Wife and I are pretty close to placing an order for an 06 MC HB/W CVT.

Anyone have regrets for a specific feature they ordered (or didn't order but wish they had)?

Are the Xenon headlights worth the upgrade?

Are we pretty much looking at paying MSRP or will dealers wiggle a bit? I am in Dallas, TX BTW

MINI USA doesn't force you to finance through them, do they?

Thanks,

Paul

 

I would have liked to have the convenience package ($400.00). (or more importantly the garage door opener $200.00 alone).

I ordered the sport and cold weather packages. I wasn't going to spring for heated seats, but the wife is a freeze-baby and they were a great choice. Work wonders for a sore back in the AM, too.

I didn't spring for the Xeons, too much for me.

My dealer (Classic in Ohio) actually shopped around for a rate for me. I also had my Credit Union on "stand by"

 

In my opinion the Xenon upgrades are worth it and if you are every going to drive the Mini in the winter make sure you get the DSC option . Heated seats are nice for winter too (but not a necessity).

 

We really enjoy the Xenons, HK, DSC & cold weather pack (mostly for the seat heaters....they do work wonders on sore back & really take the chill out of cold days)

I forgot to mention the Anthracite Headliner to my wife before we ordered, kind of wish we had it. But, our top is black, yours will be white, might go better with the white top?

On my 06 RG MCS, I will be ordering the Anthracite Headliner as well as the Rear Fog light to finish off the toggle switches. Also, I will order the LSD, as mine with be manual.

good luck!

 

You are sure to get alot of advice from folks here.
One feature I love is the heated seats, I'm a huge wuss when it comes to being cold and I love that the seats warm up instantly and I'm already toasty by the time the engine warms up. I live in the Atlanta Metro area, so I'm not in an area where people think of cold, but it was 25 this am, so I was happy to have them!
I love the Xenons! I think that's the kind of thing you don't miss it if you've never had it, but I'm glad that I got them.
You can finance however you'd like.
Depending on what color interior you've chosen, the Anthracite headliner is a good option.
One of the best things about a MINI is the number of aftermarket add-ons you can find. You'll be able to customize it to your needs and likes very easily.
Annette

P.S. Hey, I think this post put me in Third Gear!!!!! YAY

 

Welcome

Somethings are bling, somethings are luxaries

Xenon is worth every penny. Once you get Xenon lights you will never go back go anything else.

Seat warmers are for wussies. Even my wife who is ALWAYS cold said there is no point because if its cold enough for heat warmers, you will never feel it throught he layers of clothes!

Actually, my advice is to get it stripped except for Xenons, save all the money and just go aftermarket for anything your want ... it will be cheaper that way.

 

Don't expect any wiggle room on the price. MSRP is standard.

I have the xenons and wouldn't go any other way.
I have the heated seats and wouldn't go any other way (wife required them anyway ).
I wish I had gotten cruise control and/or the on-board computer.
Love my anthracite headliner to match the trim.
Love my rear foglight.

 

In my opinion, the only truly indispensable option on the Cooper is the sport seats (they are standard on the S). The difference between the regular and sport seats is dramatic, and once you're used to the sport seats, the regular ones will feel like a seat on a city bus. Make sure you try both.

On my first Cooper, I had the automatic climate control, and I absolutely hated it. I spent the time with the manual, but I never got to the point where it didn't take me five times as long to do something as it would have with the manual dials. So, on my new Cooper, I skipped that option, even though I got everything else in the premium package, so it would have only been $50 or something like that (this drove my dealer nuts!). I love the manual climate control! Apparently the auto system has improved a bit since the '03s, though, so check it out on a test drive and see if you think it's worth it.

If you end up paying less than MSRP (monkeying with trade-in value and financing doesn't count), come back and tell us how! Don't count on it.

Good luck, and welcome!

 

...which is a good reason not to get them! Very expensive to replace if you plan on driving the car for its lifetime.

 

Well, I guess for me it's because I hate to "bundle up". I would go through life in flip-flops, shorts and a T if I could! In fact I find clothes in general just annoying . So for me the heated seats is a way to get warm and not have to struggle with removing a coat halfway to work.

Annette

 

Sport seats are one of the very few options I selected for my Cooper. I love 'em.

 

You will love the CVT. I can shift when I want and just relax when there is no need to go fast. The three modes are all I need. The only thing that I could have added was the rear fog to complete the dash. However, I plan to put a pulsating brake light where the rear fog light would have been. I think this will get more attention than a fog light. I experience more tailgaters than fog. Right now I have an "ejection seat" button on the panel.

 

Nice option!!! Aftermarket??

 

Xenons are a big improvement over other lights-makes me feel safer.

