Discussion
Anyone driven one yet?
Popped into my local stealer at the weekend and sat in a new Cooper Sport - decked out in black/black
Some things I loved, other things I didn't.
The steering wheel feels really nice, not overly sold on the fabric door cards (feels cheap) and the lack of dials will take some getting used to.
SIze and seating position felt the same as the F56, but then I suppose it would do. Seats were comfortable and the headlights / tail lights were very cool.
Loss of exhausts on show is nothing short of a travesty (dealer agreed) ...why they would lose the Cooper S's trademark twin cans is beyond me.
Also sat in the new electric variant and It felt more Clubman than mini hatch.
The lower angle of the windscreen not only makes it feel like every other regular hatchback inside, it also amplifes the 'letterboxing' you can often experience when driving a mini. Feels very modern inside though.
Overall it's decent, but I wouldn't rush to sell my F56 anytime soon, especially considering the price hikes. The usual discounts should make it more paletable once it's been out a while.
Curious to know how it performs.
Popped into my local stealer at the weekend and sat in a new Cooper Sport - decked out in black/black
Some things I loved, other things I didn't.
The steering wheel feels really nice, not overly sold on the fabric door cards (feels cheap) and the lack of dials will take some getting used to.
SIze and seating position felt the same as the F56, but then I suppose it would do. Seats were comfortable and the headlights / tail lights were very cool.
Loss of exhausts on show is nothing short of a travesty (dealer agreed) ...why they would lose the Cooper S's trademark twin cans is beyond me.
Also sat in the new electric variant and It felt more Clubman than mini hatch.
The lower angle of the windscreen not only makes it feel like every other regular hatchback inside, it also amplifes the 'letterboxing' you can often experience when driving a mini. Feels very modern inside though.
Overall it's decent, but I wouldn't rush to sell my F56 anytime soon, especially considering the price hikes. The usual discounts should make it more paletable once it's been out a while.
Curious to know how it performs.
Only a tenuous link, but I saw a new Countryman JCW at the weekend, green with black roof, etc. Appreciate it's a very marmite car but I actually really liked it, and in the flesh you could still tell it was a MINI and the stepped evolution from the F60. The pictures I've seen online don't really flatter it.
We might pop into our local dealer at some point in the next few weeks. Mrs ZS was invited to test drive the electric Countryman, and although we're not looking to change at the moment we could be tempted to see what it's like. At the same time I might see if I can have a spin in the new hatch. As with the Countryman my initial reaction when they unveiled the F66 was "wtf" but it is growing a little on me
We might pop into our local dealer at some point in the next few weeks. Mrs ZS was invited to test drive the electric Countryman, and although we're not looking to change at the moment we could be tempted to see what it's like. At the same time I might see if I can have a spin in the new hatch. As with the Countryman my initial reaction when they unveiled the F66 was "wtf" but it is growing a little on me
Wife picked up her Cooper S on Friday. Not had the chance to drive it yet but from the passenger seat it's much improved.
The seats in particular are a huge improvement. I could never get comfortable with the old F56 seats - the under thigh but was too hard and just felt uncomfortable.
New seats are electric which makes adjustments a lot easier.
Sat Nav is much improved and includes augmented reality when approaching junctions. The view switches from the map to a half screen view of the map and the other half showing the view from the drivers seat with directional arrows superimposed.
Can't comment on the HUD as not driven it yet.
It does have an annoying beep if you exceed the speed limits but luckily that can be turned off.
Cruise control on this car also includes radar and can bring the car to a stop and then restart without any driver interaction.
Rear parking camera shows the view out the rear plus guidelines for steering input and also includes a tip down view showing I stacked around the car.
Images are nice and clear.
Sport mode is now called Go Kart experience and seems to tighten up suspension and responses but as I've said I have yet to drive it to be sure.
General ride quality is a step up on the old Cooper S with it feeling generally more supple.
The gearbox ( 7 speed auto only - no manual box available) is smooth and fuss free and reacts quickly to paddle inputs as far as I can tell.
The rear diffuser looks great (she has a JCW pack (just like last one) and in Legend Grey with black bonnet stripes looks pretty stunning.
I'm not a fan of everything being in the big touch screen dinner plate in the middle. It's easy to get lost in the menus and distracting. I'm sure she (I) will get used to it but at the moment it's a nuisance. Doubly so if the road surface is uneven.
Surprisingly in view of the plethora if cameras it doesn't include a dash cam. She got the old one taken out do that will eventually be installed into it.
Performance seems brisker than the old one. More power (just over 200hp up from 177), torque comes in earlier and the 7 speed box delivers it through well selected ratios. Fuel consumption over 130 miles of mixed driving on Saturday was a whisker over 44mpg.
