So, where I live (Alaska) the cold weather package is a no brainer. Im a little surprised that an engine block heater is not a BTO option...anyone here have experiences with a block heater on a Mini? The Countryman will be my first, and I know that block heaters can be troublesome on some autos...

 

Only on diesel engines. I'm not that familiar with the CM engine yet but I'd venture to say that you should be able to remove one of the coolant drain plugs from the block and find an aftermarket heating element that would thread into it. Of course, get the element first.

On my diesel it draws 12A current and basically I just plug it in to a timer rated at 15A or more and set it to come on 3 hrs before I start her up in the morning. But only when it gets into the lower teens or below which isn't very often in my area.

Also, running a good quality synthetic oil in the engine will improve your cold start up conditions especially without a block heater.