>>I have had a sunroof on every automobile that offered one for the past 40 years going back to a ’57 VW that had a rag top. My ’01 BMW X5 4.4 has a glass sunroof with an interior sunscreen. However, I passed on the MINI sunroof as the lack of a solid sunscreen was unacceptable to me. I also don’t like the aesthetics of the large dark glass pane on the white top. Mentioned elsewhere in this thread there is the 60+ pound weight penalty that is located as high as you can get from a CG stand point and there does seem to be an inordinate amount of threads on the various MINI forums in regards to rattles originating in the sunroof. Before anybody accuses me of only trying to save the $800, I ordered my MCS with every option sans the above mentioned sunroof, the ACC as I prefer the manual climate controls on my '02 Chevy 2500HD truck to the ACC on my '01 X5 and no metallic paint as I like the Chili Red/white look. All that being said, if you like the sunroof, get it and enjoy!



I totally agree!. I had always been a person that told anyone who asked this question to go ahead with the sunroof. There has been a sunroof in every car I've purchased. Well, one came without, but I had an aftermarket sunroof installed instead. So, to cut to the chase, I'm a sunroof kind of guy. However, I DID NOT order my MINI with a sunroof. For me, light (and heat-in the summer anyway)shining in on top of me all the time was just not an option. Besides, IMO, at highway speeds it is too loud. No doubt, I will miss having a sunroof in my car. I don't think, however, that I will regret not getting a sunroof in my MINI.

 

I ordered my MCS with NO sunroof.

I have had two other cars which had sunroofs, and I realized that in Texas there are about 10 days a year that are neither too cold or too hot to open the sunroof.

Also the tilt mechanism for the sunroof in my BMW 528 broke and now rattles constantly.

Others have mentioned the weight and increased CG penalty, plus the esthetic problem. Sunroof also takes away from headroom if you're a tall person.

 

I have a MCS with the sunroof. I'm about 6'1", and don't have any headroom problems. I live in Michigan, and even on days when it is only 35 degrees or higher, I've opened the vent or cracked the roof a bit for some fresh air. I'm eagerly awaiting spring, summer & fall for driving with the roof open.

I haven't experienced the heat issue people mention with the sunroof, and I bet the car does get warmer having all that glass on top. But, crack the windows before you get in (with the programming that allows all windows and the sunroof to open with the push of a button), and you'll start cooling down. I don't think the "shade" provided by Mini is meant to cool the car. Rather, I think it is meant to diffuse bright sunlight while your riding in the car. I think it is a nice touch.

The roof does have wind noise when open all the way at high speed. But, I don't mind it.

If you think you'd like the sunroof, then chances are you'll be extremely pleased if you get one. As with everything, there are pro's and con's. To me, the pro's greatly outweigh the con's. Keep your expectations realistic, and you won't be disappointed.

 

I debated ordering the dual panoramic sunroof in my upcoming '04 MCS, but after test driving a couple of MINIs with it I was not majorly impressed. Sure it does give a lot of interior light but the lack of a real sunshade and the added weight were kinda let downs.

I have owned 2 Acuras with power glass sunroofs and to be very honest, I rarely opened them (but they had solid sunshades at least). Here in South Florida we have very few and far in between days where the weather allows you to crack open the sunroof and enjoy it. Our year round heat and humidity make owning a sunroof a pretty questionnable choice.

I think the concept of the MINI's roof is pretty cool and not that terribly expensive given the dual panel setup. But I think that MINI needs to rethink the idea behind the perforated sunshade and put a solid one instead.

My salesperson advised against the sunroof and the automatic A/C controls, which I do tend to agree that is another waste of money option. We have manual A/C controls in our '02 Cooper CVT and they work fantastic all the time.

I would say that the "Logical" criteria in the selection of the sunroof should be dictated by the place you live. If you live up north in Winterwonderland, then a sunroof may make sense due to the changing weather stations during the year, but here in the sunbelt and the tropics, is not the wisest of choices.

Finally, I know I am in a minority about this, but I do think the MINI Sunroof looks great against a contrasting white roof.

 

I'm planning to get the sunroof because you can see through it.

From my test drives, I felt that the roof line and small windscreen restricted my forward field of vision so much that I would not be able to see traffic signals that were mounted on poles to the right of the traffic lane or directly above the lane. Here in Europe, this is a common way of mounting traffic signals.

