2015 MINI Cooper Hardtop Detailed Review and Road Test
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 ต.ค. 2014
- Is the new MINI Cooper right for you? Check out the most detailed review on TH-cam to find out.
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Although the third generation Mini Cooper hatchback looks like a mild refresh of the previous two generations, it is in fact an all-new vehicle. The third generation brings a body that is 4 inches longer, almost 2 inches wider and a hair taller than the 2012 MINI Cooper. The result is a more stable platform with a smoother ride. Of course the ever-growing dimensions mean you won't be able to squeeze your MINI in as many spots, but you'll be more comfortable on the journey.
Rather than continuing the use of a unique platform, the 2015 MINI shares much of its structure with the BMW 2-Series Active Tourer (218i and 225i) which adds an unexpected amount of refinement to the tiny hatch.
Under the hood we no longer find the PSA Citroën four-cylinder engines, BMW has refocused their small car strategy and pulled everything in house with a new line of modular engines. The base 1.5L 3-Cylinder engine is one of only four three-cylinder mills sold in America in 2014. Shared with the European 225i and the hybrid-electric BMW i8, the 3-pot is actually faster than the outgoing 1.6L four-cylinder base engine. S models get a related 2.0L 4-cylinder engine from the same modular family. Anyone hope BMW makes a 2.5L 5-cylinder, or is that just me?
With this generation MINI has further cemented their position as the only premium subcompact in America. The interior has been totally redesigned with higher quality materials (and the exact same design theme as before), new seats and the latest version of BMW's iDrive navigation and infotainment system dubbed MINI Connected.
Without any other premium sub-compacts on our shores, comparisons are tricky. The MINI doesn't really compete with the Kia Rio, Kia Soul, Mazda2, Ford Fiesta or any other vehicles in the same size class. Instead the MINI continues to be a cheeky and stylish alternative to the CLA250, Audi A3, Volvo S60, and even BMW's own 320i.
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This Mini is incredibly fun to drive, it out handles any other FWD car easily, with the sport suspension. I drove the GTi, it feels heavy and the Mini feels way better on the twisty roads.
This is BY FAR the most helpful MINI video I have seen!!! Thank you, Alex! I feel so much better informed!
Alex, you are without a doubt the best auto reviewer on TH-cam, and I always look forward to your reviews, even if the car is not necessarily something I would consider buying myself. A perfect mix of objective and subjective, and incredible attention to detail. Keep up the great work!
The Mini is so much nicer and more fun than a GTi or a Fiesta. I drove all 3. The Mini has the sharpest handling and is premium inside.
I have a friend who sold a 2013 Volkswagen GTI in favor of a 2006 MINI Cooper S. He let me drive them back to back - the GTI had more torque but felt mushy by comparison, very much disconnected feeling. The new MINI is even more refined - same connected feeling but not as harsh.
Thanks. You helped answer my question. I owned a second generation mini and I sold it unfortunately when I got a corvette z06. I miss the mini fun feel and will probably get one again soon. I was thinking of comparing the golf but I’ll take your word for it and just get another Mini. It’s pretty hard to replicate how fun they are!!
thats the very best MINI review I have ever seen. Thank you so much and keep it up-
Wow, best review I have ever watched by a mile. Very informative, thank you.
Thank you for another fabulous review Alex! Always so thorough and informative. I look forward to your next. You're the best.
great review. I tested the 4 door base MINI today and it has a very zippy 1.5 liter engine. Handling of the car was great. If I was buying the the 4 door MINI, the only things I would spec would be the sport package and the auto transmission. Very smooth driving car and fuel efficient car.
Going to check out this exact model tomorrow. Thank you for the detailed video.
very detailed and clear review. I am driving a 4 door version right now. The stop-and-go feature is improved, restart at lights is much smoother than even 328i of couple year earlier.
Alex - once again, a highly-detailed, insightful review. And a great Cliff's Notes for us as we just took delivery of a 2015 Justa and are still soaking up all the cool features. What a blast.
Very informative and well done review; the most informative I've seen for the Mini.
Barton, the New Jersey plates are because that's where BMW registered the vehicle. Manufacturers will register cars wherever it is convenient for them and then send them around the country for review. BMW, Volvo, Jaguar and Land Rover have offices in New Jersey, BMW also frequently has Tennessee or Georgia plates on their cars. Toyota, Honda, Lexus, Acura, Scion, Mercedes, Nissan, Infiniti and Mitsubishi usually have California plates, Chrysler, GM, Ford and VW Group companies usually have Michigan plates.
