Great video, as always. I definitely agree with everything you've said, especially the small engine compartment. Maintenance on Minis are an absolute nightmare. It gets even worse when more intensive repairs are necessary
Replacing the run flat tires with standard tires makes a big difference in comfort and noise. The stiffer sidewalls in run flats are needed to maintain the tire's shape when it's deflated, but as you can imagine the tradeoff is a rougher ride.
Kiara, I agree with you 100% Your number one is definitely mine as well. The absolute ironic thing about the sketchy grade of plastic is this: I deleted my noisemaker. Much more room in the engine bay. Win, win, but once I got that atrcious monster out I wanted to destroy it, or just break it apart to see what it's made of. The body was almost indestructible! The worst part made the best! Insane!
I've never understood the "Uncomfortable" Mini comments. I have a R56 Cooper S and done a trip from London to Glasgow and never found it a problem...and I am running P Zero Run-Flats an a Cobra exhaust. As for MPG - I average 45 mpg and had a range of 475 miles. Our roads in London are shite too
Best Mic holder of all the Auto Vloggers. I miss having an oil dipstick on my F56 (WHY?!) , at least the oil filter access is better on the F series. Owning a Mini has definitely improved my plastic welding & repair skills As much as the Mini & it's engineering & design drives me crazy... I love working on it, & have never loved working on & driving a car so much. (It's always a work in progress)
@@KiaraShifts Yes the F series no longer has an oil dipstick you have to check it via the digital guage cluster. which i do once a week just to be sure.
Interesting videos ;-) I just got a used F57 Mini Cabrio (2020) and I find it quite comfortable. All the Mini hardcore fans seem to hate it because of the added comfort , though 😂
As for the wipers you should try hybrid wipers, they are better than framed ones. As for 4 seats and comfort on long journeys, R55 Clubman is noticeably better.
Thanks for sharing your opinions.. yes I agree 1000000%.. lots of plastic parts without an oil temp check😭 and oil filter location as well😭 but I love my r56s (n14…😔)
Looks like you've invested a lot of time and money into yours so I doubt you would even want to, but moving up to a F series Mini addresses all of these items pretty much completely. It was a huge step up in quality, comfort, and seems like they used a lot more "common sense" when designing it. I won't lie though. All of that does come with a downside. It doesn't feel as "Mini" as yours does. I'm ok with that though as it's still incredibly fun and nimble compared to most anything else on the road (at least hear in North America).
Thank you for this comment! I had no idea how the F-Series compares so I am glad to hear they've improved the quality. But as you say, the second generation has that "Mini" feeling that we adore so much!
It's lacking not only oil temperature gauge, it doesnt's even have oil temperature sensor. I would add another drawback - tailgate is ALWAYS dirty due to R56 aerodynamics. Wash it and after 100m it's covered in dust again.
Interesting - An opinion that isn’t the same as all others out there already 👌 Buuuut, I can’t say I’ve felt that at high speed floating you speak of. Agreed with the rest though. Aftermarket seats 💺 I recommend. And the Fuel ⛽️ Kms , a proper tune and letting it breathe helps a little. 600-650 (if I behave) per tank.
Thank you! I love my seats because they are the special bayswater edition, but if I were to change them I'd probably put in racing seats, making it even more uncomfortable 😄 After all we don't buy these cars for their fuel economy 👀
Great video! For plastic parts (or any parts really) that will require frequent replacements, such as the valve cover per se, FCP Euro is a great source for OEM parts as they provide lifetime warranty on any parts they sell. If any of the parts you bought from them breaks, they will happily replace it with a brand new one! I am also dealing with a couple of minor issues with my MCS but overall they are very enjoyable cars to drive!
Awesome vid! When it comes to the windshield wiper i think yours might be a tad bit too long on the passenger side :D Mine came in with way shorter arm. It does not reach as far as yours does, but it follows the curvature a bit better. But still - they are way worse than any other car I've had before ^^
Makes me appreciate my previous fiat 500 turbo... except its oil filter was in the same dumb location except there wasn't a coolant tank in the way at all.
