Well today I did it...I made the trip up to Portland to Rasmussen's Mini.

I met Jarid, who by the was every bit helpful, friendly, and very knowledgable as k7fdn7sq (John and Annette) had mentioned in their post. The dealership was very clean and nicely laid out. I came well prepared with a printed up config I was going with and that made for an easier time for Jarid in getting the paper started. There was no pressure, no "slimmy" sales guy and they make you feel right at home!

Well she's all ordered up and now to wait for the next 2 - 3 months...impatient:impatient
It probably didn't help that Jarid took me on a test spin of the new 07 MCS either! But all I could think about on my drive home...was my 07 MCS!!!! :impatient This is super bad...it's like an addiction that won't get away and it just gets worse and worse.

Addiction aside everything was great! I couldn't be more happier with dealing with Jarid and Rasmussen Mini! If anyone has any recommended temporary remedies for my addiction I would greatly appreciate it!

Happy Motoring to all!

 

Aside from a 90-day stint in a cryogenetisist's tube....I think you're going to have to sweat it out like the rest.

Congrats to you on your new baby tho!

 

Congrats.

Welcome to the 12-step support group here at NAM.

 

Congratulations. What did you end up ordering?

 

Here is what I got:

07 MCS
Astro Black w/Black Top
Black Lounge Leather
Piano Black interior w/ Chrome Lining
Premium & Sport Packages
Limited Slip Differential
White turn indicators
HiFi Sound
Garmin Nuvi Nav Kit (alternative to GPS unit, if you have Garmin Nuvi 360)
Most of the Convenience package ('cept bluetooth, rain sensor, auto headlights)
Keyless Go Entry
Alarm (waiting to hear when available and pricing)

That's more or less it Well there is one more but its a secret for now

The Garmin Nuvi adapter is something new that the dealership offers now. So if you have a Garmin Nuvi 360 (prolly compat for 350, 370 too) they have a special holder/charger that plugs into it on the left hand side of the steering wheel. For a couple hunderd thats a better deal for me than $2100 for the integrated unit.

Man I can't wait! :impatient I'm sure Jarid will keep me informed as it actually goes into production.

 

Congrats on a successful trip to PDX and RM! Glad you found the hospitality and Jarid to be tops...

 

...wait a minute. You're an Oregonian...and no rain sensor???

Glad you had a chance to take a test drive...unfortunately, just enough to whet your whistle. But isn't that 6 speed tranny smooth as silk?

Sounds like you got the ultimate configuration...sans the rain sensor

Cheers and congrats on putting your order in!

 

Yeah I know but really...I'm not so lazy I can't flip my wipers on if its raining.

The 6sp is super smooth! Flawless I'd have to say!

 

Ooo..the black on black is my favorite .. how exciting! Welcome to NAM ..can't wait to see pictures of your new pal.

 

Congrats, Rassmusan is a top notch dealership.
I've had our Mini there twice, once for a major wiring mess up from the factory and once for service. Pretty much made the trip for the service.
Great people there.

 

Okay, here's what you do... get a schedule of all the MA's in the place and go in when a different one is working and ask for a test drive. You can actually end up with seven or eight, if you space it out right! As for the rain sensor, I agree why do you need one in Oregon! ITS ALWAYS RAINING!!!
Happy Motoring and welcome to NAM!

 

As a Honorary Oregonian, welcome to NAM and to this crazy world of Mini ownership. Hopefully the time will zip by and you'll be Diddie Boppin about the beautiful Oregon country side.


06MCS/DS/B/Bbonnetsrtipes/Whalen8ballshiftmachine

 

Actually, that's a misconception. The rain sensor doesn't turn the wipers on for you automatically when it starts raining. You still have to turn the wipers from "Off" to "Intermittent".

The rain sensor automatically adjusts the wiper speed according to how hard it's raining. This is especially useful in stop and go traffic, where you'll get more rain as you drive, and less at traffic lights or when stopped... the rain sensor keeps adjusting for you - it's fantastic!

Now, the obvious question comes up: "Why not just leave the wipers on Intermittent at all times?"

Well, that won't work either. MINI has it programmed (at least on 1st Gen models, I'm expecting the same on 2nd Gen) so that when the car is started up on Intermittent, that the rain sensor is ignored. The rationale for this is to prevent accidental damage from driving through a car wash, if you had forgotten to turn the wipers back to Off. So if you left them on Intermittent when you last shut off the car, you have to turn them back to Off, then back to Intermittent again in order to "reactivate" them.

