[LMB]

Quote:

Originally posted by JV
Those seats in EVO are sort of half leather - the bolsters are leather, but the inserts are alcantara for improved 'grip'.

JV,

I prefer that, I am not too keen on full leather..

Quote:

I like the MINI logo on them, and I think the colours look good too (a bit Astra Coupe perhaps though?).

I think they look excellent, I really like the Mini logo too.

Quote:

However, EVO doesn't give a cost and I wouldn't mind betting it's a hell of a lot..

If you look at the top left of the page, it lists:

Costs this month : £800

If thats the case, that really good.

LMB

[peteb]

THE SAGA GOES ON!

My dealer is refusing to change the seats because he claims that I accepted a CD stack (cost £250) as compensation for no sport seats.

This is clearly not true.

I also didn't get the passenger seat height adjustment (cost £170).

I got a radio cassette instead of a radio/cd (cost difference £70).

The two of those come to £240 - which is about the cost of the CD stacker.

But, isn't it funny, whenever I ring to talk to the man concerned (Jeff Owen of Vines of Gatwick) - he's not there!

I will continue to persue this until I get a satisfactory answer.

[JV]

Sue them!!! Issue a small claim against the dealer - watch him start calling you then!

[peteb]

I'm actually getting to the point where I am getting disallusioned by the whole thing.

Instead of getting into the car and thinking what a great car it is, I'm getting into it and thinking what crap the seats are.

I currently have a Cooper 'S' on order. I am at the stage where unless something happens soon, I will be cancelling the order and selling my Cooper.

It really hurts when I thing that I spent £14,800 on this car. I waited four years for it (since it was first seen at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1997). And the whole package has been let down by the fact that BMW cannot put decent seats into it.

[smiffy]

Peteb, they say that the Cooper S will have Soft Nappa Leather which is the same leather that is on the seats on BMW M POWER cars. So hopefully you wont get the same poor quality in you Cooper S when it arrives
Well hopefully you wont

[peteb]

The problem that I've got is that the whole episode has left such a sour taste in my mouth that I'm no longer sure that I want a Cooper S.

The one thing I will be doing in future when complete strangers ask me what I think about the car - I'll tell them the truth.

[smiffy]

PETEB, buy a copy of the latest EVO magazine. They had the same problem. They had the saets cover by a Leather Seat companf for £800. The seats look superb. They are Black with Silver Alcantara with the Cooper Emblem on the front seats
The company even added som eextra support on the side as they didnt have th sports seats

[MiniMoke]

Quote:

Originally posted by smiffy
Peteb, they say that the Cooper S will have Soft Nappa Leather which is the same leather that is on the seats on BMW M POWER cars. So hopefully you wont get the same poor quality in you Cooper S when it arrives
Well hopefully you wont

There is a god!!! I do hope that the seats can be improved on the S. It is deserving of some premium leather, as I am paying a premium price. I want some substance with my style.

[OnlyS4me]

Take it from me, I was the one who said that!! This is really good feeling soft and rather thick leather. Feels the same as the leather in the new 7-series, M-roadster and M3.

[peteb]

My trials and tribulations about the seats continue.

On Freday 7/12/01 I spoke to one of the managers in BMW's Mini care centre. He was 'very upset' that I thought the seats to be inferior, and this was the first complaint he heard about the seats (he obviously doesn't read MINI2).

He promised to get back to me either later that day or by Monday at the latest.

It's now Friday 14/12/01, and guess what.....I haven't heard a word from him.

So much for BMW's customer service.

[Viscount Charles]

Let's face it, Rover's build quality on the old Mini was pretty poor.

On the leather seats issue, my classic Mini seats are looking a bit worn and saggy, as if I'd done about 90,000 miles in the seat.

Oh, looking at the odometer I see that I _have_ done 90,000 miles. So the seats have worn pretty well - probably only need a bit of saddle soap to brighten them up.

So pull fingers out, BMW! If Rover could supply proper seats on the old Mini, you blooming-well ought to supply proper leather seats in the new MINI!

And don't _think_ about selling me a duff set of seats - I'll issue that Claim Form at my local County Court so fast you won't know what's happening ....

I _know_ the meaning of "satisfactory quality" under section 14 of the Sales Of Goods ACt (as amended).

[peteb]

I put up a new thread titled "last chance for BMW" but it's disappeared, (it would be appreciated if somebody was to delet my trheads that they would at least tll me they were going to do it. I'll try putting my comments here.

Here is a copy of the letter that I sent to my Dealer Principle last week.

