I only have an answer for number 3. and that is Astro Black, it is the only color to get Actually it is pretty awesome, you should find the thread for astro blacks, I think its Astro Black Registry. You'll see pics of cars that look blue, that is actually Astro Black

Also, one thing I'm not sure if it was mentioned but unfortunately you'll be lucky if you're able to get any money off when negotiating. Don't let that stop you from trying but know going it that it seems to be a very rare thing for buyers to get their MINI for less than MSRP unless they've bought from that dealer before.

good luck

 

1- It's about $3500 more to go from a hardtop to convertible. EDIT to elaborate: You can head to http://miniusa.com/ and fire up the configurator to get an idea for prices. Most MINI dealers are asking MSRP, though some are asking a bit more than that due to heavy demand. Depending where you are, you may be able to find a different dealer that's only asking MSRP. It's unlikely you'll be able to buy a new MINI for lower than MSRP. My dealer charged MSRP.

2- The sunroof is actually two sunroofs. Both will tilt up. If you want to slide it open, the front one slides back on top of the rear one. You can't slide both open.

3- Hard to say, but I think Chili Red is the most common color. Astro Black is pretty popular as well.

4- All the turbo models (S and JCW) need Premium fuel. I thought the non-turbo models only needed regular, but I may be wrong here. Well, actually, any of them "will run" on regular, just with reduced performance and MPG. I've got no problem paying the extra for Premium.

 

Thanks hunsingeruk! I take it you own the Astro Black? I really do like the look of a shiny black vehicle - but it gets mighty "warm" here in Virginia - and I am not a "warm-weather" person - if ya catch my drift ('nice place to visit - but wouldn't want to live there' ...). I am (probably) looking for a "cooler" (temperature wise) color.

And sorry, I edited my post at about the same time you posted your thoughtful reply - do you know about the octane requirements?

PS - Thank you Tu13es!

 

Chilli Red or Pepper White w/ black bonnet stripes would probably be my second mini, w/ PW leading the possibilities list. Theres also the Sparkling Silver i think it is(to me it looks tan or beige) I see these a lot.

you really can't go wrong with any of the colors

The pdf I have of the owners manual does not allow copying the text but for the Cooper S it says "required fuel" followed by "super premium gasoline/aki 91" followed by "this gasoline is highly recommended. However, you may also use gasoline with less AKI. The minimum aki rating is 87"...

 

AHA!!! Another Virginia type!

Anyway, like Tu13es said, try the configurator for pricing - that's pretty much the price you'll have to work with, unless the dealer throws in "dealer extras" which might either build the price up more, OR give you room to negotiate. Just understand - like hunsingeruk said, you're coming from behind if you're trying to deal...these cars are in high demand, so you have to make a pretty credible argument to the dealer (read: have your money IN HAND as you're negotiating almost!) to get anything out of haggling.

As for color -- although I PERSONALLY have a super-great fondness for British Racing Green (so very sparkly!) for photos see my gallery! -- I see mostly pure-silvers and pepper-whites out on the road around VA, and Richmond particularly. I think those two (PS and PW) may be the easiest color to produce, since MINI is so backlogged... Anyway...

Yep - they're right on the sunroof. I love mine. I couldn't imagine life without it now! And I like the hard tops MUCH better than the cabrios -- I don't like the very constricted visibility out the back window, not to mention the glove-compartment-sized boot.

Since I only visit the gas station MAYBE once a month, always using premium is not a problem.

 

ALL MINIs run on premium fuel per the owner's manual. I've driven my MC on regular fuel once, and will never do so again. The car sounds terrible, the engine knocks and it doesn't accelerate smoothly out of stops when it is running on regular fuel. As a result, I only feed Viola Shell V-Power.

I agree that astro black is gorgeous, but yeah, for high temp areas, I might skip it. Pepper white would probably be my next choice for color preference, but I have to be honest, all of the MINI colors are pretty popular. Where I live, I see primarily the blues, reds and yellows. The silvers aren't too terribly popular, and silver is always nice because it hides dirt really well, but I don't think popularity should enter into your choice. Spend some time with the configurator and get what you like.