I am not sure about this review overall. I can agree with two things - bed plastic quality and lack of oil temp gauge. About fuel economy and comfort this video is just useless, because you not even name cars you comparison it with. Fuel consumption is just fine and even less than similar engines/years/weights cars. But yes, it could be huge if you put it into the list of cars with 1.0l engines. Or new hybrid cars. And it is just a joke for a friend of mine who has Nissan X-Trail 2007. Again, wheels - you can just change wheels size and tires and you will gain economy. But you loose performance) About comfort - which Audi did you mean? It would be nice to compare with same class/money value cars, because yes, Mini Cooper is definitely less comfortable on the road than Toyota Prado) But another my friend prized my Mini because seat has side support and overall is comfortable.
Fuel consumption in your Mini is actually not bad. In my KIA proceed gt my average is almost always between 9.2-9.5L/100km on my road to work. 8.9L/100km was lowest when I was driving on a spare tire.
@@KiaraShifts Sometimes I like driving fast but usually I drive this car 20 kilometers per day to work and don't have opportunity to push this car to his limits. Even when I drove from dealer to home 180 kilometers my average was over 9L/100km. Maybe something is wrong with this car 😀
And solution to the crappy battery flap- duct tape! :) I got mine with a broken flap, but fixed back with tape. Get yourself a strong waterproof tape and you should be good! :) But yeah - engineer who thought of that design is probably the same dude who positioned the oil filter under the expansion tank..
Das vom Werk aus keine Öl Temperaturanzeige verbaut wurde kann ich auch nicht verstehen. Mein Cooper S R56 hat nicht mal eine Kühlwassertemperaturanzeige. Da mir das wichtig ist habe ich auch eine Öl Temperaturanzeige nachgerüstet. Wie findest du die Intervall Geschwindigkeit von der ersten Scheibenwischerstufe? Mir ist die bei leichtem Regen viel zu schnell. Meistens beginnen sie dann an zu quietschen. Ist das bei deinem auch so? Mein Mini Verbrauch im Durchschnitt 6 Liter auf 100 km. Auf meinem Arbeitsweg fahre ich aber auch viel Autobahn.
Ich habe zum Glück einen Regensensor - der ist eigentlich genau richtig für die Wischgeschwindigkeit. Die gewöhnlichen Wischintervallgeschwindigkeitsstufen sind mir zu langsam oder zu schnell. Naja, den Mini kauft man ja auch nicht um sparsam zu fahren 😏 mehr stört mich der kleine Tank von nur 40l...
Have you tried spring arm wiper blades? I had the same issue on an impreza, when I ran valeo flat blades. Switching to spring arms fixed it. The only downside is they're kinda ugly.
@@KiaraShifts rechtes Vorderrad muss ab, und dann muss man erstmal den gesamten Arm in den Motorraum quetschen und sich an den Filter rantasten😅 nach 10 Krämpfen und 1 Stunde später ist er raus
100% on the plastics. Currently have to replace the chrome bit on the bonnet and headlight rings. Wouldn’t be half as bad if could replace with metal but have to buy the same crap plastic which will fail again.
![Best Tires for Mini Cooper [Top 5 Picks]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/86wR_GnoVyw/mqdefault.jpg)
Great video, as always. I definitely agree with everything you've said, especially the small engine compartment. Maintenance on Minis are an absolute nightmare. It gets even worse when more intensive repairs are necessary
Replacing the run flat tires with standard tires makes a big difference in comfort and noise. The stiffer sidewalls in run flats are needed to maintain the tire's shape when it's deflated, but as you can imagine the tradeoff is a rougher ride.
The game of choosing comfort or performance is a funny one :)
Where I live there no rain at all, so I can run Cup 2, and it’s a total blast
Kiara, I agree with you 100% Your number one is definitely mine as well. The absolute ironic thing about the sketchy grade of plastic is this: I deleted my noisemaker. Much more room in the engine bay. Win, win, but once I got that atrcious monster out I wanted to destroy it, or just break it apart to see what it's made of. The body was almost indestructible! The worst part made the best! Insane!
I've never understood the "Uncomfortable" Mini comments. I have a R56 Cooper S and done a trip from London to Glasgow and never found it a problem...and I am running P Zero Run-Flats an a Cobra exhaust. As for MPG - I average 45 mpg and had a range of 475 miles. Our roads in London are shite too
Happy for you! Comfort is very subjective. To me, it really is the high speed on the German motorway that makes it uncomfortable.
@@KiaraShifts than just buy a Benz or something mini is not a comfy car, they not build like a s class. In my opinion it is great for long drives.
