I hate mud flaps as well, but when I saw the amount of road crap the front wheels throw back (as far as the rear quarter panel), I decided a set of front mud flaps was in order. $25 plus tax, and they're pretty low key and dont detract from the look too much

 

By all means get the cold weather package. I cannot imagine winter motoring without the front seat heaters.

 

I love all the packages the nav (technology package) is so much more than a navigation system. The only complaint I have is the rattles on ruff roads and the engine is a little loud for me, but guess i am more of a V8 grunt person, lol. Coming from the WRX it will probably be a lot quieter.

 

Good choice, perhaps the most rock-solid dependable drivetrain component ever installed on a new MINI, first or 2nd gen

 

Don't go for runflats.
I agree that the visors are too short, or they should at least slide.
I agree the Nav system is money that could be spend elsewhere, but honestly the size of the speedo in the middle annoys me. As well it makes it too easy for my wife to see how fast I'm going. So in my opinion spending the extra money to get rid of the big speedo is well worth it.
I hate that there isn't a dealer or service center except for 100 miles away, and I live in a city of almost 1 million people.
The premium stereo still doesn't sound that good, although it is ok.

 

I traded in my 06 Rex for my 08 MC and couldn't be happier.(yes I know its not the almighty S but still fun)once or twice maybe I missed the power of the Rex, but other than that I'm glad I made the switch. And going from awd to fwd is not that bad.

 

Thanks for the info guys. I had several tuned civics before getting into a WRX so the FWD thing isn't new to me. I'm debating dropping the comfort package for weight savings now, and I'm going to test drive an S with and without the sport package soon. I spoke to the guy at the dealership and he can work that out for me to try. Any more opinions on the Nav?

 

personally, i think the stock radio and the upgraded radio are probably the worst line of thinking in the mini production. heard both and thought both were garbage. but now that i own a mini, im more excited to hear the engine than listen to some tin cannish radio system.

i thought all the packages were blah. do i need something to automatically set the temperature of the car for me? ill save a grand and do it myself (oh, took 1 second). i originally thought i needed 2 packages- when i researched it, i didn't pick one package and am happy i didn't. money went to better places.

ride height is atrocious. but that can be fixed.

mini front grill (that awful chrome set of bars that goes across the front) is ugly as bette midler but can be fixed.

imo, i think a lot of the seat options (color options) are terrible. and im sorry, i dont need oak in my mini.

$300 a tire for run flats. you got to be kidding me. i bought Kuhmo ASX tires for $65 a pop and they are probably the best tire i have driven on in my life. hug the road insanely.

ride-wise. i think the car rocks. its really fun to drive and gets looks all the time. people love minis, especially ones that look different than the normal.

interior- pretty cool set up. you just gotta see how you fit in it- for most people over 6"1' and who drive stick, the arm rest is something to skip, since it gets in your way.

aero kits- pretty cool option that changes the look of your mini. jcw aero, or painted arches- pretty nice.

hope that helps.

~dw

 

what do I not like? hmm... the interior mood lighting is too dim to see unless you crank the brightness up on the instrument panel to ridiculous bright. that's about it for me.

 

I own BOTH the R56 MCS and a WRX STI. I can say that the STI, although it's a cool, fast car, isn't nearly as fun to drive every day as the MINI.

I really don't have any complaints about the MINI. Okay, there's some wonky ergonomics. (Weird turn signals, all those similarly-shaped switches in the ceiling and center stack, the bizarre speedometer...) But you get used to those. Otherwise, the car is fast, miserly on fuel, and tons of fun. I've never had to take it to the dealer for any problem.

I'd echo the people above about wheels -- if you want anything but the factory S-Winders, buy aftermarket. It's a much better deal than any of the optional factory wheels, and most aftermarket wheels are lighter than most of the optional MINI wheels.

In fact, I'd advise going light on the options in general. Mine is pretty lightly-spec'ed, but I don't miss any of the options I didn't spring for.

--Dan
Mach V
FastMINI.net

 

I have to be honest. I have openly bitched about problem areas on my mini. (ie. sunroof sticking when hot, valve train noisy when cold, melting hood scoops)

It's not so much that I am bitching that those things make me mad (they do) but more so that Mini isn't making in my opinion, an honest effort to fix these things.

Having said that, I LOVE my mini. The few small things that annoy me aren't enough for me to trade/sell my car. You'll love the car, it's a blast.... definitely one of the best cars I've owned.

As far as your original post. I wish I had gotten nav, sirius built in. The LSD doesn't make a difference to me. Cold weather package is a MUST. Convenience package is nice but not necc.

HTH's,


Mark

 

I actually love this option, especially now in the winter. When set to automatic with the auto air circulation on, it evenly distributes the temp throughout the whole cabin while occasionally mixing outside air in. First thing it eliminates is the damn foggy windows on rainy days. In my other car, you would almost get killed waiting for or trying to clear the windows while driving, or you have to throw on the air conditioner and freeze your ***. Secondly, I now spend zero time fiddling with the **** once the car heats up. In other rides, it's switch from windshield to feet, or somewhere in between. Adjust the temp. Adjust the fan. Oh, now it's too cold, back up. Too warm, back down. The Mini's eliminates the guess work and fuss, and keeps my hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. I keep it between 72 and 78 and I'm good to go. It's not about laziness for me, it's about a better, safer option. And for me, it's completely worth the extra cash.

