ill say it...its crrraaaaaap... its seriously looks like a cartoonist rendering of a R56...and its not 1st gen owners only...it raises my hackles when MINI has essentially sold their souls on the altar of tech hipster spank banks... mini has made such a fervor over all the tech it has and has basically told those who own current or previous gen's either buy this one or ****** off...as shown in a response to an email in which i was asking when Android support for connected was coming...BMW Connected has it... this tardcar has it...the systems are the damn same and yet MINI stated that they have no interest in even something simple as porting an app over... also with the marketing they are doing on this car its basically...if you like a 3rd pedal you are a dinosaur and the auto is better... if you hate tech getting in the way of driving get over it old man... also its great for getting coffee or jousting but nothing to do with the cars heritage...when you have to trundle out the previous ones to show the world "see see its similar, right?"...and the fact people are clamoring for aftermarket aero kits...mini has lost it from the jump
You'll see the new goodies from the F56 being incorporated in the other models as they are updated - first one is the Countryman this summer.
yea...not all of them...also there is a certain understated way they set up tech in the Rxx platform...its there but its not the center of the universe in the car... after trying the F56 its nothing but about the tech in the car...there are buttons or toggles EVERYWHERE...its not a simple joystick and two buttons for the connected...now its the full on iDrive with the 10+ buttons around the enormous knob...also all of the light/wipers/stereo/cruise and OBC controls where on the steering wheel or on the control stalks...now...they are everywhere again...with the light controls being under the the dash on the kick panel! there are toggles...buttons...more toggles and switches...oh...those who like their R56 esque dual tilting sunroof...its gone...back to only the front section tilting
the interior is a mess...just like the exterior...there is no central design principle...they took a BMW then a mini...took the worst ideas of both and threw it together...while the seats are nicer...some of seat fabric choices are wtf...one felt like it had the texture of a 1970s couch
the countryman isnt due for an update until 2015-2016...i have a 2014 Paceman and there wasnt an update to anything...the email i got from MINI stated that the things they did on the 2014 Cooper S prevent any sort of compatability with previous R platform generations... so no there will no updates to the countryman until the UKL platform the Countryman/Paceman/X1/X2(upcoming) is refreshed in a few years
oh trust me i let the sales guy have it when he tried to "school" me on the history of mini and why this is more of a mini than the original...wooo boy did he get a shock
people used to choke when they got repair bills for their Tritec and Prince powered minis...just wait till they get the out of warranty bills for what is basically a 328i.... Bring Money in Wallet= B.M.W.
One more time, for anyone not blinded by rage: The updated Countryman, with a light exterior facelift and a more substantial interior facelift, will be unveiled at the New York Auto Show later this month. It will be available Julyish.
I don't need a new car right now, but looking forward to a joy ride, I mean test drive:devil: soon... Mark