So... Im new to this whole forum thing, my friend got me into forums from another car forum that he basically lives on haha anyway,

I have waited months to save, and make my final decision on my first ever new car, and I've finally decided to go with a MINI and couldnt be more excited.
So obviously I have gone online and built my car with the configurator but I have gone in and several times and done lots of talking with my MA. I go in next week to finialize everything and pay my deposite to send my car into production! However i have a few questions on some final decisions i have yet to make.

I am getting a MINI Cooper s Hardtop, my biggest concern is the exterior color! Im planning on getting Hot Chocolate Brown but I keep having doubts, so if you have a brown one post a pic and tell me what you love about it! Or what color you have and why you love it, thats my biggest delima. i am defiantly set on blacking it out no matter the color, so it will be a black top with bonet strips, and black wheels, and i will black out the windows the day i get it! lol

Secondly is the sunroof, some people say theyre horrible and make too much noise and others say its the best thing ever, so let me know what you think the pros and cons of the sunroof are... worth my $1000???

And last minuet im starting to really like the JCW areo kit, i was planning on getting the sports package, but for 2012 theres the JCW sports package that comes with the aero kit. Not sure if its worth the extra cash.

sorry for the long post, but hopefully i can get some feedback and make up my mind by next week! Let me know what you think!!
Thanks!!

 

You might have your MA take you on an extended test ride to decide on the sunroof...see what YOU think. Sunroofs are a very personal thing, some people love them, I would not have one if you paid me to take it.

 

Greetings, HC! Congrats on taking the first steps to madness! :D

You are right, the color is the hardest option. I checked-off every black option on my 2012 MCSa because it isn't too common and it makes for a pretty aggressive look. I decided against any bonnet stripes, I think it looks cleaner on my build. Color is personal though, but luckily you can't really go wrong regardless of choice!

I personally love my sunroof and wouldn't be without it. The negative things you hear about the sunroof are that it's noisy, and adds weight.
In my experience, my sunroof is solid and silent, no issues. The weight of the sunroof is pretty much a non-factor and the coolness of the MINI sunroof pretty much makes it worth it IMO.

The new JCW appearance package is totally worth it to me, because you get the aero kit, wheels, red interior stitching, and door sills, which would be quite expensive if ordered separately.

Hope I've helped a little, if you have any questions, let us know!
Good luck, you will be in love with whatever you end up choosing!
Jon

 

JCW package is worth every penny, and I love my sunroof, it helps get rid of the new car smell quicker (that smell makes me dizzy for some reason)

 

I don't have my Mini yet, but I went through a lot of the same dilemmas that you did so here was my thinking in terms of how I ordered my car:
1) Color - very personal decision. I got Spice Orange because I thought it was the most fun color they offered. I looked around the parking lot at work one day and all I saw was white, black, silver and various shades of grey. Very BORING! The Mini is all about fun so why not have a fun color?
2) Sunroof - This was an easy decision for me. I just sold my 335i which comes standard with a sunroof and I NEVER used it except to open all the windows and roof to let the heat out of the car after it sat in the sun. As soon as I got in, I closed the windows and the sunroof and put the A/C on max. I never once drove it with the sunroof open or even with the interior sliding cover open for that matter. If you have made extensive use of the sunroof on previous cars you've had, get it.
3) JCW kit - Never really even considered it. There were other things I wanted that I would have had to give up if I got the kit, so again, this was an easy one for me.

As for stripes, I originally ordered the factory stripes, but later found that there were other much cooler (IMO) after market stripes, so I deleted them. Here are the ones I like the most:
http://loringstudios.com/vehicle-wra...g-stripes.html
http://www.autotrimdesign.net/detail...hics_Kit.html#
https://id3452.securedata.net/superb...roducts_id=419

 

Have you see the "Official Hot Chocolate Owners Club" thread? https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ners-club.html There's a lot of pictures there.

I got the sun roof option on mine. I do use it. But it's really a preference thingy.

If you're confused about the color, go Laser Blue. But of course, I'm biased.