 

I went from a WRX to and S as well. Some thoughts in semi-random order.

• AWD. I really miss the "feel" and all the benefits. MINI has biggie torque steer. Controllable but it can be bad.
• Quickness. The S isn't anywhere near as quick. It feels slower than it actually is.
• Interior storage. The S doesn't have much inside storage for things like sunglasses.
• The S brakes are MUCH better than the subie.
• The Xenon lights on the S are excellent.
• Sport button is a must. Too bad you can't leave it on by default.
• Controls in the MINI are sytle-over-substance and have to be learned (like the turn indicators). The WRX was basic but worked well.
• Backseats in the WRX are usable and fairly practical. In the MINI, not so much.
• Ditto for trunk storage.
• The S feels more solid and better built.
• MINI seat heaters work GREAT.
• Interior material quality is ++ in the MINI. Subaru felt cheap (but held up well).
• The MINI paint is much better (My WRX was World Rally Blue, and it was very thin). Get a clear-bra anyhow.
• The wonky dinner-plate speedo is an acquired taste.
• The MINI computer is very nice
• The iPOD interface is good (user interface is sketchy, but you get used to it).
• I like the digital speedo in the tach. It's all you need.
• Seats and interior fabrics (I have cloth in the MINI) are different but pretty equal.
• Mileage is much better with the MINI under all circumstances.

One thing I didn't get that I now would is the intermittent wipers.

 

You mean rain sensing wipers? They all have intermittant, but that's another of the controls that can be confusing. I was put off the rain sensing by the price of a replacement windscreen. The normal one is bad enough, the rain sensing one is astronomical.

I've been trying to think of things I don't like about the MINIs for this thread, and failing. I think there are a few niggles, but they're obviously so small I can't remember what they are.

 

Torque steer...thats about it..OH, and the upgraded HI-FI sucks

 

I went from an '02 WRX mildly mod'ed to an '09 MCS. There are alot of differences. Make sure to have a good test drive in the MCS. I think one of the biggest differences is AWD to FWD. No longer can you mash the throttle and expect the car to bite and take off. The only thing that will happen is the front tires will go up in smoke. There is also some nastly torque steer under high RPM acceleration. All in all I do love my MCS, you will also love the fuel mileage. When pushing the WRX hard I was getting maybe 15 mpg, in the Mini I get 25-32 mpg.

 

Get the JCW suspension kit. It's worth it. It actuall rides and drives better than base and sport suspension. I think it has progressive springs and with special shock tuning.

 

You should see how good the S-Winders look in my 2005 R53 S. I'll post a pic. I used to have the R84 X-Lites that came with the car, but the S-Winders really enhance the look of my R53.

Talk about one man's poison is another man's medicine

By the way, I have the 16" Bridgespokes in my Clubman S

 

I went one step further - I went from a WRX to an R50 Cooper.
Although it's a lot slower and has far less traction i've come to love the delicious feedback from all four wheels to the point that I can feel exactly how much grip I have left and even on a wet corner can feed the power through slight understeer with utter confidence.
3 years with the WRX made me lazy in that I completely forgot about the art of throttle control - it's traction was hardly ever defeated even on wet roads.

Interior wise the Mini is fine even for 4 adults (for short trips) and I find I can carry large loads with ease if I fold the back seat forward.

There are chalk and cheese as far as cars go but both will make you smile. I'd love another WRX but the Mini is here to stay

 

Here's a question, and hopefully someone with a Canadian MCS can answer since it seems to make a difference. On the 2009 MCS, does the multi function steering wheel come as standard? I heard that you need this for cruise control...

 

NVM...found the answer on the "build your mini" section of the mini.ca site. MFSW comes as standard on the MCS, as does cruise control.

 

I have it and I love it. I see the other MINIs w/o it and they seem SO different (and not in a good way). That's just the looks; the NAV itself is very handy, but just to have so many different things that run through it, like the bluetooth, the sound system, and all the on-board computer stuff really makes it worth it! I think if you get it, you won't regret it. It is integrated into that big speedometer space so well that it seems like destiny for it to be there. When I was building my 07, we decided "if there is something you want, get it, so you get the car you want." I got every option I wanted (including the NAV) and have zero regrets.

 

+1 Didn't think I'd have much use for a NAV, but use it a lot. It has traffic alerts that will route you around jams in most cities. I've found that useful in San Jose (Silicon Valley), and Los Angeles. I like the way it mutes the music to give a direction, or when a Bluetooth call comes in. You don't have to fumble with turning off the music before you answer a call.

I wish the USB connection was available in early 2007. It is nice to have the playlist on the NAV screen. I can do it with mp3 CDs, but not the iPhone because no USB.

Car data on screen is nice for trips. Easy to see what your distance, time, and mpg was for the trip.

Car settings on the NAV are so much easier than fiddling with the turn signal stalk and having to use the tach's tiny data display.

 

Won't the dealer installed adapter do that for you? Not that I think the dealer installed adapter is worth the cost, and is totally annoying anyway.

 

MINI changed the shape of the front headrests for 2009 to improve whiplash protection. The end result is an aweful and uncomfortable headrest that pushes your head forward. The damn thing can not be tilted back. Really annoying. Try this before you buy.