Current owner of a Clubman S, planning on ordering a 2012 CM S when the rear bench becomes available. I'm starting to think about how I'll spec the car, so now that the CM has been out there for the better part of a year now, I'd like to hear from CM owners/drivers: If you could do it over, what would you do different with your CM? This is the place for your "I wish I'd gotten XXXX" or "Don't get the YYYY" stories, so bring 'em on!

 

I wish I'd gotten ... adaptive headlights. The xexons are great, but I keep noticing the people who got adaptive think it's worth the money.

Don't get the ... center arm rest. It has very little storage and makes the front rail pretty much unusable.

 

Got one off the lot.

Wish I had the auto dimming mirror. Didn't want nav, just connected. Still need to change out the run flats

 

Misty is perfect in every way except her shoes. She went for the 18-inch heels where she should have been content with the 17's. There are so many more choices with the lower heels. She also had me remove the center armrest so I wasted $250 on that.

We're still ok being cosmic, although every once in a while she says would would like to be a redhead.

Bill

 

I would wait for the JCW version...maybe

 

Would have liked: Xenons, Comfort Access, and heated powerfold mirrors, and maybe the Cold Package as well.

Then came to realize: Xenons are nice but modded halogens with black headlight housings and possible LED-strips would look awesome (I already sketched out pictures as to how they would look...just waiting for my piggy bank to concede with such a creative project >_>); Comfort Access is just another reason to be scared in dark places should someone try to open the doors while you're in the car -___-; Powerfold mirrors....meh; and the cold package would only be useful in my area for about 1 month out of an entire year (I think I'll pass).

At the end of the day: Ji-Hoo and I both realize that he can make heads turn whether he has these things or not ^____^ But he also realizes that some modifications are, of course, inevitable...

 

should have gotten the Xenon's. Really miss them, would have been worth the extra 500. Oh well...next go round.

 

I would have picked a different car.

 

Your Countryman would probably pick a different owner, too.

 

Parktronic

 

Parktronic?

 

Definitely keep the front armrest! Like everything except the standard vinyl seats. Weren't an issue in my clubman, but in my CM they do not breathe and are hotter than h__ll! Bought black union jack armor seat towels and are 100% better, but our next CM will have cloth seats of some sort. Very happy with the color combo we ordered: light white with black top. Oh, have since switched out run flats to non-run flats , HUGE difference!

 

Would have gotten some form of leather. The leatherette just gets way to hot and doesn't breath. Probablly would have gone with the lounge leather.

 

We got the leatherette basic seats - my co-driver would really have appreciated the adjustable lumbar support of the higher level seats. We also think the white top would have been a better idea for our sunny summer.

(We had the black top painted BMW Alpine White)

 

 

Smartest thing I did by accident was order BLACK wheels. Yep they still get dirty, but they don't show. I think Black wheels are a must on a MINI.

And get the adaptive xenons. Worth the money in my opinion.

 

Wish I had sport springs and AWD that might have made it handle more mini, less honda.

I thought I wanted a bench but now that I have the rail/split rear buckets, think this is the better option for this vehicle. The split is great for 4 occupants with long items poking through- much more practical IMO given the short storage area in the back.

 

Got the Anthracite wheels - match the brake dust perfectly. Got the adaptive xenons, and they work great.

I wish my 17-inch all seasons were a little stickier on the windy drive I just took at lunch time - the CM4 kinda scoots around on some tight turns.

 

For those lamenting the hot leatherette seats that don't breathe, I greatly encourage you to look at getting some sort of solar-reducing film for the windows. I am a fellow leatherette owner, and the film has made a MAJOR difference. (And I have a black roof and the dark headliner.)

While the film doesn't make the seats breathe, it does keep the interior temperature down and makes the seats much more tolerable. And that's been with 100 degree days!

The car once sat in the sun with the windows down for only a few minutes, and the seats were painfully hot! But sitting for hours with the windows up protected by the film, no problem.

No film on the sunroof - apparently, that's a real no-no - but I do have the checkerboard vinyl graphic. I think it also reduces the intensity of the sun, and I really like the look.

My big do-over? I'd get the automatic. The manual isn't what I expected. And yes, I did test drive a manual - that car seemed to have a better feel.

And I may have the lumbar support added to my leatherette seats. Some in the forums have talked about how this can be accomplished. Even if they don't breathe, I do love their durability.

 

There's still no conclusive evidence of whether tint is bad for the sunroof, which is somewhat frustrating. I've had 5% Limo tint on my sunroof for the past 3 years without any problem, even in the blazing 100+ degree New Mexico sun. But then there are other people that have had theirs crack with less heat.

 

I'd order the individual rear buckets, the bench can't sit three people, not even three children, I'd order the flat load boot floor and would probably have waited for the SD model, other than that I'm a super satisfied CM owner.

 

If I could order again, The seats would be the number 1 item on my list.
I have the standard seats & the material used is not traditional MINI!
What has been described above is true. The seats do not breathe. Definitely invest in the upgraded seats!!! Any level will be better.
Side note: The dealer has no incentive to "swap" them out later. Even if there is money in it for them & the perfect CM containing the seats you want has sat on the lot for months.

