So, I went to MCM yesterday and drive a Mini Cooper. I intend to buy an automatic so that is what I test drove. After reflection, I have a few questions about 07 Mini Cooper's that I hope some of you will be kind enough to answer.

1. Where is the MP3/AUX jack? The brochure shows it, but the photo is out of context.

2. Do the run-flat tires ride rougher than the all season tires? I assume that the cars with the run-flat option do not have a spare. Where is the spare with the all season tires? Is it a full sized spare? If you order larger/nicer wheels and tires does the spare match?

3. Is the automatic transmission in the 07 different from the earlier CVT?

4. I noticed a lot of engine braking, what technology is beneath this automatic trans?

5. Has the reliability of the automatic trans in the 07 improved?

6. How is the radio reception?

7. How well does the cruise control hold speed on hills?

8. There are a bunch of electronic devices on the car. Have there been any battery/alternator issues.

9. What does the trip computer do?

Sorry for the long list, but thanks for your patience.

 

It's in the lower right portion of the center stack, under the passenger's window toggle switch.

Yes, all run flat tires run rougher than those that are not run flats. You're correct, run flat equipped cars do not have a spare. If you run all season tires (or any non-run flat tire for that matter), you will need to carry a spare, or carry a flat tire repair kit. I can't answer the question about the size of the spare, since I don't have one.

Yes.

Not sure what you mean. My '07 MCSa's transmission works flawlessly. I've frequently used the paddles to knock it down a gear when I'm preparing to pass, or when I'm up in the hills running thru the twisties. I really like the 6-speed Steptronic transmission a lot. I have bad knees, so a manual tranny is out of the question for my daily use.

I'm not familiar with problems with previous edition auto trans, and since the new transmission is new, there may not be enough data to determine if it's "improved".

I have the Hi-Fi audio system, and it works good enough for my aging ears. I don't crank it up to Warp Speed that often, so if you like to bang the neighbor's windows, I can't help ya.

It works great.. no varience in speed that I can tell.

New car.. no data. I can't imagine BMW putting a car like the Mini on the road with electronic glitches.

Basically, it tells you how far you've gone, what your fuel mileage is, and how far you can go until you run out of gas.

Nada problem.. it's a great car. This YouTube clip might also answer a bunch of your questions -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70RFE0_I9tg

 

No problems so far with MCSa. ++ 2 for the reply by Hogtied, wow.

 

Well, in most automatic transmissions you don't feel engine braking the way you would in a stick, with a clutch. So, my question is, is this automatic a six speed with an electronically controlled clutch, instead of a traditional automatic with a torque convertor?
I'm mostly asking how well it picks up weak FM stations.

Thanks, Dan

 

I had an 04 CVT Cooper. The 6 speed auto is infinitely better. The engine braking (downshifting) can be controlled if you drive it in full manual as I do.
I did not care for the computer doing the downshifting for me. Can upset the chassis and is just not as smooth.

I never had any problems with the CVT (37K miles) but it was a bit jerky at times especially in reverse and when cold. It was not a great trans except for keeping the car in its torque range w/o shifting. I bought it for my wife and she still drives our MINI so the R56 S has the 6 speed auto. Its really nice and surprisingly quick. I do not use the steering wheel buttons, however. Too many years of rowing gears and my other car is a 6 speed stick so I am more comfy reaching down for the lever.

The radio reception( incl FM) is fine even though I changed out to a shorty antenna.
Sound quality w/ stock unit is decent ( close to the old HK IMHO) as long as you don't care about booming base. CD sound is well detailed. MP3 aux connection under heater control area. Not easy to see but not bad to reach.

IMHO run flats SUCK. I launched them on the 04 Cooper for UHP all seasons
( Pirelli P Zero Nero M/s) due the rock hard ride and drove 800 miles on the Dunlops on the R56 S before replacing them with Bridgestone RE960 AS 215/45-17s) MUCH better ride, quieter and more "communicative". I will buy fix a flat or take my chances before I ever ride on those rounded bricks.

NO issues at 1300 miles. A rattle or 2 but I am not concerned. I fixed the worst one myself.
ALL THE NEWER CARS HAVE LOTS OF ELECTRONICS. I am sure the manufacturers take this into account when designing the elec. systems capacities.

 

its a traditional auto w/ torque convertor. Its just programmed to downshift.

Shift it manually--control the downshifting at the point YOU want it to downshift.

 

Run-flat and non-runflat are a different category than summer vs. all season. There are all season run-flat tires.

I believe the MC (standard MINI Cooper) comes with a spare. The MINI Cooper S (turbo) does not have room for a spare because of the location of the exhaust pipes. So, the MCS comes with run-flat tires and no spare.

The Dunlap run-flat tires that came with my MCS do have a rather harsh ride. I bought a set of lightweight (16 lbs.) 17" wheels and had Michelin Pilot Exhalto PE2 (non-runflat) tires mounted. 17" Crown Spoke wheels came with my MCS. They weigh 22.5 lbs. each. The combination of lightweight wheels and non-run-flat tires gives a much nicer ride. It is hard to know how much is from the tires and how much from the wheels.

