Is MINI's Digital Experience Getting in the Way of Driving?

[@rob_lightbody]

Looking away from the road for basic functions is INSANE!! We all need to call this out Loudly. Previously, in a car you were familiar with especially, you could do all sorts of things *without* looking away from the road. No amount of software updates can make a touchscreen as good as physical controls.

[@RatherLilithThanEve]

You can just say "Hey Mini, set my temperature to 70." And it will do it for you. Totally hands free driving.

[@frogApple]

⁠@@RatherLilithThanEveI’m really hoping that the voice commands have improved dramatically since my 2015. It’s hilarious how horrible my MINI is for trying to use voice for inputting instructions into the nav or placing a phone call.

[@robertius3881]

Found your review very informative. I prefer the systems in my 2023 Mini Cooper, much safer and quicker to use with physical buttons. The big issue for us Aussies is that in NSW the driver can be booked for taking his hand off the steering wheel and using the touchscreen while driving. It is classified the same way as using a mobile phone, and road safety cameras are set up to catch at fault drivers.

[@frogApple]

As a Canadian who deals with really cold weather forcing me to wear thick mitts for a few months of the year, the lack of buttons is a hard no go for me. At 30 below I do not want to have to take of my mitts to toggle through multiple displays for things that I can easily access in my 2015 cooper with tactical buttons. Thanks for the great video Gabe.

[@ozziesmom9186]

That’s an excellent point.

[@xITSXSHARELE]

I understand why you can’t have the car in default to sport mode but I wish you could change the order of the experiences so the ones you use most often are just one away from the default

[@Space-Coyote]

Great video, thanks. We’ve had our Countryman JCW since the end of May. It is currently on the March version of the Mini OS9. We’ve running into a few software problems in that time, including the Assisted View becoming unpopulated - that required a hard reboot (when the engine is running, hold the on/off button until the central screen goes black, the HUD closes and a bong sounds) to get back. The Speed Limit Assist managed to change its own settings so it just stopped working - that was just a menu selection to get working again, and the whole system just rebooting while driving and we lost both the central display and the HUD so had no idea of what speed we were travelling at - had to pull over to give it time to reboot. Also, we’re in the EU, so on every start we have to disable the stop/start function, the lane departure system as well as the speed limit function. I am hoping that Bimmercode adds support for the U25 Countryman model so I can modify some of these settings. I miss the rev counter - as far as I am aware that is only available in Go-Kart mode - the normal speedo does not include a rev counter - just an arbitrary “power” meter. Overall, I am enjoying the car, but I have to say that I really miss the physical controls.

[@novainvicta]

We have had our JCW Countryman Sport since the beginning of July. We did have a small software glitch during the first two weeks that meant we didn’t get spoken word on the satnav (it said it didn’t support our language English!). Mini did an over the air reset and that cured the problem. However the biggest issue is the heating / cooling control which should work directly from the Home Screen or revert back to physical controls. As it is it’s outright DANGEROUS if you are the driver. My second beef is the head up display does not show the turn indicator direction it’s only shown on the centre screen which is dumb. The suspension setup at least in Europe is typical BMW and on the firm side which can make the ride unsettled on poor roads. You can instigated the massage function from the buttons on the drivers car seat as well as the central screen. Negatives aside the satnav with the 3D virtual display is brilliant as is the customisation of the various driver aids. The car is fun to drive and true to the spirit of Mini so I applaud BMW for this. We are pleased overall and the car is hugely practical with the sliding / folding rear seats, the extra under-floor space and the powered tail-gate.

[@mattkramer4132]

I sat in a 2025 Cooper S at the local dealer last weekend for about 45 minutes and just played around with the screen. I was really impressed with the functions and ease of it-- and this is coming from someone who's beta tested & helped develop similar looking software for a living. But I feel like they could do a little bit more to eliminate the number of touches/steps for safety's sake. The number of seconds that the driver's eyes are off the road equals hundreds of feet that are traveled 'blindly'. Too risky. (That's my former auto insurance claims adjuster background talking, lol.) My daily driver right now is a 2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata... It's a great car for the raw driving experience; but you cannot use the touch screen while the car is in motion. Totally ridiculous. And when you do use it while the vehicle is still, it's very laggy. Much more so than the Mini's. It's irritating and outdated. I'm sold on the Mini's touchscreen, but I still have yet to test drive the car itself to really sell me on it. I don't mind that they've done away with the manual transmission. I've been driving manuals continuously for about the past 30 years, so I'm ready to get an automatic and just enjoy some leisurely cruising.... With the occasional burst of a heavy right foot. I'll be doing a test drive soon and make my decision after that. Thank you for this video!

