Planning to order a JCW Clubman & was wondering:

What would you insist it come with & what would you wait and purchase after pick up? For arguments sake, let's say money was not the issue --

 

Everyone has different tastes. I bought both of my JCW's off the showroom (clearance time deals). When you do that they come with basically the same packages (unless a custom never got picked up). Halogen lights (hate it), clear signals (makes you want to get rid of the yellow bulbs), convenience package (love it), bluetooth (love it), auto wipers (love it), garage door opener (convenient), an Armrest (skip that one if you can) and usually some kind of wildcard option. My 09 the wildcard was sport suspension (works well but you quickly outgrow it), on the clubman it was Leather (ahhh lumbar support). They used the 2010 for a promotional event so it came with tint and JCW checkered floor mats and graphics so that kind of offset the extra miles.

The regular JCW and JCW Clubman are different cars but the same things bug me on both. Halogens are so dim I am constantly checking if they are on even on streets that are not lit very well. Go for the xenons. My wife loves the soft standard suspension after being pounded by the 05 mCS's sport suspension (which is Cadillac soft compared to 09 sport suspension). For me the 2010 std JCW suspension is a little mushy and really needs a larger rear bar at a minimum. Do not confuse this with JCW sport suspension which is even stiffer than sport suspension (which is too soft and not low enough for a surprising number of people who mainly autoX or track their cars). Aftermarket is the way to go there. Bilstiens are incredibly cheap for these cars and outperform the stock set up hands down. You want to get more serious? There are so many choices in the aftermarket for suspension and enough knowledge on this board to end up with exactly what you were after.

I am an old man with old ears so the std sound system works fine for my talk radio but if I rewind the clock 20 years, I would definitely need more performance there to improve the bass and get a bit more volume (I don't think Mini offers such a system so maybe aftermarket amps and speakers?). I get lost so Nav would also be nice even though the price is ridiculous.

 

Get xenons, convenience package, HK radio, and JCW leather/alcantara steering wheel.

Go aftermarket for springs and shocks, or coilovers.

 

Thanks Smoke05S & R56WiMini, especially for the aftermarket info.

 

I definitely recommend the Xenon headlights and white turn signals if you like the look! I drove several Clubmans (all 3 models, in fact) with and without Sport Suspension option and couldn't tell any difference.

For me, the Premium and Cold Weather packages were must haves as my JCW is a daily driver. The only option I was on the fence about was Comfort Access............I didn't order it, but wish I did in retrospect.

The JCW steering wheel and CF shift **** are nice additions - I don't have them on my car yet, but hope to soon .

 

dont buy a sport suspension if you plan to get coil-overs and lower it. The JCW suspension is not height adjustable.

get the rear fog lights and you will fill in the empty toggle space on the console

heated seats add a lot of comfort in northern states

xenons are a must

 

While I did not order a Clubman, I did order a 2011 JCW. And, beings as I don't have my lil guy yet, I can't think of anything that I missed, or will miss. Here is what I ordered:
Black with Red roof & mirrors, Chili Red dash and door ring, black Challenge wheels, Rooster red leather & black cloth seats (I was on the fence on that one, but said, what the heck) H&K sound system (great for talk radio, humor) Cold weather pak, xenon's with the new adaptive system, (another item I was on the fence with, but the dealer threw them in on the deal) Auto dimming mirror, (oh well) garage door opener, rain sensor wipers and auto headlights.

Some may think that the Chili red roof and mirros are a bit much, but I kind of like the idea. I'm an old over the hill guy too, but still like something different.

 

Thanks Minicoopermike & Spinned. As I am in the South, heated seats won't be a problem; cooled seats would be nice in the summer tho!
Wow, Hemisedan, your 2011 JCW sound like it'll be fun.

 

Thanks, we certainly will. Now, will November get here a little more quickly?https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ies/tongue.gif

 

Hi there

I have the regular Clubman. I purchased my 2010 Chili Red with black roof, black mirrors, and black bonnet stripes off the lot because the dealer had the color scheme and minimal options I wanted at a great price. The interior is upgraded from the regular Clubman. I have sport seats in rooster red leather/cloth combination and it looks great. I chose the bluetooth and iPod/ubs port as my only options and really love them. I did not need the comfort access, and since I also live in the south, heated seats were not even considered for me. The only option I wish I chose was Sirius radio because I had it in my previous car, and now I find that regular radio is the worst. But I will probably just install Sirius on my own, since that is easy enough to do. I also chose not to get the upgraded stero because the reviews for the upgrade were not much better than the standard. I thought it would be better to just save the $$ and get a really good system, some day, with all the bass I want.

Good luck!

 

wbt:

You're right about the Mini upgraded sound system, but Harmon-Kardon is a completely different story, plus it's only $250 more than the regular factory upgrade. Glad you like your new Clubman.

Bill

 

hemisedan: i suppose I should have gotten the upgrade to the Harmon-Kardon system. Oh well. But even with the crappy stock radio, I still LOVE my Clubman and can't believe I ever drove anything else!

 

wpb: Don't worry, if you want, you can go aftermarket. I'm sure that there are some sound system kits available for you Clubman. Happy Motoring.