Alex on Autos Also, this is where they have training facilities.
Very comprehensive, informative review.
Thank you Alex for such an in-depth review. I will be test driving and hopefully purchasing very soon.
Very detailed and informative review. Thanks a lot!
what a fantastic, detailed review- thanks!
Hi Alex,
We purchased the 4-door version today based on your review. Thank you for the great detail your provided. R/ Rich
How’s the MINI?
Wow, what a great informative video….Thanks Sir !
Very comprehensive review. Well articulated and addresses all issues.
By far the best review of this car.
Outstanding review, gave me all the details I needed to know to decide if I should buy a MINI or not. Would also be interesting to have the video about cilinders and engines mentioned around minute 4 in the video. thanks!
Thanks for a great review!
These cuts you have where you teleport made me giggle. Thank you for awesome editing
Really great detailed info. Awesome post ! Thank you.
Thanks for this review very informative. Its nice to see how the interior work with luggage and comfort.
Outstanding review. We love our MINI convertible and find that we quickly got used to the 3 cylinder engine. Lots of power and easy o drive our manual model.
I have to agree with Colicus Jones one of the best reviews I have seen I am picking my Mini cooper up to day thank you for all that information my friend.
Excellent review
Very detailed review!
Great review!
this reviewer is exellent!
I’m getting this car later this month I can’t wait!
Man U r the best reviewer.i subscribed after watching this video
Brilliant review!
That's some thorough review
GREAT DETAILED VIDEO
Great review! Thanks a lot!
Can you please do the upcoming 2020 MINI's? I'm really interested in buying one of the 2 door, base model versions. Thanks.
Looking at buying a mini but I have heard about the oil gasket leaks? Are there those problem in the 2015 or are there not because it is a new generation mini? Great review by the way!!
Will you be doing a 4 door Mini review? Like your reviews always very comprehensive.
You can get the trunk floor to be level with the folded down rear seat. Just pull the trunk floor up and latch it level.
this a v good review, but what about mini in snow days??? How many inches is the ground clearance?
Every time I think Mini has fixed their reliability issues, I see another video with the engines being destroyed but basically normal use. The latest was a 3-cylinder has an issue where in the injectors leak fuel onto the Pistons after the engine is turned off, this removes the oil from the cylinder head area and allows the piston rings to scratch up the bores and destroy the engines.
Nice review :D
When I was in the market in 2009, the nickel-and-diming by MINI was insane. We loved the MINI but eventually bought a Lexus IS. Talk about strange cross-shopping, but IS was about the same price with the factory navigation. If I understand Alex right, nothing is changed in the way MINI is priced for this new generation.
Nice review. When will you be doing the 2015 Subaru Legacy/Outback?
The great thing about the Mini is the incredibly iconic design and the amazing variety of liveries so you can choose from. The bad thing about the Mini is reliability
Perfectly delivered...ty! Cc
Are you a able to get paddle shifters on the 3 cylinder model?
Hi Alex, when is the hardtop 4 S coming out and will you be reviewing that?
Alex, would you still have given the front seats 10/10 if they were the cloth sport seats instead of the leather lounge seats you featured in the review?
Debating if I should trade my Honda Civic for this. Civic has had no problems. Is it reliable for a 70 mile daily commute?
goodreveiw
Can you please do the 4-door someday? :)
very nice and detailed review, not many car reviews tell you this much about the engines and overall important and technical information about the car.
good job, just a shame Mini allow an Auto transmission, its a British car it should be manual only, if you can't drive a manual you should not be on the road.
sunroofs are a gimmick, to much extra weight and going to cause problems in the future with leaks and electric glitches.
apart from the small things that Mini seem to allow everything else is really good, one of the best small cars around.
please Mini bring the Turbo Diesel models to Canada / USA.
Another fine review. Yes, I would look forward to another Alex On Answers segment on engine cylinders. Which 3 cylinder engine do you prefer, the Ford ecoboost or this one? Since you've mentioned it, will you be reviewing the Mercedes GLA? Thanks again.
