I picked up my MINI on Friday! I've named her Tori, short for Victoria. I absolutely love her... I've already put over 300 miles on her. I'm still learning new things each time I drive her, and I'm sure it will be that way for a while. I'm already getting better fuel economy than I ever did in the Mazda 626 (think big beige generic sedan... talk about a huge difference in vehicles).

The dealer made a mistake on my wheels and tires, but I liked what they gave me better, plus the wheels were worth more, so I kept them. I ended up with 17" Web Spokes with Performance tires; and had ordered Crown Spokes with all-season tires. Since I didn't have a strong preference, I was happy despite the mistake.

Here is a link to my flickr pictures of the car... enjoy!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rasurra...7602046723561/

 

very nice. I like those wheels too. Not a bad mistake...hah. enjoy!!

 

Gorgeous Congrats.....

Donna

 

Sweet car! Is that the dealer installed Garmin Nav?

 

Congrats and welcome!

 

Very Nice!!

 

Tori is quite a looker!

 

Yes, it is the dealer installed Garmin Nav system. I'm happier than I expected to be with the mounting. It looks good and it's easy to see while driving. If you want more specific pics of the mount, let me know and I'll try to take them sometime this week.

 

Great wheels & Tires, I have the same. But they get dirty very quickly.

 

Looks great! I nearly changed my order to that color...

 

Additional pictures, yes please! It looks great mounted there. I had been thinking about this option upon delivery but had yet to see how "professional" the install looked.

3 additional quick questions... 1) Is it hardwired into the car (i.e. does it power up/down with the car? 2) If you don't mind me asking, what was the total cost for the unit/installation? 3) What model of the Nuvi is it?

Thanks, and again, great looking MINI you got there!!

 

Beautiful car.......Good pick! ENJOY!!!!!

 

I'll take the pictures in the next day or two... sorry about the delay, but I do have other things that need to get done in my real life (compared to my MINI life).

To answer your questions, 1) Yes, it is hardwired into the car. It's nice that it keeps itself charged rather than needing to charge it in the house regularly. 2) It was $850, $750 for the unit and mounting bracket, plus $100 for the dealer install. The install price will vary based on dealer. 3) It's a Garmin Nuvi 360, which has a retail value of approximately $645 according to Garmin's website. Check with your dealer for pricing.

It is a very professional looking mount. It comes out of the back of the tachometer and blends very nicely with everything in the car. I am extremely happy with it.

I know some people here on the forum talk of installing it themselves, but I personally like to hold the dealer responsible for anything done to a brand new car. Plus, depending on your insurance company, if something is on the dealer invoice they'll cover it; where if you do it at home it's aftermarket. Just something to consider.

I hope this helps! I'll post pics in the next few days.

 

Awesome! Thanks so much.

 

Congrats on the new MINI...very exciting!!!

 

Simply gorgeous Love the color combo. You really lucked out on the wheels

I notice you got the boot box. How is the lid? Is it sturdy enought to place heavy items on top of it?

 

Tori is beautiful! I love the way the Garmin MINI Nav was installed... very nice job. Happy motoring in your new baby!

 

I got the boot box is because it makes a flat surface when the seats are folded down. There is a label on it that says 15 kg max load. I figured out the conversion (why, oh why can't the US use metric?!) and that comes out to approximately 33 pounds. So... you couldn't put something too heavy directly on it, but you could use it as support for something bigger across the seats. I'll let you know how it works out. I liked that you can put stuff in it and it's out of sight if people peek in and the seats are down. It feels like a sturdy build to it. Sorry I can't give a better answer, but I haven't had an opportunity use the car for much other than driving yet. (Which is fabulous - she's great to drive )