And I am sure every R56 owner does the same commute as you.
Best Mic holder of all the Auto Vloggers.
I miss having an oil dipstick on my F56 (WHY?!) , at least the oil filter access is better on the F series.
Owning a Mini has definitely improved my plastic welding & repair skills
As much as the Mini & it's engineering & design drives me crazy... I love working on it, & have never loved working on & driving a car so much.
(It's always a work in progress)
Wow, I didn't even know the F-series misses the oil dipstick! That's ridiculous... and still we love these little hatchbacks!
@@KiaraShifts Yes the F series no longer has an oil dipstick you have to check it via the digital guage cluster. which i do once a week just to be sure.
Interesting videos ;-) I just got a used F57 Mini Cabrio (2020) and I find it quite comfortable. All the Mini hardcore fans seem to hate it because of the added comfort , though 😂
Congrats on your Mini! Don't worry too much about the opinion of others, enjoy the drive 😊
As for the wipers you should try hybrid wipers, they are better than framed ones.
As for 4 seats and comfort on long journeys, R55 Clubman is noticeably better.
I'll look into that, thanks for the suggestion!
Thanks for sharing your opinions.. yes I agree 1000000%.. lots of plastic parts without an oil temp check😭 and oil filter location as well😭 but I love my r56s (n14…😔)
2:34 Whenever I see a truck coming up in my rearview mirror, I grip the steering wheel really tightly.
Looks like you've invested a lot of time and money into yours so I doubt you would even want to, but moving up to a F series Mini addresses all of these items pretty much completely. It was a huge step up in quality, comfort, and seems like they used a lot more "common sense" when designing it. I won't lie though. All of that does come with a downside. It doesn't feel as "Mini" as yours does. I'm ok with that though as it's still incredibly fun and nimble compared to most anything else on the road (at least hear in North America).
Thank you for this comment! I had no idea how the F-Series compares so I am glad to hear they've improved the quality. But as you say, the second generation has that "Mini" feeling that we adore so much!
It's lacking not only oil temperature gauge, it doesnt's even have oil temperature sensor.
I would add another drawback - tailgate is ALWAYS dirty due to R56 aerodynamics. Wash it and after 100m it's covered in dust again.
The dirty rear is a very good point! Especially if you have a black R56 :(
Interesting - An opinion that isn’t the same as all others out there already 👌
Buuuut, I can’t say I’ve felt that at high speed floating you speak of. Agreed with the rest though. Aftermarket seats 💺 I recommend.
And the Fuel ⛽️ Kms , a proper tune and letting it breathe helps a little. 600-650 (if I behave) per tank.
Thank you! I love my seats because they are the special bayswater edition, but if I were to change them I'd probably put in racing seats, making it even more uncomfortable 😄
After all we don't buy these cars for their fuel economy 👀
Great video! For plastic parts (or any parts really) that will require frequent replacements, such as the valve cover per se, FCP Euro is a great source for OEM parts as they provide lifetime warranty on any parts they sell. If any of the parts you bought from them breaks, they will happily replace it with a brand new one!
I am also dealing with a couple of minor issues with my MCS but overall they are very enjoyable cars to drive!
Thanks for the suggestion!
Awesome vid! When it comes to the windshield wiper i think yours might be a tad bit too long on the passenger side :D Mine came in with way shorter arm. It does not reach as far as yours does, but it follows the curvature a bit better. But still - they are way worse than any other car I've had before ^^
Interesting, I had no idea this was an option. Will definitely check that out!
Run flats are even harsh on shorter trips Jose is very right ,Mini seats could be more comfortable also.
2:57 There is zero legroom behind the drivers seat in mine, as I am 6' 7" (204cm) tall
Makes me appreciate my previous fiat 500 turbo... except its oil filter was in the same dumb location except there wasn't a coolant tank in the way at all.
The wipers on my R56 annoy me, too. But not for the same reason. Because whenever I flick the stalk down to turn them off, they stay on.
That sounds faulty to me!
buy original type of windscreen vipers and it should be fine, those aero blades raerly work on a cars that have original classic style viper blades
HI
Bimmer Link with an obd scanner, then you get all the level´s and temperatures.
For wipers try Denso... i think they are the most suitable for minis.