I think the Ford 3-cylinder is better isolated, it seems a hair smoother and it produces more power per litre. I think that by reducing the reciprocating mass (1.0L vs the MINI 1.5L) that helps reduce some of the vibrations as well. The impressive thing about Ford's 1.0L engine is that it produces very high HP and TQ numbers per litre. 148lb-ft/L is actually higher than the Mercedes 5.5l AMG engine, the Chrysler 3.0L turbo diesel or the VW/Audi 3.0L turbo diesel.
I love this car and minis in general and it would be my first purchasing choice. But I usually drive three or four people at a time and those back seats do worry me in regards to space... Any thoughts?
***** yeah going with friends is a good idea, and it also helps to have their direct opinion on the car in general! Thanks!
This Mini Cooper or a Nissan Maxima for a first car? Please help :)
Alex packs in a LOT of information and it's always accurate. However, he does speak quickly and several times I had to rewind to catch it all again. Still, its a well done review...very well done.
How about the sound system tho? What do you think? Upgrade to hk? Great review btw 👍
It might be just me, but I would always get the top end audio system, but that goes for most cars.
I would like a video on engines and the number of cylinders.... What the real difference is.... 5 cylinders are smoother than 4?
capwkidd There's a basic video on my channel actually. th-cam.com/video/eusyBOvrqrc/w-d-xo.html
Nice Review ! I'm not sure about the Mini ,never have been a mini fan boy, but it has grown on me overtime .
Alex if you compare the 2015 Mini Cooper S to the New 2016 Mazda MX-5 which would be the better vehicle ? I've always been a Fan of the MX-5 . I know its apple to oranges comparison but for the better vehicle and fun factor ?
Thanks again keep up the Great Reviews
Joe
Well as you said they are apples and oranges. The MX-5 is a RWD vehicle with excellent balance and poise, the Mini is a FWD hatchback that is fun, but lacks the balance and dynamics of the MX. I would say fun factor the MX-5 is hard to beat. However, the Mazda is low on practicality.
Alex on Autos I have the 2014 base turbo 3 cyl with the sport suspension and I have owned 2 Miatas....honestly the sport suspension on the Mini is amazing. It leans less than my Mx-5's did!
Looking to buy a Mini, but I have one huge gripe. 90% of all the dealerships stock has that generic orange display in the middle, you have to go for a completely loaded model to get the navigation screen.
You can build your own.
Alex, which subcompact car would you choose one with a roomy back seat and adequate cargo Like the Versa Note or one with less rear legroom and more Maximum Cargo like that Mini or the Sonic, Fit, Accent etc.but i think the fit beats the versa note with 39 inches or legroom i believe.
Personally I think I would go for the greater leg room given those options. At the moment however I'm a little taken by the 3-cylinder Fiesta to be honest. The fuel economy is excellent, the handling is superb in this category and I think I can forgive the slightly compact rear seats for that.
I own a Nissan Versa Note and it's awesome. Would totally recommend. Storage and back seat room trumps all the others in the class.
Try the kia forte 5
Mini Clubman has more room.
There is also the general concept that 500cc is the optimum cylinder displacement.
I'm not sure if I'd characterize the seats as 12-way. I think most reviews don't count articulating headrests as an adjustment, as there are only so few cars that don't offer it. Civic Si, convertables, and cars with very racy seats would be the only cars I can think of.
Do you think there is merit to a comparison video for the Honda Fit and the 3 cylinder Fiesta, or do I need to corral my neurons?
Well, I have only done one comparison video in the past. It is really difficult for a one-man-show to do a comparison review any justice.
please create a video about "engines and the number of cylinders in them" i am quite curious now.
Thanks
You might find this helpful: th-cam.com/video/eusyBOvrqrc/w-d-xo.html
Alex on Autos Cool info.
Neutral coasting does not save fuel at all. It actually uses more fuel than the alternative, which is complete fuel cut under deceleration.
Thanks for finally making a Mini review, Alex.
It depends greatly on the situation. I was of the same opinion, but Volvo and BMW both say that under certain circumstances neutral coasting will save more fuel than the aggressive fuel cut offs because you'll coast farther. The calculation is elusive and indeed the fuel savings are not extraordinary, at most it would be something like 7-15 miles of additional driving per tank. Obviously going down hill neutral coast does nothing but consume more gasoline, which is why they all reconnect the engine in that situation. It is mainly highway driving where you lift off for a period and coast for a while and then reconnect, etc.
