Hello Everyone-

Long time German car guy (VW, Audi, & Porsche) here. Placing an order for our first MINI (Countryman S).

Are there any options that are "Must Haves" or we should highly consider?

What components (& specs) are included in the sport suspension package @ $500? Is it worth it? If it is just springs I can do that myself cheaper than $500.

All4 or Dedicated Winter/Summer tires?

Are leather seats really worth $2000?

H&K radio?

Best,

Ryan

 

Adaptive Xeon's for sure

I personally think the H&K system is worth the money.

We have some pretty hot summers here in CO, so I didn't want the leather in an all black car. I went with the cloth/leather mixed seats, and I love them.

The NAV I could have probably not added. I use it mostly for traffic info on my long drive to work. It should help resale, so its probably a wash in the end as far as cost.

I tried using the factory AS runflats for the first couple of snow storms here, and ended up getting a set of dedicated snows for the white crap. I will say the AWD system on this car is better than my A4 was.

 

Hard to say what "must haves" would be as it's so subjective and a MINI is the most customizable car on the road.

I'll try to help though with my opinions.

I don't consider the sport suspension to be necessary on a Countryman. Especially if you're getting an All4 and it's going to have the 18 summer tires on it. It prolly handles better than any other SUV on the road today and if you want it sportier than that then you prolly won't be satisfied with the CM with the sports suspension and would be better off getting a Cooper S hatch or a Clubman. Even in those, I prolly wouldn't get the sports suspension as the ride is even harsher and it handles amazingly with the standard suspension. It's a much harsher ride if this will be a daily driver. My 2 cents on that.

I live in Colorado so All4 was a no brainer for me. Same with the all weather tires. When I got my 2013, all weather tires were not an option with 18 in wheels. So I got the 17 in wheels and saved even more. If I wanted 18 in wheels with the sport package, I only had the option of the sport tires. It still snakes around corners better than any other SUV's I see and the grip is much better in rain, snow, or gravel/dirt roads. Plus the tires are easier to find and cheaper.


I love the look of the lounge leather seats. They seem to hold up pretty well on most of the used MINI's I've seen too. I got the leaterette in mine since I have a big, clumsy dog that makes a mess in the car and I'm a snowboarder/camper/hiker/fisherman who spends alot of time in lousy weather and/or in the woods. Many can't tell that the leatherette isn't real leather unless you tell them. still, the lounge leather seats look really nice. Is it worth $2000? It wasn't for me because I decided to use the 2 grand to get a ton of other options on my CM. If I had the extra money, I would've gotten them though.

I definitely recommend the H/K radio. Even with it, I wish it had more power from the subs. My old Z4 Coupe had the BMW professional sound system in it which came with 8 speakers and 2 subs... It was amazing ans I was spoiled. This isn't as good as that one was, but it's SO much better than the stock system. IF this was a few years ago before it was done by H/K, I would say no as the speakers were lousy and the sound was louder but still poor quality. Now, the H/K is much more polished and is worth the extra 500 IMO.

I would just suggest that you go through the website and build your MINI in multiple ways. Figure out whic hoptions you want, and check the packages to see if it's worth it to get them and get some extra options that are included for the same price or just a little more.

My build is in my sig. I am pleased with all of my options. If I could add anything else in, it would be the driving lamps and the alarm and those are mainly for appearance as opposed to function. I like the pulsing red light the alarm has on the tach. As far as alarms go, I don't really care for them. Nobody hears one and says "Stop that thief"... they say "Will that idiot turn his car alarm off?"

With the drving lamps, I think they look totally awesome. Would I ever really need them? Doubt it. If it was an FJ Cruiser in the middle of a muddy field, out deep in the woods, late at night, then, absolutley... I just think they look awesome. Still, that's an extra 2000-2500 dollars for extras that I just like the way they look and wouldn't really have any actual use for on many occasions.

 

Specific recommendations I'd make:
Get the adaptive xenons.
Go with the automatic climate control - works much better.
I wanted ALL4 and I really like the way it works, muddy or dry.
If you're driving in San Francisco, get the automatic transmission.
We got the leatherette seats and they have worked out fine, but you
may prefer the leather.
We were surprised how much we liked the heated front sets when it gets cold - and the heated mirrors work well.
You may find the flat load floor a convenience.

Enjoy!

