Hi, I am a new member, and am about to buy my first Mini. I am waiting for the 2011 to be ready. I am wondering if anyone has advice about options to buy or not buy. I'm most interesting in the Mini Cooper Coupe S.

 

Heated seats

 

Yeah, heated seats! and HK sound system!

Dave

 

Thanks so much! Keep the suggestions coming! I am patiently waiting to order a 2011 model. Planning on attending Mini Takes the States in Denver in August! Any suggetions on color? I have been a Van driver for the last 20 years! I am SO excited?

 

Absolutely get the HK sound system upgrade - it is one of the best stock sound systems I've ever heard.
I love my sunroof - With the windows down and the roof open it almost feels like I'm in a convertible.
Comfort access is nice... I never take my key out of my purse.
Heated seats are awesome on cold mornings.
Climate control is now one of those things I never thought I needed but now don't think i can live without. (Same with the auto-lights... and wipers.)

As for colors, laser blue is my favorite S color. It looks nice with black stripes (viper ones?)/roof/mirrors.
I also LOVE the pepper white and black combo.
Do yourself a favor, and don't get red. Everyone has red cars. I see more red MINIs than any other color around here. Be different.

 

Thanks for the suggestions! I like your color ideas. I am also interested in the dark grey and the burnt orange. I just want to see what they look like in person. I am wondering if the orange will end up being like the red....common. Do you know anything about the handling options? Seats? I have a car with heated seats and they ARE so nice. I am sold on the HK system and intrigued by the Mini Connect and NAV. This is my first non-mommy car - I want to make it WONDERFUL!

 

Just so you know, if you are waiting for a 2011 I'm pretty sure you're not going to have it in time for MTTS. Definitely go if you can, though... you'll be able to see just about everything that a MINI offers and be able to make an educated decision about options and such.

The one option I would suggest is a small thing, but one I wish after the fact I had done on mine... white turn signal indicators. Somehow I didn't realize how much the standard orange lenses stood out - they just don't fit in!. The white lenses have a much cleaner look to them.

 

Thanks, I was wondering about that but thought it was one of those things I could save money on. I can't picture what they are. I bet I will get to see it at the MTTS. Yea, I know I won't be able to have it in time. Next year! I am glad to have the chance to see the Countryman too.

 

I love my Chili red Cooper Clubman with black bonnet stripes, black roof, and black c-pillars! It looks so cool with the dark tint and sport seats in black and rooster red leather trim! Good luck!

wpb mini

 

After having purchased many new cars over the years, I can tell you that I changed my mind often before ordering. As a matter of fact, I changed my mind on the color almost every day.

Very few things I feel strongly enough to mention, except the below:

*If this is a city-only car, get the automatic. Otherwise, the stick.

*Let your budget dictate the extras. Decide on an amount, and select the options according to that figure.

*If you have a choice of two dealerships, one may be better than the other. Sneak into the customer service waiting area and ask away. They should be happy to talk to you.

*If your other car has the Sirius/XM radio, you may want it in this one. But that lock$ you into a contract, etc

Happy motoring ! The MINI is a fun car, with it's own set of benefits and quirks.

 

Cold WX package (heated seats) definitely!!!!!! Now if they just had a little back massager to go with the heat, I'd install the large screen TV in the garage and never leave the car!

Also the USB port so that you can plug in a USB key full of music.

 

I agree on the white lenses. I wish I could have got them... but I got practically the last Oxygen Blue to come over from England and it was already built... I had to steal it off another dealer on the other side of the country!

I also like the sport seats in mine. I haven't sat in the non-sport ones though?

Don't get runflat tires.

 

I was actually wondering about sport seats or lounge leather. I am not sure how that works.

 

So automatic in the city huh? My husband has a bad left knee - so he wants me to get automatic. The clutch was fun though. Does anyone have any other thoughts on auto. Mostly city driving. Denver suburbs.

 

Does anyone have an automatic with those paddles? If so, how do you like it? Does it have less lag if you use the sports button?