[@carthick1000]

Thank you very much. A very insightful video. I am having a Tesla model 3 for the last 5 years and looking at Mini Aceman as a potential replacement. I like how they did upped their game with the user interface. (I also had a BMW in the past, ca. before the touchscreen airco controls era). But what I learnt from your video and esp. looking at various options and how buried they are inside the menu system makes me think, they just took the whole rotary idrive menu and packaged into nice touch screen interface with some icons. The issue which you had esp. with the doors ie not getting all doors to open inspite of this function turned on and also similary a lot of functions not working inspite of being ON, tells me a very important story. The E/E architecture which is the electric/electronic architecture is still not as good as Tesla and that is the reason they cant control certain functions (yet) from the central screen. I guess Mini is still using a lot of Domain controllers with separate control units for doors windows etc and another domain controller for lane keep/assist ssytems. This shows they are depending/relying on their tier-1 suppliers to work along with them to update SW features. This is a long game and I dont think Mini can get all these working anytime soon. So I will rethink my decision on Aceman and most likely go back to Tesla and get a new model 3.

[@autolitics]

Great deep dive into the world of digital UI and the huge user costs of abandoning physical controls. There are other issues here, one being the circular screen which is super cool looking but reduces available screen real estate, and forces UI elements, maps, and controls to be smaller. You seem very optimistic that OTA updates are coming but having owned an OTA-capable Mach-E for 3.5 years, I am more skeptical that BMW will be delivering the kind of frequent and substantial updates Tesla, Rivian, or Apple have made us accustomed to.

[@EM.1.]

I think some physical controls should have remained. Also, I agree that the Mini voice assist feature should be a no-cost feature as they advertise with the bulldog character making you think it is included. I will need to save this video when my model arrives. I will also need to create a shortcut menu as I can see there are a few too many redundant steps to take.

[@aacmove]

You know. I live in France and regularly drive to Italy. Voice control is not worth sh1t if it can't understand your accent when saying non English street names, towns or even popular shops.

[@davidc-l9174]

So much of MIN OS9 is subjective, that it's quite hard to actual review it other than to just point out the objective functionality. Obviously, this means YMMV. The one thing I found odd from the review (and I've heard others complain about it) are the HVAC controls. The best part of automatic HVAC is set-it-and-forget-it. Choose the cabin temp you want, just like you do with your home's thermostat, and leave the HVAC in auto mode to figure out the rest. MINI's automatic climate control works really well, in my opinion. I do wish MINI (BMW, really) didn't move to the whole "air intensity" setting for the automatic mode, but I've found just leaving it on medium works really well. The rest of OS9? I understand why people are concerned about everything being integrated into the center screen. But as both a MINI and Tesla owner, the center screen is something you adjust to very quickly. And to be honest, so much can easily be done with the steering wheel controls and voice commands, that there's actually must less need to frequently touch the screen while you're on the move then I think many people assume.

[@MotoringFile]

HVAC controls - we're bringing to light much of the criticisms we've heard more than anything. Yes automatic works well until you need "max air" which many people use almost daily, heated seats and steering wheel. Then there's passengers who often want to change anything and everything. But there's a bigger issue. Any time you do requires at least two clicks on a screen - no matter what you want to do. Add all that up and you start to materially increase cognitive load at the exact time you don't want to do that - driving a car.

[@davidc-l9174]

@@MotoringFileI guess I just have a different take. I’ve owned a Tesla for several years and rarely touch the screen while on the go. I’m not suggesting that there isn’t room for improvement of MINI OS9, but based on my experience driving cars with no buttons at all and 99.9% of vehicle functions in a screen, it’s not as big of a deal as many people think. I suppose if you’re someone who constantly fiddles with buttons and settings it might be problematic.

[@Kerosenetrewthe]

All the screen function buttons fly out the practical window when actually driving the car. The mini isnt the smoothest car to begin with and so trying to select through the "buttons" on the screen isnt fun. It's actually quite distracting. Which is ironic since the tech is supposed to help you keep your eyes on the road.

[@MotoringFile]

Couldn’t have said it any better.