 

First off, congratulations on the purchase. This is our first Mini and we couldn't be more pleased. I don't care how much the Mini "purists" hate this car....it's really well put together and well thought out, IMO.

MUST HAVES:

First and foremost, go for the All4, IMO. This is not just a winter or trail type of system. Having all 4 wheels under power at all times does amazing things for the handling of the CM on dry pavement(if you enjoy "spirited" driving through the twisties). No brainer for us.

Adaptive Xenons also must haves for me. Coming from German cars you probably already know that once you have Xenons, you can never get used to yellowish head light coverage ever again.

Auto climate control-must, compared to the stock system

Heated seats and mirrors....we live in Ohio....'nuf said :-)

H/K. I have never heard the stock system, but there are MANY opinions here that say it truly sucks. Now this is no dream system by a long way..you get standard audio controls on the H/K, but it sounds great...for a stock system. BUT, it came in the tech package which was also a must have. we wanted satellite radio anyway and it includes a one year subscription, but it also comes with comfort access. After having a Cayenne for so long with this feature, we just could not live without it on the CM.

Panoramic sunroof. A must have for us. having 90% or so of the roof as glass really opens up the interior.

Rear backup sensors...couldn't live w/o them...yea you think the CM is a small vehicle and you can see everything just fine.....until you get in it and stare out that chopped rear window....they did a fantastic job on this system, especially if you get..........

NICE TO HAVE's

The tech package...The center display is just too cool for school, IMO. we had to have it along with Nav. For some reason the Mini nav gets a bad rap. I think it's the best built in Nav I have used, and I have had about 6 of them. I really like the fact that the screen is NOT touch sensitive., and very high definition compared to others. To me it's a whole lot easier and safer operating the display from the joystick....for $750, to me, the nav was a no brainer, but certainly not a must have. the backup sensors are also integrated visually very nicely into the display.

Can't compare sport and non-sport suspension...ours came that way- no choice....everybody is different but we will always put up with a harsher ride for improved handling.

We got the championship leather in black with red piping...hands down, the nicest looking interior I have ever had in a car(including a Porsche Cayenne and Boxster S). It's a small thing but the head rests are really soft instead of the normally hard and stiff rests I am used to...they actually rest your head...worth $2,000? NOBODY's interior is worth $2k, but that's the price of admission with Mini....

Mini-Connect. If you have an iPhone, this is very slick system integration. Now if you are a 20-something, I know there are some beeps and buzzers it does not have, but for us two 50 year olds who both work in IT for a living, it's pretty darn impressive to us.

 

Some of my preferences:

• All4: eliminates torque steer and improves traction in all conditions
• H/K stereo: Sounds good and I didn't want the hassle and downtime of upgrading
• Cold weather package: because we live in Colorado
• No sport package: because I value my teeth and spine
• No sunroof: really hot with only the mesh screen to block the sun. Also add weight to the roof
• Sport leather seats: I have the lounge leather, and I would prefer tighter bolsters
• Flat load floor: Sooooo useful
• Adaptive headlights with Xenons: on the fence here. They're very nice, but I could also get along without them

Beware of dealer add-ons.

• The paint and leather sealant packages are useless. Complete waste of money.
• The extended maintenance and extended warranty plans are fine if you want them. But you can buy them later, so why pay interest.
• Stripe/clear bra/tinting packages may be fine, but I would get a quote from a local installer first ... and again, why finance it.

 

I actually think the sunroof is one of the must-haves on a MINI. It feels so much more open and you can never get too much fresh air.

Cold weather package if you live anywhere outside of Florida or Southern California.

Xenons. It would take a certain kind of special car for me to buy it without xenons.

Flat-load floor should just be standard.

 

If you get the tech/connected/nav just be aware it is not fully developed for Android. If you have an iPhone you should be set. The Bluetooth functions work well, but the office section is limited, I get texts and contacts only, and nothing under the connected menu is functional without the iPhone app.

I still like it for the Bluetooth functions, but really wish they had an android app.

 

Looks like you got some great advice that tis pretty consistent. I echo most already said, anyway time for my 2cents.
H&K- must have
Auto climate control- must have
Cold Weather pkg- Must have, depend on location
Auto wiper- luv,
double moonroof- must
Armrest- must must must have...
Most of these options can be bundled in a pkg.
the real tough decision is color combo in my opinion. I change my mind more times than i can count on this issue.
good luck motor on>>>