I really like my chrome interior. It wasn't something I would have ordered myself, but since it is on the car I bought I really like it and prefer it over the stock interior greyish-plasticky-looking trim rings.

I also think the aux adapter should be stock. I'm glad, though, that I didn't pay the dealer big buck$ to install mine.

 

Believe me, Ken, when I'm working my way thru the twists, there's no way I'm using the armrest. But when I'm cruising the freeway at 55 (yea sure) it's just plain comfortable to have someplace to 'rest' my arm for a bit.

 

I wish they had black-ish matte finished plasticky trim rings, same size as the chrome ones. That and an anthracite headliner would look great against the patina dash.

 

The only package I bought with my S (2005) was the cold weather... and if you live in cold 'climes... it's GREAT, gotta have!

Other stuff I got:
Chrome line interior
LSD
Sunroof
MFSW
Chrono package
CR/W body with CR dash
Std. white 16" wheels
Standard radio (actually quite nice)
Non auto heater
Leatherette
Fog lamps
White hood stripes
Computer
cruise control

Gotta have, in retrospect... Sunroof (gotta have Solar), MFSW (I'm surprised at this actually), LSD (I can't stand one wheel spinning in a turn plus good winter traction).

Nice... CR dash with the Chrome accents... very nice at night with the LED lights shinning on it. Guest reaction... wow, cool! Another 'nice' were the additional gauges... but not 'gotta have'.

Could do without... Fog lamps, but they are OK

Regrets... none

Very nice standard feature (there are others)... MP3 CD capability, I use it all the time. 190 songs of my choice set to shuffle. I have 'theme' disks for whatever mood I'm in.

My overall intention was to minimize electronics and maximize value. I kept in mind what something added in complexity, weight and repair cost (if off warranty) versus it's value (very subjective). IMHO many options are overpriced... some are close to the line but fit the image and performance of the MINI so well as to make them an easier choice. The entire car is "fly by wire" as most everything is computer controlled... that switch you throw signals the computer to activate the device. Reading about problems, it seems that the electronics are a primary source of shop visits. Less electronics... less potential problems... my theory at least.

The standard MCS is a very nice vehicle... I didn't feel the need to hang too much on it to make it mine. If you go over 20 percent of the value of the vehicle for the options, the "value" bar should be set very high for the additional options (in my opinion)

Anyway... optioning is fun and mind blowing. So much to choose. You can't go to wrong really.

Enjoy!

 

Best - all of them!
Worst - none of them!



Seriously though... I pretty much got every possible option, and I don't regret any of them at all... about the only available options (at time of order, which was in late December, 2004) that I didn't get are:

• the chrome packages (I hate chrome)
• the aero kit (serves NO performance benefit, actually adds weight... it's only about looks, that's it)
• bonnet stripes & contrasting roof (I wanted the "conservative look")
• 18" JCW wheels... which I do plan on getting at some point, probably after I wear out the rubber on my Web Spokes.
• Anything and everything "carbon fiber" - JCW or otherwise. Just looks silly to me, except perhaps on a CR car. But since mine is HB... nah, no thanks.

There are only 3 other options I cannot stand and would never ever get on a MINI:

• Automatic transmission, of any kind
• Center arm rest (UNLESS I end up getting the expen$ive new Bluetooth kit... which requires it. I just hope I can keep it folded up out of the way)
• Enormous cupholder (Do I really want to encourage drinks in the car? Uhhh... no. Besides, it's fugly and gets in the way, either of the passenger's legs, or the stereo controls - one or the other, at all times)

Each and every MINI is what the owner makes of it... each of our opinions here are irrelevant when it comes down to your own preferences!

Future options planned:

• Full OEM bluetooth kit (once I can get it cheaper)
• JCW 18" wheels
• OEM Front and rear cameras (ties into factory Nav... not available in USA)
• OEM Power folding mirrors (if I can ever track down a retrofit kit for them, internationally)

Note the cameras and mirrors are not directly available in the USA, they have to be ordered from out of the country from other sources, but they ARE actual OEM options.