I carry a Continental Tire ContiComfortKit air pump that has tire repair goop in it, and tire puncture plug kit when using the non-runflats. That should handle the same kind of tire failures a run-flat would handle.

Better than my 1990 Acura Integra. I can get stations with the MINI that were too noisy to listen to on the Integra. I have the HIFI upgrade. If you just like talk radio, stick with the standard radio. If you want to listen to music, get the HIFI upgrade.

Haven't heard of any, so far.

 

2. Do the run-flat tires ride rougher than the all season tires? I assume that the cars with the run-flat option do not have a spare. Where is the spare with the all season tires? Is it a full sized spare? If you order larger/nicer wheels and tires does the spare match?

I have the run flats and do have a spare. The MCS does not have a spare.

5. Has the reliability of the automatic trans in the 07 improved?
I have a standard but the 07 has the 6 speed automatic the previous MC had the CVT.

6. How is the radio reception?
Radio reception is fine.

7. How well does the cruise control hold speed on hills?
There does not seem to be any problems with cruise on hills. I had had other cars where the cruise did not hold well going down hill, no problem with the Cooper. Although some have reported on here that sometimes the cruise stops working at 73 mph.

8. There are a bunch of electronic devices on the car. Have there been any battery/alternator issues.
No problems.

9. What does the trip computer do?
Instant MPG, average MPG, Average speed, current speed, and miles to empty.

Sorry for the long list, but thanks for your patience.
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I expected the worst, based upon online comments I had read about runflats and their harsh ride and loud noise. However, I've found they're not an issue at all.

This year's runflat class seems to be much better than those in the past.

My R56 MC came with 16-inch all-season Continental runflats. When I did a web search on them, I found several posts from new BMW owners whose cars came with another brand of tires and were so bad they asked their dealers to replace them with something better. The same Continentals were put on those cars and the owners said they were a night-and-day difference for the better.

I later bought a set of tires and wheels from another new car buyer. His came with 16-inch Dunlop performance runflats. They're different but still not unpleasant to drive on.

 

There may be a significant difference between the runflats for 16" wheels and those for non-runflats. The shorter sidewall on the 205/45 17" runflats probably have to be quite a bit stiffer to protect the rims with the shorter sidewall.

I recently switched back from the Michelin non-runflats to the OEM Dunlaps and was surprised at how significant the difference was. These are both 205/45 17".

I think if I were doing it again I might go for 16" wheels.

 

Yes, I could see where there might be a significant difference between the ride on a 17-runflat vs. a non-runflat. Just as there is a difference between nonrunflats on a 16-inch wheel vs. a 17.

I still recall when Paul Mullett from Mini2 reported that a Mini engineer told him during a press tour in summer 2006 that the R56 was optimized to run on 16-inch tires.

It was one of the reasons I got the package that bumped my Cooper up to 16s vs the 15s that come standard.

 

Optimized for ride comfort, or handling? Or some compromise between them, probably.

I got the Sport Package with my MCS. It included 17" wheels. I should have just ordered DSC and dumped the Xenon lights and 17" wheels.

 

After I switched to the non-rfs, the ride quality was noticeable.
However, when I drove my friend's R56 S last week
(tire/wheels identical to mine), the difference became even more apparent.

Besides the ride, I don't like the feel of the ultra stiff sidewalls.
Though they handle well, I just find it harder to feel where they might want to break loose. Maybe its just the tire brand my car came equipped with but
I could not wait to get rid of them (they also are supposedly lethal in snow) and this is my daily driver and I live in an area where snow is an issue.

 

The RF Dunlaps on our R53 have faired well in the snow we had last year. Granted it was a day or two of snow but still the Mini did well, the DSC kicked in a few times and we had no problems motoring around town.

 

Do the run-flat tires ride rougher than the all season tires? I assume that the cars with the run-flat option do not have a spare.

Run flats run rougher as everyone has posted here. But it all depends on what you like and the type of roads you travel on. I have decided to down grade to a 16" set up with all season tires because of the bad roads around here. I do not have a spare, but I carry the MINI mobility kit.


5. Has the reliability of the automatic trans in the 07 improved?
I have the 6 speed Auto and have been very happy with it.

6. How is the radio reception?
Radio reception is good but I listen to my Ipod most of the time anyway.

7. How well does the cruise control hold speed on hills?
No problems w/ cruise here, holding speed very well. But then again, everything is flat here in Houston...

8. There are a bunch of electronic devices on the car. Have there been any battery/alternator issues.
I have not had any issues.

9. What does the trip computer do?
Instant MPG (seems to be off a bit), average MPG, Average speed, current speed, miles to empty, can't remember what else...

 

You don't know BMW, LOL!

 

Yes I do.. I can't believe I wrote that..

 

the MC always has a spare tire no matter if the car has a run flat or a non run flat tire. IT is simply as space save spare so it does not match the wheels and tires that are on the car.
Only the MCS does not have a spare tire.