 

The hot chocolate was the color I first considered, but my past experience with darker colors is that they show dirt and water spots and clear coat swirl marks...so I went with Pepper White.(which looks awesome blacked out!) Like everyone said, the sunroof and color are pretty personal opinions. I personally feel claustrophobic in most cars without a sunroof. The dual pane one that MINI offers gives the car such a cool greenhouse feel--to me it was the number one option on my list. But take a drive in both and see what you think.

 

thanks for all the input! i went in and went with my heart! lol so i did get brown,,, which i really do love! and the sunroofs are just too amazingly awesome to pass up... i went to the dealership closed to my house which i guess is the largest in the US.. SO amazing and so many cars to look at! loved it all! my car is on order and should be here mid january! CAN NOT WAIT! ahh

 

I had an 03 MCS and I had the sun roof and DID NOT like it. Had to have it tinted as too bright (maybe just me). Too heavy and just did not use it at all. Had the car for about 135,000 fast miles and only had it open about three or four times.

Earl

 

Sounds like every single experience I've had with sun roofs. Oh yea, and it perfectly reflects my MINI experience. I bought mine used and because it had a sunroof didn't make it a deal breaker, but I just don't use it. Would have preferred to have a lighter car and roof that isn't 90% glass.

 

I like having the sunroof, but rarely if ever drive with it open. I open it to vent position on hot days while parked. I don't know about '12 versions but it's really hard to 'crack' the side windows due to the auto up & down functions. You either go too far down or too far back up... frustrating.. The sunroof has a one touch function to the vent position (only) so it is really easy to vent.
Note that both panes open to vent position but when fully opened, only the front pane opens.

I have had sunroofs in other cars and they were noisy also (open), so I just assumed all sunroof are noisy. If you are talking about noise while closed then I don't hear any on mine but others have complained about that here and had to have adjustments made.

I did add some stick on window shading film that I can pull off and put back when needed.

My favorite option is comfort access.

 

I'm glad you chose to go with the sunroof! I love mine. I drive with it open in the "popped up" position every day. I've never had any issues with any type of noise from it. The only time my Mini made an annoying noise was when I had the roof rack on it for a road trip. It whistled at me when I went over 40mph.

 

Love the sunroof. Had 3 rental MINI's: 2 without sunroof, 1 with. Prefered the one WITH the sunroof. It wasn't bright, it was quiet, it didn't creak or make noises. With it open it's like any other sunroof when it comes to noise. I just prefer the added faux space it gave the car.

 

Just replied on a post re: sunroof option. Love, love, love mine. It's open with every opportunity. Mine is not noisy AT ALL, with it closed you'd never know it's there. It doesn't rattle or anything. One recommendation I will make for you, esp since you live in CA is to get a zippee shade. You will see conflicting opinions about them but for the most part people like them. Personally, it's worth the $40 something bucks. Some people complain they're a pain to take on/off. I don't see it as a problem, and with the temps cooling I don't even have mine on now. Anywho, good choice on going with the sunroof. Def a personal opinion, I've never had a car without one and never will. Some people could care less. Enjoy your car!

Sherri

 

my car is at 120 miles and I used the sunroof 5 times. But the weather is getting colder now....

 

My MCS is a year old this month. LOVE the sunroof, very low noise and totally rattle free. Nothing better on a beautiful Carolina fall day than open the windows , open the sunroof full open and go for a nice long drive. Congrats on the new purchase. Sounds awsome and hope your first year of ownership wll be as enjoyable as mine has been.

 

Couldn't pay me to take a sunroof - weight, ugly, useless. JCW package doesn't add any performance. You're paying for some fancy plastic basically. I like british racing green but all the colors are nice.

 

I had never had a sunroof before I got my MCS, and I love it. I used it all summer whenever it wasn't raining. ... Two things I wished I had gotten: The H-K stereo. The standard one isn't very good. And 17-inch wheels. I just think they look better than the 16-inches. ... Also might have gotten the sport stripes (the double stripes down the middle) rather than the standard bonnet stripes.