I just got my hands on a 2002 Mini Cooper S. I would like to update my nav system and maps. Seems like this is not an easy task without laying down a good portion of $$$$ Is this true or do any of you have ideas? Thank you for any help you can provide.

 

I had my 04 software updated for free by the dealer, the disks however can be expensive, if you need one try ebay

 

Wow, i didnt even think u could update the nav system... How much would this cost?

 

I had my software updated by the dealer 2 years ago, it is much better then it was before, also picked up a newer disk,2009 that did not make as much of a difference as the software upgrade. Also as i stated the dealer did mine and did not charge me, took them about 10 minutes to take care of

 

It depends. The OP has the CD based system - not many updates available for that. With an '04 you likely have the DVD based system, which had several updates over its life. See the sticky at the top of this forum (How to add British voice/update Nav) for details on upgrading the firmware on your own.
As Nightflyer said, some dealerships will upload the latest firmware, sometimes for free. The maps can also be updated, but it may not matter if you're in an area without a ton of growth/changes. New map DVDs are ~$200, but you can find used disks on ebay.