Hello,

It's looking like we will soon be new Mini owners as the wife is really keen on the car. We've been shopping for a gas thrifty ride, but one with some style. I think she's pretty settled on the car; we've been to the dealership to check out the interior space, etc. Need to go back for a test drive as we were in a rush the 1st time.

I don't anticipate that she will balk at the S model with the automatic transmission (her current ride is an Escape auto with the V6) and sport package.

We're thinking of the Dark Silver body with white roof and mirrors.
I'm thinking of staying with the black/grey leatherette due to the high price of leather. Any suggestions to the contrary (problems with durability, cleaning, etc.)?

We'll probably go with the HK sound system upgrade and iPod adapter.
Bumper and hood clear protection accessories.
Also thinking of a light window tint on at least the rear windows (though I think it looks better with all of them tinted.)

Any "must have" options or packages that we're missing?
What can we expect in real world mixed driving for gas milage?

thanks,
bill

 

If you're going for a 2011, DS is discontinued, although the Eclipse Grey has the same effect.

 

Just drink the KOOLAID !
Nice little car you will fit in the back seat i do and im a big person !
Good Luck !

 

Congrats! Real world mixed mileage for the auto S will likely be 30-34 mpg's. We average 30-31 with our '06, but the current turbo models will get a little better.

 

Congrats & Welcome! My OBC in my 09 MCS shows 33.9 mpg and I drive a mix of interstate & surface streets daily. Just order what you want and enjoy!

 

Give your final order A good deal of thought and make sure you don't leave anything out as it will cost more to add after delivery. Of course you might find one in stock that will do what you want and save you some bucks on season end sales.

 

Yeah DS/ White or EG / White will look real nice. Definitely get the sport package, if only for the xenon lights. It not only looks nice but it has the safety factor as well.

I opted for the leatherette as well. Most people that could afford the leather appear pretty happy with it. But most people with leatherette (like myself) are also pretty happy. Heck, even the cloth seats are pretty nice in the MINI. The leatherette has so far been very easy to keep clean. I got a bottle of Griot's interior cleaner and just give the whole inside a wipe down every few days.

I opted for 35% tint all around because I personally think it looks a bit odd when the driver/passenger windows aren't tinted. I'm not sure where in So Cal you live but if it's anywhere like Oakland I'm sure the cops have better things than issue you a fix-it ticket for tint.

Oh, and after you get the car good and broken in, I highly recommend paying Jan @ Revolution Mini a visit to get an ECU tune. That is, if you're in to that sort of thing. It's very safe, you can remove the modified tune at any time (if you get the Dimsport flash tool he sells), and it seriously is the best bang for your buck performance mod you can get. Oh, and gas mileage doesn't suffer at all. Some people have reported mpg gains even.

Congrats on your decision. Looking fwd to seeing some pics soon!

 

Thanks everyone for the useful replies:

I'm very encourage by the reported gas mileage in the low/mid thirties. That's a big improvement over the low 20's we currently experience with our Escape. Wife will be very happy.

Wahooshoe; I'm hoping we can get a 2010 configured as we desire. I think we can negotiate a good price that way. If not, we will have to order a 2011.

BensMini; I'm with you on that thought, completely. I keep poring over the "Build your Own" section of the MiniUSA website! I know I'll end with a few more options!

silhouette88; I agree on the window tint all around. That's how I have my 1-series set up. I've never been bothered by the LEO's here in San Diego or Orange counties (even when pulled over for an infraction ;-). Thanks for the tip on Revolution Mini.

bill

 

Well, after the obligatory test ride, which totally sold me on the 6-speed Aisin transmission, and lack of turbo lag, the search for a specific car was on. We settled on finding a 2010 configured as close to our build plan as possible. DS was our first choice, with Black as #2(teenage daughter's #1).
On the lot, in the prime display area we spotted a triple black example with the following options:
Automatic transmission
HK sound system
iPod/USB adapter
Xenon lights
Metallic Black paint
Black roof & mirrors
Black leatherette
Piano Black interior trim
Black spoke wheels
Aero package
Anthracite Headliner

Still to be installed next week is window tinting, black/black checkerboard roof graphic, and chrome rally lights.
Here's a quick pic, I managed to snap. The wife hasn't been seen since I brought the car home to her!! Ha ha ha.



B

 

Congrats!

 

After putting a couple hundred miles on the car, I received a complaint from the wife that the car was "squirrely" at the rear during highway driving.
Some investigation revealed tires at 30psi except for right rear at 28psi.
Door sill sticker and owners' manual call for 38 psi, which seems excessively high to me.
I dutifully followed the manuals' recommendations, pressurized the tires, and reset the TPM monitor...

So, a few questions I hope you more experienced Mini owners can help me with:
-why would such high tire pressures be required for such a light car?
-is there a reason the dealer would have delivered the car with only 30 psi?
-why didn't the TPM show a warning on the dash when the rear tire went down to 28psi?

On the plus side, the car came with Bridgestone Potenza RE050 tires (RFT). I've previously had non-RFT Potenzas and was very happy with the balance of grip, low noise, and durability.


I am now contemplating switching over to these on my 1-series when the Pirelli Euforias' need replacing.