Five Facts that Make the Five Door MINI
We recently spent a week with the new MINI 5 door after living with an F56 MINI three door hatch for the past five months. How does it compare? We’ve got five reasons it might be the MINI to get.
1. Better ride. Despite our F55 having 18″ wheels (which provide a welcome increase in feel through the wheel) the ride is better resolved over the F56 three door hatch (despite it having the standard 16″ fare).
2. The size helps the front make sense. Yeah that overhang took awhile to get used to on the F56. And while most of us have generally have resolved its proportions (in our eyes), the additional wheelbase of the F55 helps.
3. The doors are great for kids. The five door is an absolute no brainer over the three door or old Clubman when it comes to the transportation of small humans. Regular sized humans may protest.
4. Has the same general equation of the Clubman with about 10% less agility and 40% more utility. But the big addition are the two conventional doors which just work better than the old Club door.
5. It’s only $1000 more. That’s a solid value considering the massive increase in versatility that those extra doors and space bring.
<p>Ok, how about the little sedan size doors for us tall drivers? My mom has a 2010 5 series and at 6’3″ it is torture getting into and out of that car! I won’t ever be able to drive a sedan ever again.</p>
<p>I loved the Clubman and I would most likely feel the same about the new Clubman coming if it had coupe doors like the Clubman with the Clubdoor.</p>
<p>I’ve got a 5 series and at 6’2″ I have no trouble in anyway getting in and out. The five door is different and requires a slightly different angle of attack for us tall drivers. But it’s not bad and I’d even say it’s better than the Countryman.</p>
<p>Good grief. What did we all do before SUVs? We managed just fine if I remember.</p>
<p>It just seems like you’re trolling. I’m 6’3″ with 35″ inseam and fit fine in my 328 and my Golf R.</p>
<p>Not trolling. I fit fine in the 5 series sedan and fine in my R52, it is the getting in and out of the 5 Series that is not fun. I sit with the the seat all the way back to getting around the B pillar is the part that is terrible. Once I’m in no problems at all. That’s why longer coupe doors work better for me.</p>
<p>Tall driver here (6’4″), and I’ve had an F55 loaner for the last 3-4 weeks now.</p>
<p>Getting in and out of the driver’s seat feels a lot like a Countryman (in a bad way). You have to navigate your butt around the B-pillar to find the seat back, and more often than not the rubber weatherstrip around the doorway grabs at the back of my shirt, pulling it out of my pants and twisting it uncomfortably around my torso. When you are seated, the B-pillar is right there in line with your shoulders and head, so you’ve got to lean forward to see around it to look for oncoming traffic if you’re trying to make a right turn at an intersection. And if you’ve got broad shoulders, you’re basically sitting there with your shoulder pressed against the B-pillar all the time, wishing it were just a few inches further back out of the way.</p>
<p>There is one good thing that I’ve found about the shorter front doors, though … you can usually open them all the way in a parking lot with another car in the adjacent space. That’s nice (and makes me wonder if MINI will ever put the double-hinged doors from the Rocketman concept on a production 2-door vehicle).</p>
<p>I agree with you entirely! I think the same could be said for most 4 door sedans made today. Not to mention the obstruction of peripheral vision by the B pillar.</p>
<p>I expect the upcoming F54 Clubman will deliver a better experience on points 1 through 4.</p>
<p>Agree on No.2. Still can’t get used to the tail lights.</p>
<p>Why, you don’t like the GIANT toy ridiculous tail lights that are on the new model Minis? Actually that is a main reason why I am not considering any of the new lineup.</p>
<p>I know design is subjective. I mean I used to own a 2000 M-Coupe aka the shoe or the breadvan for crying out loud, but the tail lights on the current F55/56 cross a line into the ridiculous. It’s like automotive anime.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I used to own a 2000 M-Coupe aka the shoe…</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Oh, I love that car! My favorite BMW to look at; so awkward that it’s glorious. =)</p>
<p>The f56 is a bigger mini, it out grew those small tail lights. Anyway, I have the 2015 f56s and I LOVE IT.</p>
<p>By that argument the Countryman should have even bigger units but it doesn’t.</p>
<p>I’m with you. Those giant tail lights look like No. 2.</p>
