph or use full throttle for 1200 miles. The increase the loads gradually.
We did this over a week in the Yorkshire dales last month.
The fuel cap says 95 RON, but the manual says the JCW needs 98..
If not too late I suggest you add the adaptive damper control to the order. We didn't initially spec it and added it later, boy am I glad we did. seriously this is an absolute must in my opinion the car is completely different and you don't want the hard setting on crappy roads - the standard suspension on the JCW is the sports set up and this is very harsh on poor roads, but great on decent ones.
Particularly relevant given your description of the fiesta suspension.
We did this over a week in the Yorkshire dales last month.
The fuel cap says 95 RON, but the manual says the JCW needs 98..
If not too late I suggest you add the adaptive damper control to the order. We didn't initially spec it and added it later, boy am I glad we did. seriously this is an absolute must in my opinion the car is completely different and you don't want the hard setting on crappy roads - the standard suspension on the JCW is the sports set up and this is very harsh on poor roads, but great on decent ones.
Particularly relevant given your description of the fiesta suspension.
Boogs said:
Per the manual. Don't exceed 4k revs, 100mph or use full throttle for 1200 miles. The increase the loads gradually.
We did this over a week in the Yorkshire dales last month.
The fuel cap says 95 RON, but the manual says the JCW needs 98..
If not too late I suggest you add the adaptive damper control to the order. We didn't initially spec it and added it later, boy am I glad we did. seriously this is an absolute must in my opinion the car is completely different and you don't want the hard setting on crappy roads - the standard suspension on the JCW is the sports set up and this is very harsh on poor roads, but great on decent ones.
Particularly relevant given your description of the fiesta suspension.
Thanks for that boogs. It's too late to change unfortunately but I have only got this one for 18 months before I change it again. So maybe I'll put up with it and then add it to the next one. We did this over a week in the Yorkshire dales last month.
The fuel cap says 95 RON, but the manual says the JCW needs 98..
If not too late I suggest you add the adaptive damper control to the order. We didn't initially spec it and added it later, boy am I glad we did. seriously this is an absolute must in my opinion the car is completely different and you don't want the hard setting on crappy roads - the standard suspension on the JCW is the sports set up and this is very harsh on poor roads, but great on decent ones.
Particularly relevant given your description of the fiesta suspension.
As long as the suspension has some feel with it I'll be happy
Just had the car order confirmed and through the ordering system I have to use and they got the seats wrong 
Nearly ended up with cross punch leather rather than the sports seats the chili pack come with.
But currently my estimated delivery date is 15th of December. I'm praying that comes forward.
Nearly ended up with cross punch leather rather than the sports seats the chili pack come with.
But currently my estimated delivery date is 15th of December. I'm praying that comes forward.
Boogs said:
Can't imagine why anyone would get the lounge leather seats. Extra money for inferior seats you can get on any other mini. Must affect resale badly. They should remove them from the options list and add alternatives in the JCW seat.
December seems a long time. Ours was 6/7 weeks.
Yeah it did annoy me. There's no price difference in our pricing system, so we believe it just auto selected. December seems a long time. Ours was 6/7 weeks.
Oh well. Thanks for that Boogs, I hope
ours is that quick
Well it's finally here. Turned up nice and early. Collected it in Thursday and so far have just under 200 miles on it.
I'm so pleased I've got one. So so so much nicer than the fiesta.
So many good points and only a couple of bad so far (but they are so trivial).
One being at night the power symbol on the radio doesn't illuminate. Bearing in mind I have a ocd that means it has to be perfectly upright, I can't see that it is and have to get right up close to see (then control volume from the steering wheel).
The second being I wish there was a bit more colour to the dash (speedo and Rev counter). It's all just very orange with red needles.
I'd love it to be white with red needles. But just red on orange doesn't work for me. But I can more than live with it.
But my god is it fun. Going back to what I like over the fiesta. As I said before the fiesta felt crashy, like the suspension although being firm was really being over worked, you'd hit a bump and there would be an almighty clonk that made you think the suspension has bottomed out or something. This mini just glides, it feel like it corners dead flat, whereas you could definitely detect some roll from the Fiesta.
It just feels so much better put together. There's no squeaks, rattles or bangs from the interior. Everything is just so. Perfect!
The nav xl and the media pack included is just superb. Does far more than I could ever want and I can't wait to exploit it when I drive over to Europe.
The infotainment system with all the readout of power/torque/g-forces etc is all very clever. The biggest difficulty is knowing what to have that isn't going to distract you.
All in all, best decision I ever made. The one thing that scares me more than anything else is kerbing those wheels.
Oh and the last thing, the 18 inch wheels with the run-flat tyres really aren't that bad. Lots of feel and bite and nowhere near as noisy as I was expecting.
Cheers all,
One very happy Timmeh.