Alex on Autos It's not that obvious. With a 1 litre engine it practically doesn't matter, as it idles on fumes and doesn't need much to turn. With a (e.g.) 2 litre engine, it's so hard to turn, if you don't disengage the gear you'd be slowing even when going downhill. I only drive manuals so I experience the effects first hand. I've had a 2 litre per 100 kilometers consumption reduction when coasting all the time when not accelerating with a 2.0i engine. When going steep downhills, I turned it off and let it in gear to power the hydraulics and electrics. This brought my average consumption from 17 down to 11. This is all subjective (depends on the vehicle) and I don't recommend such stunts to inexpirienced drivers. However, without giving it gas, that engine was stopping the car even in 5th gear, that last trick worked only when going face down the mountain. So coasting downhills isn't such a bad idea, if it needs you to step on the gas to go down, how is this less effective than leaving it idle? The reason they engage the transmission downhills with these automatics (especially when breaking) is most probably safety - if the engine dies, you go with it, steering, brakes and all.
Raven Crow
The thing is that your engine is not designed with this in mind. We're talking about an engine family specifically designed to make the most out of these situations. Modern engines with variable valve timing systems and direct injection paired with aggressive fuel cut-offs will coast down hill using essentially no gasoline despite the fact that they are still spinning. Since I'm not an engine engineer I can't speak to the finer points here, but the folks at Volvo and BMW who I did interview on the subject are adamant that on down-hill slopes reconnecting their engines consumes less gasoline and is more efficient.
Alex on Autos You're right, I do mostly deal with 20+ year old tech. Can't afford the new stuff, costs as much as a house. Still wouldn't throw the safety concerns out though, lost power brakes before, not something to joke about. I then scrapped the car and bought an older one, no power brakes, stops every time.
Another great review. Any chance you get your hands on a MK VII golf or gti?
Yes but I'm not entirely sure when. The end of the year is getting a little tight with manufacturers cutting budgets right at the end of the year and mass market products that I need to review like the Camry, Yaris, etc.
Alex on Autos Awesome, Look forward to it whenever it happens. Love your channel exactly what real people are looking for.
Interesting enough I found my spare tire underneath my mini it's a f55 so the 4 door
The Opel Adam is not considered premium over here (Europe)
Hey Alex how do you compare this to Mazda 3 Hatch?
The MINI is nicer inside, has more options, more features available, handles slightly better but the 3-cylinder engine isn't as smooth.
Nice Video! How does one make any money even reviewing cars? Always wondered that.
The sad truth of the matter is that few do.
Alex on Autos That's unfortunate.
There's a typo on the length graphic. It reads Mini Coupe instead of Hatchback/Hardtop
Darn it, you're right. I'd been in the habit of calling the hardtop a coupé before the MINI Coupé was released and now it has bitten me in the rear.
Really like the use of 'tiny' and 'itty-bitty' though...
Color?
Thanks for the review. I was really interested in MINI, but comparing the prices and the models, I think I can get something compact, prettier and with more features. Now, I am having second thoughts on that car. The navigational thing next to the hand brake is kinda pointless for me and distracting. Adjusting the seats manually? Are they at least heated? I just feel like, for that prize I can get more.
Heated seats are now outfitted on almost all, if not all, Cooper and Cooper S variants. You are paying for fit/finish, style and very well tuned handling/driver feedback. If you are not looking for an engaging driving experience, best to spend your money elsewhere.
I wish they hadn't moved the speedometer to the driver's side because without it in the center, there's no point in keeping that infotainment screen housing round. Heck, the screen itself isn't even round. -_-
I welcome any video from you which goes *deep* into any (remotely relevant) subject. Drop some science, Alex!
Mini interior is much better quality than anything Honda and Nissan make.
16:27 bucolic scenery. I don't see a single vehicle, nor a house or a human being. Where are we?
bestreveiw
I thought we got the a class
Is the ride quality on this Mini Cooper firm ? anybody know please ?
cool, thanks man. I prefer a comfortable ride quality versus a firm ride.
The ride quality is excellent. My friend thinks my mini rides like a cloud.
Wow! No spare tire? It's not even an option? That's reason enough for me to take this car off my maybe list!
Buy a spare?...
