Do you want the other items in the Premium Package? If so, the sunroof seems cheaper.
Are you in love with the classic Mini? Then you hate the sunroof.

 

Thanks for the laugh Jolyrogr!

Picked up my Mini today, Tooled around with sunroof open to varying degrees for hours. Love it.

 

Just watch out for the pigeons!

 

So it's pretty much a matter of preference, of course. I don't really see anyone saying they are having problems with their Mini's sunroof.

 

I actually have a 335i Coupe and I want to also get a streamlined MCS- LSD; DCS; MFSW and possibly a sunroof for my daily driver. I love the MCS' little 4-Pot with all of the MCS' tuning capabilities.

 

No, I'm only interested in the sunroof.

 

For me, the SR was a must have. Is it perfect? No. Wind noise when tilted is a little more than expected. An opaque visor would have been good. My sunroof is tinted so it is no where near as hot as otherwise (I tested this on the road). Is it worth it? Absolutely. It was either a sunroof or a cabrio... :D

 

Bump.

 

Sunroof = Latin for PREFERENCE
I wanted the other items in the Premium Package, so the Sunroof was cheap.

 

I love my MINI sunroof (and sunroofs in general) - when it's open, there is less wind noise and less direct wind blast than having the windows open or even cracked, so I can open the sunroof in colder temperatures and at faster speeds than I'd open the windows. The pop-up mesh air deflector thingy keeps noise reasonable until about 60mph; on the expressway I have to switch to vent mode, or close the sunroof halfway to keep the noise down. (Other cars I've been in have had quiet sunroofs up to 80mph or so - so I'm a bit disappointed by this.) I haven't had a problem with glare yet - the roller shades plus stock tint seem fine, and on really bright days I wear sunglasses anyway when driving. The ability to close the mesh shade when the glass is open is a nice option that other cars don't have. I'm of average height (5'10) so headroom isn't an issue even with the driver's seat raised somewhat high.

 

Since the sunroof is fairly large in proportion to the car and roof it really adds a feeling of openness in an otherwise tight cockpit. With both windows open and the sunroof fully open it's a very airy, open car. I wasn't going to get the sunroof, but my wife really liked it, so we went for it, and I'm glad we did. She was right, as always!

 

I say, get the sunroof. I wouldn't own a car without one! There is nothing like the sight of blue sky above when you're running the twisties in the spring, fall, and (in my area), winter. As for the summer sun, get a tint. Works in the hottest weather here in Houston, which has been compared to h-e-double hockey sticks.

Some have commented about the weight above. When this came up in another thread, I asked my MA about it. He went straight to the source--the German engineers--and the word was 55 pounds, as I recall. To me that's not a big deal, and yes, we do autocross. Don't forget, a solid roof weighs something, too.

Some have mentioned rattles, and other problems. Nope, never had any in all of the cars I've had with sunroofs. The only noise has been with it open, and it still was proportional to the wind--nothing surprising or unreasonable. Never needed maintenance, either--even in the 14 year old BMW I had before my MINI.

I think it will improve resale value, too. Can't put a number on it, but again, there are a lot of people like myself who like them. Also, it brightens up the MINI interior.

Interesting comment. I totaled a BMW with a sunroof. No problem with the glass--it just crumbled into little pieces, just like other tempered glass. Absolutely no problem, and not even a scratch from the glass.

This is a true story:

When I had my wreck, no one saw me go off the road and hit a tree--this was way out in the boonies. I was trapped in the car, partly by a jammed door, and partly because I'd broken my back and it was extremely painful to move. My cell phone had flown to the floor. The first person to come by paused because he didn't understand why a car would be on the other side of the road, and he couldn't see me in the car. The left side of the car appeared undamaged, but the right side was rather smooshed. I put my hand through the sunroof above me and waved for help. Yup, then he responded, and I got the ambulance, helicopter, etc., I needed.

So, you see, sometimes a sunroof can be pretty handy. Oh, don't forget that in Holland it's considered a good idea because of the canals...

 

How can you retrofit the ejection seat without one ??

 

To just add one more 'MINI Sunroof' fact that I just discovered:

Due to drought restrictions, we are limited to use of a Pressure Washer for car wash;
I washed my month old MINI using my 1750psi Pressure Washer w/Cherry Power in detergent tank.

Not a drop of water from the Sunroof (or any other window, door or hatch).

Have also noticed that driving in rain w/sunroof in 'vent' position, that no water enters.
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MINI's Sunroof is the BEST I've seen and easily cured my desire for convertibles. (Did Love the five that I have owned.)

There have been no reasons posted here (or in Stock Problems/Issues) to not get a Sunroof if you would like to have that feature.
I will add that if your desire is equal for the "JCW Aero Kit" that it might reduce your 'risk of glitch' (watch those curbs..

But your bottom line should be entirely based on your desire for sunroof, or not.

As far as resale value, you generally recover about half what you spend on popular upgrades and extras,
more popular= more recovery and I would consider a Sunroof to be a VERY Popular upgrade.

 

I love my sunroof. I had one on my 02 Cooper and never had any leakage issues... rarely drove around with it CLOSED.. so when it came time to order Ollie I decided to go for it again... don't regret it a bit

 

The last 3 cars I have owned have each had a sunroof. Never have regretted it. Use the one on my MINI almost every day.

If you leave in a hot climate zone, I suggest ceramic window tint for both your windows and the sunroof. Works great by cutting both UV and infrared rays. I had this done on my MINI and, likewise, have not regretted it. Wished they had ceramic tint years ago.

 

The Mini feels like a dark cave to me without the sunroof. I bought mine with the sunroof and I use frequently. I love motoring down the road with my windows and sunroof wide open on a nice day. Love it. Only thing better is riding a motorcycle in the country w/ perfect weather. (and no cars!)

It really just comes down to personal preference... some people like them, some don't.

 

I have a sunroof on my 03 and here in the south it way to warm, i am not getting one this time...

 

Ditto!

 

how south are you?
i've lived in both south and north florida with no tint on my windows or sunroof and i've been fine..

the only regret i have is those damn leatherette seats. hello sweat!

 

Ditto!!

 

Ocala, but my new onewill have no sunroof, its just that hot.....

 

We're on Cooper S #3 ('02 DS/B, '04 BRG/W, '08 MY/B)... all have had the sunroof, and not one has rattled or leaked. The sunshade is not great, but my wife--who really tries to avoid direct sunlight--has never complained with the shade forward.

Btw, about glass raining down on you in an accident... it's safety glass. Not like big shards of window pane are going to come down on you, just little pebbles. It's unsettling, but it shouldn't cut you at all. It's also highly unlikely that something would deform the roof enough to break the glass anyway. Much more likely that one of the other six pieces of glass is going to break.

 

We are a family of 4 and my son is a tall big kid, it makes more sense for me to sit in the back seat on those occasions when we are all together. I love the sunroof in the back as it gives you the illusion of more space. I don't feel cramped or claustrophobic[FONT='Times New Roman'] [/FONT]since there is so much light back there! My husband has always complained that his baseball cap hits the roof of our other cars with a sunroof - not the MINI!

 

I've seen carnage of flipped coopers with sunroofs and the sunroof is still in tact