I think this would depend on the overall color scheme you choose.

My first MINI was ordered in November 2002 and somehow I wound up taking the approach of ordering a base car and only adding items I wanted. I had it stuck in my mind somehow that this was a Mini and so lots of options/luxury seemed oddly out of place. I got sport seats, a leather steering wheel, and a few other small things at my MAs suggestion (all of which he was right about) and that was it. The car was fantastic...and comparitively reasonable!!! Fast-forward to 2007 and my next MINI. I had so much fun with the first car (having a very reasonable MINI was part of the fun, I must say) that I did the same thing all over, this time adding a few more items that may not have been available in 2002...it was to be my ultimate MINI!!! It was still under $22K!!! I love it!!!

Needless to say...both of these MINIs had everything I wanted and nothing I didn't. I will say that options did become available in following model years that I might have opted for had they been available....but that is always going on with MINIs.

 

Like Gokartride, I prefer the lightly optioned mini. I sometimes wish I had the ipod connection as my aux port is taken up with a xm roady. I also at times wish there wasn't a blank spot where the rear fog light toggle would be. I think I may order a toggle and just put a non working toggle in place to fill it up.

I keep wishing for an aftermarket XM solution that integrates with the head unit which was my main reason for not ordering the i-pod. I'm beginning to think one will never arise. (Blitzsafe says they are not working on one like they had for the 1st generation), so I may go the dealer installed i-pod route.

 

I drove my C43 for nearly a decade with the same complaint with low-beam light only thrown a hundred or so feet w/a sharp cut-off... not knowing there was a dial on the back of the headlight to control the height adjustment... I complained in an off-hand way to my mechanic one day, still not realizing it can be adjusted. When picking it up one night after a repair of something, suddenly the lights had a throw of a few hundred feet.

...open the hood and check for a dial on the back of the headlight.

Otherwise as a currently in the MCS JCW ordering process, this thread is great!

 

I think a lot of the $$ in the Sport Package is for the wheels (which you don't want). Could you delete that and go with the standard wheels and add what you really want from the Sport Package ala carte and save $$? Don't get the Sport Suspension, it's not worth it. Cold weather package in Chicago is a must. I assume you meant Fog lights. The xenons are nice but you can see great with the OEM headlights, better than whatever car you're driving now. Mats are mats, you can get them anywhere probably cheaper.

 

I'd probably go without the DSC the 2nd time around. It's always turned off.

 

Great thread for us newbies.

 

Great thread, huh? Just cost me another $250.

The car needs to push the buttons of you and the ones you love in just the right way. Whatever makes you smile.

 

In Canada the options are all as packages and it is more difficult to selectively build your mini as you americans do, so I pretty much got mine loaded, and there are things I would do without:
-armrest
-Nav system, a Garmin is much better for mapping and function, it sure looks great but it's just awkward to use
-Heated windscreen, this windshield is a rock magnet low and upright
-Sunroof keeps breaking

The things I am happy to have:
-Heated seats, never will do without them
-Dimming mirrors are terrific at night
-Fog lights front and back. my back ones are red, so I can flash them when a truck is following too close and the front ones lightup potholes the headlights miss
-Bluetooth works pretty good with my phone, and I feel much safer using it
-The one thing that is sure to bug some people is my automatic transmission, I love it, best autobox I've driven and I would not want to commute without it.

 

JMSAMAR, build a bunch of Minis on the MiniUSA configurator.
Mac a couple out and strip a few down.
Decide what you can't live without and go from there.
Comfort Access(not using your key) and MFSW radio controls on the wheel were the items I HAD to have.

For me, the sports package wasn't necessary. For others, it's a gotta have.

After market wheels may be better on the budget than the high priced wheel options.

There are 10,000,000 ways to design your Mini.

 

Very pleased with the anthracite headliner.

Jury's out on whether I really needed the sport suspension.

Satisfied with the leatherette seats. Was a little worried about the choice, but I shouldn't have been.

 

I love my S the way it is, and I bought from stock, the one option I would have gone with that I didn't get was anthracite headliner. The best option hands down is premium. Many like xenons, personally I don't like the way they look on the cooper, but the improved lighting is a big upgrade if you do a majority of driving in the dark.

The one option I would tell you to carefully reconsider is the sport package, the sport suspension is not that big of an improvement, and the only reason to even think about it is if you wanted the 17" wheels (than the added features are a nice bonus for just a few extra $$). I had two separate dealers talk me out of it, with them even saying its a waste of money if you don't want 17s

 

Get the rear fog lights. I didn't include them in my order because I had never seen them in action, and was already over budget. Big mistake. They project a really bright below-the-fog warning to vehicles behind you.

Two dealerships say that rear fog lights can't be added to my car. Classic MINI will do it, but it is going to cost me big-time, both for the installation and travel costs.

Pay the $100 now, and be glad for the slight safety margin at slight cost.

 

Hey Oneway, as you can see from some of the other threads here, a lot of us are having problems finding phones that work with the Bluetooth in the MINI. Can you tell me who your wireless provider is and what phone you have that works in the car? Does it fully integrate (including the phonebook)?

