From a Whisper to a Wail - 2014 Mini Cooper Hardtop Long-Term Road Test

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From a Whisper to a Wail - 2014 Mini Cooper Hardtop Long-Term Road Test

The 2014 Mini Cooper is a fun car, but I have a couple gripes about its infotainment system.

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legacygt

Low streaming volume is annoying. But this would be partially solved if the system "remembered" the volume for each audio choice. My CX-9 has the same problem but when I switch back tot he radio it reverts to the volume from the last time I was listening to the radio. Same for CD and hands free phone.

arcticbluetsx

Is it possible that the volume on the auxiliary device is set very low? Could that be the cause?

darex

In this car, every single audio output has its own volume setting. You have to adjust it DURING the actual audio event. How are you listening to your podcasts? Are you doing it the "official/proper" way; namely, using the MINI Connected App (which requires that you're plugged into USB to work) and selecting "Podcasts?" this is how I listen to streaming Web Radio content, and the volume control and quality are both excellent. Try that, and report back.

The scrolling direction is weird, but after a week, one is used to it.

schen72

I'm not much of a music listener, but this definitely wouldn't be a dealbreaker for me. My older cars don't even have bluetooth audio streaming, only bluetooth for talking on the phone. So maybe I just don't know what I'm missing...

socalaj1

Mini has individual volume controls for each input in the sub-menus. I had to turn mine to 6 out of 6 so that it was equally as loud as the other devices. Although you have the new generation I imagine the same functionality should still be in there. That screen looks like it has an option off to the right.

rm2008

Articbluetsx, the phone was at full volume.

Darex. I had no idea that Mini App existed. Thanks for the heads up, I'll try it the next time I'm in the car. I was using the Pocket Casts app (much better than Apple's own app). However, I did try a USB lightning cable and had the same low volume issue.

-Ron Montoya, Consumer Advice Editor

darex

rm2008 said:

Articbluetsx, the phone was at full volume.

Darex. I had no idea that Mini App existed. Thanks for the heads up, I'll try it the next time I'm in the car. I was using the Pocket Casts app (much better than Apple's own app). However, I did try a USB lightning cable and had the same low volume issue.

-Ron Montoya, Consumer Advice Editor

I could be slightly mistaken. I haven't tried Podcasts per se, but all app live streaming I've done via the MINI CONNECTED App, has been loud and clear (i.e. BMW's own Web Radio or TuneIn) I don't see why a podcast would have volume issues, where (iPod) music playback does not, as they are treated the same(?).

gloss

I have similar issues in my Fiesta ST with MyFord Touch. I think it's due in part to the relatively low mixing volume of most podcasts relative to music, which is typically mixed loud, or radio, which is a different feed altogether.

I also notice that with MFT, my phone's discrete volume controls are still active, so I have to be sure to max out my phone's volume before adjusting the car's.