REVIEW OF THE NEW 2025 F66 MINI COOPER S
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 ต.ค. 2024
- First time reviewing and driving the new 2025 F66 MINI Cooper S. My impressions? Watch and find out.
SUBSCRIBE TO THE MINIAC! ▶︎ bit.ly/2Ns8HQR
Become a member of the 37 Club and support LAP Motorsports and the MINI JCW Team.
minimotorsport...
Equipment Used On This Channel:
Primary Vlogging Camera:
GoPro Hero 11: amzn.to/3J0WzFy
Media Mod: amzn.to/3Ch5YFf
Onboard Race Vehicles:
GoPro Hero 11: amzn.to/3J0WzFy
GoPro Hero 10: amzn.to/3oQW0Ye
GoPro Hero 9: amzn.to/42sqltK
GoPro Max 360: amzn.to/43jLNT3
GoPro Rollbar Mount: amzn.to/3NdMebT
Looking for MINIAC MERCH?
Spreadshirt: miniacmerch.my...
Teespring: teespring.com/...
Show your love for The Miniac with a Super Thanks. Click the superthanks button at the bottom of the screen. Your support allows me to make even better content and continually improve the channel.
Follow The Miniac on Instagram! @the.miniac
Get 10% Off with discount code: MINIAC - www.SMPS2012.com
Get 5% Off with discount code: MINIAC5 - www.Outmotoring.com -
MINI Performance, Speed, and Style!
Get 5% Off with discount code: MINIAC - www.motoringst...
Business Inquiries & Questions: TheMiniac@yahoo.com
The views and opinions expressed in these videos are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of MINI, MINI USA, nor the dealership that provides the vehicles for my videos.
#MINICooper #MINI #JohnCooperWorks #Miniac
Just got the 2025 Mini S a week and a half ago. Mine is same as this one but Ocean Wave Green w/ white roof. My first Mini and I absolutely LUVVV it!! 🎉🥳
Right on
When you see the tail lights - I always hum the theme to the Amazing Spiderman cartoon.... Spiderman, Spiderman, does what ever a spider can....
Agree on Chili Red! That, or the Ocean Wave Green on the base Cooper model are my favourites. I saw the Ocean Wave Green in person at the Mini Dealership and it’s stunning.
I like the rear those rear lights big improvement over the F56 bulbous things.
Agreed. They shouldn’t have changed it from the r56 design
I am glad you are like it because I love it and ordered one (few months ago) Cooper C in JCW trim (BRG/W) and in a few days will arrive in my country. I think it has everything I wanted and more. I believe that will be a very good replacement for my 22 years daily drive R53. A brilliant successor in all fields. After 30+ year of manual driving I wanted a good auto and this DCT is way too good! Keep up with the videos and thank you!
Great review thanks. I’m interested in taking one for a test drive. How will it stack up against my Mustang?! A very different car, I’m especially interested in how it corners and also if the auto engine off feature can be disabled. Can you customise so that when you get in it’s always in go kart mode? That looks the most fun mode.
No thanks, the back is really ugly and i don't like the inside materials. No manual trans. I had a 2023 Cooper S that was bought back and it hardly had any miles on it.
Best looking MINI since 2001...
Great video and interesting to hear your feedback. How is the steering compared to the F56? I've heard that it's lighter but more responsive. And overall, would you say that the driving experience is an improvement over the F56 S?
I could feel some improvement in it. Given that race cars use a smaller steering wheel, the new smaller steering wheel provides far better ease of maneuverability I think. It made the car feel more responsive and yes, a bit lighter at the same time. But still a solid feel.
F56 any day. I don't like the interior. They have taken away the retro look of the classic mini
If anything they put the retro back into the interior. Look at a 1959 Austin 7 or Morris Mini Minor.
They made the exterior too boring and smooth. I had a f56 also but it got totalled in a minor accident.
The center(e) display and dash is more reminiscent (to me at least) of the classic MINI - that said I agree that the loss of _most_ of the circles is a bummer - although one might argue that all the circles kept it feeling dated too - if they'd kept them (most) then it would be like modern clothing trying to look like fashions from the 70's but not in a good way. With every video and seeing these in person I'm more and more happy with my F56 - perhaps the F66 JCW will change my mind - we'll see...
Looks uncluttered which I much prefer
I'll hold final "judgement" until the JCWs start showing up - I've seen these in person and I'm not too enamored - I'm still "glad" that I have my '24 (F56) JCW.... My wife really thinks they've taken away too many little "quirky" features but again I think she'll have to see a JCW in person...