<p>I have no problem with the tail lights. I have other dislikes/issue with my F56 S, but tail light size isn’t one of them.</p>
<p>What is it that you are not happy with?</p>
<p>Dayna, in my limited time driving her (away on business trip has limited driving) things I’m having some adjustment to make are:
(These items are not driving dynamics or car handling)</p>
<p>1.Sports Seats. Bolstering and padding a bit too thick and causing me some back and leg discomfort. This was impossible to determine on a 15 min test drive.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Footrest – compared to the footrest depth on the R50/R53, the F56 it’s too much. I’m a shorter person (under 5’7″) and the depth causes my knee to be bent too much and pushing my leg back towards my hip. If I was a taller person, my leg would be even more uncomfortable.</p></li>
<li><p>Plastic Fuel gauge: it’s horrible and very cheap (and crap). Difficult to determine fuel level in tank. As the editors of MF are famous for stating numerous times, the MINI is a “premium brand” with improved interior look, design, layout and materials over the previous version.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Yet MINI put a cheap looking and feeling 1/8″ moon piece of plastic which looks like it was glued in as an afterthought with some orange horizontal lights. Really MINI?!! What they should have done is take the same size display as the Rev display and had a LED/LCD fuel gauge (with F, 1/2 & E symbols) and included the Engine temp in that display too.</p>
<p>A good example of what it should have looked like is the fuel gauge used by the Chevy Sonic RS. Also the Odometer and trip meter should be displayed all the time. Not have to scroll though. I use the Odometer reading often.</p>
<p>I like the digital speed readout but by that being displayed you don’t get to see odometer.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Boot release. Button is small and located so low down that unless a person opens the door and steps out, can’t reach it to press it (reason is if passenger needs to get something out of boot and driver is not exiting car while parked).</p></li>
<li><p>Headlight controls – difficult for a short person to reach to active, including the buttons for the fog lights. Too low down on dash.</p></li>
<li><p>Seat height level adjust, seat needs to go a bit higher. Because the bonnet is higher and straight (vs R50/R53) seeing over it for a short person when for example pulling into a hill type driveway is challenging.</p></li>
<li><p>Belt line high. Gives feeling of sitting very low & over shoulder/back view is difficult for a shorter person.</p></li>
<li><p>Window switches. Counter intuitive. To lower window, you push forward, to raise window, push switch back. Huh? WTF. Up/Fwd has always been related to raising window, back/down for lowering window. What engineer thought doing opposite would be a good idea. Crazy.</p></li>
<li><p>Secret glove box: too narrow (height) and depth not enough. I understand from R56 owners that the F56 upper glove box is smaller then the 2nd gen one.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Now what I like (a lot):</p>
<ol>
<li>Steering wheel feeling and material – excellent!</li>
<li>Visual Boost! :-)</li>
<li>Quality of interior material – dash, door and seat.</li>
<li>Throttle response. </li>
<li>Ride comfort. And that’s with the 16″ wheels (contrary to what the MF editors keep spouting on about that the only size wheels buyers should get/have are the 17 or 18 – NOT)</li>
<li>Boot space with the Storage Package! Love it. </li>
<li>Tail light size (lol)</li>
<li>Having interior auto-dim rear view mirror. Will not get another car without it.</li>
</ol>
<p>My other issues lie with MINI USA!!! Per the MINI configurator and MINI USA You Tube Channel I was lead to believe that my car would have certain features (as standard). Too many non disclosures/ omissions by MINI. I am in the process of writing a detailed letter to MINI headquarters of my displeasure on what/items they lead buyers to believe they are getting (car has) which isn’t included. Too much to go into.</p>
<p>I’m 5’11” and haven’t experienced any discomfort with the footrest or the seats, I got the leather in satellite gray.You are right about the fuel gauge,I don’t much care for it either..better fill up when you get down to three lights. I also agree that the controls for the lights are not too conveniently placed. One thing I was very surprised to find when I first test drove the car was that the seat adjustments were not electric. But all in all I really do love the car….just praying it will prove reliable.</p>
