Hello folks, as a 7 year hopeful buyer and a new MINI owner after all this time I thought a good thread would be "what I should have gotten on my new purchase but didn't"

Hopefully others can post and give some advice.

Number one and the thing that I knew I wanted but talked myself out of as the car had most of what I wanted is: Steering wheel controls for the radio, all my other cars have had this and now I am without and its driving me nuts. the controls on the radio face (base CD unit) are tiny and the handling of the car does not lend itself to trying to mess about with small buttons on the radio. INVEST in the steering wheel controls. Strangely enough I have a buddy with a 2007 that didn't order the wheel as he felt it was getting too expensive on the options list, at least he can buy it later as it can be retrofitted, I was told that you cannot on the 2006 cars but can on the later models.

Second was a sunroof but as I have had sunroofs on lots of previous cars I think it was just something I wanted but don't necessarily miss. I never really used them before.

I really would have liked to have DSC and have to be honest and say that I was a touch confused and thought ASC was the UK name for DSC and thus bought the car thinking I had DSC, thus this lesson is to get very comfy with the different terms.

I think that is about it. I do love the car, probably the biggest bonor was not waiting for one with the steering wheel controls, small thing but big effect for my driving pleasure. yes, I know I can get an aftermarket stereo with steering wheel controls that clamp on. I just hate to mess with the stock car as they are pretty strict here in the UK with insuring anything that has been changed from stock.

cheers. Peter

 

I would love to see some pics of your MINI.

I agree on that the MFSW with cruise control and audio controls for the stereo is a must. I am not sure if the cruise control is a popular option in the UK.

I think you said your car has the Chili Pack. What is included with it?

 

Only thing I think I'd like to have is the BMW-MINI factory alarm and the LSD. Speaking of which, any easy way to tell if you have the LSD?

 

Wish I had gotten the heated seats.

 

I can't think of a thing I wish I had gotten with Gromit. Everything I wanted that was available from the dealer, is there.

I wish the Space Grey sports seats had an adjustable lumbar support, but Mini, in their stupidity did not make it so.

 

pmustang,
you are not missing anything by not having DSC. Mine is turned of 99.9% of the time.

 

As I am new to this board I am not sure how to put on a photo but the dealer emailed last night and asked if they could put on the photo that my wife took (and I sent them) of my salesman and myself with the car, if they do so I can post the link.

Thanks for the words on the DSC, if it interferes with how the car drives as some anti lock brakes come into effect too fast then I would not like it.

I have really no idea what came with the chile pack.

my car has ASC+T, CBC, Zenons, AC, LSD, 1/2 leather seats, 17 inch wheels, no sunroof or sat nav, standard CD player.

Cheers. Peter

 

I wish I had any other seat fabric than the leatherette. It's way too hot down here in SoCal. Also would like to have gotten the MFSW.

 

LSD

 

I can't believe that MINI doesn't make cruise control standard. I've even seen a few post here from people who bought their MINI assuming it had cruise control, (cause every car they had owned did), and were very disappointed to find out it didn't, and retrofit is quite expensive.

About the leatherette, Moss MINI has some cloth seat covers that look good and maintain the use of the seat mounted air bags. Less than $200 for the front seats.

 

I didn't have a MFSW on my '03 Cooper and really didn't miss it as the radio controls were pretty straight forward, but I do agree that it is really nice to have on an R56 though as it simplifies things a bit.

I kinda splurged on my second MINI ('07 Cooper) and it still was under $21K. Frankly, I got everything I'd read of over the years on NAM that sounded good to have (some of which wasn't available in '03) and added just those select things. I'm happy!!!

I admit I still very much tend to think of a MINI as a Mini, so I personally gravitate strongly towards Coopers and those that are lightly and purposefully optioned. I enjoy a car whose most strong and present feature remains it's driving dynamics, and the Cooper setup is what I like best.

 

How about also adding comments on:
"what I got on my new purchase but shouldn't" ?

For me: the H/K.
Expected it to be as worthy an upgrade as it was on the 3-series (where you certainly get your money's worth), but have been VERY disappointed at the mediocre quality/volume.
What's worse is that it is harder to do an aftermarket upgrade now that I do have it (without doing a full replace and losing the stock look I'd like to maintain)

 

my option is that I whish I wouldn't have to have this car :( and keep my old one.
But other than that, I got everything that I wanted. The only real requirement was the heated seats since this is leather. But in order to get that most MINIs had other packages such as steering buttons for Radio, sunroof and other.
I wouldn't really miss the following:
- radio controlls on steering wheel
- DSC
- Sunroof
- the Liquid Yellow color :(

 

As for your seat problem, I have seen MINI seats for sale all the time on ebay.co.uk, quite cheap as well, I would buy a new pair of seats or all seating positions and sell yours.

REALLY wish I had the steering wheel controls, driving me a bit nuts.

yeah, cruise control absolutely should be standard, I do miss it but probably won't be taking huge long journeys with the cost of petrol over here, use the diesel for that.

cheers. Peter

 

jack up the front of the car, both wheels off the ground. Turn one wheel by hand and the other one is supposed to turn the opposite direction, if you have the LSD.

 

Wrong, the other wheel will turn the other direction on a regular non-LSD car. If you have LSD it will turn the same direction or may not turn at all. Depends on what type LSD you have.

 

I love my H/K.

 

Same here.

I bought my car off the lot and these things were on it. If the car didn't have them I'd still have bought it, would have saved a few bucks and wouldn't always be wishing my roof wasn't made of glass.

Dean.

 

Reel, I had serious reservations after hearing some negatives about the sunroof, I would have bought my car had it had it thought, why don't you like it?

Lovely car by the way, same as mine but your wheels are way nicer.

cheers. Peter