I like it, but you can now build the base Cooper at MINI USA, and the only difference is it's missing the S that I can see. If I was buying a 2025 I would buy the base with its 2.0l 4-turbo with 161hp. It's plenty fast enough for me, and about $4,000 cheaper than a similarly equipped S.
You noticed what I did on my test drive - the AC is very noisy except at the lowest fan speed.
@@pliesj of course they’re all like that though.
Has Mini released any info on how to keep that fabric like material clean? We just got our 2025 2 Door Cooper S a few weeks ago. Beautiful Car. Ocean Wave with a Black Roof, Classic Trim.
One thing that surprised me is that even in the Classic Trim, you still get a lot of tech.
Damp cloth.
I have been wondering about the practicality of this material as well, not many people are talking about it. Personally i think it will be hard work with something like sun cream or embedded dirt an option may be a suitable interior cleaner then vacuuming of with a microfiber cloth attached to the pipe of the vacuum. Basically gently agitating an area and pulling away the dirt etc. Not as straight forwards as traditional materials, maybe this is the price for materials becoming more environmentally friendly.
It’s polyester, so v easy to clean
Had one of the first generation Cooper S from BMW, what a great car it was. But damn, "what have they done to my boy?!" sorry guys but IMO each iteration is just simply uglier and more plasticky. Mini Cooper R53 GP was peak design and they should've only improved from there.
thanks for the review, I think they went just a little too far. I like the dash and the seats and the new vents, the grille and the tail lights i can live with. I dont like the decision to combine the infotainment and gauges in the center section even with it being larger. I much prefer my 2024 where the center is all carplay and the left is all gauges. I know there is a HUD and that helps but it doesn't replace the need for a gauge cluster.
It just doesnt feel as "special" as older minis, they have always been unique and fun, this looks like they modeled it after a kia.
I don’t see the Kia aspects at all. I think in time it’ll grow on people. The F56 wasn’t very popular initially either
@@TheMINIacwe can agree to disagree on the looks, Im just happy that bmw once again artificially inflated the used car values on the outgoing models by making controversial changes to the new ones.
Only time will tell. As always.
I appreciate your thoughts on the vehicle and I welcome a differing view to mine.
It’s A great mini and great video well done
I’m curious about whether the digital gauges include information that an enthusiast finds helpful. Oil temp for one. Can the transmission go into a manual mode for things like autocross?
The JCW has paddle shifters. The Cooper and Cooper S, don’t but you can technically manual shift it. Motoringfile.com has a good article on how to do that.
I've decided I'm going to buy one in the next month or so as a birthday present to myself. The only real issue I've been having is trying to decide on what color to get. I also don't mind that they're only available as an automatic... I've been driving manual transmissions for about the past 25 years; it's time to give my left leg a rest. The automatic in your vid seemed pretty peppy.
@@mattkramer4132 it was.
I like the ocean wave green but they also have 3 different shades of blue now as well.
So lots of options.
Legend grey is a cool colour
During the Countryman unveiling a few months back I asked if the mirror caps could be replaced in the same way the F Chassis cars could - nobody really knew for sure - I've not seen any indication of if they could be...
Does the car have paddle shifters on the steering wheel?
Unfortunately no. But Motoringfile did an article and video on activating steering wheel shifters that utilize the volume control buttons. The JCW will get paddles.
Nice review!
The problem with the rear design is that it is no longer unique to MINI. You can always spot a mini from any angle. Problem is that now it looks like a typical Korean design. Don’t get me wrong. Kia and Hyundai are designing some really nice cars. I just want a mini 3 door to always look like a mini. (And to bring a manual and the clubman back)
I fail to see anything that doesn’t identify it as a MINI.
@@TheMINIac only referring to the tail lights. The R56 taillights would have been perfect
@@TheMINIac triangular shapes have not been used. Rear taillights should accentuate the body lines. Like on the clubman or previous mini’s. Since the r56 the taillights got more bulbous but retained similar shape. Now triangular. Maybe it will grow on me. Just hasn’t yet
It hasn’t grown on me completely yet. So I understand. The body lines look strange without the F56 taillights.
@@TheMINIac the rest of it looks fantastic. Love the paint matched wheel arches on the electric and it would be nice to see it on the gas version. It was a rare option offered in 2009 which wasn’t well received but looks awesome imo. Other than the rear taillight design, my only sadness came from not seeing side scuttles which I love and no rear exhaust. Center mounted exhaust is so cool looking. I think it was a mistake to get rid of exhaust. The electric version could have masked the exhaust as a safety sound speaker as many ev’s produce some external sound for safety. They should also incorporate the next ev with paddle shifters like the ionic5. Coolest ev no doubt
Las Vegas heat in the summer.I’ll wait and see
?
