I thought kinda hard about the sunroof... But ended up super glad I didn't do it: I dont like the sun and Ilike the solid top quiet. Windows up its a really quiet ride. Got the confort access + heated seats to support my running habit. Runners have pockets in odd places in their running shorts. Since I run at night, I wanted to be able to get in and get away quick if I was ever followed. And I think it was worth it, because now I am spoiled.
Thing to consider with the sport suspension: a stiffer ride is great for feeling the road, being quite the driver, etc. But for those with achy backs,, you feel the road. Not so good for the long road tripper with the bad back. ExBF got the sport suspension on his audi + his bad back and he'd be nearly immobilized after a 3 hour trip. (hahaha, the VW A4.)
Gotta choose those options for who you are.
heated seats, OMG. little slice of heaven right there.
and automatic seems like some kind of blasphemy, but thats just me. My job, when sharing the road with others, is to be in front. Its the italian approach. I'll even respect those traffic suggestions, like lines, signs and lights.

 

I haven't had a problem with my factory installed alarm. I'm thoroughly enjoying all of the options I ordered. Price for me was a factor to an extent but not overly so as I knew what I wanted to get and I wasn't going to settle for something that only partially met my expectations.

I did get the sport suspension with the 17" web spoke run-flats and I don't get where people are saying it has a harsh ride. It is comfortable for me. I also got the NAV and PDC. Did I need the PDC, no, but I thought it was cool. I really enjoy how it integrates into the NAV display.

The only option I would shy away from is the interior chrome option as it does tend to cause distracting reflections in the windows. But really, if money isn't an option, get as little or as much as you want. I had the choice between all of the interior comfort and convenience options or going the JCW route. I went with the comfort and convenience of the interior options instead.

 

Give it time.

Seriously, if you're rattle-free, great! I definitely notice wind noise with mine. And I've never had any leaking problems, so I know it's not a seal issue. It's just that even closed, the air rushing over the roof creates noise at all of the edges around the glass. And as the car gets a lot of miles and starts to loosen up, all of the parts of the sunroof start to wiggle around a bit over bumps and other uneven surfaces. It's not rattling like something loose is rolling around, just noises that the rubber seals make squirming around with each other.

 

See, I think the chome interior bits for the R56 are pretty cool. They're not as blingy as the giant chrome bezels in the R50/53 chrome package. Plus, they're concave surfaces, which should eliminate most of the glare. I've got aftermarket chrome rings on my speedo, tach and center a/c vents. They're much smaller/thinner than the factory R53 chrome bezels, and I don't really have any problems with reflections or glare. They just dress up the dash a bit. I think the R56's chrome interior bits do the same.

Diff'rent strokes...

 

I've heard the wind noise (where it occurs) is an adjustment issue, not a seal problem. Rumor is there's a fix.

 

Arm Rest
HIFI

 

Love the sun roof! Never had one before. I live in the N.W., and appreciate light. I love the black headliner with the lounge leather seats...and the sun roof breaks that (all black) up nicely.

 

I can't answer this question for you because I don't know enough about you.. What climate you live in, how tall are you, what you plan to do w/ the car (auto-x, drag, other racing, long trips, etc)

for me personally:

I would not get the sunroof because of the weight, the glare of the light comming in, and the loss of headroom (yes you do LOOSE headroom w/ a sunroof).

I would not get DSC, and if I had the choice, I would not get ASC either! why? because I like to drive my car, not have it drive me! The first thing I do after starting my car is turn the ASC off!!

I would not get auto trans, same reason as DSC.

I would not get leather. being in the heat of Arizona I'd much rather have cloth that I'm not going to stick to.

I would not get the heavy 17" wheels. I'd get the lightest 16" I can for snow/race tires, then some lightweight aftermarket 17" for streets.

If I'm not doing chrome outside, then I wouldn't do it inside either. IMO the theme should flow throughout the car.

I WOULD get sport suspension, LSD, and very little else to keep weight down.

-then again I'm an autocrosser.

 

I would avoid the chrome because I don't like the look of it

The sunroof because of the added weight in the worst possible place and the stream of light

The Auto Tranny because I like to have full control of my car

The leather because I've never liked it, too much maintenence and makes my back wet with sweat in the summer

The Auto AC because I don't like the interface

Convertible top if that counts as an option

 

Thanks all for the thoughtful input. I went to the dealer tonight - here are some conclusions:

1. White turn signals - still 'no', for the yellow/black/de-chromed look. Not really a big deal either way.

2. Interior Chrome - 'yes'. I thought it was quite tasteful (was worried about too much bling). Without it, interior just lacked something for me. We'll see about the distracting reflections (it was night).