 

I have the automatic with the paddle shifters. I like it! the shifts are very quick and positive. Most of my other cars have manual transmissions, the auto in manual mode acts just like the manual transmissions, maybe the shifts are a little quicker with the MINI's Asin 6 speed automatic.

Dave

 

That's encouraging! I just don't want to miss any of the fun of the Mini after driving a van for so long!

 

With the seat cranked right down and the steering wheel at a 90 degree angle to you with the panoramic sunroof open, windows down and the paddle shifters it is like you are in a MINI F1 racer....absolutely love it tons of fun and to shake it up you can also slap the shifter on the floor over to sport mode and shift there like a stick shift for fun also. I have the 2008 Pepper White with the black top and get tons of compliments on how sharp the car looks. So that is a colour I would never have thought of but now it is the right choice for me.

 

Get anything but the cloth seats. In my '03 MCS, the black bolsters were faded, food/drink spots could be seen (I know...don't eat/drink while driving...sure!), and it's real tough to keep in good condition. We have black leather with white piping in our '09 MCS...SWEET!!!!!

 

so, heated seats, HK sound, white lights, no cloth seats, automatic not disappointing - may be nice for commute home. I commute to work, right now, at 3AM and home at 4AM - yep - nurse. Going to be changing in spring when I finish my masters - rush both ways. Denver is not bad though. Sunroof is a MUST for me. What about the different handling, suspension options? I forget what they call - Traction control or something.

 

I love my 09 MCS - Laser Blue with White. I dealt with Vince Quick at Schomp as he is a long time friend of mine. I have the stick and have no issues in Denver. I have a friend with the flappy paddle auto and he loves his and we argue all the time over transmissions. I did not go with the Sun Roof as I have 2 MG-B's and a Triumph TR-6 convertibles. The sun in Colorado can be brutal and I have heard that the sun roof does not offer any shade even when closed.
Definitely get the cold weather package - you will not be sorry!
Get the Sports Seats - mine are the blue trim cloth/leather. If I remember correctly you do not get adjustable lumbar support without the sports seats.
Color choice is up to you - we all have our favorites
Either get the full clear bra option from Schomp or have somebody do it, with the gravel they put down on Colorado Roads in the winter, you will not regret this.
Avoid the White Wheels - all BMW products suffer from severe brake dust and on the MINI it seems to be almost terminal
I also went with the 17" wheels, Limited Slip Diff, Multi Function Steering Wheel.
The center armrest is nice to have but the lid is beyond cheap I am very disappointed in the quality of this part
Stereo is your choice, I went with the standard unit with a IPOD connection and it is just fine for me.

Also, come out to the Colorado English Motoring Conclave and meet tons of British Car nuts

http://www.thecoloradoconclave.com

 

How do you do in the snow around Denver. As a nurse, I have to get there rain, or snow, or sleet or.... We do have a 4Runner for really deep stuff, but tell me what you think. I did not know about the lumbar thing with the sports seats. I really like that. In the 2011, they increased the sun protection for the sun roof by a considerable percent. I am going to go with it, since I don't have any other car like it. I was thinking along the lines of black stripes and black wheels, so maybe that is a good idea. By the way, I am from Massachusetts, so I am not a whimpy snow driver.

 

Cloth seats are just fine if that's your preference. I will never understand the obsession folks have with leather or leatherette interiors; to me, cloth is the most comfortable and is what I always steer towards. I think it looks sharp and (thus far) haven't had any issues keeping it clean.

As far as the sport seats... MINI has two seat options, standard seats and sport seats, with the sport seats having more bolstering in them. The standard material is leatherette. If you want to have any of the upgraded materials (cloth or leather) you must upgrade to sport seats. Also note, if you want to have a lumbar adjustment in your seats, you need to have leather (cloth or leatherette sport seats do not have the lumbar support option).

 

I go with leather because I am a coffee drinker! Easier to clean if there is an inadvertent splash

 

Convenience package, cold weather package, sport package with xenon lights, rear fog light, radio upgrade. my 2 cents