Mrs FC saw something - Page 12

JST · 12-13-2023, 12:45 PM

You’re getting it wrapped? I would have whoever is doing that buff it up as best as they can and just get it done.

FC · 12-13-2023, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JST

You’re getting it wrapped? I would have whoever is doing that buff it up as best as they can and just get it done.

Yup. That's the plan. Thanks.

Alan · 12-13-2023, 07:17 PM

That would bother me too but at the same time the car had 100 miles on it at pick up. I would go with choice number 1 and not have it addressed further than what you did. The big picture is all of our cars get these things and I think you did a great job at filling in the chips and in a few weeks you won’t even notice it anymore.

FC · 12-13-2023, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan

That would bother me too but at the same time the car had 100 miles on it at pick up. I would go with choice number 1 and not have it addressed further than what you did. The big picture is all of our cars get these things and I think you did a great job at filling in the chips and in a few weeks you won’t even notice it anymore.

Nope. Car had 19 miles at pick up. We got the new car that had never been taken on a test drive.

Alan · 12-13-2023, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FC

Nope. Car had 19 miles at pick up. We got the new car that had never been taken on a test drive.

Jeez then how did that happen

Crazy … when we went to pick up my daughter’s first A4 I saw at delivery it had a door ding …. They happen to have an identical car so we took that one the next day but things happen … those chips are so tiny I don’t think you would notice them again unless you’re detailing the car.

robg · 12-14-2023, 12:29 AM

Frustrating. But I think 1 is really the only viable option. I think 2 and 3 risk even worse outcomes

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

equ · 12-14-2023, 03:53 PM

1 for a daily driver.

FC · 12-14-2023, 03:54 PM

Thanks guys.

FC · 01-20-2024, 10:54 AM

I've been driving the Mini the last couple of nights as a means to both exercise the engine and park a nice and warm car in the back garage to help keep temps above 40F.

Notes on driving the car...

First of all, the R56 was more fun, period. Lighter, nimbler, punchier and sportier. The stick shift also helped and honestly, this car should have had a MT. I would have ordered that way myself. But it's not my car.

It is a nice car. Particularly as loaded as this is, it is in a totally different level compared to the R56. You can tell that it is what it is: a loaded BMW 2-series in Mini clothes. It feels much more premium than an R56 but not quite 3-series level. Having owned a late F80 and now F90, it's obvious that it is a BMW. The latch handle is the same on all 3 cars, for example. The hood self-supports with shocks, the switchgear, door, steering wheel, all feels premium. The UI and general tech feels (is?) 20+ years newer than on the R56.

We have the car on narrow and brand-new winter tires, so now is not the time to report on handling, but even with all that, it is clearly still a light and tossable car with zero overhangs and a good, sporty suspension. For how my wife would ever push this car, this may as well be a good porsche sportscar.

Now to the DCT and throttle. I was downright disgusted by how ridiculously low the rpms were under normal "D" mode. Rpms go to ~1100rpm the moment you back off the gas any reasonable amount. Crazy. Even manually using the paddles, which will briefly go into manual mode before going back to "D," requires around three pushes to get you to a proper gear. Annoying.

Moving it to "S" mode, things get substantially better although now a little too aggressive. Revs never go below 2krpm and shifts even in normal mode happen at 3-4krpm. But this mode was better than "D."

Then, facepalm moment. The car was in Eco mode. Going to normal mode in "D" things got better but still not fun. Probably a good setting for highway driving. Sport mode, however, fixed it (I also always drove the R56 in sport mode). Good responsiveness, default rpms in the ~1600 range, etc. These modes also affect "S" mode, making it proportionately more aggressive as well. But that is fine. If you go into "S" is because you want the car to be aggressive.

With that sorted out, I like the car A LOT more. In all, it is clearly an overpriced car, but a pretty niche car if you want what it offers (looks, packaging, and features to go with that) and are willing to pay that premium.

JST · 01-20-2024, 11:08 AM

That’s cool; sounds like the right car for your wife.

The shift programming thing is what has historically driven me nuts about BMW automatics—either too sleepy or too aggro, with no Goldilocks program. It was especially irritating how they would lock out top gear in sport mode—like, I want responsiveness around town but I don’t need to be hitting redline on the highway while cruising.

The X5 is mostly good in normal mode, though part of that may be the hybrid motor that works as a buffer especially at lower speeds. But I mostly don’t notice the transmission, which is about all you can hope for in an auto.

