Mini Connected - Review 2022

Since its US rebirth, Mini has celebrated being outside the automotive mainstream. The Mini Cooper'due south distinctive outside style and go-kart-similar performance is meant to appeal to a sure segment of the buying public, only also makes the automobile much less practical than your average crossover. The company takes the same approach with its Mini Continued infotainment system, providing a round touch screen ringed by a pulsing, multicolored LED paired with a repurposed BMW iDrive interface in the centre panel. But while its nonconformity and flash may appeal to fans and the interface is easy to use, the Mini Continued system we tested in a 2022 Mini Cooper S E Countryman ALL4 falls short on connectivity options.

Overview and Interface

The Mini Continued system has an 8.8-inch bear on-screen in the center of the dash, chosen the Central Information Display (in some vehicles the system comes with a 6.v-inch screen). It has six principal icons bundled in a circle, with three on each side for features such as telephone, media, navigation, and a My Mini vehicle settings menu. Below the screen is a large power/volume knob flanked by Band and Mode buttons on the left, and track navigation buttons on the right. Below this are vi programmable retention buttons that can store favorite radio stations, navigation destinations, phone numbers, and menu options.

The center console controller (pictured beneath) mimics BMW's iDrive interface both in layout and function. It moves forward and laterally and can be turned to highlight menu items on the touch screen and pressed in to select them. The tiptop of the controller also functions as a touchpad for character input by tracing messages and numbers on summit of it. In front of the controller are five buttons: Carte du jour in the middle, with Map and Nav on the correct and Media and Com on the left. Backside the controller is a Dorsum push button and an Option button to open the vehicle settings menu.

The interface is straightforward and intuitive, and the iDrive-style controller is greatly improved from BMWs past by being paired with a bear on screen (something BMW has moved towards in its cars). My merely real gripe is that some controls that I wish at that place were buttons for, like the heads-upwardly display, are buried in multiple menus. Otherwise, the interface provides quick and easy admission to the vehicle'south numerous features.

The touch screen provides a big and crisp view for navigation maps, which display detailed topographic info. Information technology'south also used to access charging functions on the S E Countryman ALL4, such as setting accuse timing based on a departure fourth dimension, finding the best utility rates, and preheating or cooling the interior while the motorcar is plugged in. And it has a born owner's transmission with useful Search by Picture and Animation features.

Connectivity

Virtually new cars come with embedded onboard connectivity to provide cloud-connected features, or leverage your smartphone, or both. The 2022 Mini Cooper S East Countryman ALL4 falls into the latter category, but just barely.

Embedded connectivity is used only for a Mini Aid telematics feature for roadside assistance and a Mini Connected remote app bachelor for Android and iOS. The app has a basic car-finder feature and the ability to keeps tabs on charge level and charging status. Information technology as well has a destination search that tin can be synced to the car's navigation organization, a trip scheduler that provides alerts on the best times to leave based on traffic, and door-to-door walking directions to a destination after parking.

A driver's smartphone is used with Mini Connected's apps integration organisation that includes streaming music apps such equally Pandora, Spotify, and Stitcher. The Mini Connected shows apps for Glympse, Foursquare, and Twitter (with preprogrammed tweets), just those never showed up in the dashboard display we tested, even though we had them on a continued phone. The 2022 Mini Cooper S Due east Countryman ALL4 also supports Apple tree CarPlay, but non Android Motorcar.

Conclusions

From its appearance to its connectivity, the Mini Connected infotainment organisation is fleck out of the ordinary—similar the Mini Cooper itself. And although the arrangement works well and is basically BMW iDrive dressed upwards in Mini graphics, colors, and animations, information technology'southward a bit limited compared with other infotainment systems, particularly considering the price and class of the vehicles in comes in. iPhone owners tin can add one-half a star thanks to the inclusion of CarPlay. Anybody else volition exist perfect content with Mini Connected, even if it doesn't offer much in the way of innovation.

Source: https://sea.pcmag.com/review/19926/mini-connected

Posted by: harterfien1940.blogspot.com

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