Great video detailed video. oh you turned the air down with the screen. I am not sure I like that.
It’s growing on me
....like a fungus.....
So it got the Kia/Hyundai treatment by inundating it “wiTh dUh tEcH” and doing very little to make it more fun than the last generation. It’s also embarrassing a sports car comes without a manual. I’ll stick to the F56 or older.
I thought my 2024 F60 countryman S
14K miles very reliable no trouble whatsoever but only issue rear brake pad eats away faster 12K miles too early
Dealer did changed brake pad I doing the break in new Pads first 300 miles no harsh driving
Only funny thing Nissan dealer told me I need service my 21 Rouge which was loss in collision I asked them if they can put that car out of service date
Which will end warranty or service
The inside looks so much more right for the new mini,rather than the countryman
IMO it's a huge downgrade compared to the F56. This S looks like a base Cooper, except the S badges front and rear. The interior materials doesn't feel premium, the only customizable thing is the color of the seats, they even got rid of the lights in the glove box and sun visors (coming from the F56). Also very few storage : no rear cup holders, no storage in the non-leveling armrest, no secret compartment... But 8 driving modes 😂 There could be 24, it would still not be enough to forget how low cost this new Mini feels compared to its predecessor.
Do you think these will be even more reliable than the F56's? I ask because I live so far from a dealer
I think the reliability will be on par or better than the F56 though the F56 was already an incredibly reliable car. I’ve noticed improved build quality as well in the F66.
Yeah I'll stick with my R56 S, way more style than this thing
Great review! I just got my first car, a 2017 F56 Cooper. Would love to get one of these one day 😍. Although this is probably the second to last (maybe even last!) ICE car Mini will ever sell (at least here in the UK), as new ICE cars can no longer be sold from 2035 😔
the old Porsche headlights ... look likes .. :)
no paddles?
At the moment that’s exclusively in the JCW but if you visit Motoringfile there is a way to manually shift it.
In US only. In Europe you can have paddles with the JCW/Sport trim in all coopers
I bought a new 2015 f56 for 25k. The msrp is now 40k? That's as much as the new gen country man.
The truth is, each generation of the Mini seems uglier to me. The most beautiful one, in my opinion, is the second generation of the BMW Mini. Or the first one. The F56 already appealed to me less than the previous ones. This new generation is even uglier. It has lost a lot of character and personality. Additionally, the lack of a manual transmission is too much for me; the interior, although inspired by classic Minis, seems cheaper, and I'm not a big fan of the fabric dashboard... If the thing about the flatter nose, reminiscent of the first two Mini generations, is true, that would be a good point in its favor for me. But I need to see it in person first; from the videos, it doesn't seem that way.
Bring back the retro tail lights, round AC vents, aeroplane like cockpit. Even the display here looks funny 😢. Make adjustments, yes, but maintain the looks / image the car is usually known for.
Those elements aren’t coming back. They’ve given it a minimalist aesthetic much like the original 1959 Mini. The car still has the shape and look of a MINI. It always will. That won’t ever change.
@@TheMINIac well for now it still has the shape until they change it, then it won’t look like a mini anymore. Have you seen the newer generation Clubmans?
@paulndubuisi4195 F54 Clubman is one of my favorite cars.
And also, the clubman was discontinued for a year. There was no 2015 model year.
The R55 was replaced by the F55 4-door and then they launched a new model with the Clubman name.
The exterior is cool. The interior is so dull and blah. The glass plate video display on the center of the front package tray is a great distraction from attentive driving. Bmw has inspired me not to purchase a new Mini. I'll continue my Mini experience in my 2013 R58 Coupe. I'd rather add an R59 Roadster, instead of going to one of these.
I am driving an R53 for 21 years and all the info are in the center. There was never a distraction.
@@thanasisbert564 I understand that. But the info is analog. No need need to scroll through touch screen menus to change driving dynamics or other parameters while driving. My r58 has the center pod. But all I have to do is glance over. I don't have to play with a touch screen.
I believe the center screen also uses voice commands similar to the iPhone. I didn’t do them because I think they usually activate those things with MINI Connected when you buy the vehicle and this one is a demo car.
@@scottwinand5946 yes but you don't have to search for anything while driving, all that you want is there. All the physical buttons (that I need and use) are there, even the clima is very easy and I never touch it if I put the temperature I want (now, you have also Spike to + or - the temperature by asking, also you can just ask to call, open/close windows or sunroof, change modes etc). Definitely It's what everyone used to use or need. Personally I have it all, easier and with high tech. I like the ''open'' interior. The f56 was a little claustrophobic and tight especially if you are tall. Now you have all you want and much better seats.