Over all it's quite an improvement over the old car though some may think it's a bit too grown up.
The seats in particular are a huge improvement. I could never get comfortable with the old F56 seats - the under thigh but was too hard and just felt uncomfortable.
New seats are electric which makes adjustments a lot easier.
Sat Nav is much improved and includes augmented reality when approaching junctions. The view switches from the map to a half screen view of the map and the other half showing the view from the drivers seat with directional arrows superimposed.
Can't comment on the HUD as not driven it yet.
It does have an annoying beep if you exceed the speed limits but luckily that can be turned off.
Cruise control on this car also includes radar and can bring the car to a stop and then restart without any driver interaction.
Rear parking camera shows the view out the rear plus guidelines for steering input and also includes a tip down view showing I stacked around the car.
Images are nice and clear.
Sport mode is now called Go Kart experience and seems to tighten up suspension and responses but as I've said I have yet to drive it to be sure.
General ride quality is a step up on the old Cooper S with it feeling generally more supple.
The gearbox ( 7 speed auto only - no manual box available) is smooth and fuss free and reacts quickly to paddle inputs as far as I can tell.
The rear diffuser looks great (she has a JCW pack (just like last one) and in Legend Grey with black bonnet stripes looks pretty stunning.
I'm not a fan of everything being in the big touch screen dinner plate in the middle. It's easy to get lost in the menus and distracting. I'm sure she (I) will get used to it but at the moment it's a nuisance. Doubly so if the road surface is uneven.
Surprisingly in view of the plethora if cameras it doesn't include a dash cam. She got the old one taken out do that will eventually be installed into it.
Performance seems brisker than the old one. More power (just over 200hp up from 177), torque comes in earlier and the 7 speed box delivers it through well selected ratios. Fuel consumption over 130 miles of mixed driving on Saturday was a whisker over 44mpg.
Over all it's quite an improvement over the old car though some may think it's a bit too grown up.
Edited by lostkiwi on Monday 13th May 23:32
Edited by lostkiwi on Monday 13th May 23:34
Edited by lostkiwi on Monday 13th May 23:35
Petrol Ped has got his hands on one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqGkDdS-348
A few other reviews popping up from UK youtubers, all from the same test day.
They seem to look better than the electric one, especially with the JCW styling pack. Glad they've kept the black arches in some form for the petrol model. Loss of the twin tailpipes is a crime though.
Now an autumn launch for the F66 JCW I think?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqGkDdS-348
A few other reviews popping up from UK youtubers, all from the same test day.
They seem to look better than the electric one, especially with the JCW styling pack. Glad they've kept the black arches in some form for the petrol model. Loss of the twin tailpipes is a crime though.
Now an autumn launch for the F66 JCW I think?
Not having had a MINI myself before I can't really compare it to the previous generation. Various family members and friends have all had every iteration of the 3 door since BMW relaunched car and I've driven them all over the last 20+ years at various times. I found myself needing a car at short notice and went along to BMW but wasn't really taken by anything there and as MINI were next door I knew the new model had recently been launched and thought I'd have a look out of curiosity more than anything else. I didn't have any real intention of considering one but I've always enjoyed owning and driving small cars. I had a good look around an Exclusive model and really liked the new interior. The build quality felt good and the OLED display was clear, pretty easy to navigate around and runs similar menu logic to the set up in my other half's BMW.
I took a Sport out for a road test and it felt fun to drive with more immediate chassis response and enough power to be fun at non silly speeds. I then had a play on the configurator and decided I liked the Legend Grey/red roof combo. I had an alternate Exclusive trim spec in BRG I would have been happy with as well. As MINI have greatly reduced the colour options and bundled the equipment in three levels of packages it meant there was a chance of finding a car in the spec I wanted in launch stock. I rang around and spoke with half a dozen dealers. One thing I would say is that in contrast to many other brands I've used, all of the sales staff I spoke to at each were extremely friendly, knowledgeable and very keen to supply a car. They must have had a great weekend for sales over the bank holiday as I missed out on 5 cars that had all sold. MINI Sunderland came up trumps and were great to deal with over the phone and email and they delivered the car to me by transporter 5 days later.
I've not got a lot of seat time in it as yet but my early impressions are all very positive. The ride quality for a small car tuned to give a sporting feel is really good. It deals with most surface imperfections with ease and the steering is not thrown off by uneven surfaces. It isn't the most feelsome steering but it feels well judged to me in terms of the balance achieved between feedback and driving comfort. I'm treating it more gently during a run in but it feels quick and is very lively off the line. The cornering ability is huge fun as it just sticks to your chosen line with good body control. The seats are very comfortable and the interior ergonomics are good with things falling easily to hand and a fairly logical layout. There is a feeling of solidity to the interior and I like the feeling of space the unclutered dash brings. The head up display that comes as part of the level 2 pack is very good and provides all you need in you line of vision. The panoramic roof that comes with the Level 2 was a must have for me as it really transforms the whole feel of the interior and makes the car subjectively appear a lot more spacious.
