So - we were on here about a year ago and decided to hold off and see if we could get our 2000 Acura TL to give us another year of service...so now time is up and the AC has died on the TL along with other minor issues. Time to get rid of the old gal...

SO...we are looking seriously at the clubman S and the Audi A3 TDI. For me (husband) the Clubman is preferred, but a few questions that have come up and I'd be interested in your opinions:

• Sport suspension - ride still livable / handling improvement worth it? We like a firmly sprung car so not overly concerned with ride quality - but handling is important to us.
• Limited Slip Diff - worth it? Anyone regret not getting this optioin?
• Packages...after trying to configure with parts and pieces, seems like I'm left to get the Sport, Premium, and convenience package as the best "value" - all things being relative. I.E. if I want iPod and comfort it adds up quickly if I part it out...Thoughts/everyone find the same?
• Interior - We are in South Florida so concerned about the Leatherette heating up / being uncomfortable. Really would rather not spring for leather unless necessary - but beige / light colors may be necessary
• SunRoof - Being in florida concern over how this might heat up the car - as well as the litany of issues I've read about with the SunRoof. Is it really that troublesome or do we just read about the complaints more often? Does it really heat up the car in the summer?
• RunFlats - I really want the grip of the 17" wheels - do the run flats really make it harsh? Also - I've also been told / believed runflats to be a performance compromise - anyone care to comment on this with regards to the clubman S tires?
• Back Seat for Kids - we have 2 young kids (2 and 8) - anyone take any longer trips (300 miles) with the kids / OK for them (another reason for leather - cleaning up after kids and why no cloth option)...

Finally - any suggestions, comments, "watch out for.." would be appreciated. We are trying to find something close on the lots...but increasingly thinking I may need to order to get some of what I've outlined above. All the ones on the lots are fairly lightly optioned from what I can tell - and not the color we like (either BRG or Lazer Blue).

 

Why not get a JCWorks Clubman... I love mine. Made the choices much easier! /Hoff

 

Well, coming from an owner of a 07 MCS and a 09 Clubman S I can offer a few bits of advice. The boy child did two internships at Disney with the 07, which has a sunroof and black interior as does our Clubman. During the summer, it was hot, but no hotter then it gets up here in VA. I can imagine it gets hotter sooner and stays hot longer during the summer. But, for short times out of the car, we leave the sunroof lifted open in the rear and that helps. Of course your mandatory afternoon rains might cause an issue.

As for the other issues, we have cold weather package (which you won't need), sport suspension, which isn't overly harsh by any means and comfort/convienence package.

The Clubman has the limited slip, the kids doesn't. Can't tell a major difference even in an autocross. At the Dragon last year it did make a difference. I wouldn't order it again though.

The back seat is actually decent. I rode in the back of ours for 3-5 hours at a time before and it isn't bad. Granted it ain't a Lincoln Town Car, bu tthey ain't as fun as our cars are!

Now the run flats. Junk in my opinion. Both of ours have conventional tires. Handle better, ride smoother and are FAR cheaper. Just pick up a jack, lug wrench and a spare from an 95 4 cyl Chevy Cobalt. Added all of them to my car for 50 bucks. Only down side, you have to put the spare on the rear.

Hope that helps.

 

The sport suspension option doesn't affect the stiffness of the ride. All it gives you are thicker sway bars, which help you more in the twisties and not in a straight line going over the normal road bumps.

As for LSD, I don't think you would need it (or really benefit from it) in normal street use. I have it on my car, but it's only because I took something out of stock and it had it so I went with it.

Leather/Leatherette - I've heard that leatherette tends to cause you to sweat more. I can't confirm this, because I've had issues with leather and leatherette on a hot summer day and my back/body sweating in the drive. Can't say I sweated any more in one than the other.

A sunroof is nice to have. I don't use it that much, but again, it came with the car. Nice to look out of. If heat is that much of a problem, you can always have them tinted darker to help deflect the heat. I never noticed the interior of my car to be hotter than anything else I've driven w/o a sunroof.

Runflats - Ahh the runflats. They are harsh. Very harsh. I've contemplated replacing them many times but chose to stick with them - for now. I drive on roads with some ridiculous potholes and feel that the thicker sidewalls will help prevent bubbles from forming after slamming into the unavoidable potholes. It's probably mental though. I would change them given the opportunity (and peace of mind if it weren't for the potholes).

Haven't really used my back seat much, but nobody's complained!

Good luck!

 

I live in Orlando, bought my MCCS this summer (mid-July). First thing I noticed was the A/C. It's way underpowered. In the middle of a bright, sunny Florida day, with the A/C on full blast, the car is uncomfortably warm inside, particularly if you are sitting still (at a stop light). On the second day, I was sitting at a stop light, A/C on full blast and had sweat literally dripping off me. I almost took the car back.