[@DanBehrens]

Ya’ll can program your favorites and control them with the physical steering wheel controls. Giddyup! :D

[@DeniseClark-xw8qz]

After 2 weeks in our 2025 Mini Cooper this touchscreen tech is totally getting in the way of enjoying the car!! 😡 I’ve owned new gen Minis for 20 years now and so I clearly love my Minis but this one is going to be hard work!! 🤯🤦‍♀️

[@MotoringFile]

Sorry to hear this. What specifically is bothering you?

[@jh9740]

Recently bought a 2024 cooper s sport. Love it but these changes would be great. 1- driving preferences should save and not revert. I dislike the speeding 'bong' 2- random short breaking. Also hard breaking when trying to manoeuvre such as 3 point turn. 3 - screen is laggy. Also constantly doesn't accept 'my key' allowing my profile. Need to repeatedly login .. now I just use guest driver for ease. 4 - ideally a climate physical button as adjusting it while driving is a distraction and can be tricky on the move. Small points .. it drives very well and is made to high quality spec imo. Definitely happy with the purchase .

[@josephanthony1933]

Push the safety button it’s the car with a green or orange circle next to the hazard light switch, this is where you can control the emergency braking under 40mph at. I would just turn it off,When the circle is orange it’s off, or if you keep it on set it to late…

[@jh9740]

​@josephanthony1933 thanks yes I do this hut it resets each drive so it's a faff .. I had hoped that setting a profile would mean it would keep the settings. But with this is says "unable to detect key" so I have to log in each time using the QR code. Did hope resetting it would work... hoping it's a software update later. Sure I'll work it out

[@martinbrouillette]

Thank you for this. I don't have Personal mode on my new Countryman 2025. Anyone else has that same issue? I can't even upload a picture on the app.

[@aroundomaha]

I’m curious about digital gauges having information like oil temperature. Not much information about the adaptive dampers, which would be nice if they had selectable modes. The interface could grow on me, but I’d like to see some enthusiast focused items.

[@BarcelonasHotCrowd]

Long term UI designer here and that would drive me insane! THere's a reason why I ONLY use Apple when it comes to operating systems due to their reliability, consistency, ease of use and layout! I looked at the Cooper S Electric but bought an Audi S3 Sedan as the price was identical but I felt the Audi was in a different league altogether. I feel that MINI / BMW got incredibly greedy and they lost me as a long term customer.

[@DanBehrens]

Man. MINI knocked this generation’s UI out of the park. It’s the experience to beat in the car world IMO. There’s enough customizable physical controls to satisfy anyone’s want, there’s just a learning curve like any completely new system. Ain’t no way i’m choosing an Audi sedan over a 2025 Mini but it’s a pretty car!

[@Jon-ug3le]

Good video. I have had a 25 JCW Countryman 2 weeks. My biggest complaint is the Auto/Start not being able to turn off...like forever. Whoever thought of this feature should be flogged. I have contacted Bimmercode which I use on my G80 M3 all the time and figured no problem I will lose the nanny screen and the AS.....nope. They are telling me they are having problems trying to get into this system...like the ECUs they are locked. There is a OBD dongle coming to disable AS but this sucks. I do like the car but the software needs some work and fast.

[@josephanthony1933]

You can turn it of easily but it default’s back on after the car is shut off, if you push the shortcut key which is located on the far left side from where you start the car, button with 3 lines it brings up the safety stuff where you can push the auto start stop function off. Aswell as other things.

[@cze33e]

I'm going to test drive a Countryman on the weekend. The circular screen is a big draw for me. I don't play with car settings that often so am not really bothered with the one screen. I do love the minimalist interior.

[@MotoringFile]

You’ll love it. I neglected to make the important point that, once you get familiar with the interface (inconsistencies and all) it’s very easy to use.

[@breakersteve]

There is a glitch in the software that shuts down the voice assistant! Happened to me. My dealer says it happens when you activate the software to check for an update. The way round this is to totally delete the driver profile include the digital key on your phone and re set up the driver profile again. You then get the voice assistant back.

[@breakersteve]

As a side note, I’ve owned my JCW Countryman now fir about 4 weeks and have got used to operating the screen now and quite like it now.