From a daily use viewpoint the CarPlay integration works well. The annoying mandatory nanny Lane Departure Warning is relatively easy to turn off but does require a few presses through the OLED menus. The Harmon Kardon speakers in the Level 2 pack are good. I think they have found a good balance between fun and comfort with this model.
I took a Sport out for a road test and it felt fun to drive with more immediate chassis response and enough power to be fun at non silly speeds. I then had a play on the configurator and decided I liked the Legend Grey/red roof combo. I had an alternate Exclusive trim spec in BRG I would have been happy with as well. As MINI have greatly reduced the colour options and bundled the equipment in three levels of packages it meant there was a chance of finding a car in the spec I wanted in launch stock. I rang around and spoke with half a dozen dealers. One thing I would say is that in contrast to many other brands I've used, all of the sales staff I spoke to at each were extremely friendly, knowledgeable and very keen to supply a car. They must have had a great weekend for sales over the bank holiday as I missed out on 5 cars that had all sold. MINI Sunderland came up trumps and were great to deal with over the phone and email and they delivered the car to me by transporter 5 days later.
I've not got a lot of seat time in it as yet but my early impressions are all very positive. The ride quality for a small car tuned to give a sporting feel is really good. It deals with most surface imperfections with ease and the steering is not thrown off by uneven surfaces. It isn't the most feelsome steering but it feels well judged to me in terms of the balance achieved between feedback and driving comfort. I'm treating it more gently during a run in but it feels quick and is very lively off the line. The cornering ability is huge fun as it just sticks to your chosen line with good body control. The seats are very comfortable and the interior ergonomics are good with things falling easily to hand and a fairly logical layout. There is a feeling of solidity to the interior and I like the feeling of space the unclutered dash brings. The head up display that comes as part of the level 2 pack is very good and provides all you need in you line of vision. The panoramic roof that comes with the Level 2 was a must have for me as it really transforms the whole feel of the interior and makes the car subjectively appear a lot more spacious.
From a daily use viewpoint the CarPlay integration works well. The annoying mandatory nanny Lane Departure Warning is relatively easy to turn off but does require a few presses through the OLED menus. The Harmon Kardon speakers in the Level 2 pack are good. I think they have found a good balance between fun and comfort with this model.
I just got an F66 Cooper S with JCW trim, and I'm thrilled with it. The car is fast and perfect for both city driving and long-distance trips. The OLED screen seemed complex initially, but I quickly got the hang of it (for a middle-aged petrohead). The Level 3 tech pack is a must for its convenient features. The HUD is large, and the Mini App is incredibly handy. The rear space is a bit tight but manageable. Can't wait to get the F66 JCW this autumn. This car is worth checking out!
Anyone have any more detail on the adaptive suspension ? Seems like its only fitted to the sports - either on the 1.5 or 2.0 (C or S) models.
My missus has driven both today. On the non-sport versions, the ride was awful and that was on 17"'s not 18" that all of the Sports seem to come with. I can only guess its the Adaptive dampers.
Are they configurable or just automatic ?
My missus has driven both today. On the non-sport versions, the ride was awful and that was on 17"'s not 18" that all of the Sports seem to come with. I can only guess its the Adaptive dampers.
Are they configurable or just automatic ?
I had a couple of F56’s on 18”s with adaptive suspension and the ride was rock hard. My dealer said at the time that 18s were for show and 17s were for go. I should have taken his advice but I loved the way the 18s looked, so went with them.
Not sure how it’s improved in the F66, but I suppose it all depends on what you’re coming from.
Not sure how it’s improved in the F66, but I suppose it all depends on what you’re coming from.
Sim75 said:
I had a couple of F56’s on 18”s with adaptive suspension and the ride was rock hard. My dealer said at the time that 18s were for show and 17s were for go. I should have taken his advice but I loved the way the 18s looked, so went with them.
Not sure how it’s improved in the F66, but I suppose it all depends on what you’re coming from.
Not sure how it’s improved in the F66, but I suppose it all depends on what you’re coming from.
Zetec-S said:
I'd agree with Sim75... as much as we preferred the look of the 18's we deliberately chose the 17" for our F56 JCW and the ride was fine. IIRC it didn't have adaptive suspension.
I've got 18s on my F56 with passive dampers and the primary ride quality is decent but the secondary ride is quite rough / harsh. If I keep the car (haven't decided yet and comments about stuff like GTI Clubsports being much better don't help) then I'll be swapping to some 17s for sure I reckon.Gassing Station | New MINIs | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff