I read a lot of auto magazines and since this model Mini came out with the openometer all I hear is how useless it is. Don't these critics get sunburn?

I have a convertible roadster for the summer and even on overcast cloudy days I end up with a sunburn if I'm driving around for a couple hours.

I actually would buy an aftermarket guage if I could. Sure I could watch the clock but what's the interest in that? I heard 15 minutes is the rule of thumb when exposed in the sunlight.

So I'm a fan. I think its a smart solution. And it's holds just enough quirkyness that matches well with the new Minis.

Bill Griffith is wrong.

In defense of engineers everywhere (and I'm not an engineer), the OPENOMETER was much more likely to have been conceptualized by the marketing group, and then forced upon the engineers. Engineers are way too practical to have come up with an obviously useless gimmick. However I'm sure the Mini Cooper marketing group is patting themselves on the back for coming up with their version of a VW Bug flower holder.

Lame, put on sunblock.

Any Mini driver – especially a taller one – can tell you that being first in line at an overhead traffic light requires ducking and craning one's neck to the overhead signals.
----
We love our Mini Cooper S -- but had the same trouble seeing overhead traffic lights -- until we purchased a "light in sight" lens that adheres to the top of the windshield. Terrific solution for less than $20.
http://www.lightinsight.com/

I wouldn't buy one because it doesn't have a closometer, rainometer, ultravioletometer, windometer, or smogometer.

Guess the OPENOMETER did its job. It got you talking about it and its quirky enough that it will reside in your short term memory longer than usual.

WHERE DO YOU DEFINE THE OPENOMETER? I HAD TO SCROLL THE WHOLE ARTICLE TWICE! SO FRUSTRATING

Now if this feature included information so that you know exactly how long the roof was open, and at what latitude (on the fly calculation as you were driving north/south), and only when someone was seated in the car (seat sensors) and used all this information to generate a conversion factor for total UV exposure based on your approx distance from the equator then I would be impressed.

Its just another gauge for nerds to one up the other.........

This car is sweet - the problem with the US auto industry recently (what the heck IS an 'American' car, anymore, anyway?) is a lack of creativity (the Ford Flex being one notable exception) - and when this author sees some, all he can do is dis it... tsk tsk...

Hmm...Sounds like a nice idea. But then again, I would rather prefer a FEEDODOMETER in case I forget to eat.

Andy - seriously? Come on. Stick with your commonsense. After 15 mins as you note, hit the sunblock. What a waste of dash space. And I had to LAUGH when I saw the speedometer. Griffin isn't exaggerating. That thing is HUGE. Still, I love the Mini. Doesn't make sense as a 1 vehicle household. But then again, my unofficial view is that it's driven by urban chic or suburban well-to-dos. Would love one if I had the bank and could still keep a pickup for general work stuff. Funny write up.

This review reads like a senior citizen's first try with an iPod. Lighten up, Bill - you aren't the target demographic for this product.

mini cooper = ghey

I'm pretty sure the writter here is mistaking the Openometer for a serious gauge. Its clearly a lighthearted touch to a car that few, if any, people will own as their only car. Its quirky and fun, and something you'd never find on some souless Toyota or GM.

My MINI has an Openometer, and while it's of almost no real use, I love it for its whimsy. Since day one of the launch of the new MINI, the marketing has been spot-on. Rich visuals, subtle wry humor, fun little touches like the Openometer. The MINI isn't for everyone, for numerous reasons, but I bet the vast majority of owners smile just thinking about this particular gauge.

As for the huge center-mounted speedo, I call it the "Dadyouredrivingtoofastonometer," as it is useless to me as the driver while eliciting gleeful cries from whichever offspring of mine has been ingloriously resigned to the small rear seat.

Hey ANGERED READER,

Why don't you read the article ONCE, but at a normal pace. You'll find the definition in the THIRD SENTENCE.

Dear ANGERED READER,
Try the third sentence/paragraph.

You're welcome.

Not having a convertible myself, I can't speak towards the utility of this type of gauge.

However, doesn't this hint of the standard gauge to identify which door is still open, or wasn't properly or fully closed? Isn't the operable rooftop essentially parallel to all operable doors and hatches, and isn't there concrete peace of mind to be found in knowing when all are fully secured?

I think the people that understand the humor and useless-ness of the guage are also the same people that Mini markets too. The mini is not a serious car, it never claimed to be. Have you ever seen any of their marketing efforts? If you are that up in arms about it, you're probably better suited in a Camry.

Ooops, forgot to mention I do wear sunscreen everytime. SPF-85, yeah they make it. Still maybe I should take the stuff with me cause I swear it wears off.

Here's a thought. What 'device' could the developers of this vehicle have created alternatively to the openometer that would be of more use in a convetible specifically?

