Might get a Mini, questions inside.

[Nics]

Okay, I'm thinking about getting a mini, but it just seems like a trend that you have to order cars with what you want on it now.

So anyways, are there packages worth getting? Any that should be passed up? Hows the regular stereo? I don't really plan on upgrading to HK, since I didn't like it much in my e46'er, but it might sound different in the mini.

Is the leatherette any good? Or should I just step it up to the leather?

Suggestions/comments?

[banndit]

Leatherette is great, save the $1300 for the sport package. Premium gives you the sunroof, so if that is important, get that, and you also get the radio/cruise buttons on the wheel. Cold weather pkg is cheap at $300, but if you'll never need heated seats, you can save there. The regular stereo is fine, especially since you could get a serious aftermarket system for the $500 that the HK would cost you.

Are you looking at a Cooper or an S?

B

[Nics]

I'm looking to get the S. :D

But yeah I only ask about the leatherette since I'm kinda lazy when it comes to taking care of it and I plan on hauling stuff around since it's a hatch. I don't want to have to be anal about the seats getting scruffed up, etc.

I was thinking about getting the checkmate package, with the exterior being space blue anyways, I figure I can't go wrong. What do you think?

Also, anyone have any idea if the alarm is any good? Does it include shock sensors? Or even add an aftermarket sensor on?

I'm coming from an e46er, I don't know if that helps, but if it makes things a little easier to compare to, that'd be excellent. :D

[banndit]

you'd be hard pressed to tell the leatherette from the leather, and I could become blinder for the money. :D Checkmate package is awesome, much better live than in the pictures you see online.

The factory alarm is a bit pricey compared to aftermarket. You already have an immobilizer in the key, if it were me, I'd save my $.

B

[Doctor Wha]

I specced out my Cooper about 2 years ago, and I'll respectfully disagree about the regular stereo being "fine." I spent about an hour doing comparisons between the stock system, and the HK upgrade, and the HK package kills the stock one hands-down. If you're planning on getting a bling system later, though, yes you can save your money for that.

Personally, I like the goodies in the sport package (bigger wheels, fogs, DSC), but to each his own.

Definitely spring for the Xenon headlights, though. Once you go xenon, you'll halogen will never be good enough again. That was the one option I wondered about the most, but having had it for a couple of years now, it was absolutely one of the best choices I made on the car.

Good luck! :cool
DW

[Nics]

Well, I'm basically coming from a fully loaded 325 e46er, and well... I realized that I could have done without most of the 'upgrades' on it, and that some of the upgrades brought along more problems that weren't really worth the price of the upgrade (ala HK system rattling, etc).

I'm hard pressed to find a car now, rather than wait for the almost 2 month wait to get the mini built, but I'm gonna try to spec one out. I went to the Mini dealership yesterday and they have this S in purple haze on the way over to the dealership on the truck from SC, but it did not have the xenons, so I shrugged it off. They also have this yellow 05 S w/ JCW package with interior that has been redone in yellow/black. But that also did not have the xenons. -- I also believe that once you go HID, you can never go back (I had them on the 325, and it really made a difference).

Basically I'm gonna try to get the prem + checkmate/sport package (really depends on what the interior looks like on the checkmate, I'll have to ask the dealership if they have one on the lot with it), *maybe* the LSD, and the armrest and HID's. If the leatherette looks almost identical to the leather, then I probably wouldn't upgrade (although it is part of the checkmate package). I saw the new english leather design seats, and I'm not really diggin' the whole retro seat look.

Any pros/cons of the packages or options I've listed? Thanks!

[TMMZ Doug]

Avoid the JCW and the Leather.

There are far better aftermarket parts out there that offer more than the JCW can deliver for the money.

The leatherette is better than the leather.

Go for as stock as possible, and upgrade from there after your purchase.

The stereo... not many of us care about that so I say go for stock and as advised above, go aftermarket later. Get a headunit that is SIRIUS ready.

And if you love to drive and love to drive with spirit.... NO SUNROOF.
So many MCS owners I know are now regretting the sunroof option.

Good Luck and follow my sig for more info.

[Nics]

Wow, good input.

Why do you say get a sirius head unit? I'm not planning on getting sat. radio, but will get an aux input probably after I pick it up off the lot to plug my ipod into.

And why do you say that people are regretting the sunroof? I sort of regretted getting one in my e46 after about 30k miles, and the thing would rattle like crazy no matter what. But it was still nice to have a breeze going on with the windows rolled up and no fan/ac running.

[Doctor Wha]

I actually put the armrest in my MINI, but took it back out after a couple of weeks. It may have been that I had gotten used to not having it, but it seemed to be too "in the way" of my arm when I went to engage either my seatbelt, or the e-brake. The seatbelt part of that was just an annoyance, but I considered interference with the e-brake a deal-breaker.