3. Sport Suspension - 'no'. I drove two Minis tonight, one with, one without, both with 17" wheels & run-flats. Driving w/ SS around a tight roundabout at high speed, I could really- appreciate the lack of sway. And on a relatively rough street, I said 'This isn't so bad - really not an issue.' But then I did the same run without, and it was just so much smoother, and I really liked that. The car seemed just as fun & handled just as well for the most part. The only big difference was on that high-speed roundabout I mentioned above, where the extra sway was definitely noticeable. Which, for me, I think translates to being able to corner around town at merely crazy speed, instead of totally insane speed. If I was going to the track every month, I'd definitely get SS. But it's just not worth sacrificing the big improvement in smoothness for my one or two track days a year.

4. Agitronic - 'maybe'. I really liked the automatic mode - still felt very fun, and I think I'd really appreciate it on a daily basis in stop & go traffic, or when I want to do some more relaxed driving. But I didn't get enough time in full-manual mode. I need another test drive.

5. 17" Web Spoke Wheels - 'no'. The dealer's personal car had them, painted astro-black to match the body, didn't thrill me. I really want the anthracite look, so I think it's after market for me. I'll get the no-extra-charge bridge-spokes for now.

6. Nav - yes. Partly because of what it does, partly because it looks better than the dinner plate. It's integrated with several functions besides Nav, so it's not totally fair to compare it with stand-alone after market nav units. But the price is still ridiculous.

7. Parking Distance Control - 'yes'. Without Nav, this would be a definite 'no' (I'm assuming it would just be 'beep-beep-beep'). But dang, the onscreen display is impressive. It shows a very detailed visual of the area behind the car, kind of a like a 3-color topographical map, so you know which part of the car is closest to something. I'm one of those folks that never trusts his instincts when parallel parking, always having to get out to check once before shutting off the engine, so this is for me. I'm a nerd at heart. Since I'm plunking down the ridiculous $2100 for Nav, I might as well get this too.

8. Lounge Leather - 'yes'. I was concerned about the light colored piping, but it's more subtle than I thought. I did see the checkered flag fabric, and liked it a lot more than I expected, but since I'm going with the luxurious interior, I'll still with LL.

9. Sunroof - 'yes'. I just like sunroofs, and it seems like if there is a problem, it will be fixable. Fingers-crossed. My last two cars have had sun roofs, no problems. If the light becomes too much, I'll get it tinted.

Thanks again,
Pasta

 

Sunroof: I have to stay out of the sun as much as possible (vampire heritage). Don't want to put sunscreen on every time I go driving. Also, it adds weight at the top of the car, raising the center of gravity.

Lounge Leather Seats: I almost got them, but my car is silver and I didn't like the white piping on the black seats. I did like the red leather, but didn't think it would look right in a silver car. Now I think I made a mistake. Red would probably look fine, and leather seats have lumbar support. The cloth seats don't. Anyone want to swap red leather for black cloth +$?

Sports Suspension: I tried to order it at the last minute, but it was too late. So, I have the standard suspension. I don't miss it. The car handles great without it. I have not driven a MINI with the sports suspension, so I don't know whether it is better, or not. Or, whether it is too harsh or not.

Web Spokes 17" Wheels: Don't waste your money on heavy factory wheels unless you really really like the look of them. Get some light-weight after-market wheels. You could save $250 over the Sport Package price by getting the options except 17" wheels. Get the 16" wheels and then buy after-market wheels in the size you want. Keep the 16" for winter tires (if you live in an area that has winter). Or, just have them as backups. You may find you like the ride on 16" wheels better than 17".

Automatic Transmission: I was intrigued with the idea of paddle shifters. Thought they were a great idea when the appeared on F1 cars. I wasn't able to test drive an MCS with an auto trans, but did drive a VW GTI. I found it wasn't nearly as much fun as a standard stick shift. I like shifting the MINI -- so much so that I've gotten rather obsessed with making wooden shift *****.