<p>On a side note..speaking of counter intuitive, I got the six speed automatic with paddle shifters..when using the manual you up shift by pulling back, downshift by pushing forward. Our audi tt is just the opposite. Took some getting used to.</p>
<p>Athletically challenged critics of the F55 will be pleased to hear that, according to a senior BMW insider, the next generation MINI 5-door Hatch, G55, will have the same interior space and ease of access as C segment cars such as the Golf. However, the core MINI 3-door Hatch, G56, will remain under 4 metres in length. In the meantime, the F55/F56 are enjoying record global sales figures. Look out for April MINI US sales figures tomorrow, and April global sales figures on Monday May 11.</p>
<p>If I type “motoringfile.com” in my web browser, the story at the top of the page is that fugly SUV from a few days ago.</p>
<p>If I add the “www.” to the front of that address, then I get the alibaba story and this F55 story.</p>
<p>Weird. Anyone else seeing this?</p>
<p>How about now?</p>
<p>Looks fixed.</p>
<p>Speaking of larger and more doors.. ant news on the new club-less man?</p>
<p>Nothing new. Still debuting on the internet late this summer. Public debut at Frankfurt. At EU dealers in Novemver. U.S. late December and January.</p>
<p>Um so my R58 is in the shop for the standard factory-installed dashboard rattles. For my loaner they gave me an automatic Cooper S F55. I thought I’d chime in here to give a MINI fan perspective since I’ve had time to drive the car around and get to know it.</p>
<p>-This car is great. Still MINI, handles well, chuckable
-Slow but fast. Seems very zippy, has enough PEP, but I’d say the JCW version will be the cat’s meow
-The car has more steering feel than my R58, and my ’15 Golf R
-The car handles better than my ’15 Golf R (yeah I know I’m nuts) — it’s odd, but it just feels like its going to do what I predict better. My golf R has the DCC, which has this odd bit of body roll/wiggle when cornering that feels slightly off-putting
-This car’s automatic <em>SHIFTS AWESOMELY</em> — I never thought I’d hear myself say or think this. But sticking the car in M mode, I smack the stick to -, and it just downshifts. I smack it to + it shifts up. No drama, executes it when I want it. This is the real SHOCKER here. My ’15 Golf R with DSG doesn’t SHIFT AS WELL IN MANUAL MODE!!! Yes I’m flabbergasted. I know you don’t believe me but it’s true. The R thinks about what you want to do before it executes. An example. I’m driving along foot on the accelrator, I hit the left paddle to downshift. The R pauses, maybe for like a second before it executes. The MINI does it right away. If I’m on the brake, and I shift to the next gear, like 2-3 the R pauses. The MINI just executes. Sometimes when downshifting the R bangs into gear, and jerks the car around. Frankly I’m very shocked, but I need to say BMW/MINI has gotten this automatic right. This isn’t your Dad’s mini’s automatic. Yup. They’ve made a great change here. Old R5X service loaners were something I used to detest in automatic guise. This car is very good. Worth a look for manual averse or traffic dwellers.
-Styling? still meh.. I’m not a fan of the new front end, or the mascara/surprised looking DRL LED rings. I like the ’15 R58 round fog light LED ring better. Much more sporty and less cartoon-y. The rear on the F55 also has a slight odd look to it.
-The loaner has rattles already. Coming from the driver side rear door, the “boot” area etc. A MINI is a MINI is a MINI I guess. Rattles are par for the course.
-THIS CAR IS WAY MORE BMW, but still MINI. I never would have thought they could pull it off, but they did.
-The artificial sound creator, I can’t tell it’s there. In my R it’s obviously a fake sound being piped into the cabin, this car sounds natural. I’d say though that the exhaust is definitely way too quiet. Get the JCW with remote if you want some good sound. I would if I bought this car.</p>
<p>There you have it. I honestly wish I had taken a look at this car prior to getting the Golf R. I’ve had other VW quality problems that make that car a huge pain in the a$$.</p>
<p>Good job MINI. Now I think this likely means I better not go drive the F56 JCW unless i want to buy it.</p>
<p>@gbridger:disqus when we getting info on the GP3? haha… I’m thinking of the Fry meme “TAKE MY MONEY” although I’ve become very attached to my coupe so it’s going to be a tough call. Oh and could I please have a job at motoringfile? Thanks!</p>
<p>Excellent comment. First points I’m nodding my head to. No surprise it handles better than the Golf R. It’s lighter with less drivetrain and (crucially) less unsprung mass.</p>
<p>via mobile</p>