I had the windows tinted and that helped a lot. I also bought a sunshade for the windshield. The sunroof has that "mesh" cover which does little to keep the sun out. I've taken to driving around with a hat on, if I"m out during the day. My window tinters didn't want to tint the sunroof as they have had a few crack in the heat. Tinting it "darker" probably isn't a good idea, it will absorb a lot of heat and that isn't a great idea given the problems they already have with heat/expansion and possible cracking. I tinted mine with reflective, metal tint to try and reflect the sun, rather than absorb it. I may end up getting the roof wrapped in vinyl or something. My car sits outside all day at work and is an oven by the end of the day. Leaving the windows down or sunroof open isn't an option, it rains here often and I don't always know or can't get to the car in time.

For the record, I have leatherette seats (they seem fine). With the windshield shade up (when parked) and the windows tinted, I don't notice the seats being that hot, even if the car is parked in direct sun. After a couple of weeks, I started using sunshades for both sunroofs and that helped too.

I have the automatic, HVAC temp control, which I use, but find annoying because it is so poorly calibrated. I have to set mine 8-12 degrees lower than what I really want to keep the car comfortable. I end up constantly adjusting it, just like it was on manual anyway....

I don't have LSD on the car and have noticed some wheel-spin when it's wet out and I'm turning sharply from a stop (like turning right at a stop light). The car is typical of a front-wheel drive car in that respect. LSD might fix that, I don't know.

I have the Bluetooth/Ipod setup and it works pretty well. I find the ipod controls from the H/U usable. I have the non-HiFi stereo, no Nav. Have thought about speaker replacement, but haven't done it yet.

It's a great, small car for a tall person (I'm 6'1" and my son is 6'5") and we both drive it, no problem. We can even sit in the back.

Not a big fan of the runflats, but am too cheap to swap them out until they are used up.....

 

FlyingScot:

• SunRoof - We're in Florida as well, and the bottom line is that it's intolerable without some sort of tint or shades. We tried both, and decided that for us, removeable 5% static-cling tint (as opposed to the regular kind that can cause the sun roof to crack) is the best, easiest, cheapest option. It's been there more than a year and a half now with absolutely no issues. Solves the heat/glare problem completely!
• RunFlats - Though we would have preferred the looks of the 17" Pace wheels, we ordered the 16" Bridgespokes based on ride quality and price, and they are not harsh at all. Wish regular tires were an option for the "S".
• Back Seat for Kids - FWIW, we regularly (several times a week) help my 84 yr. old mother (who uses oxygen and a walker) in and out of the back seat and and it works just fine. She does not feel confined at all, though on rare occasions, having both passenger side doors open in a restricted area can be a bit tricky (minor).
• Interior - We have the Black Carbon Punch Leather and it has not been uncomfortably hot at all. I believe it's because the leather is perforated and the windows/sunroof are tinted. We sat in the leatherette for a period of time before ordering and while it looked fine, it did not breathe well, IMO. All that said, I would definitely have preferred a lighter color, but unfortunately MINI doesn't offer a gray or truly neutral shade of leather that would go with any color scheme. Tuscan Beige is nice with the right color combo. but has a little too much "yellow" in it to work with most everything, IMO.

We're in Orlando too! Any chance you're the one I've recently been seeing in the Conway area. We were the very first Laser Blue in town so I was pleased to see another, and always wave when we see another MINI owner (especially excited to see a twin )!

 

I live in Longwod....work out by UCF. So that probably isn't me in Conway...

 

Funny on the JCW suggestion. I keep trying to make the JCW work but pretty much you have to leave it base without almost any option. Mini makes this very difficult!

With the JCW - or standard S - I don't care about Sunroof, but do want the cabin filtration that only comes with the Auto AC- so standalone option is $500. Comfort access - $500. Auto-dimming mirror and auto headlights - $250 + $250. Add a few more items and you start pushing 35K on the price tag. Not much room when you start at 31K for JCW...

I'd still be tempted if I could sort my opinion on the Leatherette...I just don't think it is an good option long-term based on what I read... in FL leatherette will get way too hot. Adding $1500 for leather crosses the $35K barrier for this car...

Aaargh...vacillate between options, vehicles and recrimination that this is just getting too expensive with options. BUT - having driven the car yesterday as well as Audi A3...and looked at BMW 135...still prefer the mini. I must be nuts...

 

Oh well, probably not. All the best with it, just the same!

 

I recently purchased new and I biggest regret (crazy enough) is not getting the convenience package. The intermittent wipers SUCK, you definitely need the rain sensing wipers. There is no adjustment on the intermittent wiper. Speeds are off, intermittent (never correct), slightly too fast, and annoyingly fast. The built in garage door opener would also be nice b/c there is not too many great places for the opener.

 

Sport suspension won't make much difference unless you drive hard. The run flats are terrible tires - very hard riding and noisy. Limited slip is nice and cuts down on torque steer. Sun roof: Some people like them, Others (including me) don't. It heats up the interior.

 

FYI, you don't need the Convenience Package to get the rain sensor. I don't have Convenience but do have the rain sensor, FWIW..

 

I can't figure out why Mini cheaped out on this, when GM managed to put variable speed wipers on crappy cars for the last two decades. And don't get me started on the back-up light (singular).

Since you have kids, I'd stick with leatherette and use the money you save to get yourself some quality seat covers for the front.