F57 options

[sad61t]

Options I'm considering:
* Auto air-con
* LED lights
* Variable dampers

Any thoughts on how much of an improvement these are over the standard options.

Current spec idea is:
* Cooper
* Auto
* Deep blue
* 16" Loop alloys (I wish the Victory was available in silver)
* sports seats with Diamond cloth (though I am tempted by the Leather Chester/Malt brown)
* heated windscreen
* heated seats
* MFSW (cruise)
* bike rack prep
* wind deflector
* interior trim, Firework

[sad61t]

Obligatory Configurator pics:

[sad61t]

I'll have to look at the chrome in the plastic, as it didn't look much on the configurator. I've got exterior chrome on my current R56, but that included the fog light surrounds; the F57 looks to be only the lower radiator grill.

The heated windscreen includes (requires) the auto dip mirror and wipers, so I forgot to add them to the list above.

[sad61t]

Dr Interceptor said:

On the soft top, you can open the roof off the key, but only to the first stage - I.e. Front sunroof section of the roof, and the windows down.

To be able to open the roof fully on the key, you need to spec comfort access.

Also, the parking sensors on the rear... If you reverse up to a wall or obstacle until it flat lines, the flat line tone continues even after you have taken it out of reverse until you turn the engine off. This bugs me, as I regularly arrive at a destination and reverse into a space, but stay in the car for five mins or so while I check emails etc, in the winter you keep the engine running for those few minutes for heating. So you have to park, turn the engine off to stop the sensor tone, then turn the engine back on.

If you spec front parking sensors, you get a toggle switch in the far left hand position on the lower dash, which enables you to turn off the sensors and tone, without having to turn the ignition on/off.

Just little things I wish I'd known when I specc'd my F57 JCW.

That's a weird feature with the reversing sensors, the R56 hatch doesn't do that. I'll have to remember to check it on a test drive.

The comfort access is a bit of a worry for me as my house is so small I can blip it from almost anywhere with the normal key, so 'comfort access' may well turn into 'always open'. How far away does it lock?

[sad61t]

Mcbeth said:

Yeah, my eyes just tend to focus on them for some reason, unlike ford ones...perhaps the lines are thinker on the MINI or the combination of reasons why I wouldn't have it but it's only one opinion.

I've had the heated front screen on the last two Minis and not had a problem with it. I find it far better than the air clearing and, for me, is one of Mini's USPs over other shopping trolleys.

Not into large alloys. I've run the R56 on 15 and 16, the latter have slightly better road holding without introducing harshness. The 17" (R56 test drive) started to tramline, so 16" is my preferred size. It also means I've decided to skip the variable dampers (that require the driving modes option) and use the money elsewhere.

[sad61t]

Zetec-S said:

Electric fold mirrors?

I've turned in the mirrors about a dozen times in the last eight years of ownership, so not a priority.

Edited by sad61t on Monday 20th March 14:59

[sad61t]

Mcbeth said:

(I sell 'em.)

What do I need to spec. on the Nav system to get the speed limit shown?

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Fox- said:

The more I look into the spec of these things the more frustrating it becomes.

Speed limit display used to be £250 on an F10 5 Series. I'd pay that for it on a Mini but nope, as above you can only have it if you pay £440 for the Driver Assistance pack. Which mandates £350 of Adaptive Cruise. Great.

Rear parking sensors not standard? Seriously?

No rear view camera without rear sensors? Really? I only need either or, not both.

Dimming rear view mirror. Seriously?

And my biggest bugbear...

Why on earth doesn't the XL Navigation have proper RTTI? It's exactly the same system they've been putting into the 3 and 5 Series for almost FIVE YEARS - yet no RTTI? Just crappy TMC?

Agree the interdependency of options is annoying as it's not clear, until requested, that some £100 option has another £600 of required features.

Showing the speed limit is useful, I'm surprised it has not been mandated by the EU as a safety feature. Maybe other countries have slightly less random speed limits as the UK where an apparently identical road has three different limits in a few hundred yards.

There's an LCI refresh coming sometime between July and September that includes a major revamp of the Navigation system. I believe it's already appearing in the top-spec Nav systems on the new Countryman. It includes Apple CarPlay, touch and split screen, but I've not seen whether the traffic information has been updated too. Other features include a move to/option of DCT automatics and maybe a toning down of the front nostril air-dam on the S.

[sad61t]

Mcbeth said:

Where are you getting your info from Sir?
There are no signs of any refresh coming this year from MINI although to be fair, it's certainly due in '18.
The new Nav has been rolled out on Countryman, JCW Clubman models as you say and it does include the TTI and is touch screen but does not have apple CarPlay, and it's always been split screen since 2011.

Move to DCT half way through a life cycle? Extremely unlikely IMO.

My main source is MotoringFile, a US site that seems to have good contacts within BMW. The main article was posted a couple of months ago: http://www.motoringfile.com/2017/01/12/exclusive-m...
They've trickled out some extra information since:
http://www.motoringfile.com/2017/02/16/minis-2018-...
http://www.motoringfile.com/2017/01/24/minis-new-t...

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Dr Interceptor said:

...
New technology, entirely new iDrive system, which will feature Carplay

The roll out will be on 3-door hatch, 5-door hatch and convertible. Clubman and Countryman will get the tech in 2018, their LCI will be for the 2019 model year.

Thanks for clarifying the Nav status, I'd misunderstood the new 'new' Nav wasn't the same as that on the Clubman/Countryman.