I just ordered an '11 MCS. I outfitted it almost exactly the same as my '06 MCS, so I guess I was pretty happy with what I had. This time, though, I did add the driving lights. I balked at the price the first time and figured I'd add them later, but never did because the price of parts and install was as high or higher than the MINI ones. I am also thinking I'll do clearbra this time. My '06 was PW and was notorious for soft paint so was pretty chipped up on the front.
I still wish I had my '06 since I love the supercharger, but I'm sure I'll love the '11 when it gets here.

 

Meredith Warner

 

Those roofs will give you so much body twist your car will be undriveable. And they leak!

 

Was lucky enough to walk in Hendricks last November and there on the showroom floor was "MY" Mini, equipped EXACTLY like I would have ordered . S, with Prem and Sport Package, Chili Red with black roof, moonroof, BT, Black Wheels HK sound. No regrets on anything.

 

Tell us more about your order. Did you go PW again? Did ya huh? You should have the new baby in time for the dragon...WOOT! Congratulations...

 

Thanks for the heads-up! The idea seems cool but haven't seen one w/the roof OR heard from anyone that had one.

 

No, I did not do PW again. It seemed disloyal somehow. If I had sold him and was getting another I probably would have done PW again, but since he was murdered I decided to let him stand alone as the most beloved PW ever. My family agreed and so it is done.
My new MINI is Horizon Blue, Black Roof,mirrors, headlamps, driving lights and wheels, Premium, Cold Weather, Sport and Convenience packages and MINI Connected with Nav topped off with silver bonnet stripes and Black Jack graphics.
Annette

 

WOW, that looks amazing!

 

i dont regret anything! love my mini and i got a great deal on it! i can make it my own!

 

::REGRETS for my 2009 R56::
Leather seats. The vinyl seats are tough as nails; I am actually glad that I have them. However, the leather seats look so beautiful.

Anthracite headliner. The dark headliner looks pretty good.


::STUFF THAT I AM HAPPY ABOUT GETTING::
Nav. The Nav has come in handy almost daily. Having it built-in is so convenient. Plus, the large display allows easier access to the music, phone, system etc...

Hands free bluetooth phone. This option has already paid for itself. Every second that I am in the MINI is a second for a potential call...not having to pull over and answer is such a convenience.

Premium Sound System. It sounds much better IMO than the stock system in the 2009 R56 MINIs.

iPod integration. I had a spare 320GB iPod classic laying around. It lives in the MINI...the only time it comes out is when the playlists are being updated.

Premium, Cold weather packages. So worth it. Dual pane sunroof, heated side mirrors, heated seats...love it!

 

I bought mine during the same program...how awesome was that. I have the same options except for the Xenons...should have got them.

The keyless entry wasn't really worth it...but there are times when it would really come in handy.

 

It does look blue. LOL. Tint the windows. The purple looks awesome with tint. Add the JCW aero kit and "lower" the suspension.

 

Xenons, should have got 'em. :'(

 

Of the things I can afford, I really wish I had gotten the anthracite headliner and white turn signals. Other than that everything is good!

 

Now that I think of it, I don't know what color the headliner is on my MINI! I just never paid any attention to it.

I'll have to go out and have a look.

Dave

 

WELL??!! We're waiting!!

 

After almost 3.5yrs. I still don't regret anything. I'm going to add the Driving Lights on Molly's 4th Birthday, I'll be adding the Chrome Mirror Caps next month. These aren't things I thought I should have ordered, just things that I had contemplated but due to $$ at the time just wasn't in the budget!!

 

LOL!! I didn't really notice until today honestly (had her 3 weeks). But while I would prefer the anthracite she sure is plenty pretty enough!