(Pics to follow)
I'm so pleased I've got one. So so so much nicer than the fiesta.
So many good points and only a couple of bad so far (but they are so trivial).
One being at night the power symbol on the radio doesn't illuminate. Bearing in mind I have a ocd that means it has to be perfectly upright, I can't see that it is and have to get right up close to see (then control volume from the steering wheel).
The second being I wish there was a bit more colour to the dash (speedo and Rev counter). It's all just very orange with red needles.
I'd love it to be white with red needles. But just red on orange doesn't work for me. But I can more than live with it.
But my god is it fun. Going back to what I like over the fiesta. As I said before the fiesta felt crashy, like the suspension although being firm was really being over worked, you'd hit a bump and there would be an almighty clonk that made you think the suspension has bottomed out or something. This mini just glides, it feel like it corners dead flat, whereas you could definitely detect some roll from the Fiesta.
It just feels so much better put together. There's no squeaks, rattles or bangs from the interior. Everything is just so. Perfect!
The nav xl and the media pack included is just superb. Does far more than I could ever want and I can't wait to exploit it when I drive over to Europe.
The infotainment system with all the readout of power/torque/g-forces etc is all very clever. The biggest difficulty is knowing what to have that isn't going to distract you.
All in all, best decision I ever made. The one thing that scares me more than anything else is kerbing those wheels.
Oh and the last thing, the 18 inch wheels with the run-flat tyres really aren't that bad. Lots of feel and bite and nowhere near as noisy as I was expecting.
Cheers all,
One very happy Timmeh.
(Pics to follow)
Edited by UnluckyTimmeh on Saturday 17th October 22:26
OCD: I do the same thing. Leave the power/volume fixed upright and adjust the volume via MFSW. Does show up if the valet has used the radio though.
Glad you like it, still on the R56 myself but it's a good car so not in a hurry to change it. I have heard that the standard (passive) suspension is better than the active one, and it sounds like you are happy enough with it. Did you get the seats sorted out?
I thought the colour around the central binnacle could be adjusted? From another site:
"Mood light colours is the roof switches, second from the right. It says you press to change colour, hold to start cycling through colours and press again to stop. The brightness is the little wheel next to the headlight switch (which controls other instrument brightness too).
LED ring (says the manual) is under Settings > Center Instrument, then you can set basic display or event display... the manual doesn't give details but tachometer is an example."
Glad you like it, still on the R56 myself but it's a good car so not in a hurry to change it. I have heard that the standard (passive) suspension is better than the active one, and it sounds like you are happy enough with it. Did you get the seats sorted out?
I thought the colour around the central binnacle could be adjusted? From another site:
"Mood light colours is the roof switches, second from the right. It says you press to change colour, hold to start cycling through colours and press again to stop. The brightness is the little wheel next to the headlight switch (which controls other instrument brightness too).
LED ring (says the manual) is under Settings > Center Instrument, then you can set basic display or event display... the manual doesn't give details but tachometer is an example."
sad61t said:
OCD: I do the same thing. Leave the power/volume fixed upright and adjust the volume via MFSW. Does show up if the valet has used the radio though.
Glad you like it, still on the R56 myself but it's a good car so not in a hurry to change it. I have heard that the standard (passive) suspension is better than the active one, and it sounds like you are happy enough with it. Did you get the seats sorted out?
I thought the colour around the central binnacle could be adjusted? From another site:
"Mood light colours is the roof switches, second from the right. It says you press to change colour, hold to start cycling through colours and press again to stop. The brightness is the little wheel next to the headlight switch (which controls other instrument brightness too).
LED ring (says the manual) is under Settings > Center Instrument, then you can set basic display or event display... the manual doesn't give details but tachometer is an example."
Yep, over the moon with it. The LED ring isn't the issue its the actual dash. So the speedo/rev counter behind the steering wheel. Something I can more than live with. Glad you like it, still on the R56 myself but it's a good car so not in a hurry to change it. I have heard that the standard (passive) suspension is better than the active one, and it sounds like you are happy enough with it. Did you get the seats sorted out?
I thought the colour around the central binnacle could be adjusted? From another site:
"Mood light colours is the roof switches, second from the right. It says you press to change colour, hold to start cycling through colours and press again to stop. The brightness is the little wheel next to the headlight switch (which controls other instrument brightness too).
LED ring (says the manual) is under Settings > Center Instrument, then you can set basic display or event display... the manual doesn't give details but tachometer is an example."
Yep the seat are as the should be. The alcantara sort of material. Although they are their sports/bucket seats they are more sit on rather than sit in. Whereas the Fiesta were the recaro much more sit in. This isn't a bad thing though as it always meant you had to shimmy over a large side bolster whereas in this you don't.
Cleaned it up to take photos the other day, then drove it home and it got covered in crap again.
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