S model comes with run flat tires. The base model has a spare tire.
Not sure how big of a guy you are, but when you're standing next to the car at around 23:23, that Mini does not look so Mini anymore... looks like a pretty decently sized car.
Piney MINIs are getting enormous with every generation.
+Goodspeed And yet it is 18 inches shorter than the Golf, 17 inches shorter than a BRZ, and 4 inches shorter than a Miata. The thing is tiny. It is 38 inches shorter than a new Mustang.
Definitely still one of the smallest cars out there. But I have a soft spot for the really small earlier generation Mini's. At the same time I'll take upgraded safety in these things any day!
The first gen MINI (2002-2006) was and still is an incredibly safe car. I have a friend who got T-boned by an F150 pickup doing 50mph and she walked away without a scratch.
The CLA 45 is AWD.. Not front..
He said FWD biased. It defaults to FWD under good traction conditions but sends power to the rear as needed.
6 out of ten for trunk comfort? Wow - how bad does it have to be to rate a 1?!!
Clue's in the name.
BLAH Yes, I know it's a Mini. I think you're missing my point.The trunk looked extraordinarily uncomfortable so I was surprised it got even 6/10.
"Down for up and up for down" I am telling you Europeans do these things different for the sake of being different. :).
*****
"Think about the dynamics of driving. Downshifting is associated with deceleration and forward weight transfer while upshifting is associated with acceleration and rearward weight transfer"
Nonsense. Obviously you never tried downshifting and upshifting on a manual gear box.
"It could be argued that under (hard) braking, moving your shifting hand forward feels more natural and likewise with moving your hand back under (hard) acceleration"
Yes it could be argued, For precision and speed though, when hard braking moving your hand opposite to the movement gives you control of the car since it requires deliberation in your movements. 3-2-3 or 2-3-2 is a very good example for that.
Also, you downshift for better acceleration more than slowing down, especially in traffic, :).
*****
“OK, I called you out, you made a good rebuttal, and now there is no turning back
:-)”
:)
“You make some really good points about the motions involved in manual shifting. I didn't even consider this. An H-pattern manual transmission complicates the issue since--as you point out--both upshifting and downshifting involve both forward and backward hand movements depending on which gears you are moving between.”
OK! However, you neglect the fact that I also mentioned that you downshift to accelerate as well, say when you want to pass a car while you are cruising.
“By the way, I've been driving only manual for many years”
OK!
“The thing is, I wasn't thinking of the dynamics of shifting a manual gearbox. After all, the tested car has an automatic transmission with a manual mode which can act like a sequential transmission. Many racing cars have sequential transmissions and seem to generally have a Pull Back for Upshift, Push Forward to Downshift set-up”
Many race cars are using only push forward …. Button on the steering wheel. Or, pull back levers on the side of the steering wheels.
"That brings us back to weight transfer during major speed changes and what hand movements are arguably more natural when moving through the gears. Again, it seems that when your own body weight is being thrust forward by deceleration and back under acceleration”
Correct.
“your hand movements should follow likewise”
There is no such “should” i.e. this is a non sequitur argument. The premise does not necessarily legitimize the conclusion. Your hand movements should NOT necessarily follow "likewise."
“This might be a moot point especially when talking about acceleration since the Mini is not a race car and is not going to thrust you into the seatback all that much!”
Usually, what the car is not relevant but the driving style determines how the driver moves while driving the car, :)
“Anyway, here as an interesting article about automated manuals and automatics with manual modes: www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/car-technology/news/a15243/to-push-or-pull-when-downshifting-that-is-the-question/”
OK! First go read my first post again. What I said was about the Europeans wanna make things differently.
Second, the article you gave as reference also contains this;
‘Still, many manufacturers, such as , , , , and , have chosen push forward for upshifts. "Our basic theory was that a forward tap indicates moving forward through the gears, while a tap back indicates moving back to a lower gear," says Cadillac's John Howell. "There was consumer testing involved as this control mechanism was developed, which largely confirmed our theory of how we believed it should operate." ‘
Notice that European car makers are talking about intuitive shifting while they don’t even make a survey about how drivers are reacting to their reasoning, while Cadillac is communicating with the drivers and their preferences.