[@DeniseClark-xw8qz]

I’ve just got a brand new Mini Cooper - all I want to do is be able to use my USB stick for listening to music as I have done for quite easily in recent years and past models! There is no port now for a USB stick!! 🤦‍♀️😩 would really appreciate any help! 🙏😊

[@mk1l2]

Try to get USB-C stick

[@DeniseClark-xw8qz]

Many thanks - in the end I’ve bought an FM transmitter adapter that plugs into the cigarette lighter. It then USB ports for my stick and then this all has to be linked to the touchscreen via Bluetooth on my phone!! 🤯 🤦‍♀️

[@alioscopy-glasses-free-3D]

Good points - well made. Can you tell me what version of OS9 your loan car is running? My F66 Cooper is currently on 03/2024.52 and, because the MINI app on my phone wasn't capturing every journey, I had a tech support session. During this, I was advised that there is a July (07/2024) version coming.. but BMW models are getting it first. I can see a few small differences between my system and yours… so it will be interesting to know which version is later. BTW: My Bluetooth connection has been faultless and solid - and I like having the temperature controls on the screen - a hand-stretch away. However, there should be an easy way to get MAX air-con (as there used to be a button for that) - even if, here in the UK, it's rarely used! In your video, you talked about using the steering-wheel 'mic' button… but you didn't try saying 'Hey MINI'. Does that work? It does on my car, every time, even when music is playing. Things will improve, and the more feedback we all give, the better the changes will be. One thing is for sure… the MINI OLED screen beats any of the new BMW widescreen options, IMHO. Keep the great content coming! 👍🏼

[@MotoringFile]

Hey MINI wasn't working. That said we've tested four Countryman over the past six months and this was by far the least buggy of them all. We've interviewed BMW/MINI's head of UX several times about the system and have been incredibly impressived with their approach. From technical architecture to UX/UI to even hiring of the team, they're running it all like a modern tech company rather than a 100 year old OEM. That doesn't mean it's perfect - At least not yet. But the foundation they've built is a huge step in the right direction and will allow them to iterate in all the right ways.

[@alioscopy-glasses-free-3D]

If you still have access to the car… please let me know the software version number. I don't think I've seen BMW’s UX/UI guy being interviewed, do you have any plans to get him on camera?

[@MotoringFile]

@@alioscopy-glasses-free-3Dno plans to get him on camera at the moment but talking with him in and off the record helped to better understand the tech, the team and their philosophy behind all of the work.

[@Kerosenetrewthe]

How'd you add seat massage to the shortcuts? I cant find a way to do that on my 2025.

[@MotoringFile]

When you get to the seat comfort menu, press and hold on the massage menu.

[@Kerosenetrewthe]

@@MotoringFile Thank you!

[@josephanthony1933]

On your power seat adjustment the circle button, press and hold for 5 seconds and the shortcut will pop up on your screen.

[@vasilioshatzipanis7662]

How do I delete a user in Mini JCW countryman 2024 Operating System 9?

[@Tel-zd5uu]

Finding it funny that you don’t recognise the British flag design throughout. That is the design motif on the widget ends and the A/C Auto screen. Matching the default rear light design too. All to try and recall Mini’s British heritage.

[@MotoringFile]

We're very aware of the Union Jack throughout. So much so that we didn't think it even needed to be called out.

[@Tel-zd5uu]

But you do call it out in the video at 12:41 saying it’s an interesting design that is inconsistent and you “don’t know what you’re looking at”

[@MotoringFile]

@@Tel-zd5uu No we're referring to the design pattern that MINI is using in the UI. Not the visual design that references the Union Jack.

[@aacmove]

Oh F all that. I want buttons. Haven't got the patience for all that rubbish.

[@martinbailey4076]

Without Mini connected plus you lose Spike and have default Mini but voice command still there as standard. However, I have the plus for first 3 months and its working sometimes! I believe this is something to do with the phone added and use of Carplay. Mine was working with a iPhone 13 connected but then when phone rang there was no incoming call ring tone in the car, just an alert on screen I tried adjusting things to fix this without sucess. The next day jumped in car and voice command wasn't working. So next day I went to try and fix this. Turned car on and voice command was working again. It seems to be very flaky in this area. My model is the Countryman E so EV version. I like it very much. I am averaging 4.2 miles per KWh so about 1.7 pence per mile using home charging with Octopus Intelligent Go where overnight charging tariff is 7p per kWh.

[@josephanthony1933]

Your car needs a hard reset, try pushing the power button/ radio volume button down for 1 minute and it should hard reset your car and fix those issues.

[@cmcfadden1234]

I drive a 2020 Cooper SE, and had a 2025 loaner a few weeks ago. I thought the screen was a real mess - there were a bunch of rendering errors, it was slow, and wireless CarPlay had all sorts of glitches (whereas it's flawless on my 2020). It was annoying enough that I'd be turned off from buying a new Mini.