"I bought a MINI Cooper from **** of Gatwick on 9/7/2001. All my dealings were with (name of sales manager) and have been cordial on all occasions. I would like to stress that in all our dealings Geoff has acted completely professionally and sympathetically.

My problems stem from the quality of materials and version of the seats that were installed in my MINI. Approx (from memory) a week before delivery Geoff informed me that the car would not have sports seats (as it is a Chilli pack car it should have them), the passenger seat would not be height adjustable and the car would have a radio cassette rather than a radio CD. The options that I was given were that I accepted the car as it came or I waited 10-12 weeks to get the car I really wanted.

As I had already been waiting four years (since the MINI was first seen at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1997) for this car, I was unwilling to wait any longer, So I accepted the car. As way of compensation I had a CD stacker fitted in the boot in September. My understanding was that as the Seat Height adjustment cost £170 and the difference between the CD and the cassette player was a further £70 that this was about right. There is no cost difference between ordinary and sports seats. Geoff was made aware that, though I would take the car because I couldn't wait any longer, I was not happy about not getting the sports seats.

On 9/7/2001 when I went to pick up the car, before I even got in it, I was singularly unimpressed with the standard black panther leather seats (The Sale Manager should remember my comments). When I considered that I was spending an extra £970 for them I thought them inferior before I had even sat in them. They looked flat and lifeless (they reminded me of the seats that Austin put in the original Mini). My first impression then I sat down was that you sat ON them rather that IN them. I then found , when driving, that they were positively dangerous. When I went round a roundabout, because there is no lateral support at all, that my backside SLID ACROSS THE SEAT. If I hadn't had the steering wheel to hold onto, I would have lost control of the car. As it was, my wife ended up smeared across the passenger window. I make no bones about it - it frightened the life out of me. My wife has got used to it now - whenever I go round a corner she braces herself against the door!.

The car has now done 6,500 miles. The look of the seats has deteriorated so they look like they have done 100,000 miles - not just the base but the back as well. All the leather has gone slack and wrinkled. I went to a MINI meeting at Gaydon on October where there were more than 100 MINIs. There were four cars with the standard black panther leather seats. All of them looked to be deteriorating badly.

My last car was a Ford Mondeo Ghia X with leather seats. Those seats looked and felt as good when the car had done 50,000 miles as there were when it was new. I could drive that car for 3+ hours and get out and walk away from the car. If I try that in my current seats, I can barley walk when I get out of the car. Is it right that Ford use better materials than BMW in making the seats?

I believe that the motoring magazine EVO has a Cooper on long term test with standard black panther leather seats. They have spent £800 to have the seats stripped down and rebuilt properly because they found the quality and design so poor.

The MINI is a brilliant car. It is without doubt the best drivers car, for the money, on the road. Unfortunately, I cannot drive it as its meant to be driven because the seats will not let me stay where I should be - behind the wheel. I now find that instead of getting into the car thinking what a great car it is - I'm thinking how bad the seats are.

Unfortunately, I appear to have been unable to get anything done about them. I have been speaking to MINI Customer Services and yourselves since I've had the car and have got nowhere. You say I have to speak to Customer Services - They say I have to speak to you (I only learnt of YOUR existence today!). I am now completely frustrated and disillusioned and have decided that as I cannot get the car perfect (even though it cost me nearly £15,000), I shall have to get rid of it. This also means that unless I can get a resolution, I shall be cancelling my order for a Cooper S that I have with you - I'm number one on your waiting list.

I have been a Mini/MINI fan all my driving life. I have had six classic Minis and was delighted to be one of the first in the country to get the MINI. It is a great car, but, it is being completely spoilt for me by the poor design and inferior quality of the seats. Please don't make me one of the first to sell a MINI in the country."

The area manager for MINI is looking at my car on 15/1/2002. If he says that my seats need replacing (rather than repairing) then MINI will replace the seats with sports seats for a small fee (small has yet to be determined). We shall see what happens then.

WATCH THIS SPACE

[BruceK]

Quote:

Originally posted by peteb
I put up a new thread titled "last chance for BMW" but it's disappeared, (it would be appreciated if somebody was to delet my trheads that they would at least tll me they were going to do it. I'll try putting my comments here.........

Pete,

Here's your thread:

http://www.mini2.com/forum/showthrea...&threadid=2991

(No, I didn't move it -- not even sure if it was moved -- but it hasn't been deleted)

[LMB]

Quote:

Originally posted by peteb
I put up a new thread titled "last chance for BMW" but it's disappeared, (it would be appreciated if somebody was to delet my trheads that they would at least tll me they were going to do it. I'll try putting my comments here.

peteb,

Your thread is there

I hope they sort it out.

Merry Christmas

LMB