How does the programming in the Mini compare to the M5? I know they’re very different cars, but does the M5 feel more natural, less natural, or about the same in terms of shifting behavior?

01-20-2024, 10:54 AM	#119
FC Solving problems Join Date: Oct 2003 Carmudgeonly Ride: M5 / 718 GTS / Cooper S / GTI / LR4 Location: Metro Boston Posts: 25,275	I've been driving the Mini the last couple of nights as a means to both exercise the engine and park a nice and warm car in the back garage to help keep temps above 40F. Notes on driving the car... First of all, the R56 was more fun, period. Lighter, nimbler, punchier and sportier. The stick shift also helped and honestly, this car should have had a MT. I would have ordered that way myself. But it's not my car. It is a nice car. Particularly as loaded as this is, it is in a totally different level compared to the R56. You can tell that it is what it is: a loaded BMW 2-series in Mini clothes. It feels much more premium than an R56 but not quite 3-series level. Having owned a late F80 and now F90, it's obvious that it is a BMW. The latch handle is the same on all 3 cars, for example. The hood self-supports with shocks, the switchgear, door, steering wheel, all feels premium. The UI and general tech feels (is?) 20+ years newer than on the R56. We have the car on narrow and brand-new winter tires, so now is not the time to report on handling, but even with all that, it is clearly still a light and tossable car with zero overhangs and a good, sporty suspension. For how my wife would ever push this car, this may as well be a good porsche sportscar. Now to the DCT and throttle. I was downright disgusted by how ridiculously low the rpms were under normal "D" mode. Rpms go to ~1100rpm the moment you back off the gas any reasonable amount. Crazy. Even manually using the paddles, which will briefly go into manual mode before going back to "D," requires around three pushes to get you to a proper gear. Annoying. Moving it to "S" mode, things get substantially better although now a little too aggressive. Revs never go below 2krpm and shifts even in normal mode happen at 3-4krpm. But this mode was better than "D." Then, facepalm moment. The car was in Eco mode. Going to normal mode in "D" things got better but still not fun. Probably a good setting for highway driving. Sport mode, however, fixed it (I also always drove the R56 in sport mode). Good responsiveness, default rpms in the ~1600 range, etc. These modes also affect "S" mode, making it proportionately more aggressive as well. But that is fine. If you go into "S" is because you want the car to be aggressive. With that sorted out, I like the car A LOT more. In all, it is clearly an overpriced car, but a pretty niche car if you want what it offers (looks, packaging, and features to go with that) and are willing to pay that premium. Last edited by FC; 01-20-2024 at 11:19 AM.

12-13-2023, 12:45 PM	#111
JST 195 Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 24,631	You’re getting it wrapped? I would have whoever is doing that buff it up as best as they can and just get it done.

12-13-2023, 07:17 PM	#113
Alan Carmudgeon Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 4,678	That would bother me too but at the same time the car had 100 miles on it at pick up. I would go with choice number 1 and not have it addressed further than what you did. The big picture is all of our cars get these things and I think you did a great job at filling in the chips and in a few weeks you won’t even notice it anymore.

12-14-2023, 12:29 AM	#116
robg Carmudgeon Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 3,253	Frustrating. But I think 1 is really the only viable option. I think 2 and 3 risk even worse outcomes Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

12-14-2023, 03:53 PM	#117
equ Alphanumeric Join Date: Aug 2005 Carmudgeonly Ride: 981S, 340i Posts: 9,587	1 for a daily driver.

12-14-2023, 03:54 PM	#118
FC Solving problems Join Date: Oct 2003 Carmudgeonly Ride: M5 / 718 GTS / Cooper S / GTI / LR4 Location: Metro Boston Posts: 25,275	Thanks guys.

01-20-2024, 11:08 AM	#120
JST 195 Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 24,631	That’s cool; sounds like the right car for your wife. The shift programming thing is what has historically driven me nuts about BMW automatics—either too sleepy or too aggro, with no Goldilocks program. It was especially irritating how they would lock out top gear in sport mode—like, I want responsiveness around town but I don’t need to be hitting redline on the highway while cruising. The X5 is mostly good in normal mode, though part of that may be the hybrid motor that works as a buffer especially at lower speeds. But I mostly don’t notice the transmission, which is about all you can hope for in an auto. How does the programming in the Mini compare to the M5? I know they’re very different cars, but does the M5 feel more natural, less natural, or about the same in terms of shifting behavior?