The heated seats are just fantastic....have you tried them in another car? I LOVE THEM-great soothing alternative to dry hot air-you can DEFINATELY feel them even through warm layers. The heated seats feel fantastic if your muscles ache a bit-even if they don't-it is like a warm hug

I don't like the holes that are left if you don't get the fog lights, but that is me. (You can hit the rear fog light if somebody is driving too close to your boot)

Hubby tells me that the real leather doesn't wear as well in the long run as the "fake"? I can't say if it is true, but he is often right...

Some people don't like the look of the sun roof. You might want to look at pictures and think about that.

My husband wishes he had the basic climate controls like I do. His "automatic climate control" is a pain (his car is late 02 or early 03)

I don't think anybody gets to order below MSRP....

I would hate not having cruise control.

 

Let's see...better vision at night which will help me stay safe with a possible costly replacement many, many years from now to continue safety OR saving money and hoping my yellowish lights can show me what I need. Hmmmm....

$550 is a steal for xenons.

 

Annette, my wife is ALWAYS cold. She's cold when its 90 out. With you in GA ... you in the south. Here it was 14 last night. She be bundled up in a Parka. So, since it is her car, she said, dont waste the money because she wouldnt feel them. After all, you still got to go out and walk into the mall or wherever ... that was the reasoning.

 

Agreed, its a steal. Xenon bulbs should never burn out for years. New bulb maybe $100. Worth every penny

 

I like the standard seats better than the sport seats. I'd get the fog lights to keep from having ugly plugs where the lights should be. Don't forget the MFSW, as you'll probably want cruise on one of your road trips, and even if you don't, it's one option that adds to your ability to resell the car.

 

Now that I have an MCS (bought used and pretty loaded), I would say that the xenons and the MFSW are the best of the 'luxury' items. I didn't really want the sunroof, leather seats or trip computer, but took them on my used car 'cause they were essentially free. I do enjoy the HK stereo, but I'm a bit of music fan so that's worth it to me. The auto climate control is a little wonky, but doesn't really bother me.

I'd really like to have the cold weather package, but typically for me, the only thing that I really wanted was a bit hard to find on a used MCS around here. Weird

 

I am the opposite. I usually get too hot too quickly. That is why the heated seats are perfect for me (sounds strange, I know). Since I overheat, I can't stand hot dry air. The heated seats are much more comfortable for me than the heater. Make sense? It is very individual.

 

We're only about 500 miles in on our 06 MCS Coupe so this is a bit impressionistic, but here's my two cents worth:

--Get the heated seats. I wouldn't buy a car without them and they are relatively cheap. Once you have them there is no turning back.

--The Xenon's were included when we added the sport package to the MCS, otherwise I probably would not have ordered them. That said, they do provide much better visibility. However, some other drivers get annoyed by them, so be prepared to have people flash their high-beams at you thinking you have your high-beams on.

--We ordered the armrest. It provides a great elbow rest that is positioned just right for the shifter. I'm tall and it works just right for me, my wife is short and finds it to be in the wrong spot, so she just folds it up. However, it is very cheaply made and the lid constantly slides open and has even popped out of its track a couple times. You might be better off looking for an aftermarket armrest.

--We chose to not pay for the leather seats because, face it, the interior plastic is so cheap looking that leather would look really out of place. Also, MINI leather is way overpriced for the size of the car compared to other manufacturers. The downside of this is that you won't get the lumbar curve adjustment which only comes with the factory leather seats. Fortunately, the seats work for us the way they are, so no complaints.

The MINI is a fun car; you won't regret it.

 

I'm going to have this car for a long time, and it strikes me as several points of failure available on the Xenons (the ballasts, the auto levelers, etc.).

With regular Halogens you have: The bulb. That's it.

Granted I haven't had Xenons before so there is a factor of what I don't know, I don't miss.

One point, I didn't like that (to my understanding) the high beams aren't Xenon as well. That's when I would want the good stuff, not puttering around town, but out in the boonies.

I'd rather put less than $550 into a aftermarket driving light set up. Alta light bar, PIAA kit, etc.

This is one of the curses of buying a MINI: Choice. It's quite a challenge to suddenly have every option available ala cart.

 

Sorry, got to disagree here. Not all interiors are plastic. Ours is CF and the leather matches VERY well

 

I bought my mini a year after i test drove one, so i wasn't sure what to get. I bought a veryyy stripped down one, and was happy with it.

Until i rode in a mini with heated seats. DEFINITELY wish i had those.
And more recently, i sat in the drivers seat of an S with the sport seats, and i could actually see over the dash. I wish i had those too.

I can live without xenons. They'd help since i live out in the country with little to no lighting on the roads... but i do fine with the plain ones.

 

The carbon fiber interior trim is beautiful and should look great with the leather. We tested several MINIs and all had the default silver plastic or the alloy patina, and that may be what enforced the impression that the interior trim is cheap looking. As it turned out we ordered the anthracite dash and it looks quite good. The $$ for leather were not worth it to me, but every order reflects compromises as well as desires. FWIW, this is the first car I've bought in over 15 years that does not have leather seats, so the jury is still out as to whether it was a good call or not . . . .