Thought the used s-lites I threw on my Cooper recently might soothe the itch, but after more than a year and 25k miles, I still have S on the brain. Recent test drives have not helped...

Here is what I am thinking of spec'ing out. Any *constructive* criticism would definitely be appreciated. This is a high-mileage daily driver (80 miles per day) that will be driven hard. No imminent plans for autox or track time.

1. DS/DS
Been observing Minis for over a year now and have grown to like this color quite a bit. Subtle, rich and semi-aggressive. Works well with the Mini body shape and nicely complemented by the chrome and black trim. I've seen a few with a DS roof and black sunroof panel and it just works for me. Thought I was a white roof guy at first, but mine just stikes me as kind of silly at this point. Would probably add the chrome boot trim piece, if possible.

2. Leatherette
Lived with this for a year and think it's great. Fools family and friends with its near-leather richness, but has a cleaner, tighter look. Wears like iron, cleans up easily, and grips well.

3. Sport
I know they're heavy but, aesthetically speaking, I love the S-lites on the Mini. I didn't notice a huge degradation in perfromance when I swapped out the R83s for s-lites on my MC, and actually liked the slightly sharper feel of the lower-profile tires. (I've probably just exposed myself to be a total philistine. ) I understand the xenons are great and definitely appreciate good illumination. I know the factory fogs suck, but am planning to tap into the circuit and mount some big amber aux units in the lower grill. I also have it in my head that DSC is a pretty huge safety feature. Useless until you really need it - the panic brake/swerve at 80mph - and then... Am I drinking the koolaid on this?

4. Sunroof (ala carte)
I know it's heavy and may rattle, but I just plain irrationally dig it. No use for the other bits of this package, though.

Anyone want to convince me there's another option I just can't live without? Am i wasting my money on the Sport package?

Anyway, thanks for reading (if you're still with me). I definitely would value some insight from S owners on the "ideal" spec.

 

What about choosing space cloth instead of leatherette? It's cool in the summer and warm in winter. The two tone cloth gives it a sporty look!

Order yours with the V spokes as you already have the S Lites. That way you can rotate your wheels when the urge hits you.

Another must is the MFSW. Once you've had it, you can't live without it!

 

I drive a PS/B Cooper (a bit over 12K) and love the color, but I, too, have an S on order and am going the other way- a CR/W JCW S. The red and white contrast has simpy grown on me until it's the color combo that always catches my eye. Re: options- can't imagine being w/out the heated seats (I live in Oregon), and the MFSW is a must-have as well. I agree w/ the leatherette- I enjoy mine. The downside to the xenons is the completely useless and gadgety washers which have to come with them. If only they could be left off, I'd get xenons as well. Instead I'm having driving lights put on. Agree on the sunroof, and I'm also getting the DSC, though it's turned off more and more of late. Great for rain and ice, but it may be off a whole lot more when the Works becomes my daily driver. I'm getting the white 8 spokes and the all-season run-flats, which though heavy, shouldn't pull the JCW horses down too much. As you know, the hardest part is waiting, but the best part of that is having a Cooper to drive until the new arrival.

_________________

 

>> The downside to the xenons is the completely useless and gadgety washers which have to come with them. If only they could be left off, I'd get xenons as well.
>>
>>

You can disconnect the headlight washers. Do a search on it.

 

Xalfa, as an owner of a '04 MCS (CR/W) I highly recommend you considering the following options:

* Harmon Kardon stereo upgrade. Worth every penny IMO, but sound quality is a very subjective thing, so I suggest bringing into the dealer a few of your favorite CD's, plan to spend 1 hour at least and listen to them in a HK equipped MINI.

* Automatic self dimming rearview mirror/self sensing wipers: After the MFSW, this is another set of options in the "gotta have" shopping list. For an extremely reasonable $140, you get a rearview mirror that automatically darkens itself when headlights from other cars (specially SUVs) approach you from behind at night. Absolutely fantastic and works seamlessly. Ditto for the automatic wipers that adjust themselves according to vehicle speed and amount of rain/water present in the windshield. You never have to fiddle with the wiper control stalk anymore and this feature works surprinsingly well.

* I did not order DSC. I only got the standard ASC+T traction control and don't regre it. DSC is reportedly very intrusive and several MCS owners with DSC equipped cars report frequent problems with the DSC/Runflat tire pressure system light turning on all the time for no apparent reason. Never had this problem on my '04 MCS with ASC.

* Factory fog lights are pretty good. Get them at least you have the cavity in the bumper, the wiring already made an an extra toggle switch in the center console.

* Stock MCS 16" V-spoke rims. I am the disenting voice when it comes to tire/wheel size to best enjoy the handling dynamics and ride of the MCS. To me the 17" S-Lites are purely for show...heavy tires, not real extraordinary handling and the rims tend to kerb/scratch quite easily on accidental curb kisses due to the very low tire profile. These problems are virtually non-existant on the 16" stock MCS tires and rims. Best balance between handling and ride comfort and you save at least $500 in the process. Test drive a MCS with 16" and another one with 17" rubber to see what I mean.


