2nd Gen R55 Clubman To Connect or not to Connect, that is the question

Discussion in '2nd Generation: 2007+ R55 through R61' started by HurricaneDave, Apr 25, 2012.

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  1. HurricaneDave

    HurricaneDave New Member

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    #1 HurricaneDave, Apr 25, 2012
    Hi All,

    For those of you that have Mini "Connect" with or without Nav, i am curious if it is worth the money or not. I am having a hard time finding out what it can and/or can't do. If I decide to get it, it will not have the nav function. I do not have an Apple Iphone either as it mentions there are Apple apps for it yet none on Android at this time.

    Thanks for the help MA!

    The Hurricane
     
  2. rum4

    rum4 Club Coordinator
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    #2 rum4, Apr 26, 2012
    Here's abump cause I know nothin about the connect....
     
  3. Nathan

    Nathan Founder

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    #3 Nathan, Apr 27, 2012
    I could be wrong here but I have this sneaking suspicion that without and iDevice you can't take full advantage of the MINI Connect system.

    Hopefully those with more experience with the option will chime in.
     
  4. staynedglass

    staynedglass New Member

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    #4 staynedglass, Apr 28, 2012
    nathan is very correct. you need an iphone to take full advantage. That being said. I love mine and would not want my car with out it. Yes i turn my radio off when driving the twisties but on the highway i need my tunes. It's worth it just for the rest of the package. The h/k system is pretty darn good for no subs.
     
  5. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

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    #5 Crashton, Apr 28, 2012
    I choose to remain disconnected. My car came with a radio at no cost, $1000 seems like a lot of money for what you get. Not a fan of driver distractions either. Although to be honest I am somewhat of a luddite who shuns new tech. :wink:
     
  6. rkw

    rkw Well-Known Member

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    #6 rkw, Apr 28, 2012
    I'd be in a dilemma if I were buying. I don't like the large speedometer and I want a display integrated with car functions. There is so much potential with just having a display screen. However, MINI Connected has such a badly designed interface. This person has been blogging about his experience with MINI Connected: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
     
  7. SMOG

    SMOG ZOOOOOMMMM
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    #7 SMOG, Apr 28, 2012
    If I were to order a new MINI again I would spend/choke down the 2K and get MiniConnect w/NAV. Gauge readings and a NAV unit without a tangle of wiring.
     
  8. Tata Steva

    Tata Steva MINI of the Month - September 2010

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    #8 Tata Steva, Aug 5, 2012
    I don't need connect or nav in my MINI... I rather have that "wall clock" in the middle than a lame LCD screen... I love that clock, for the looks of course! All I need to pay attention is a little rpm gauge, Jcw gauge next to it and my scan gauge on the top...
     
  9. HurricaneDave

    HurricaneDave New Member

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    #9 HurricaneDave, Aug 5, 2012
    I agree with most of you. I ended up not going for it. Just not enough pros for me to make the extra money worth it. Not to mention that the "wall clock", which actually looks like one I do have on my wall, is a pretty cool accent piece that might not be coming back in the 2013 models.

    Thanks for all the opinions guys!

    Hurricane Dave
     
  10. SMOG

    SMOG ZOOOOOMMMM
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    #10 SMOG, Aug 5, 2012
    The reason I got the i-Phone was to use PLX Gauge capability, but it still has no oil pressure monitoring from the ODPII.
     
  11. Firewire

    Firewire New Member

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    #11 Firewire, Oct 19, 2012
    I love having the Nav in my 2008, but it does a lot such as show my TPM status, Large Radio, All service messages, Bluetooth info, and back up sensors.

    The Connect does have it's draw backs such as iPhone vs Android, but after having this older generation (pre-Connect) I sorely miss not having it when I am given a base loaner to drive at the dealer.
     
  12. thirdraildesignlab

    thirdraildesignlab New Member

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    #12 thirdraildesignlab, Mar 6, 2013
    You know what's [almost] sold me on my upcoming third MINI's MC?
    iphone jailbreak hack to port video out. That's where it goes from being a modestly useful ipod interface (actually, not really any more useful than the previous/standard ipod integration through the head unit; just looks nicer with album art on display) with 99% other features I have no interest in, to something intriguing.

    iphone video out means not only optimized ipod functions interface, but NAV porting...

    sounds good to me!
     

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