When I got into the Mini last night, the gas gauge had 3 of the 10 lights illuminated. Now, if it had a total of 8 lights, I would know that 2 lit meant I had a quarter of a tank of gas. But 3/10? OK, so I've got a little room, I thought...
Now, I'm always getting on some editors for bringing cars back with empty gas tanks. But I can't really blame anyone for not realizing that three lines on the Mini's cute little gauge meant it was near empty.
Other than that, this is the first time I got behind the wheel of the Mini Cooper S. It's fun to drive, surprisingly roomy, and adorable to look at.
The driving position suits me. Because I have short legs, when I drive cars with a manual transmission, I have to sit so far forward to depress the clutch that I feel like I could hit my nose on the windshield. But not with the Mini. I can put the clutch all the way in and still sit comfortably.
But all the cute business on the gauges and the center stack drives me crazy. Me and cute don't really get along.
Cute on the outside: good.
Cute on the inside: argh.
Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor @ 9,400 miles
tlcruz says:
05:41 PM, 01/10/08
I have to agree with you, Donna. I love to look at it (I see one in green, every day on my way to work, thats for sale, hmmmm) but the gauge in the middle would bother the living daylights out of me!
Can we get an update on the mpg? Just curious!
carmizvi says:
07:05 PM, 01/10/08
Form trumps function yet again.
I find it a little ironic that this entry is posted on the same day that Toyota announces it will be phasing in fuel economy meters on all its vehicles - not just the hybrids - in the years to come. From the sounds of it, this will soon be an industry-wide thing.
And BMW will likely find some way to jazz the practicality out of those gauges, too!
:)
blueguydotcom says:
07:34 PM, 01/10/08
The Cooper tracks gas remaining with the tachometer-pod's computer. Click the left stalk button and the pod will show you miles-to-empty (and sundry other data such as miles per gallon, average speed, current speed).
The tach's computer estimates are quite accurate, by the way.
My last tank of gas in my 07 Cooper S I managed 31 mpg and that's 50/50 highway/city.
The pizza pie dish is for show. Just like you wouldn't look at it for your speed, you certainly don't use it to track gas. The tach pod tells you that info and when the car gets to ~50 miles to empty, then the tach pod will display a fuel pump.
altimadude00 says:
10:43 PM, 01/10/08
Why do I need two displays showing me how much fuel I have, or have left? Just give me a needle (a real needle) and a "Thirsty" light, nothing more.
blueguydotcom says:
11:21 PM, 01/10/08
Atlima, the pizza pan speedo in the middle is for show. This is no different than gills on an M3 or the shiny-silver-taillight surrounds of an Altima. It's style, nothing more.
cartester16 says:
08:52 AM, 01/11/08
I agree that while the Mini is a really great car on the outside, the interior is just plain silly. The only reason I wouldn't buy one. Wish they'd have an option of a more conventional layout, maybe just two smaller "pods" on top of the steering wheel, and a more normal looking center stack. Keep the stupid "wings" layouts and such. OH, the silver Krylon paint on all the buttons too.
theblur916 says:
10:14 AM, 01/11/08
@cartester16
On the previous generation of MINI Coopers (at least in the S), you could opt for the option to put two gauge pods on your steering column. It moves the speedo and a few other lights/gauges onto the stalk in plain sight (a big improvement IMO). I've never been fond of centre mounting important gauges in any car. It also gives the steering wheel a Mickey Mouse ears kind of look. :P
As for the gas gauge, that sounds fairly normal. My 05 MCS (which has a needle gas gauge in the centre gauge cluster) pops the fuel low warning light at around 20%. Then I change my on-board computer display to show estimated range and I've usually got 90-100 km left on the tank (averaging about 540 km per tank in mixed 60-40 city-highway driving).
jriz says:
10:31 AM, 01/11/08
My last-generation Mini's low fuel light would come on with about 50 miles still left on the tank. With a tiny commute, she'd drive for a week with the light on. The trip computer distance to empty gauge was far more useful (our car has one too).
tmanz says:
08:06 AM, 01/15/08
"the pizza pan speedo in the middle is for show. This is no different than gills on an M3 or the shiny-silver-taillight surrounds of an Altima. It's style, nothing more."
thank you, that is the best description of the center speedo that I've read and it makes sense.
I do have to say that the Mini makes me wish I had another spot open in my garage. (okay, maybe 2 spots, one for the mini and one for the 308 :)
joberg says:
11:46 AM, 01/15/08
I hitched a ride yesterday in an '08 Mini have dropping off my '04 for some minor service. While the ride was better than mine, as was the interior quality, I am in agreement with all of you who say the speedo is too big. The speedo in the R53 is bordering on too much, but the R56 is just crazy!
Until they redesign this thing, find a well-cared for used Mini, which shouldn't be too hard considering how fanatical some of us owners are. Besides, the whine from the supercharger is heavenly compared with the the turbo under the hood of the new S.