Third; what seems to be the logical sometimes does not work in real life the way it is expected to be. For example; you and some of the car makers, think about the motion of the car and the motion of the hand “only.” However, when I drive a manual car sporty, when I push the clutch while slowing down, to control my body movement I transfer some of my weight onto the shift lever and feel most comfortable when I shift to second gear from third by pulling the lever backwards. By doing that so I can also support my body to compensate the flatness of the seat again transferring some of my weight by pulling or pushing the shift lever sideways.
Fourth; Consider the fact that, a criticism, no matter how does it sound, might have a standing ground, regardless to the subject. In this case, it is the fixation of Europeans trying to be different and try to legitimize their ways as the superior or better way of doing things. This is a pattern that keeps on going.
“Cheers!”
To you too.
*****
[
"OK! However, you neglect the fact that I also mentioned that you downshift to accelerate as well, say when you want to pass a car while you are cruising".
In steady-state driving, it probably does not matter at all which way the lever moves, or if you are tapping a paddle, or pressing a button. This situation would probably not factor into a design decision. If anything, there is a slight forward weight transfer (esp. when shifting a manual) as you momentarily let off the gas.
]
In any state of driving, you adjust your weight shift NOT with your hands but with your feet. Therefore, just like walking when you feet push your hands pull, and vice versa.
[
"Many race cars are using only push forward …. Button on the steering wheel. Or, pull back levers on the side of the steering wheels."
Yes, there are all sorts of electrohydraulic and manumatic shifting mechanisms--buttons, paddles, levers--being used in both racing and road-going cars. Some racing cars have both paddles and a lever. Which paddle shifts up? Which one down? Regardless, we were discussing a fore-aft lever design.
]
Yes, and I am questioning the relevance of you mentioning the race cars.
[
"There is no such “should” i.e. this is a non sequitur argument. The premise does not necessarily legitimize the conclusion. Your hand movements should NOT necessarily follow "likewise.""
Yes, you are right. Your superior logic trumps me!
]
And your -not- so subtle sarcasm gives away what kind of an asshole you are as well.
[
"Usually, what the car is not relevant but the driving style determines how the driver moves while driving the car, :)"
Yes, that's true. Again, I bow my head in shame:-)
]
And bend over in front of a mirror and :) at your own ass as well.
[
Let me try again.
]
Please, do so.
[
Mitsubishi, for one, uses the forward downshift / backward upshift configuration for its high-performance models (and the opposite set-up for its more convential cars) because of the perceived needs of their typical drivers (as explained in the R&T article). BMW/Mini probably had sporting intentions in mind and ordered transmissions that functioned like the typical high-performance sequential units.
]
OK! now Let me try again; What brand of car applies what kind of practice is irrelevant. Because, There is no laws that necessitates your claims.
As for the Mitsubishi example you just proved my point. Mitsubishi Evolution even though it has paddle shifters on the side of the steering wheel has the same style as Mini. It is because it is a rally oriented car and rally is a mainly European car race. Therefore Mitsubishi uses this set up for mainly European market.
[
"OK! First go read my first post again. What I said was about the Europeans wanna make things differently.
Second, the article you gave as reference also contains this;"
Full disclosure: I am of European descent:-)
]
My condolences.
[
Maybe the "Europeans" are not doing things differently simply to be different, as you had suggested
]
I am European as well. So, please teach me what a European is …. And prove my point completely.
[
For one thing, the article points out that several European manufacturers differ in the way they set up the fore-aft/upshift-downshift pattern
]
Really? I only read that AUDI was experimenting with their application. And I know for a fact that when they decide they will do exactly what “other” European car manufacturers do.
[
Regardless of what continent they are based in, it seems that some manufacturers--such as BMW/Mini--went with a typical racing style set-up for lever-type transmissions (which were most probably developed with input from racing drivers)
]
Two things
Europe is not a continent
“Most probably” is rather weak support for an argument.
“Much of the current technology trickled down from the racing world, so it's not surprising that certain features stayed the same in everyday applications--for better or worse”
Again, the most significant racing class is Formula one and those cars don’t use stick on the floor.
[
Some makers apparently started with a clean slate--the Porsche PDK (in-house developed?) transmission goes against expectations in some ways (according to the R&T article).
]
You are mixing the transmission with the transmission lever.
[
It could be that Cadillac's decision was the most sound because it was based on average everyday drivers' input
]
Oh! no it MUST be ambiguous race drivers most probably gave feedback to the car makers that lead them to focus on the better choice.