Just to let you know, there is a trick to know the temperature in the menu… you can find a guide here on YT
Thank you for the comment! It only shows the water temperature as far as I'm concerned... but also this only shows when stationary, not while driving.
I have curved wipers installed on my Mini, and the windscreen wipers more or less do the entire windscreen
I am not sure about this review overall. I can agree with two things - bed plastic quality and lack of oil temp gauge. About fuel economy and comfort this video is just useless, because you not even name cars you comparison it with. Fuel consumption is just fine and even less than similar engines/years/weights cars. But yes, it could be huge if you put it into the list of cars with 1.0l engines. Or new hybrid cars. And it is just a joke for a friend of mine who has Nissan X-Trail 2007. Again, wheels - you can just change wheels size and tires and you will gain economy. But you loose performance)
About comfort - which Audi did you mean? It would be nice to compare with same class/money value cars, because yes, Mini Cooper is definitely less comfortable on the road than Toyota Prado) But another my friend prized my Mini because seat has side support and overall is comfortable.
Fuel consumption in your Mini is actually not bad. In my KIA proceed gt my average is almost always between 9.2-9.5L/100km on my road to work. 8.9L/100km was lowest when I was driving on a spare tire.
Damn. I just asked my brother and he gets 7.6-7.8. More than the Mini but far from yours. Are you a very sporty driver? 😄
@@KiaraShifts Sometimes I like driving fast but usually I drive this car 20 kilometers per day to work and don't have opportunity to push this car to his limits. Even when I drove from dealer to home 180 kilometers my average was over 9L/100km.
Maybe something is wrong with this car 😀
Funky stuff 😀
And solution to the crappy battery flap- duct tape! :) I got mine with a broken flap, but fixed back with tape. Get yourself a strong waterproof tape and you should be good! :) But yeah - engineer who thought of that design is probably the same dude who positioned the oil filter under the expansion tank..
Gosh it infuriates me! Wish there was a better looking solution than duct tape.. but thank you! :)
Das vom Werk aus keine Öl Temperaturanzeige verbaut wurde kann ich auch nicht verstehen. Mein Cooper S R56 hat nicht mal eine Kühlwassertemperaturanzeige. Da mir das wichtig ist habe ich auch eine Öl Temperaturanzeige nachgerüstet.
Wie findest du die Intervall Geschwindigkeit von der ersten Scheibenwischerstufe? Mir ist die bei leichtem Regen viel zu schnell. Meistens beginnen sie dann an zu quietschen. Ist das bei deinem auch so?
Mein Mini Verbrauch im Durchschnitt 6 Liter auf 100 km. Auf meinem Arbeitsweg fahre ich aber auch viel Autobahn.
Ich habe zum Glück einen Regensensor - der ist eigentlich genau richtig für die Wischgeschwindigkeit. Die gewöhnlichen Wischintervallgeschwindigkeitsstufen sind mir zu langsam oder zu schnell.
Naja, den Mini kauft man ja auch nicht um sparsam zu fahren 😏 mehr stört mich der kleine Tank von nur 40l...
@@KiaraShifts So ein Sensor ist natürlich super.
Ja, der Fahrspass steht im Vordergrund.😁
what a raketa!
Have you tried spring arm wiper blades? I had the same issue on an impreza, when I ran valeo flat blades. Switching to spring arms fixed it. The only downside is they're kinda ugly.
I've not, but some other viewers suggested I could get a shorter wiper for the passenger side. I might try that :)
where is the link you mentioned?
it appears as an annotation at the top of the screen, but I've also linked it in the description :)
Hätte nie gedacht, dass es einen schlimmern Platz für einen Ölfilter gibt, als bei der Giulia😅
Wo ist er denn bei der Giulia? 😅
@@KiaraShifts rechtes Vorderrad muss ab, und dann muss man erstmal den gesamten Arm in den Motorraum quetschen und sich an den Filter rantasten😅 nach 10 Krämpfen und 1 Stunde später ist er raus
Auch brilliante Position 😂
Loved your mini .
100% on the plastics. Currently have to replace the chrome bit on the bonnet and headlight rings.
Wouldn’t be half as bad if could replace with metal but have to buy the same crap plastic which will fail again.
cute ! but sorry hunny cars are MEN'S domain!
I bet she drives better than you
Her videos are better than most of the men's out there.
As a matter of fact.. the biggest automotive channel by far is Supercar Blondie :)