@@thanasisbert564totally agree with you, I have C sport it’s a much better car in every sense!
I'm not a fan of the interior at all. I like the array of switches on my F56. Its too bland for my liking. It looks cheap but as we know its climbed in price considerably.
There is a lot of equipment and tech they’ve added to the cars. That’s why the prices go up.
I do not like the direction of where BMW is going. Cheap materials, very hard plastics on the dash and inside the doors. KIA's & Huyndai'S have better interiors now. Very sadden by this next generation. Hopefully they will change at th LCI, if not, i'm not sure if the MINI brand will last. Same for the Countryman. The interior is very very cheap !
Oliver Heilmer doesn’t design for BMW.
@@TheMINIac agreed, but they are still under the BMW group, so someone is giving a green light for cheapness. After 18years of owning 5 minis , I wasn’t impressed by the f66. And don’t get me wrong. I love MINI, my parents had one when I was a baby. I’m going to keep my F54 JCW, sorry
@Eric_Milt I won’t hold it against ya. I also would keep an F54 JCW until the wheels fell off. Love that car.
@@TheMINIac don’t worry ! 😄 it’s polarizing debate in the MINI community 😄 we just want to see the brand succeed and get to great more newcomers! Hoping my F54 will last forever 😄 Love your content 😊
Polarizing does well and I think the debate will continue on the channel. The views have been really well on these cars which I think has to do with the polarizing debate.
Imagine what I could do video wise with all the BMW’s.
Front end is very dumbed down and really hate the basic looking interior. Unfortunate design.
@@drumflip1253 simplified to invoke the styling of the original 1959 Mini.
@@TheMINIac That’s not the look I would buy so gonna skip this gen unfortunately.
The audio is clipping so bad
Clipping in what way?
I’ve been experimenting with what I thought was a better way to attach my DJI microphone to my camera and what now appears to have not actually been doing anything at all.
@@TheMINIac clipping is distortion caused by the input gain being too high. You need to keep things well below 0db (on the meters) on whatever you are using to record it on, and in the video editing software. I think the mic position should be alright, you may need to just turn something down, you can always increase the volume later, but if it’s recorded already clipped, you can’t do anything about it. I don’t know what you’re using but yeah just google it or send me a message if you need any help.
@muzhit44 I was using my DJI mic but unfortunately thought I could content it to the USB-C on my GoPro and it seemed like it was working until I realized after my 5th video of filming like that, it wasn’t working.
Thank you for catching that. I need to test out some better ways of getting audio. I used to have a 10 foot lav microphone I ran to the camera and other times I’ve filmed on my phone using its audio which works surprisingly well.
Good catch on the audio. Doesn’t seem to have affected the views on the video much but better audio is always what I want.
what a joke......"I'm going to turn the A/C down a little".....while you search all over that stupid screen....LOL What an ergonomic disaster
That was my first time driving the F66.
Or you could use voice control, I do
At first I thought it was a lady speaking 🙊
If you want to be an asshole, go elsewhere.
The design is very Mini. Love it. But the countryman …men, what an ugly Kia. I saw the Countryman in person and had to run to the hospital. I almost had an heart attack due to the countryman ugliness.
Budget, cheap, poor looking, no style, and character, my first impression. And not safe for driver and others road users with eliminate basic instruments from dashboard and replace it with screen. If you compere this to the classic mini, so it should be cheap car not premium as it was. Let's be honest, they didn't bring back retro, they just cheapened the production of a car that, in my opinion, no longer deserves to be called premium.
Safer than you think. They added 6 new safety features to the cars.
No thanks. R53 is heaps better.
I have an R53 and this is better and faster in all fields. Even the cooper C is fast enough, I drove it and it's same fast as the R53
looks just like any other asian small car out there… very sad
If that’s the case then it always has since it doesn’t look that much different from the previous generation.
It looks cheap inside. Front side is like the previous one, tail is not a mini. Interior quality is like a suzuki swift from the past.
Aaay yupp Stu baby!
Hard pass
I ordered the cooper S sport but was disappointed I couldn’t get runflat tyres 🛞
They stopped the run flats from the latest F56 LCI2 and I think it was the best move. EVERYONE (counting myself) has change them with better and cheaper tires. I ordered one too, I wish you many happy miles!
@@thanasisbert564 But runflats are on the countryman works all 4 tho 🫢
@@thanasisbert564 my first job when I get the car will be to have run flat tyres fitted .