For those who have the Std. seats & are interested in a seat cover solution, here is what I purchased in black: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/MINI-...s#ht_500wt_956
These made a huge difference, no sweating in 95+ degree heat, the fitment is excellent with no movement & no side airbag issues. I'm not crazy about the sheepskin look but the quality & price hit the mark.

 

I have not idea what you mean by not traditional MINI, I had a 1973 Clubman, the seats were black vinyl, they sure didn't breath and were hot as hell on a summers day, I also had a 1981 Mayfair those seats were valour, my friend has a 1961 Mini Minor which has vinyl seats.

 

Definitely love:

Flat-load floor. The car is so damn versatile. In one minute I can go from configurations for two people and two dogs; three people and kayak gear, a full day by myself with the kayak, four people and gear, groceries and dogs, people and groceries. Plus, the way it's set up, you can trap a large (72"x72") towel with a shower curtain under the floor and tucked into the folded-down seats and have a $20 flat floor protecting option—a total must with two water dogs.

Adaptive xenons. I wasn't going to get this option when I was going to order, but I ended up getting one off the lot in order to save myself the 3-month wait, and I LOVE these headlights. Be warned that they may encourage you to race down curvy, hilly unlit streets at night.

Sunroof. I've never had one and always been jealous of other people's, and I love mine. I really look forward to the fall when I'll have it open more, since with the summer heat I've had the A/C on.

Rubber mats. I use my car for adventuring, so muddy shoes, condensation off of cold water bottles, sandy gear, etc. are all a reality. My CM's not a garage car that I only take out on sunny weekends. It's got to hold up to an active lifestyle. I love the fact that when there's some mud or a spill, I know I can just hose off the mats. I may get the car muddy, but I like to be able to keep it looking nice too.

ALL4. There's a sacrifice of gas mileage for have the S/ALL4, but being able to go on slightly rough roads with confidence is awesome. Plus, seeing a MINI handle a dirt backroad is pretty awesome. I can't wait for snow!

Stripes. Maybe they're a little silly, but I freaking love having racing stripes on my car (it's True Blue with white sport stripes and white roof/mirrors).

Heated mirrors and seats. I don't use the powerfold ever, but having spent years hacking ice off my mirrors, I can't wait for winter when I can just press a button. I've also been jealous of other people's heated seats for a very long time, so I'm looking forward to this winter.

H/K audio. I'm a musician (among other things), so the ability to send high quality audio from my phone to a good sound system was really important to me. I had to play with some settings (most notably rolling back the bass a bit and adjusting the l/r balance to favor the driver's seat), but now I have great reproduction in the car. It was nice to be able to get something good from the factory instead of having to do aftermarket work on it.

Auto A/C. While you do have to set it a little lower on extra hot days, so it's not totally automatic, it's quite nice to be able to find a good temperature and then leave it for a long drive. I always found myself fiddling with the A/C every 20 minutes in my old car, and I don't now.


I'm not in love with:

The leatherette seats, for the reasons that people have cited. If you get into the car with a sweaty back, you're going to leave with a sweatier one, even if you get the cabin nice and cool. I wouldn't change it, though, since the muddy smears my dogs leave on the back clean up nicely, and I'd be kicking myself if that happened to the leather.

MINI-Connected. It's nice to have a big screen in the speedo, and I do like seeing my trip computer with all the details up there. It certainly impresses people, and it's nice to be able to sort through your recent calls and the phone book when the phone auto-connects. However, it's completely crippled when you don't have the adapter for your phone, and nobody seems to have an iPhone 4 adapter that actually works. Given that the iP4 has been out for so long, it's ridiculous that BMW/MINI hasn't solved the issue.

So you can't use many of the cooler features, since they don't work if you just connect it via the (ridiculously overpriced) USB cable. Right now, I have my phone in a gooseneck from the cigarette lighter and it charges there. I run a headphone-out to the stereo-in by the shifter, and I pick the music off the phone's screen. I tried using it with through the USB jack, and while it was nice to see album art, the rest of the process was too annoying.

So I have a $750 screen to look at my mileage and navigate my recent calls list. Meh. Maybe once they get their act together and let everything work properly without expensive adapters and cradles, it'll be different.


Wish I had:

Comfort access. It's not a big deal to click the unlock button and stick the fob in the slot, but it would be cooler just to walk up to the car, get in it, and go. The car auto-recognizes the phone and loads it up when I start, so it would be nice if the key worked the same way. Not a big deal, but it would complete the feel for me.

 

I am pretty much satisfied with how Jack was configured. The one option I wish I had was the reverse hazard alert system. Not sure what the correct name is for this, but I find the Countryman's design makes it difficult to judge how far you are from obstructions when backing down.

I live in Southern California, so no need for the All 4 but I somewhat wish I would have sprung the extra $100 for the adaptive headlights. I have the xenons.

The upholders and rail accessories are almost a joke. I have the run flats and like them, especially after getting a screw in one and being able to drive to the fix-it shop. They run a little harsh, but so what?

I also love Mini Connected with nav and real time traffic. And, I strongly think Mini should have included the iPhone 4 adaptor for the headrest as a part of the connected option. BIG mistake.