Can't Block the Sun - 2014 Mini Cooper Hardtop Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.comEdmunds.com Member, Administrator, Moderator Posts: 10,315
edited March 2015 in MINI
imageCan't Block the Sun - 2014 Mini Cooper Hardtop Long-Term Road Test

The sun roof on our 2014 Mini Cooper does not completely block out the sun.

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  • grijongrijon Member Posts: 147
    But, Donna, freckles are GOOD!!
  • texasestexases Member Posts: 10,887
    Deal killer here in Dallas. No way I'd get a car with that kind of sunroof.
  • prndlolprndlol Member Posts: 140
    Auto glass blocks UVB rays, the ones responsible for freckling and sunburns. However, it's the UVA rays which pass through which cause photoaging. Unlike UVB rays which are strongest between 10-am-4pm, UVA is the same strength from sunrise to sunset.
  • legacygtlegacygt Member Posts: 599
    I don't understand these shades at all. I much prefer a solid cover. If I want sunlight streaming in I open it and when I don't, I close it. Simple. This type of cover does not allow full blockage of light or heat.
  • texasestexases Member Posts: 10,887
    Heat is my main concern, especially with a weak A/C.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Mini AC generally sucks. They must use very small compressors or some such. Every Mini I have ever driven cannot keep up with temps over 90. I appreciate the visibility in the Mini and the sunroof, but it's not a car I'd recommend to people in Arizona. And whatever you do, do not break your sunroof glass (ask me how I know). You'll be $2700 poorer unless insurance picks up the tab.
  • dgcamerodgcamero Member Posts: 148
    Might be time for some window tinting.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Hmmm....I wonder. The sunroof glass and rear windows are already tinted.
  • fmkofmko Member Posts: 21
    Yes but you can have antireflective tint put on the inside of the sunroof, as I did with my panoramic sunroof.
  • darexdarex Member Posts: 187
    The mesh does a far better job of blocking the sun, in real life, than suggested here. It's probably 90% blocked at least. I've never had a problem with the strength of the A/C or of the head in my MINI. It seems pretty competent to me. I don't think there's a car out there that could be parked outside all day long, in direct sunlight, and not turn into an oven in the process.
  • texasestexases Member Posts: 10,887
    Where do you live? In Dallas ANY added heat load is a killer.
  • veedubber86veedubber86 Member Posts: 57
    At least it's possible to buy a Mini without the sunroof...
  • vvkvvk Member Posts: 196
    Best thing about Mini is that you can order it EXACTLY the way you want it. Just don't order the sunroof -- problem solved. And yes, I would not want that sunroof. This is a problem many cars have with these stupid mesh covers. Germans and Brits have mild sun, so they don't understand how useless a cover like that is somewhere in Texas or Israel where the sun is extremely intense.
  • desmoliciousdesmolicious Member Posts: 671
    I rented one in England that had that mesh cover. Even in England, it made the interior hot. Who came up with the mesh cover? Why? Why not just an opaque one?
  • fordson1fordson1 Unconfirmed Posts: 1,512
    vvk said:

    Best thing about Mini is that you can order it EXACTLY the way you want it. Just don't order the sunroof -- problem solved. And yes, I would not want that sunroof. This is a problem many cars have with these stupid mesh covers. Germans and Brits have mild sun, so they don't understand how useless a cover like that is somewhere in Texas or Israel where the sun is extremely intense.

    A Mk6 GTI (which I believe is German) has a louvered sunroof slider, which still passes air and can be kept closed when the roof is tilted, but blocks all the sun, due to the extreme louver angle. I don't know about what they use in the giant sunroof in the Mk7.

  • actualsizeactualsize Member Posts: 451
    edited March 2015
    I dislike this sort of mesh shade and agree wholeheartedly with Donna. Anything that isn't solid is a deal killer. But I don't have the issue with my own cars because I never buy the sunroof. I save big-time money and a not-insignificant chunk of weight located at the highest point possible. I get more headroom (usually), and there's no way a fixed roof is going to leak or whistle.

    Twitter: @Edmunds_Test

  • texasestexases Member Posts: 10,887
    edited March 2015
    Same here, I've never bought a sunroof. But it's getting harder, lots of cars can't be bought with desirable options (audio systems, leather interiors) without a sunroof.
  • mlin32mlin32 Member Posts: 35
    I would agree with the comments: order what you want. If you don't like the notion of a large moonroof with a mesh shade, don't order the moonroof. Mini doesn't force you to.
  • zimtheinvaderzimtheinvader Member Posts: 580
    I test drove a car years ago with the exact same setup. It was about 105 out that day. Driving the car was miserable because so much heat made it through the shade. I can't believe they haven't come up with something better.
  • fordson1fordson1 Unconfirmed Posts: 1,512
    actualsize said:

    I dislike this sort of mesh shade and agree wholeheartedly with Donna. Anything that isn't solid is a deal killer. But I don't have the issue with my own cars because I never buy the sunroof. I save big-time money and a not-insignificant chunk of weight located at the highest point possible. I get more headroom (usually), and there's no way a fixed roof is going to leak or whistle.

    See my comment above...solid will block sun, but also prevent venting heat through a tilted sunroof, either parked or in motion. Well-designed louvers do both.

    I'm on my eighth car with a sunroof, and I've never had one that leaks or whistles when closed...that's an overblown concern, anymore.
  • s197gts197gt Member Posts: 486
    two words: duct tape.

    fixes everything. even broken deals.
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