 

I notice that several people mentioned they regretted not getting the invisible bra and I'm surprised by this. I just ordered a 2012 MCS - my first MINI - (Spice Orange, black roof, mirrors, racing strips with Xenons and black headlight housings). I have the invisible bra on my BMW 335i and I hate it! It's not all that invisible. Where the plastic bra ends the line across the hood is quite obvious and gets even more noticeable as wax builds up along the line. I've even had people ask me what was wrong with the hood because they noticed the line. I wish I hadn't gotten it and it was expensive too. My question is, is there something about the paint or the shape of the hood on MINI's that make the invisible bra more important than perhaps it is on other cars? I live in Southern CA so I don't need to worry about the gravel they put in with the salt mixture for snowy, icy roads in cold climates.

 

Even though your car won't be exposed to winter road treatments, you may want to consider the invisible bra for the MINI, as it's bulldog-type nose is very prone to stone chipping. Some brands are better than others; the consensus on this site is that going for the true 'Invisible Bra' material will pay back down the road, as it stands up to the elements very well. Wax shouldn't build up along any of the lines if the installation is done perfectly. Some people on this site insisted that it be installed on their brand new car off the dealer's lot before they would drive it off the lot. Welcome to the MINI obsession...

 

I regret getting the maintenance agreement. It was a lot of money and I'm still
figuring out what they do or do not do. The service intervals are just too long.
They should have changed my alternator belt before 82,000 miles. That is not
acceptable. I paid for peace of mind on that and instead got stranded in the 105F
with a sick baby and $350 in towing. I've already changed the spark plugs myself
and it made a BIG difference. Most other stuff seems to be left to the 100,000 mile
or over period, which is not covererd.

So basically I get a couple cabin filters and oil changes, a set of rear brakes
and a set of front brakes.

But certainly no peace of mind.

And you can't get the extended warranty, because it doesn't cover belts and other
normal service items.

So if I were to buy another MINI I would not get either of those things.

I know some people will say but brakes and rotors just the parts are XX XX XX.
Yeah, but if you change to a softer pad like the EBC green I use on my other cars,
you don't have to change the rotors every time.

Other than a leaking oil pan gasket that was probably leaking when I had warranty but was not noticed it has been a fantastic car.

I do lose some sleep though on the idea that some vacuum pump thing can go
out and ruin the whole engine. That is a poor design.

 

I bought my 2002 Cooper used for $1,500, so I was getting what I got, no matter what. But I wish the car had the cold weather package. This is the first car I've had in years without heated mirrors, and now that it's foggy, I could use them. Even my 2002 Ram 2500 has them. And of course heated seats are nice, but I miss the mirrors more.

Now on the other hand, I really didn't want a sunroof car. I thought it spoiled the white roof, and I never used it in my TDI. Dispite that, I've really grown to like this sunroof. Especially how I can have it open, but use the perforated screen. Fresh air, but not so much sun. Like having my cake and eating it. Then there is the sport package, with the nice seats, and I do love the spartan fabric so much more than the leather in my past vehicles. So it's a fair trade in the end, especially for the price I paid.

Anyway, I don't know how these cars are optioned now, but even if you don't plan to drive your car year round, get the cold weather package. It's nice to have. Of course if your MINI is a fair weather car, it probably gets the garage. Not the case in my vehicular higherarchy...

 

Where did you get them? What are they called? I've heard you can't do Xenons when you have halogens. Please link me!

xenon lights. i bought some off ebay for dirt cheap and i love them! the stock halogens were good, no complaints about them, but i just love xenon lights! the ebay ones i bought work better than my stock lights (yes, really!) and took about 20 mins to install. all plug-n-play. it took longer to adust them right, lol

 

I regret not getting the following:

1. John Cooper Works Package
2. Xenon Headlights
3. Piano Black Dash/Door
4. Chrome Line Exterior

 

Only regrets:

- Not getting bluetooth (wife didn't want to pay for it)

- Ordering really early in the 2012 build before the 15" phone dial wheels were available.

I have no regrets about not getting a sunroof, not getting nav (don't care for how it's integrated into the speedometer), and sticking with the 15" wheels and tires.