As has been stated before, the cold package is pretty much a waste of money anywhere south of Canada. The leatherette, however, has gotten good reviews among those who have it, so you should be okay if you go with that. The LSD option came along after I got my car, so I can't really offer any feedback on it.

I don't know what issues the HK system had in other cars, but the only thing I ran into was a bit of buzz in one of the door panels on really low bass notes. However, I found that was because of the panel's mounting to the metal part of the door, rather than anything related directly to the system. And that was quickly and easily remedied in about 30 seconds, so no worries there. Beyond that, it's been tremendous. It actually sounds even better than the system in my wife's BMW (a point of some envy from the other side of the garage). :D

Edit: To answer your questions on the sunroof, that has actually been a source of more annoyance and aggravation due to some rattling & wind noise problems. Also, having it lowers the interior headroom of the car. A buddy of mine has it in his MCS, and having seen it, I'm glad I opted to go without.

Anywho, have fun speccing yours out!
DW

[TMMZ Doug]

I say get it sirius ready only becuase of the ease.

The sunroof is added weight in the wrong spot.

If you like the option, go for it. If you want to go fast, hit the track, etc... no sunroof is the way to go until there is a lightweight replacement that's easy to insstall and uninstall.

[Koopah]

You should carefully scrutinize the possible options available on the demos your MINI dealer uses. Note your initial impressions about things like pleather vs. leather, HK vs. std, sunroof, 17" wheels vs. 16" wheels, etcetera. You'll get lots of feedback here, but in the end it is YOUR decision -- you will be the one driving (and paying for) the MINI, not us!

Everyone comes from a different angle on selecting the options for the MINI. Here are some viewpoints:


Cost

Don't "overbuy" options. Many of the incidental dealer (non-warranty related) options can be added with aftermarket parts and our own labor for a substantial cost savings. Examples: armrests, parcel shelf, auxillary adapter, floor mats, driving lights, stripes, etc. Some of these are more difficult to install than others so keep your skill level in mind.


Performance

If you are performance-oriented, you will appreciate the difference the LSD makes. My '04 does not have it but I recently drove two '06 models, one with and one without. Nice improvement.

The components of the Sport Pkg are (IMHO) worth the price of admission. However, I purchased mine "a la carte" because I didn't want the extra weight of the stock 17" wheels (remember, unlike the sunroof, wheels are unsprung weight). I went with the standard 16" x-lites and saved 30 - 40 pounds.

See also "Modding".


Comfort

One of the nice things about the leather sport seating is the adjustable lumbar support. If this is not an issue for you then the cloth or pleather seating should work out well. My son's MINI has the pleather and it is very well done. I have the cloth which I prefer for year-round comfort.

Well, the sunroof is an item of controversy. I love how it brings an open, airy feel to the interior. Yes, it is extra weight well above the CG, but I think that argument is, well, overstated and is more of a technical/theoretical consideration rather than a practical one. I have two years on my sunroof without any leaks, creaks or other problems.

Cruise control (included with one of the pkgs, I believe) is a good way to save some MPG and keep you out of trouble (kind of!) when travelling on a well-patrolled highway. It seems to vary +/- 1 MPH or so, unlike my E46. Not a problem for me.


Location and Dealership

I'm in the northeast, which is pretty cold on winter mornings. I appreciate the heated seats (boy, are they heated!) and mirrors. If you are in a typically moderate climate, ditch 'em.

How far are you away from the dealer? Do they have loaner cars available?

Look at the shop to see if it is clean and organized. It seems to be a good thing to find a MINI dealership's service department that does not share space with a BMW dealer. You'll know the techs and management are focused on MINIs.

Drop by the dealer on a Monday morning when people are dropping off their cars for service. Talk to them in the parking lot and ask about their service experience at the dealership. Remember, you buy the MINI once but you'll visit the service department for your regular needs.


Modding

A MINI is so fun to drive, it may leave you with the need to make changes to even further enhance its engine and suspension; it depends on how much you are into performance. However, those who are warranty-minded may wish not to step into a possible warranty dispute issue. If you are not one of those people, then mod away!

You must understand that this topic has been flogged to death on the message boards but the down-shot is that those who are warranty-minded usually upgrade with factory-approved (JCW) components, those who are not usually upgrade with aftermarket parts. Aftermarket is most definately cheaper.

If you are not into large-scale modding, you can still make several changes that can substantially increase the enjoyment of the MINI: (1) Get some light aftermarket wheels and non-runflat tires and, (2) install a thicker rear sway bar.