* If you are going DS/DS (Color is yet another very subjective choice so I won't go into debating it) I highly recommend you getting the MINI OEM chrome mirror caps ($123) and the MINI OEM 3 slats front chrome grille with chrome lower bumper slat ($97.00 parts only) for the ultimate drop dead gorgeous look. To me a DS or PS MINI deservesto get all the chrome bits it can get. Your car will look unique and the expense for these dealer installed trim bits is worth the money. These will go well if you plan to add the Cooper's rear hatch chrome handle above the license plate opening. I have pics of my car if you want to see them.

I have the chrome mirror caps and the chrome front grille in my MCS and everybody digs the sophisticated look of the car afforded by these extra trim bits. The MINI's front end was meant to have Chrome and lots of it..

Last but not least, for the interior trim go with Anthracite. Anthracite is hands down the absolute best quality, longest lasting, best looking interior trim option in the MINI. I have Silver high gloss in my wife's '02 Cooper CVT and we had scracthing problems with it in despite of us being careful with the trim. Based on this experience, I ordered Anthracite in my '04 MCS and I am very happy I did..the car looks the business and compliments the panther black leatherette sport seats and chrome/silver bits in the interior. Avoid Alloy Patina and Silver trims like the plague!.


Enjoy your new MCS!.


_________________
'02 Cooper CVT PW/B, Bone stock (Hers)
'04 MCS CR/W/Chrome Grille and mirror caps (His)

 

Depending on where you live or drive, bun warmers may be a very valuable option. This past week-end was CCCOOOLLLDDD, (-2 F when I ventured out on Saturday morning in my MCS) I set the toaster on high, and was fairly comfortable. (Note to MINIDIVISION: heated steering wheel and shift **** should be high priority). Also, I really like my automatic climate control system. I just set the temp. where I want it and my car does the rest.

For foggy areas, the rear-fog light option is also indespensible.

 

Defanitly get the MFSW. Our other car drives me nuts now because it doens't have stereo controls on the wheel.

The rain sensing wipers and auto dim mirror are worth it for $150

I'd get the rear fogs as well, if for no other reason to fill out the row of switches.

 

Thanks for all the feedback. I will definitely check out the Anthracite interior finish - I had totally forgotten about that option. The mirror/wiper option does sound like a good deal, but I'm not sold on the MSFW. I'll have to try one out and see, but I've never used cruise control and tend not to do much fiddling with the radio while driving, so don't think this makes much sense for me.

I know DSC can be annoying, especially when you are pushing the car hard, but any opinions/data on whether it really adds much as a safety feature?

 

Great Choice! You have described my April '03 MCS almost to a T, minus the sunroof. I have never used the sunroof on my other cars and think the car looks cleaner w/o the sunroof and I didn't need the extra weight. I also went with the anthracite interior. It looks awesome on the DS/DS. The only other option I added was the multifunction steering wheel. Its a great feature and worth the bucks IMO. I love the car and have had no regrets on the options. The only thing I might have done differently is different wheels, but thats what you get with the sport package. I can always get different wheels later.

 

My .02!

I too drive a MC and I test drove an "S" which has fueled my desire to upgrade. After much debating - my wonderful wife agreed that if thats what I wanted - go for it!

I talked to Randy at Webbmotorsports (about performance upgrades on a MC and my desire to upgrade to an S) - he has a post about new engine options in 1 1/2 - 2 years time that would probably be worth waiting for. After a long discussion with Randy one afternoon I have decided to wait and see what comes down the pike (stock turbo'ed 250 HP motors rumored ) No point in upgrading only to desire to do it again in 2 years!!!

Just my .02... good luck with your research and your choices!

 

>>Thanks for all the feedback. I will definitely check out the Anthracite interior finish - I had totally forgotten about that option. The mirror/wiper option does sound like a good deal, but I'm not sold on the MSFW. I'll have to try one out and see, but I've never used cruise control and tend not to do much fiddling with the radio while driving, so don't think this makes much sense for me.
>>
>>I know DSC can be annoying, especially when you are pushing the car hard, but any opinions/data on whether it really adds much as a safety feature?
>>
>>
>>I think it's interesting that you've never used cruise control. Do you live in a congested area where the traffic is always too heavy to use cruise? Anyway, in many parts of the country it's tough to sell a car that doesn't have cruise. That alone might be enough to consider this option. On the road it rest your leg, helps prevent getting a ticket and can even increase your mileage a bit by maintaining a constant speed.

R.E.

 

MFSW = Higher resale value

 

Here are my thoughts:

#1. I'd go for DS/B instead. I'm not too much a fan of same color roof - the only exceptions are Pure Silver, Pepper White, and Black. The DS/B looks stealthy, aggressive, and downright sinister with the right set of wheels. DS/B is known to The November Club Alumni as Stealth MINI. Of course, black roof goes perfect with the sunroof!