Other things I don't care for are the chrome-line interior/exterior, aero kits, wing spoilers, driving lights, Xenon headlights, satellite radio, factory arm rest (it sucks), alarm system, Union Jack/Check mirror caps/door handles (carbon fiber might be good), 6 CD Player (iPod makes it obsolete), car bras (clear or otherwise), message license plate frames, drilled brake rotors.

 

Like I said, the decision to get AT is very up to personal taste. If it's something you're interested in, you have to test drive it. If you MT in general, the MINI is a car you will love manual. Otherwise, AT can be the best of both worlds with the agitronic.

I'm no expert on the subject, but the AT is to my understanding a big improvement over the original continuous variable transmission (on pre-2003, or something like that?) The paddle shifters are a nice feature (which are on the steering wheel, and also can shift with the stick). Then the sport button changes the shift points. This gives the car a good bit more pep, but can feel awkward when the RPMs are high at certain constant speeds. This year is 6 gears instead of 5, otherwise I don't believe there is a huge difference.

You seem to know the issues that are important to you otherwise, the wife maybe being a big factor. So keep reading up here, test both trannys and go with what you're happy with!

 

I don't notice glare with the sunroof. And I'm 6'2" and have more headroom than any other car I've had. It's just a matter of preference...

 

Well, you do lose some headroom, but in the MINI, it's not an issue. Maybe the difference between someone 6'8" being comfortable and someone 6'6" being comfortable. For most people, there's plenty of room either way.

I don't notice "glare" so much. Just the issue of having the sun in your eyes when you're driving in certain directions.

 

As I enjoy my second MINI Cooper I think I have a pretty good notion of what I miss and don't miss. I see this thread is about extiguished but I'll chime in anyway:

Nots:
I am soo not into Leather seats. I know that's sacreligious to many but hey, I'd pay extra to NOT have leather seats. Could it be the 100+ temps on a regular basis out here? If I could pay to not get the R56 OEM armrest I'd do that too (I hear they're not that easy to remove). I would also skip the automatic trans for obvious/personal reasons.

Wants:
If I had to do it all over again? I would definately fill the toggles if not purely for aesthestic's sake (I hate answering the question "what goes here?" and they point to an empty toggle port)- i.e. driving lights, fog lights, LSD, etc. Despite the temps out here I would still get the sunroof- Hey it's California- gotta have a sunroof! (lol) Lastly, JCW everything.

 

No sunroof

 

+1 to the benefits and level of fun with the AT agitronic! It's nice to be able to relax in stop and go traffic, but still have shifiting control at the touch of a fingertip whenever desired. Personally, I find it to be the best of both worlds. Unless you are someone that just hates driving an automatic tranny, give this option some more thought and test driving time!

 

Same here. I think the interior without the chrome trim looks rather pedestrian and more like every other car on the road. But, it's all personal taste. And I think this thread is a perfect example of why all the different MINI options are great, what one person loves somebody else doesn't care for.

And, you really do need to try and see most of these things in person. It really helps to definitively make choices. I went to the dealer with two color schemes in mind, Red/White or Yellow/Black. Upon seeing the yellow, I instantly knew it wasn't for me. I also thought I wanted the checkered sunroof graphic, in person though, never mind. Metal alloy interior on the website? Maybe. In person, definitely. Same for the rooster red dash.

 

no chrome
no armrest
no automatic

I would have liked the anthracite headliner, but not about to pay $200 for something that costs $0 extra to produce.

 

How'd you know I was 6'8"?

And for the record, the loss in headroom was tollerable under normal driving conditions, but as I said in my first post, I Auto-x, which means I have to be able to fit with an extra couple inches of helmet on my head. And helmet + Sunroof = kink in the neck which causes a very unsafe condition for me.

 

hahaha! Lucky guess? Yeah, I can see where the sunroof would be cutting it close in your case.

 

FWIW, I love my sunroof, even in mega hot Houston. Carry a baseball cap for the glare. Crack the top when you park to vent heat. Get dark tint to help out with everything.

I wouldn't get, however, the Bluetooth setup. I wasted hundreds of dollars for what I later got with a $35 earpiece for my new phone. The voice dialing and phone book downloads don't work well (or at all) with most phones. Save yourself the trouble and expense. Add to that the fact that MINI puts the microphone on the wrong side of the car since the workers are British. (Nothing against the Brits, but hey, this is my car)