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Well thanks to MINI's current financing options I am looking at upgrading from my '07 Cooper S to a drop top. Here is what I am looking at for options and such.. any thoughts? feedback?
MUST HAVES: MINI COOPER S Convertible – 6 Speed Manual – Goal of under $30,000 MSRP to stay reasonable – Owners Choice 3 yr/45k miles
COLORS: Horizon Blue, Interchange Yellow, British Racing Green or Midnight Black (from first to last choice)
TOP: Black (sorry the blue and brown look ridiculous)
16” Black Bridge Spoke Wheels
All Season Tires
Cold Weather Package
Leather Multifunction Steering Wheel
Hi-Fi Stereo (test drove one without with the top down and yikes…)
WANTS but not deal killers: (listed in order of importance and I would not want all of them from a $$ standpoint)
Xenon Headlights
Cloth Seats – I am worried about the leatherette being too hot with the top down
Rear Fog Lights
Bluetooth/USB Ipod Adapter
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'10 MCSC IY - Cold, H/K, Blue/USB and the top goes DOWN!!
'07 MCS - GONE
Last edited by torobud; 09-02-2009 at 02:18 PM.
Reason: My FONT broke the internet
We bought an R57 MCS-CA about six weeks ago and love it. The car is pretty much loaded. It came with a few options we didn't really want, but as we bought it off the lot with 0.9% / 48mo financing we're ok with it.
Here's my take on these options for a convertible:
Color: ours is dark grey / vinyl. Black is a real PITA to keep clean. The blue will be the easiest. My other car is a silver Subaru and I haven't washed it in years.
All-season tires: pretty much necessary if you want to drive in temps below 45F, unless you want to spring for a second set of winter rims/tires/sensors for $1k.
Black wheels: your choice. It will hide the incessant TuV-approved german brake dust better. I personally think black wheels look like spare donuts, but the Mini wheels look a lot better than some others.
MF steering wheel: cruise is nice if you're in the flyover states. The radio controls are dubious, as the buttons are small on the wheel and the volume is easy to use on the dash.
HiFi: very useful in a noisy convertible. It was a must-have for ours.
Xenon HID: our last car (Nissan) had them and I hated the sharp cutoff and blue light. Our R57 has them, and they are a lot better. The beam pattern is more diffuse to the side and the reflector appears more intelligently designed. The light is pure white as well. I like them, but I would have been equally happy with incandescents.
Cloth seats: tough call. I'm a huge fan of cloth seats. Our R57 came with vinyl sport seats. They are high quality and comfortable, but you do sweat a little more than with cloth. OTOH, I still sweat on the cloth seats in my Subaru. In a convertible everything will constantly be covered in dust and you'll want to be able to clean the thing out easily. Cloth will be more difficult to keep clean compared to vinyl. We have the rubber floor mats as well.
Rear fog lights: Useful. We have them on ours, and it has been foggy here every morning for the past week. In such a little car you can use all the help you can get. They are also useful if you'll be driving in heavy snow.
Bluetooth/USB: we have it. Of very marginal value IMO. The bluetooth is not compatible with a lot of phones so you need to see if you're "on the list". My wife's RAZR works fine with it, but it is difficult to hear her when the top is up. When the top is down - forget it! The iPod interface is a real PITA compared to just using the clickwheel on the iPod. I believe all Mini's come with a standard 1/8" aux jack anyway, so I would just use that instead.
TOP: Black (sorry the blue and brown look ridiculous)
I know you said that brown looks ridiculous, and I thought as well until I saw these three pictures of an R57 Convertible. I have to say that it looks pretty sharp.
I know you said that brown looks ridiculous, and I thought as well until I saw these three pictures of an R57 Convertible. I have to say that it looks pretty sharp.
Just an update: Not gonna happen... at least right now...
No more '09s in the midwest with the HiFi + Cold weather + 6 Speed Manual... (ok there is one but they won't dealer trade it)
I guess I will have to wait until they start some incentives on the 2010s or wait all the way until October 2010 to turn my hardtop in on a convertible...
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'10 MCSC IY - Cold, H/K, Blue/USB and the top goes DOWN!!
'07 MCS - GONE
P.S. With the cold weather package, there are quite a few winter days I spend with the top down...in Indiana.
When I'm driving alone I keep my top down. Heated seats and occasionally heat on the feet makes driving around in temps in the 30's very bearable. Though, when my girlfriend is with me I just put it in sunroof or keep it closed for her comfort.
Hmmm worked out the numbers with my dealer... and well MINI resale is taking a nosedive with the current incentives... My payoff in Oct 2010 is currently $2000-3000 higher than the current trade in value... let alone the current balance...
I will be continuing to bother my dealership right up until October... and I do think EVENTUALLY we will work something out...
Now come on lottery tickets!
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'10 MCSC IY - Cold, H/K, Blue/USB and the top goes DOWN!!
'07 MCS - GONE
(or at least not for another year)
.
