I'm Shamelessly going to ask a question I saw in the General Mini Talk thread here, since it was a great question! (Thanks dfwallace48) - For those who have their cars already:

• When you look through the list of possible options for our F56's, which ones do you wish you had gotten, including after market?
• Which options you purchased were not worth it?

I'll kick it off:

I wish I had:

• Storage Package (but ordered the boot floor OEM and it works just fine)
• HK Audio (I miss this the most, as the stock stereo is very soft)
• Rearview Camera (I have never owned a car with this, not counting my wife's Prius, so really don't "miss" it)
• Comfort Access - (same rationale as the rearview mirror)

These aren't worth it:

• Mini You (the changing color LED lighting on the inside) - I really don't notice.
• Moon roof - I don't even know I have that option sometimes... LOL
• Piano Black interior

Please note that some of the above items were included in larger packages, but since I drove the car off the lot, I really didn't have a choice in the matter for the most part.

 

I wish I had:
HK Audio (wasn't available when ordered)
MINI your way white interior accents (looked battleship grey online. much nicer in person)
Sunroof (was worried that I was too tall to lose the headroom. I think i would have been fine)

These aren't worth it:
I Love all of my options. Glad I got them all.

 

Don't have my car yet, but I kind of wish I had ordered the storage package.

Everything else I got is what I wanted. Of course, once I get it, i'm sure there is some stuff I'll end up not caring about.

 

Don't have my car yet but I wanted the active driving assistant pkg which wasn't available for 2014 model.

 

Picked up my MCS last week. Probably should have added the auto climate system, if only to trick out the dash. I have everything else, but couldn't justify the cost of separate controls for such a small interior. And despite what everyone says about the standard sound system, I think it sounds just fine. I ordered the red colorline but it is a flatter red than shown in most photos. The storage pkg was a good investment, but since it's just a lid for the boot well, I imagine it will be available from the dealer.

I had the windows tinted 20% and added two-tone bonnet stripes after delivery. Overall I'm thrilled with my Mini and have no regrets!

 

Sport Suspension
Storage pack(rear flat load floor)

 

Very surprised to discover that the standard Sport Seats weren't ventilated. The ones w/ the cloth would have been better. Assumed all upscale seats were ventilated nowadays -- never assume

Those silver Cosmos 17" wheels are really handsome, probably wouldn't have been too much firmer riding or much more susceptible to road damage than the 16s on my MCS.
...

Otherwise, very pleased w/ car w/o LEDs, or climate control or H/K. Have DDC, nav, HUD, sat radio, paddle-shifters, B/U camera (important!) & PDC, etc.

You can option these cars to $45k or more. Never considered Comfort Access (can reach in pocket), thought about that Storage Package, but I have filled that well with a "milk crate," styrofoam cooler, emerg. pkg. (jumper cables, etc.), so it's neat and useful.

 

I just hope after commuting for a bit that I don't regret not getting the auto transmission.

 

There's a lot of stuff that would've been neat to have and play with.
But I'm cheap so I didn't spring for much. I don't have my car yet and I'm already wishing I would've gotten the anthracite headliner (or JCW interior which includes it) to go with the satellite gray door panels. Not sure how the gray and beige will look together, but I never thought about it since you can barely see the A-pillar in the configurator preview!

the Sport package was a good deal too, but i decided to go with 16" wheels for a smoother ride. I also thought about reordering mine with the media package but that wouldn't really make it more fun to drive.

 

Any other thoughts on the base audio vs HK?

I found a justa at a dealership with everything I want in my color of choice (dark metallic blue) except no HK. For those with the base audio, on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being "eh not too bad" and 1 being "OMG this sucks what was I thinking," where would you rate it?

 

I would get the HK just for the extra speakers it gives you, a much more enveloping sound.

 

Wish I had:
Comfort Access
A different color line

Options I regret:
None

Options I got that are worth every penny:
HK Audio
Storage Package
Anthracite Headliner
MINI Yours Interior in Cottonwood
Black Pearl seats
LED Headlights

 

Wish I got: Cottonwood Mini Yours. I didn't realize it had extra inside lights when I decided I didn't need it. (It doesn't add ALL the inside lights, it adds more to the door) Also, not in love with the hazy gray, and I think the Cottonwood would've gone nicely with the brown interior and iced chocolate.

Really glad I got: The HUD, i love it. The storage pack I've made good use of often already. LED headlights are great. Nav was an expensive option but combined with the HUD its very nice. The first time it draws a diagram of a three-way split exit off a highway you've never been on, or does the little count down in the HUD til the exact street you need to turn on in some strange residential area with no signs... worth it! Also dig the back up cam with PDC, the lines for exactly where you'll reverse to are pretty cool.

cb4d - I don't have the HK audio and have zero complaints about the base sound system. I will preface that by pointing out I am far from an audiophile, sound quality has never been a huge issue for me, and my last car the front speakers were all dead so I drove around for 2 years with all my sound coming from 2 speakers in the back of the car. So this system sounds wonderful to me But I haven't regretted skipping HK at all, especially since it was causing delays when I ordered.

 

If you have the car you want on the lot, and the only thing it is missing is the HK, take the car on the lot. I don't know whether any car audio is worth waiting 2 months for that an aftermarket upgrade can't beat. (as others have astutely pointed out before). Although I'm disappointed that I didn't get the HK, that's only because I second guess EVERYTHING I do. LOL -- I wouldn't have waited for the car just for the audio at all. It is a car: the driving is more important to me. On your scale, I'd give it a 3.5. It isn't terrible. But it isn't great.

 

Wish I had: The alarm...just to fill out the key fob

Regrets: None so far.

Things I like best: My god, those LED headlights are glorious. Those cornering lights are BRIGHT! Worth every cent.

 

Wish I had:
LED Headlights
XL Screen - for split screen mainly
Garage Door Opener on rear view

Options I Can't Live Without:
HK Audio - sooo amazing.
Mini Connected with BT
JCW Interior Package - Headliner looks slick, seats feel great, and steering wheel is a touch of heaven.
Storage Package
Comfort Access

Regrets:
Maybe the Grey/Black checker side scuttles and roof graphics instead of the White/Black... depends on the day really.

 

Wish I had: sport seats...