#2. Hey, if you've lived with 'ette for a while and like it, by all means, go for it again!

#3. Sport Package might not be worth it. Since DS/B is my pick, so would aftermarket wheels. DSC is rather pointless with you being in no-snow country, however Xenon and Fog (which I find very useful) are required, in my book. A la Carte the Xenon and Fog, toss the rest. Remember the S comes with ASC standard.

#4. If you can stomach adding the 64 pounds to the very top of your MINI, the sunroof rocks the house.

#5. Multi-Function Steering Wheel is mandatory. Do you ever drive on the interstate, cross country (ever), or cruise by or in front of Police? Then Cruise Control is mandatory! Plus, the stereo controls are uber-convenient. Speaking of stereo, get the H/K (unless you plan on doing full aftermarket). Also, budget in a 200HP package from Randy Webb!

Cheers,
Ryan

 

This is hard!!

I digested all the useful feedback on this thread, browsed many galleries on Mini2, sat in / test drove some Minis, and did some thinking about how I use my current MC. Here are some of the revelations on that last front:

- I rarely drive after dark (No xenons)
- I rarely drive in the rain (10 days/year?) and never in snow (No DSC)
- I spend much of my drive time in semi-congested highway traffic, where keeping eyes on road and hands on wheel are key (MSFW)
- While I liked the sunroof in theory, I checked out and drove some sunroof cars and found that in practice it really didn't do much for me (No sunroof)

So here's where I'm at (for now):

DS/B (Ryephile nailed this.)
Leatherette/Anthracite
Fog light package
MSFW
$21,398 MSRP

Light, stealthy and (relatively) cheap. I'll likely have to add an exhaust, mainly for sound, and probably some aux lights, mainly for looks (not a big fan of the oem driving lights).

One scary realization I came to while pricing options... with JCW, this stripped down car would be well over $27k! So that means a typically optioned S with JCW would be pushing $30k!! Sorry, but that's nuts.

Thanks again for all the help. Getting closer...

 

I posted on another thread that I think that "less is more" for the Cooper S. Your specs are very close to my CR/W coming this month: leatherete, antracite, OBC, HK, white v-spokes, front fogs, MFSW. Still comes under $22000 and leaves some cash for mods or other goodies. The only thing I wish I had included were the heated seats.

I went back and forth with the color (DS vs. CR) but there are just too many DS MINI's here in our area. I do like the white roof (cooler in the summer) and I think it makes the car look more 'MINI'. There's a fellow around our neighborhood that has an original red/white roof MINI with bonnet/boot stripes and it looks really great. But color is personal taste and the DS is a great color - I would've nicknamed her "Jaws".

I do like the all chrome grill and may add that in when my car arrives.

 

I held off from posting, but it seems that you've reached the "right" (IMHO) conclusions for the most part.

I am NOT a fan of body color roofs, I think that it's just plain wrong. DS/B or DS/W both look really really hot, but it looks like you're pointing in the DS/B direction. Go for it!

As far as the lighting goes, I am in a dealer loaner MC right now that has regular headlights, and I feel like they're not even on at night (even in well-lit areas). The Xenons actually make an ENORMOUS difference, and it's one that I hadn't even noticed before. I'm a huge fan of leatherette. I also like my factory fogs. They have been quite helpful when driving through serious snow or fog in Chicago and Wisconsin.

The leather is expensive, and it gets "saggy" over time.

MFSW is something that you MUST have. If there were ONLY volume controls on it, it would still be worth every penny. Again, in this loaner, I'm constantly hammering the backside of the steering wheel, expecting buttons there. The stereo **** is WAY too tiny to adjust as is.

The sunroof I could take or leave. I like mine, but I'm really on the fence as to whether or not I would order it again.

I really like my H/K stereo, and I think it's a big improvement over stock, but I think that it's probably not worth the money.

Best of luck in your decisions!! :smile:

 

Just shaved off another $400... BLACK/BLACK

 

Good move, I almost went with BRG/W but at the last minute changed to CR/W at a $400 savings. I'm still glad I changed.



R.E.

 

>>Just shaved off another $400... BLACK/BLACK

Sounds exactly how I would spec out a MINI, except I prefer blk/w and I'd add heated seats. It still comes out at under $22k. I dream on MINIusa.com all the time...

 

My '04 MCS came out to $21,700 (That was before MINI increased the MCS MSRP in January '04) and I still got, HK stereo, rain sensing/automatic rearview mirror, 16" silver V-spokes, black leatherette sport seats, MFSW, Trip Computer, Front fog lights, Manual A/C controls, Anthracite trim interior, chrome front grille and chrome mirror caps. The car is CR/W, the best color combo!

Although I like some of the metallic paints, I will never pay an extra $400 just to have some flakes on the paint.

When it cdomes to the MCS, less is better.