 

Number 1 and 2 are foreign to me- my MINI has a sunroof, but I don't have it yet, and my MINI isn't a convertible.

3. Chili Red seems to be the most popular color. Mellow Yellow and Nightfire Red seem to be the least popular. They aren't bad colors at all, in fact I love NFR, but they don't seem to be chosen as often.

4. From what I understand, premium gasoline IS recommended for all models.

*I was away from my computer before I hit "post" and then realized you received better answers to your question. Oops!

 

And speaking of colors and pepper whites and silvers....

When I went to the latest Guiness World Record attempt (near Williamsburg, VA last month), there were a few AWESOME looking PWs with very unique stripes -- one had the regular black stripes, but they were outlined by Celtic knot stripes! Very sweet. The other was PW, with red & blue stripes -- very classy looking, and amusing since the owner (also a NAMer I think) lives in Washington, D.C. (red, white, blue?) Anyway, both stripes were done by Aesthetic Creations (one of the vendors here on NAM.) So...if the configurator doesn't give you EXACTLY what you want, keep in mind you can go to one of the graphic design folks that specialize in MINI stuff to make it more... YOU-i-fied. If I can find my pics of those two cars, I'll post a link.

 

I enjoy mine (1st Gen) but they are definently expensive to maintain. I'd go as far to say this is a 4-5yr car depending on mileage. Out of warranty expect to get dinged at the dealership, especially for major repairs. I personally have many reasons why I purchased and plan to keep mine, but I wouldn't recommend one to everybody. I'd get a second if I wanted another monthly payment again.

 

on the photos page when I initially joined, I remember seeing the sweetest pw mini and possibly the coolest mini I've ever seen, unfortunately I never bookmarked the pics

 

Well I appreciate your honesty here, but I'd like to ask if by "1st Gen" you mean the PRE-2001 models (non-BMW)? And also, "4-5 yr car" - are you saying 60-75,000 miles and it's "done"??

Thanks in advance,
g...

 

1st gen refers to the modern MINI's , not the minis

So yeah, the BMW version.

actually, the more I read his post the more I get confused, wait for him to respond

 

Well that's just plain scary. I'm looking for a vehicle that will last twice what goin440 is claiming. I've always managed to keep vehicles for more like twice this claim (on average), for the most part simply by performing maintenance somewhere between the "Severe" and "Normal" type service interval/schedules. (even American cars of the 1980's era, that REALLY weren't designed to go much beyond 100,000 miles before being dumped/disposed of ...).

I would be BANKING on comments such as those made earlier in this thread (by x uh oh x, I believe) like; 'built like little tanks' and the research I've done which states that depreciation is at a minimum. "Major repairs" are one thing - as are "dealership" repair charges/costs/expense - but I am absolutely looking for a vehicle that will last - with PROPER care 10-12 years, and 200,000 miles.

I understand that there will be an occasional "lemon" in any bunch - however by-and-large and overall, I need a solid vehicle - and if i am going to plunk down somewhere in the neighborhood of 25 Grand (which to me is A LOT of money), and sacrifice some creature comfort(s) along the way (I supposing that a MINI is not the ultimate vehicle for say, long-distance trip/leisure type driving), well, I just need a vehicle that is going to go the distance ...

Please someone reassure me here (?!?) ...
PS - ooops - sorry, I think we are stepping-on each other with our posts/edits - I just read your last sentence just now after I posted. I will look/wait for his follow-up ...

 

Keep in mind the new MINIs just came out in 2001, so we don't even have any that are 10-12 years old yet.

 

Just sit tight, I think theres just a confusion here, I m sure he s actually talking about the classic mini's as I've never heard anything about the modern mini's needing heavy maintenance.

 

Yes, let me say that I probably over-reacted to this post by goin440.