In the US, this is not such a problem. Most of the signals are mounted in the center of the lane, but on the opposite side of the intersection.

Have any of the European mini owners found that this is an advantage of the sunroof?

 

Good point. When you are the first car at some Traffic lights it does help to be able to lean back and see through the sun roof. Never thought about it before but I do find myself doing that.

 

I have the sunroof and love it. Really opens up the interior of the car. Also I have had NO creak or rattles (from the sunroof) and if you still want a flag there are decal shops that will do it around the trim of the sunroof for you. I was gunna do this with a UJ but decided I didnt want a flag.

 

I really like my sunroof, but I live up north and I haven't been through a day warmer than 45 degrees in the 4 days I've had the car. :smile: I have opened it when it wasn't raining, however and I love it.

I noticed you are currently planning on getting the ACC. If I had to do it all over again (fortunately I don't!) I would have NOT gotten the ACC. I have this on my VW van and LOVE it. The automatic settings are always exactly where I want them, just set it and forget it. Unfortunately, I'm finding the MCS ACC is not nearly so transparent. The fan is kind of loud and doesn't seem to settle down to a low enough speed when the car temp normalizes (as others mentioned in different threads). I'm finding I'm manually controlling the ACC fan, so I'd rather not have spent that money. I also wouldn't have gotten the computer, but it was part of the package. It's mildly interesting, but now worth the features it adds IMO. I carry a notebook to keep track of MPG and the fuel guage works as well as the Range feature.

Good luck! You will love whatever you get. You really can't go wrong.

Wactuary

 

That's a good point about the ability to see traffic lights, but even if you don't get a sunroof, you'll get used to it...trust me.

 

>>>> I don't think the "shade" provided by Mini is meant to cool the car. Rather, I think it is meant to diffuse bright sunlight while your riding in the car. I think it is a nice touch. <<<<<

I agree. And it does work to diffuse bright overhead sunlight. I also like to think that it keeps the bugs from flying in. There are a few weeks every year that the yellow jackets are a problem. I don't know how many times I've had to pull over to let one out of my car. I like the perforated screen. I just wonder how it will hold up over the years. For those that want a solid screen, why not cut out two pieces of contact paper the size of the screen and sandwich the existing screen between them? This should still be thin enough to retract into the screen holder.

On sunny, but cool days (in the 30s), I usually have my sunroof open and my heated seats on. For those that suffer from SAD (seasonal affective disorder), the sunroof gives you that extra bit of sunlight that you need.

Unless you plan to race your MINI, what's an extra 60 lbs? I say that if weight is your concern, go on a diet or leave the passengers at home. For me, having the moon and the stars and all the extra fresh air makes my MINI experience all that more special.

Oh, one more thought: for those with long hair that want that open-top experience, the MINI with the sunroof is the only way to go. Even at 90mph with the sunroof opened, my 3 ft. long locks stay in the car with me. Other sunroofs whip my hair around in my face, out the sunroof and make it impossible to get out all of those knots (maybe this comment should be posted on the Girl talk thread.....).

 

Sunroof is great. I have it open lots of the time and the added light inside the cabin makes the MINI feel like the most spacious car I have ever owned.

Only if I was specifically concerned about weight for a race car would I not get it

 

sunroof-YES :smile:

 

It is a personnel choice. I chose the Sunroof on the Cooper it is our luxury ride. The S will have no sunroof no needed excess weight up top, and the white roof will be a canvas




RAT

 

I have the dark silver,black roof mcs,with the sunroof.I've only owned the car for a couple winter weeks.I bought the car from dealer stock.I think the sunroof is going to present terrible heat gains,even with the sunscreen in place,I've already found the heat gains enough to crack the roof in 30 decree weather. Mike

 

Absolutely!

 

I love my mini but i think that without the sunroof i may have just liked the mini. What im trying to say is that it is awesome it ciovers the entire roof almost and thats really great. A friend of mine just bought the VW Golf (ugh) and his sunroof is SSSOOOOO small. He asked me what I thought about it and I said "its nice" just to be polite,of course. Yet i was thinking I wouldnt trade my mini for 1000 Golf's.

The point is that the sunroof is a must in this car. First of all cause it is so large and also because it adds a feeling of roominess.

I think its funny how people on MCO actually care how much the sunroof weighs thats really silly. Why do people buy cars that are fast? On an average day you cant go above 70 mph or else you are bound to get ticketed and eventually loose your drivers liscense; therefore, what is the point of having a fast car?

