2007 MINI Cooper S: Ridiculous Instrumentation

It's much more interesting to look at than the generic instrumentation in fords or GM's.
 
I'd take the quirky over boring styling any day.

I'll beat the GM boys to the punch here.
 
Check out the gauges in our Aura and the Malibu LTZ. Very snazzy and in no way generic. Cadillac also has some nice ones.
 
That being said, Ford's are rather lame. Easy to read yes, but they look removed from a Power Wheels Jeep.

Why comment on this over and over? It's a feature to amuse passengers. Let it go. You don't use it as a driver, so let the people in the other seats get their jollies talking about the "crazy" or "silly" design.

Isn't the volume knob located below the opening for the CD player? It seems like it should be in that nice little cluster below the giant speedo.
 
The big speedo isn't so much a problem for me, as the ergonomic nightmare it creates for the rest of the controls. Everything else in the Mini seems to get shoved further down or crammed in.
 
Though I've never actually driven one or even sat in one. I love this car, and I would love to own one. I'm variously intrigued and baffled by the center stack arrangement. Sometimes I love the quirky, campy nature of it, and sometimes I wish it looked more modern and clean.
 
I'm sure I'd adapt easily if I was driving one every day though...

The interior as a whole is like a big joke. sometimes conventional isnt always bad.

Maybe they (or the aftermarket) could fashion a whimsical mod by putting some water in there with some sea monkeys, or at least plastic goldfish floating around. An informal g-meter of sorts, with the water sloshing around inside.

They could've sold twice as many Minis if they had just canned the gay dash, and put in some decent seats, although they fixed the latter with the 07s.

I think the big speedometer is cool; however, the radio controls are pretty awkward. That being said, I don't think there are too many people who discount the Mini because of its unusual dash.....people who dislike unusual dashboards drive cars that are much more conservative than the mini.

I think the Mini is quirky on the exterior but none of the appearance there detracts from the function. The interior seems to be out of control 'what else can we do unique' rather than retro or just functional cuteness. Did they give prizes to the designers for who could add even more form without function?
 
My wife likes the look of the new Clubman but I don't think I could get used to the look of the dash and the way the controls are setup to be just so darn cute, with little thought put to the use.
 
On a side note, I guess you couldn't get away with answering "I don't know " to the man in uniform asking you "Do you know how fast you were going back there?" Everyone in the car would raise their hands and want to answer :) He could probably see what speed it said you were going as he pulled in behind you!

Here's an idea - BMW/Mini contracts out their dashboards/control system design to Apple. Goodbye i-Drive! Goodbye oddball Mini dash! Great design doesn't have to mean wierd/quirky/odd.

Crappy instrumentation and interior design is the only thing that kept me from getting an otherwise perfect Cooper S.

Hehehe You should've photoshopped some fish in there, Josh!

Nice exterior, terrible interior.

This is why there's variety in the marketplace...If you don't like it, don't by it.
 
It's not your place to criticize someone for buying a specific car.
 
I'm sure someone is thinking.."How could you buy that (insert what you drive here). It's so this and that and the other thing!"

It is my place to criticize a car company for doing such a cheesy retro interior in an otherwise good, fun to drive lightweight car. If someone else is willing to accept it that's fine and more power to them, but BMW needs to realize that they are turning off more people than they are turning on with this design choice.

"It's not your place to criticize someone for buying a specific car. "
 
I didn't see anyone criticize an owner of a Mini, just the company. The fun factor probably does outweigh the interior and some people, I'm sure, like the interior.
The point to most of the posts seems to be that the car is so good everywhere else, why mess it up by getting cheesy on the interior.
 
I don't think they are having any trouble selling the cars they make so their decision must be working for them but it is still a shame.

Thank you for an original complaint. It is good to know that a speedometer completely defines (or ruins) a car.
 
Seriously, if one more person whines about the size of the speedo, I am going to vomit. Can't we just get over it? If not, thousands have already mentioned it. So why bring it up over and over and over and over again.

Sure it's not original, but no one's off topic - that was the subject of the original post. So we get to vent (again) a little...so what?

"If someone else is willing to accept it that's fine and more power to them, but BMW needs to realize that they are turning off more people than they are turning on with this design choice."
  
Someone might want to inform BMW of this then, because Mini has one of the lowest days in inventory of any manufacturer and their resale values are extremely high. Pretty much every Mini that is built is a sold unit. Apparently all these turned-off people still continue buying them.

It's a classic styling cue for Mini Coopers. Good God people, get over it already. Personally, I love it. It adds style, and I can deal with it being a bit awkward to use. Like someone already said, it's a free market that enables makers to design cars for different types of people. Some like it, some don't. Simple as that.

I like it.... it's a bit over the top but what the heck, it's all part of the package.
 
If you want bland then buy a Civic or Corolla. More practical and it won't offend anyone by being different.

I liked it better when they put all the gauges as well as the speedo in there versus the way they do it now. I don't mind it big but would like the option of having useful real gauges in there like water and oil and battery. All that wasted space just for a speedo and a gas gauge.

I liked the option of the chrono pack on the last Mini which gave you some auxiliary dials in the center and moved the speedo to column next to the tach. I wish they'd bring that back. Personally, I don't see what all the complaining is about because there is a digital speedo in the tach. No one seemed to mind that layout in the Mazda RX-8.
 
Firstwagon: Funny that you should comment about people buying a Civic if they want a boring car. Seems like the journalists love to complain about its gauge layout too...C'est la vie.

The design doesnt bother me as much as how cheap it looks. It looks like it belongs in a Smart car and the buttons looks like they are off a game console remote.

"No one seemed to mind that layout in the Mazda RX-8."
 
Probably because nobody has driven one. Seriously, I've probably seen 10 of them, ever.

I've driven in a Mazda RX-8.
It was an automatic though.
It was pretty nice, though not very powerful.
Nice car, however.
My dad was considering the RX-8, but we ended up waiting for the 05 Mustang.
(:

There are lots of RX-8s in Southern Ontario.

The gauge layout-up in the RX-8 is fantastic, it makes for very easy reading at speed and it means you only have to look one place for most your vital info. And from experience I can tell you that on the track the only time you care about your speedo is to check on your corner entry/exit speed to see how it compares to previous laps, and a digital speedometer makes quick glances like this a lot easier.
  
Now I love MINI's to death, I think they're one of the greatest cars on the planet and I can't wait to own one again (my '02 kept breaking on me, and BMW charges a lot for clutches.) Thankfully, the new one is much, much sturdier, and built with better components (my brother was one of the quality control engineers). BUT, I do not hesitate to state that MINI's are ergonomically retarded. The switch gear and gauges will never be logical, and I'd never want them to be. It's one of the quirks that make MINI's so wonderful to own. There are a thousand things to not like about it, but every morning you walk to the car, you'll have a smile on your face.
  
P.S. For the record, the reason you never see RX-8's is because most people on the road care more about having a loud, uncomfortable, two seater with a big engine *cough* 350Z *cough* than owning a REAL sports car. There's a lot more to it than engine size and looks, and no cars symbolize that more than the MINI (1.6 liter, 172hp) and RX-8 (1.3 liter, 232hp).

I do agree with you about pure sports cars, but I don't see the 8 as one of them. The RX-7 was far better executed.

Gotta agree with spin, no matter how frustrating some aspects of my mini are, I like that the window buttons are in an odd place and that many slower people actually think a driver would ever look at the pizaa pan speedometer.
 
Still would like framed doors though! The sloping roof and lack of rain gutters means the windows cannot be cracked when it's raining. Argh...
 
And estreka, the last gen RX-7 = work of art.