Thanks, Rich

 

Rich, give these two threads a look-see if you haven't already:
Bluetooth compatibility list
What phone have you successfully paired with MINI Bluetooth?
I was searching for the phone I have, an [quite old now] 6310i. I was thrilled to hear it works being as old as it is.

 

I had never even considered (or cared for) rubber floor mats and there had been no mention of them.

We had settled on a deal and completed the purchase and I was surprised to see that they had installed Rubber Floormats
and they are much better quality than I expected.

The cornering is so nice and the cup holders are not,
so I have found that the floormat design will hold 8 ounces of coffee without leaking a drop
drivers side even has velcro fastners to hold in place

From all that I have seen posted on this site; you could tell your MA that you were expecting them (N/C) based on everyone else's experience.

Check out the armrest installation, but look at this post to read about just how much more complicated the Euro-Armrest install becomes,
if you already have the US-Armrest installed.

My MA said that was the main reason he left DSC off on his Own Personal newly ordered Cooper.

I had thought I wanted DSC but a long discussion convinced me that it would be a waste of $500 for my justacooper Automatic in Florida.
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ___________________

edit:- Have you ever had a car salesman talk you out of a $500 option?

 

go alacarte & skip the packages unless you must have everything included in one of them, it's the quickest way to over inflate the price.
must haves: rear foglights, anthracite headliner, and the $500 LSD
highly recommended: xenon's, DSC, comfort access <-- it's soooo nice
wish I'd gotten: .... Factory JCW

 

Hi there:

I ordered my MCS with both of those options.

The armrest is pointless IMO
1) it's too small to provide useful storage
2) it gets in the way of the rear cup holder
3) it cramps the handbrake
4) my cell phone charging cradle isn't available yet

The I-Pod connection - do you mean incorporating bluetooth connectivity too?

Love the I-Pod connection - it didn't arrive as I expected however - the configurator site shows it in the glovebox - thats $500.00 extra.

Bluetooth phone connectivity is great - I got the MFSW, and my phone is one that is recognized by MINI, so I've got great hands-free phone functionality.

Enjoy! It's a great little car. Loads of performance, loads of character.

 

Are the Anti sway bars the only difference on the sport suspension? If they are the only upgrade then I will only add DSC and LSD.

Does anybody have the pacific blue color line/interior? I think the pacific blue interior looks really sharp. It includes the choice of color line also. Uh oh I hear the cha chings $$$ adding up.

It looks like I may have to may a couple more trips to the dealer to see everything in person.

 

Sport suspension consists of different shocks/struts, slightly larger swaybars, and possibly the springs. Unfortunately it still has the same SUV-like ride height, so you may want to consider going w/ aftermarket coilovers. eg. sport suspension $500 + $220 for springs, you're already well on your way to paying for something much better.

 

I'm a little leary of lowering ride height due winter driving in the snow.

 

My advice is to not skip the 2 cheapest options. Rear Fogs, $100, I ordered this and am so happy not to have the cheap looking block outs in the rear panel and a missing switch in the toggle line up. The other $100 option I didn't order and regret it is the "white turn signal lens". The rear looks fine with the amber lens but the front "egg yolk" in the headlight is not as appealing to me. If you order the zenon headlights changing to white lens is extremely difficult. Otherwise order all the goodies you want and can afford...it's the afford part that creaps up on you.

 

I wish I didn't have the sunroof...I wish I had stock 16inch rims (upgrade later to aftermarket).

I wish I had the JCW Aero Kit...

 

Autopilot-

As one who has yet to order, I am curious what you don't like about the sun roof. Does yours leak? Is it making the cabin too hot? Or is it just a "don't ever open it" thing.

As I've posted earlier, I think I need it just to see traffic signals from being seated farther back in the car (6'4".)

TIA-

 

I posted a similar question on the local site before ordering my mini (now in production). The antracite headliner and the Xenon headlights were two options that a number of people recommended. I didn't get either as I wanted to keep the car affordable. Did go with the sport and cold weather packages and fog lights front and back along with a rear spoiler. Center armrest. So many other options that I wanted to order. Reckon I'll live with my decision for a few years and upgrade if I feel the need (or buy the wife a mini).

 

I bought a lot car...so the sun roof was a compromise because it had a bunch of other stuff I really lliked (color, leather, etc.) Don't get me wrong, sunroofs look cool. However, I don't like the added weight, and the inevitable rattling that will occur with sunroofs. Also, there seems to be a problem with some R56's with their sunroofs not opening in temps in the 80 degree range or higher. I am experiencing it now. I have to have my service guy look at it, but I'm waiting till temps go up so that they can repeat the event. It doesn't bother me too much, as I think it is a very fixable item, and I'm still under warranty. I don't have leaks, or anything like that.

Oh...and I got my sun roof tinted. The shade is cheap. I would go with no more than 35%. In fact LIMO tint would probably be the best. Prior too, the temps seem to get high as my old black car. But I once I tinted the sun roof (and all my windows saved the windshield) the temps were brought down dramatically.


Hope this helps...