GET THE SUNROOF! youll love it! Unless you plan on using your mini at the NASCAR races of course.

 

I love the way the sunroof opens up the car. It's very nice. The most common rattles are easily rectified with a little felt, velcro, etc.

As for the asthetics on a white roof, I think it can look nice, especially with some colors. For instance, with a chili red, you have the black wheel arches, then the red body, the black pillars, then the white roof, then the black sunroof. I think those colors work well from a design standpoint. Looks are subjective, though. You have to decide that for yourself. I think the sunroof also looks good on a body colored roof, especially with dark silver. On a black roof, it disappears, so depending on your sensibilities, that's either good or bad. I would let no opinions on looks sway my decision. It's a chocolate/vanilla thing. Some will like it, some will not. That's why it is an option. :smile:

The only two cons I can think of are long-term mechanical viability and heat. The manufacturer of the sunroof is well-established, but the MINI sunroof design is new. I hope it will last, but there are no guarantees. For me, it's worth the risk. Heck, the entire car is electronic, so if you're buying into the MINI, there is no need to worry about electro-mechanical failure of the sunroof...it's just one more small piece of the same puzzle.

Now, as for the heat increase. Some people say it is great, not a problem. Others say it gets too hot, and often these are people from the same geographic region. I think a solid panel would have been a very nice touch for when the car was parked.

As such, I contacted the mfg of the sunroof and inquired about an aftermarket solid screen. I never received a reply. It could be that they do not make the sunscreen. Here is a message re: the sunroof and a link to the mfg:

MCO Message about solid screen for sunroof

Lastly, on the issue of weight and structural stability, unless you are a racer, weight is not a concern. BMW/MINI says that the sunroof does not diminish structural integrity of the roof/car.

I think I've said enough. :smile:

See ya,
JS

 

When I saw the new MINI for the first time, I was convinced i did not want the sunroof.

After sitting in one, I changed my mind! It opens up the interior even if you don't open it up!

Andf I think it looks pretty cool on white roofed cars, too. :smile:

 

Oh it's great!! And looks good on Yellow/White!

I like it when it gets stuffy and I want to slightly increase air flow. One of the first comments I always get is "Hey! That's a cool sun roof playboy" or something along those lines..

 

A few people said something about the sunroofed MINIs have less headroom, but is this really the case. I know most cars that have sunroofs do have less room, because the window pane goes inside the existing roof, but on the MINI, it pops up and goes back. I haven't measured or anything, but wouldn't they both be the same? plus, you have infinite headroom with an opened roof!

Also, about the ACC, i personally got it for aesthetic value. the fact that it makes the MINI emblem is saweet. i rarely use A/C (or heat for that matter) so, the more windows the better! I just wish the back one could slide somehow open, as well as teh rear windows/hatch. Love the openness feeling while driving.

And about the possible rattling of sunroofs, I don't think I'd ever hear it, because i never drive in silence, but always have the radio on. not to mention wind noise.

anyway, to each his/her own.

ryan

 

I love my sunroof! :smile: :smile:

Keep the sunroof!!!!!!!

Erin

 

Thanks to all who offered comments and observations. You made my decision clear as mud!

 

Yes.
The sunroof is a great must have on youre mini.
You will love it.

 

Sunroof for me. Love the option, even when I'm not using it. The sense of airiness in the passenger compartment is wonderful, even w/ the screen pulled and sunroof closed. Living in Oregon, I keep the screen open, and enjoy what sun there is. Might be different when summer hits, we'll see. One point about the ACC: since it comes w/ the premium package, it's almost a freebie, but what a freebie!! The layout is completely awesome, and I'd get it just for that. The push button system is very logical, easy to use, and it looks unbelievably cool at night, w/ all LED's and gauges glowing orange. Visual esthetics aside, I find that it works quite well. Though perhaps not as quiet as some other makes' ACC might be, the loudness comes when it's set to a temp which is radically different from ambient temp- it goes into overdrive to bring the compartment temp up or down to the setting. Once there, things quiet down considerably.

 

In addition to all the added weight up high, I'd imagine you might lose a lot of structural stiffness with that big hole in the roof. Anyone know if this is true?

Yes it's true. At mini it's that sunroof all around the roof and it's not good. I didn't take it. ********, i drive fast and i don't like to lose any stiffness of my car for one sunroof.