[@D3fiant]

I have the Cooper SE, had the same until I updated (OTA) the apps and it was then far smoother, perhaps they didnt update their car?

[@Gawain7826]

I test drove a Tesla 4 years ago and quickly decided I didn't like the interior and its reliance on the screen for everything. They've gone even further all in removing the stalks for controlling things like blinkers, wipers and propulsion. I just can't get excited about any of the cars I've seen that insist on this and I'm deterred from wanting any of them.

[@IStudyCats]

Auto manufacturers are notoriously untrustworthy when it comes to software updates. I would never buy a cell phone based on the promises of upcoming features, and I don’t think it wise to do so with something exponentially more expensive. Regarding mini’s software decisions, it is incredibly telling that demo cars do not allow you to demonstrate all of the features of their most prominent update. The fact that I can’t go to a dealership and feel what it’s like to own a vehicle because the software has been locked with a paywalled and even the sales people can’t bypass suggest there are no updates coming. I hope I’m wrong but, it’s hard to trust a company who profits most by selling a whole new car instead of updating the one I have.

[@donnafrend1938]

There’s a massage button on the seat so you don’t have to use the display.

[@cmeluzzi]

The problem is that cars are getting too many features, some of them unnecessary. Seat massage, drive assists, animated assistant, new warnings, apps and functions. The list is enormous. Most of it is just gimmick. I test drove a Countryman and was overwhelmed with the info on the display, not to mention the augmented reality, all really confusing for a first drive. Anyway, I'm getting my Mini in a few weeks. I'll probably have fun with the beautiful display for a while, but I'm pretty sure that 90% of the time during my daily commute I'll just drive it like a normal car.

[@Px4164]

screen looks nice, design is awesome, still this doesn't belong to the car dash. dealbreaker for me

[@AlanCameron-g5t]

This doesn’t work on my UK 2025 spec Mini Cooper.

[@lolotus4borderless]

You would hope they propose a simple/light version of that software, Mini for dummies 😂

[@MotoringFile]

That’s actually not a bad idea. With a minimal version the trick would be to hide the right the functionality that’s often not but. But clearly it would need to be something you’d opt into and easily be able to revert from.

[@josephanthony1933]

I sell minis for 8 years and I’m getting a lot of negative feed back on the car. If I had to sum it up in 1 word, people feel (Disconnected) from the car now.

[@icem8n]

And with which electric cars are you comparing this with. If you ask me the new Mini Cooper SE has more Soul then any other Electric car out there.

[@DeniseClark-xw8qz]

I’ve had Minis since 2004 and just taken ownership of the latest model Mini Cooper. I’m still struggling with the look of the rear end!! 😩🤦‍♀️ and as I’ve commented on here elsewhere there’s no port for a USB stick! The toggle switches are all gone! I had a Cooper S before this - but wasn’t prepared to pay for it this time as they’ve dropped the bonnet scoop and twin exhausts??!! Probably lots of other things too - oh, and no gearstick at all!!

[@superkaf]

​@@DeniseClark-xw8qz Plenty of USB slots, they are now the modern USB-C type as putting an old one is not ideal in 2024.

[@CoolTatts]

OMG, CarPlay is a tiny window in a giant circle. Terrible design. I was on the fence on this for my next car but this definitely isn’t a pro. Also not impressed there aren’t ventilated seats. If the driving dynamics don’t emulate my 2012 Mini Cooper S then I’ll hold onto my current Mini for fun and get a more mainstream car as my daily.

[@MotoringFile]

It's due to Apple's limitation of CarPlay. This has nothing to do with MINI's OS. Apple is reportedly changing this eventually.

[@martinbailey4076]

Most you can control with Hey Mini

[@MotoringFile]

Unfortunately that’s not working for us either.

[@josephanthony1933]

Try holding down the radio volume button for a minute and give the system a hard reset. And saying hey mini all the time is wack.

[@banner4141]

We have one , its beyond stupid. 3 or 4 steps just to do basic functions. All while your attention is away from the road. Plus the cooper s bouncing around on British roads .. try and tap the correct icon first time. It isnt happening 😂

[@nickcheema907]

that UI is a disaster. Mini should be embarrassed

[@DanBehrens]

Couldn’t disagree more.

[@paulomatematica9985]

Pure shit!!!! Buttons!!!! Much better!!!!