Anyway, I love the rain-sensing wiper feature and can't recommend it enough. No more constant fiddling with the wiper speed setting in light rain! The main downside is it requires a special windshield (for the sensor), which is more expensive to replace.

BTW, even with the auto-sensing feature, they still give you the option of "always on" low and high speeds, for heavier rain conditions. I rarely need to use them though... only high on occasion when it's REALLY heavy rain.

 

Congrats Seal !

Hope to see you soon at a PDXMINI club event.

Just be glad you didn't have to wait the 6 months or more like we all did back in the day ! ! ! LOL

 

You may want to give Jerid a call and have the rain sensors installed...

The rain sensor doesn't automatically turn your wipers on; you move the handle upwards one click, the wipers run once and then are "set" to wipe as needed (faster, slower, intermittently) during that session only. If the rain slows down to not even need the intermittent wipers, you won't even have to worry about that annoying "wiper squeal" that happens with "regular" intermittent wiper settings.

Edited to add that I didn't read all the thread before posting & I see that Dave gave you all the details!

 

Congrats! Start making plans for the Dragon on '08!

 

LOL... last time I checked, I hadn't changed my name.

 

Hey congrats Seal. Reading your post is like reliving our trip to Rasmussen in Feb. Great bunch of folks there! Best experience in buying a car ever.

I like to ask you about that GPS unit you mentioned. How much, what it's like. I'm interested in getting a portable, external unit that I can switch between cars.

One other question since I noticed you ordered here in Portland. We tried to spec a rear fog light, but our MA (dan) said he couldn't put one on as it is against the law in Oregon. We see Minis all over town with rear fog lights, so somebody must be putting them on. Thoughts?

 

Evergreen,

Are you sure you are seeing the fogs and not just brake lights? There is an easy mod that connects the standard lower brake light to the upper fog light so both will come on when the brakes are applied.

You can also do the rear fog install yourself if you can get a new toggle board, then you can have the dealer "activate" the option.

I had the same problem with my 04. Dealer couldn't get them from factory.

 

So from what i'm reading the Rain sensor is a "must"??? :D
Fine I will call Jarid on Monday and have add the option.
Damn you all!!!! Costing me more money

Evergreen,
The external GPS unit I have is the Garmin Nuvi 360. It is a wonderful slim (as big as a deck of cards) unit. Perfect for taking from car to car or even when you travel.
More info: http://www.garmin.com/products/nuvi360/

The 370 is the newest model however the only thing they added with the traffic transmitter which our unit can get as a seperate option. So no biggie if you ask me. It's very very simple to use and very acurate so far!

I am quite satisfied with it! I bought mine at:
http://www.pcnation.com/web/details.asp?item=6G0210
I got it for about $440, which I think is a super fair price. The unit is factory brand new (retail box and all) and not some refurb.

Not sure how to answer the rear fog light question. I know Oregon police/fire don't like lights that emulate colors similar to theirs...but thats all I know.

Ok so quick edit here...
If I get the sensors I'm only $100 away from the entire convenience package (BT addon is the only missing item). Is the BT unit really worth it? I've heard there is some compatibility issues with it? Thoughts? Opinions?

 

We're definately seeing a rear fog light on MINIs around town. Lower bumper, below the boot, dead center. You see in promo pics the rear fog light is red, we are seeing a clear, white cover to the fog light. We figured, either people are adding them on later or we're getting bad information from the dealer.

 

Thanks for the info SEAL6, I'll check that unit out. Sounds perfect.

 

My MA (Larry) said the same thing. With your post, I decided to see what I could find out about the law.

Oregon Administrative Rule 735-108-0076 covers the mounting of rear fog lights for motor vehicles and trailers. And therin lies the rub.

It says that rear fog lights in Oregon must be mouted at the same height as the rear tail lights. Where the Mini mount is lower than that. It also says if there is only one lamp, it must be on the left side of the vehicle, not in the center as in the Cooper.

OARs are written at the agency level but carry the force of law. It restricts the dealer from adding them but individual car owners might have rigged up an aftermarket system themselves, in violation of the law.

http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/rules/...5/735_108.html

 

Wait a minute, I recognize that name! Well done Sowellman. I feel a little embarrased not doing that investigation myself. It was more of a passive curiousity, not a deal breaker. Very much appreciate your last reply.

Last I heard (mini2) you were awaiting a mini yourself. You must have it by now?

 

Larry mentioned it to me months ago but I hadn't checked into it until I read your post. So you're no worse than me.

My car is currently at the distribution center at Port Hueneme, the same place where I entered the world. The OL is listing an arrival date at the dealership of April 15, so it won't be long now.