As I said -- it is YOUR decision. Don't let my rantings or those of others steer you away or toward any direction that you have not explored on your own by demo-ing a real world experience in a dealer's MINI. Remember - there is no limit on the number of test drives you can take!

FWIW,

Theo

[Nics]

Thanks for the input. I've actually taken some time to 'research' on the net about a few things and I've decided that this car will be a barebones type of car. I'll have options added on but it will not be fully loaded.

I test drove the S the other day and while my 'manual driving skillz' (coming from a steptronic) are not the best, I still had a blast. I'm afraid that my skillz are not good enough to actually get the car going good enough to test out the LSD or not. But I've decided that I will invest in the LSD since I want to track this car occasionally.

I've basically narrowed it down to these options: Hyper Blue/white top -or- Space Blue/silver top, LSD, OBC, black headliner, HID, upgraded steering wheel, Auto A/C, fogs, interior surface being silver, black leatherette. And whatever else comes standard. Price tag: $23,750 according to MiniUSA.com

I don't think I'll care for the sunroof as I barely used it in my E46. I also don't know if DSC would be useful to me since I also never used it on my e46, but it would always light up going over speed bumps. But yes, I know accidents are called accidents for a reason... Still debating.

[MandaBoo]

May I also recommend getting the Convenience Pkg for $400. I love not having a garage door opener junking up my car and I really like the auto dimming rear view mirror and having my headlights come on by themselves. I was a bit unsure about the auto sensing wipers at first, but now I really like them. I have heard many people say that there's don't work that well, but everyone I know with an '05 or newer say there's work better than the older ones? I dunno, but for $400 I think its worth it

[TMMZ Doug]

I look at it like this... I can dim my own mirror, turn my lights on and off and clip my garage door opener somewhere safe. All while saving $400

[MandaBoo]

I look at it like this... I can dim my own mirror, turn my lights on and off and clip my garage door opener somewhere safe. All while saving $400There's a reason its called the "Convenience Package" as these things are conveniences. There are alot of things that you 'can' do, but if we all spent our lives just getting the things that we need rather than what makes our lives more pleasurable, we wouldn't be driving MINI's now would we :stickoutt

[Koopah]

I've not really been impressed by the Auto A/C in my '04. However, I realize that some folks may differ with me about this. Is there a compelling reason to spend the extra money on this feature when I purchase an '07? Is the manual version of the A/C that different in performance?

Theo

[Nics]

I guess I'm just used to auto a/c. My 325 had it, and all the other cars I drive got it too. Also it has the microfilter which I like since I'm practically allergic to everything. I dunno, I might play around with the manual a/c knobs at the dealership (if they even have that on any of the demos). I kind of miss the old school knobs.

[Koopah]

I guess I'm just used to auto a/c. My 325 had it, and all the other cars I drive got it too. Also it has the microfilter which I like since I'm practically allergic to everything. I dunno, I might play around with the manual a/c knobs at the dealership (if they even have that on any of the demos). I kind of miss the old school knobs.

I believe the micro-filter is standard on both the manual and auto A/C. I just don't like the A/C on by default. Same gripe with the E46. Not sure it's that big a deal, however.

Theo

[Doctor Wha]

I believe the micro-filter is standard on both the manual and auto A/C.
It is now. :thumbup:

At first, manual AC got the cheapy paper filter, and only Auto AC got the charcoal microfilter, but now, the "good" filter is on both. :cool

As for the Auto AC question, there have been times when I thought it might be handy to be able to set a thermostat and forget it, but it has only ever been a thought in passing. No regrets about the manual AC, and the money saved.

On the auto-dimming mirror, I have never heard anything good about them from any manufacturer. In fact, my buddy with the MCS hates them with a fiery passion. :D

In the end, though, Koopah posted what I was thinking, but was too lazy to type: It's your car, and MINIs are nothing if not individual. So by all means, make it your own, and enjoy! :redspot

[Nics]

Ahh, well I was only asking for insight since I got my e46 325 almost fully loaded, and I was quite disappointed that I spent so much money on things that only made the maintence worse, or things I could have done without. So I was just wondering if there were some mini owners that felt that way about packages/options that they got but have little or no use for.

[Nics]

Well, I put in an order for the MCS the other day. Here are my options, for those who would be interested to know.


You specified the following options/features:

2006 MINI
Cooper S
Hardtop
Manual Transmission
Hyper Blue Metallic
Silver-Gray/Black Leatherette
Anthracite Headliner
Multi-function Steering Wheel
Limited Slip Differential
Roof & Mirror Caps In White
Interior Dash & Door Bezel Silver
Fog Lights
Xenon Headlights
On-Board Computer
Rear Fog Lamps