[
It would be interesting to know what research results prompted their design choice; perhaps people tend to make the following associations: Accelerate/Forward/Upshift and Decelerate/Back/Downshift.
]
Obviously, after all they are fat dumb Americans, they drive their cars to commute more than 35 miles everyday, and live in a country pretty much with no public transportation. What would they know about driving?
[
In any case, I wasn't trying to suggest that any one solution for a particular transmission design is superior
]
Of course, you were.
[
but that various factors go into design decisions--not just the desire for novelty, the cachet of tradition, or whatever other subjective reasons
]
The factors you are trying to push on us is to legitimize the application on the car in the video above. If you were honestly believed what you are saying you wouldn’t even had to try to come with that driving dynamics and hand movements explanation.
So you are telling me that there is no better way of shifting, but if we think about the driving dynamics, pulling the shift lever to upshift and pushing it to downshift is more natural i.e. a better way. If me talking to you about logic causing burden on your ego, please learn to be logical from somewhere instead of trying to be sarcastic like a polite idiot.
[
. One cannot say, for example, that BMW/Mini makes their cars' transmissions function a certain way because it is the "European" way (and pays homage to the great motoring history of the Old World, or whatever)
]
However one can easily say that if there is way doing just to be different Europeans will push on and insist on doing that thing differently and then which they can call it as their own way.
[
Maybe we could find certain trends in Euro car design that are unique to the continent, but apparently the specifics of how European cars are shifted is not a commonality among them.
]
Oh, yes it is among “them.”
[
Electrohydraulic/sequential/manumatic transmissions have been around since the 1930s or so. There have been--and will continue to be--many varied design approaches.
]
And Europeans will always do it differently than others claimi9ng that their way is better. Just like the way you do.
[
What's wrong with being different anyway?:-)
]
Being different is not wrong, but for just being different to be different and claim that it is better is an indication of psychological disorder. It is just like claiming that humans are equal and accusing Americans being racist while not even having one black politician in their own senate. Continuously applying double standards is an indication of a serious condition which effects the whole mentality of the individuals. And it reflects itself even in car production.
*****
“OK-a correction: in steady-state driving followed by downshifting for acceleration you would be keeping the accelerator pedal fixed and maybe not even letting off the gas while shifting before immediately getting on the gas or blipping to have the higher rpms for the lower gear. You disengage the clutch very briefly coast, but this should not change your speed (unless you were actually speeding up or slowing down before shifting). There is no weight transfer, I guess. Yes, I DO drive manual:)”
If you are driving a manual wonder how you survive in traffic.
Observe;
You are driving with constant speed. You needed to accelerate to pass the car in front of you your foot on the accelerator is fixed yet you pushed the clutch with your foot. Your back being the support for you leg movement, what would be your hand movement if your foot pushes? PULL.
Another scenario, you are braking hard. Your foot is pressing on the pedal and your whole body wants to move forward. Where is your leverage? Your hand on the steering wheel not the one on the shifter. Since your hand on the steering wheel us pushing what is the natural movement of your hand on the shifter? PULL.
You are accelerating hard your hand on the steering wheel puling hard what is the natural movement of the other hand on the shifter? PUSH
Just like walking.
LOL. The iDrive knob turns the wrong way too. Turn left to scroll down instead of the other way around
I thought Mini reliability wasn't too good.
2007-2009 were bad; other years before and after are much better.
Should've bought a manual
Slow down!! LOLOLOL!!
"out on the road"
The steering feel is not very ergonomic when you grip it at the 9 and 3. What a pos.
You are not holding the wheel correctly. When held at 9-3, you are supposed to wrap your palms around the wheel at 9-3 and rest your thumbs on the thumbrests.
🚒🚓
The reliability for this brand is horrible.
As it is for its parent company, BMW.
mountainhobo Father and Son are one in the same.
Ivan Vojt Yet you cam to watch the video and comment :)
How ignorant, considering he's reviewing a brand new generation.
+BLAH New cars are generally the worst.
2014 - www.jdpower.com/sites/default/files/2014087-a_0.jpg
2015 - www.jdpower.com/sites/default/files/2015%20IQS%20Rank%201.JPG
eiw
Too many gimics.
Slow the fuck down!!
It looks faster on video than in real life.