My judgment and intuition on vehicles has always been strong (makes-up for all the things that I do NOT have strong judgment on, I suppose!), and I will know a great deal more when I get behind the wheel of one for a test drive (which may be a few weeks as the closest dealer is about an hour away, and I've recently had the halves of three vertebrae sawed/cut out of my neck).

Perhaps I should test drive a previously owned model first (?) from a used car lot which would be more realistic (closer) for me to get to. The Truth is, I am not at all averse to purchasing a "used" (second-hand) vehicle - IF I know that it was well-maintained, and of course if the price is "right".

Thanks to all ...

 

A couple of things: Yes, test drive a used MINI first if you can! I test drove an '04 first, and while the ride is slightly different, it was close enough to my '08 to give me a general feel for how these cars behave.

I have 16" wheels and runflats, but the loaner car I drove was on 15" wheels with all season tires, and the ride on the all seasons is noticeably softer. It's not what I'd call luxury car level, where you can't even tell that you're on a road, but it is much more comfortable than the ride with runflats.

Another NAM'er described having runflats as meaning that you can tell what year a dime was minted when you drive over it and I'd call that 100% accurate. I can feel every single dip and crack in the pavement when I'm on the road, but I really like that. If you've just had surgery on your back, you may not want that. So be sure to talk to the salesman about it.

 

The allseason tire option are still run flats, and no extra charge btw

 

Regarding your high-milage concerns: there are a LOT of NAM-ers who have high-milage MINIs, even though (like Tu13es said) we don't have any that have even hit 10 yrs old yet. On this site, search "high milage" across the threads and see what they're saying -- those are testimonials from actual owners.

If you're in VA, and you happen to be on the eastern side, go to Crown MINI in Richmond. I was VERY VERY surprised last night (when dropping my car off for a check on something and possibly getting them to add my trailer hitch for me!) to see SO MANY used MINIs for sale. I know that this dealership particularly has been sending ME flyers to BUY MINE FROM ME ever since I brought it in for it's first oil change. THEY"LL NEVER GET IT!!!!!!!

 

do any of you know anything about how these cars handle in the snow? I obviously don't own one yet, but am 85% sure i'm about to... one of my main hold ups is that i snowboard alot and therefore tend to drive up to mountains and such. I'm sure any blizzard would be glitchy, but if anyone has feedback that would be fantastic!

thanks!

 

Just a comment on the colors in general. The configutor and the photos put out by MINI don't do the colors justice. Its best to see them in person if you can. There is nothing ordinary about any of them. I guess the hardest part about ordering a MINI is picking out the color and interrior colors.
For some reason the Chili Red with the white roof seems to be the most common on the road dont know where all the others are hideing

 

Well, it depends. In light snow - meaning 3-5" or less - it's OK, especially with Differential Slip Control (DSC). The car itself is front wheel drive, so that's a plus, and with DSC, if one of the wheels feels it's slipping, DSC will automatically engage the rest of the wheels to help stabilize the car. The more mechanical gear heads hanging out on NAM can be more technical.

In heavier snow, I'd be wary. In Germany, I never had any real issues with the "light" snow and ice, but I grew up driving in snow. The heavier snows (5+") caused a problem because of the height of the car -- the poor car almost turned into a snow plow, with the front end of the car tilted down the way it is. (Sports suspensions are MUCH lower in the front end than regular suspensions -- something I didn't really realize until I got my '07 MCS without.)

 

You're right! Anybody not sure what color you want to get, I suggest you link up with your local motoring club and go to one of their events to see cars, colors, and options, first hand.

 

I got my Chili red clubman this month and love the color. But I've seen the yellows and blues and pepper whites on the road and think they look great too. So it's a matter of preference to what suits your style. I got the clubman for the extra room in the back because we sometimes have to carry stuff. I love the way it drives and it sure does fine on the twisties in the mountains! But I live in flat country mostly - at the beach!
Good Luck with whatever you decide to do!

 

This is the kind of thread that makes NAM such a great site. GRC123 asked a legitimate question and has received a number of very good, well-thought-out responses, on topic and offering valid comments for his consideration. Keep up the good work, everybody!