I find the openometer the result of a stream of consciousness brainstorming session about what it means to be in a convetible and the identity of the MINI brand. A success in creativity with a bit of practicallity.

I wish the globe had a retardometer for each article ... it's getting worser everyday around here... pretty soon I'll just read the Herald.

As a proud owner of a 2003 Mini Cooper S, appreciative of it's power & handling after watching Mini Coopers from the 1960s race around a track, this ridiculous meter just goes along with their whole marketing ploy to attract people who have no idea what a real Mini Cooper can do; to some people it's just a cute car. Ugh, so sad. Instead of a meter like that I would have preferred 1. useful cup holders or 2. more than 3 windshield wiper speeds.

Openometer? Very, very German.

Should have put a lap timer/chronograph there instead. Or some useful engine data. The large tach is nice in some ways but that speedo is really stupid, looks like something from a yaris or a pre-opel saturn. Sad to see them take a fun competent car and "fisher-price" it to this extreme. Reference the latest Audi TT for a "grown-ups" car.

"If the sun's too hot, put the top up and turn on the A/C."

If you drive your convertible in the summer with the top up, you're doing it wrong. The top should only go up if (a) it is raining, or (b) the temperature is below 40 degrees. Otherwise, if the top is up, you wasted the $4000 extra you paid for a convertible.

I might one when they ever have a BUTTOMETER, which tells you how long you've been sitting. Much more useful than a "CLOCKOMETER."

Ohhhh, "dr fuzz" ... you're so ironic.

No wonder so many car makers are in trouble. They focus on designing useless, trivial features like this that serve no purpose and appeal only to air-headed (pun intended) idiots who probably shouldn't be behind the wheel of any motorized vehicle in the first place.

Ok $27,000 for an undersized, underpowered, vehicle that seats two. Our 2008 Ford Escape seats 5, came loaded, and it has plenty of cargo space. We average 27 miles to the gallon, and paid $22,000 for it. For $5,000 I'll sacrifice the slightly lower mileage, for comfort and a much more useful vehicle.

As a 2009 Mini Cooper S owner, I can tell you, Joe, the reason I didn't buy most of the cars out there, especially American, is because they're boring. At least Mini is trying something different.

MINI should put a UV measuring device on top of the Openometer.

Proud/carguy, lots of people enjoy their cars without being a purist. I skipped the S to save a bunch of dough, ditto for the TT (+$10k). No worries, there's room on the road for all of us.

Joe, I read somewhere that MINI is one of just a couple of brands NOT seeing their volume go down. Oh, and while the Openometer appeals to me, I hadn't heard of it until I took delivery of the car. It's a fun extra, I guess you have to have a sense of humor to appreciate it. That "idiot" insult was pretty clever. Maybe you just need a nap ...

Kevin, the Mini - vs. an Escape - is more for people who actually LIKE to drive...

I never realized the Germans could be so funny.
I want to know how to say openometer in German?

I wish they had used the GERMAN spelling for the openmeter............ FARFAKNUGIN I think

they should have a mechanic that comes with every purchase.I have an 05' and have more problems than i can list...id be here till tomorrow.
Has anyone ever had their hatchback door fall off????Please tell me im not the only one....

Mini, I drive one not the 'S' kind.
Now that you mentioned purpose, I'd rather choose my Mini against all those behemoth SUVs driven by just one occupant. Everybody is measuring their fuel in miles per gallon and conservation while these behemoths are measuring gallons per mile.
These are the real vehicles with no useful purpose. Do you really tow your yatch daily? Do you really have 6 kids? What did you drive prior to SUVs?

Trying to figure out what kind of person couldn't figure out what an "openometer" means in the context of a perky little convertible. A Camry driver I suppose. Perhaps He and Joe (who drives an Accord I bet) can get together for a luke warm cup of watered down chock-full-of-nuts coffee with imitation creamer.

elvira madigan...
Before SUVs people drove station wagons where kids could sit in the back, unbelted. Now all occupants have to be belted, and no kid under 48 inches can sit in the front passenger seat due to the airbag. So you only have enough room for three kids in the back seat of a standard sedan. If you are lucky, you can get away with this. If not, it means all of the associated equipment will not fit into the trunk at the same time or the kids car seats or booster seats to not fit side by side in the back seat anymore.
The only option left is a minivan or SUV. and last I checked, minivans do not get great mileage either.

mini mind
"Trying to figure out what kind of person couldn't figure out what an "openometer" means in the context of a perky little convertible. A Camry driver I suppose."

Exactly. Well put.

I wonder if they considered swapping the gauges a bit, by making the openometer the huge gauge in the middle, then move the tachometer to where the openometer is currently, and the speedometer where the tach is, right where it ought to be in easy line of sight...