 

One could make a very good arguement that the 18" JCW wheels have exactly the same problem you describe as the areo kit! Add's weight, only about looks.. That's it!

And wait until you have to buy tires for them.... $$$$$

Matt

 

I had a feeling that someone would say that... and ding ding ding you win the prize for pointing that out first.

I have driven a MINI (MC loaner actually) with the JCW 18" wheels... and I liked the feel. I'm one of those people who HATES tire flex. I like stiff sidewalls... another reason I actually LIKE runflats (I don't care about the ride quality)... and the shorter sidewall of the 18" is something I liked the feel of. It had a very sharp turn-in feel - I was quite impressed with them. The steering just felt more responsive.

That doesn't mean I am trying to suggest that the stickyness and handling limits of runflats and 18" heavy wheels are not a downside... but for what I am looking for, sharp, responsive turn-in is something I relish. And putting taller sidewalls ala 16" or even 15" wheels is not my cup of tea.

Heck, I even tend to inflate my tires over the "recommended" spec (although still well within the tire limits). For example, I tend to run mine at 40 psi. 32 si and even 34 psi just feels too soft. To each his/her own!

(and yes, I won't deny that completing the "full JCW" idea (well, functional parts anyway) plays a role too... which is probably why I won't consider lighter aftermarket 18" wheels instead. I may as well be called "Mr. OEM", because I am going for a 100% OEM car, unless the option in question is not available from OEM, such as the Schroth seatbelt harness)

 

At least you can count on me for something!

FWIW, I run 38-40 in the front, and 36-38 in the rear. More about evenness of wear for my driving style.....

But I wasn't saying do or don't get the tires and wheels. I was just pointing out that a criteria that was used to eliminate one options wasn't used for evaluating another...

Matt

 

And it was an excellent point. I just chose not to go into the reasons why I wanted the JCW wheels, although perhaps I should have. Ah well, it's well documented now!

 

Bpetzold... actually, the JCW tuning kit install DOES include the intake. But you're right on the brakes - only the factory JCW package includes the brakes (and LSD) too.

 

why not get the one from newministuff? it integrates with the MSFW so it doesn't require that widget stuck to the down tubes... oh and it's like 1/6th the price of the OEM.

 

both

 

I say that without a doubt the worst option to get is dealer markup

Any form of paying over MSRP is a poor choice to make followed closely by weird dealer protection packages & overpriced dealer installed options.

PS: IMHO the chrome interior quality is fine, certainly not worse then the alterntives. Looks fantastic at night showing movement and reflecting the orange interior lighting.

 

Two reasons:

1. Because I want to keep my car OEM as much as possible. I already own another car that is loaded with aftermarket stuff... with the MINI I want to "keep it simple", and also know I have full warranty & service support on EVERYTHING.
2. Because I have the factory Nav, and I want the bluetooth to fully integrate with it.

Provided I can get the kit at significantly below the MSRP, which I believe I will be able to at some point, it will be worth it to me.

 

Me Too. I've made a reflector that fits btween the screen and glass to keep my Mini from becoming a cooker in the summer.

The thing that surprized me was how much I like having radio controls on the wheel. Safer and much easier to switch songs that wreck my flow.

 

Please forgive my ignorance - what does MFSW stand for?

 

Multifunction steering wheel I think.

 

Excellent. Thanks!

 

I wish I had LSD, I just didn't have time to order a car, had to take one that was already on the boat. I needed the car quickly due to crashing my previous car.

I regret the 17 inch S lite Runflat performance tires now that I have felt their weight.

 

So far, I like just about all the options I wound up with on my MCS.

Things I might delete if I had ordered my MINI:
S-Lites w/AS runflats
PDC
Homelink

Things I would have added:
English Panther Leather (It may have just been me, but these seats felt alot better bolstered to me in my test drives)
NAV (originally was going to go for Chrono pack, but with the amount of time I've spent getting lost on rural roads since I've had my MINI, NAV is something I'm really missing)
Web Spokes w/ Performance runflats (These would wind up as my winter rims so it's pretty lame you can't order these w/ all-seasons)
Anthracite Interior & Headliner
Bonnet Stripes

Things you'd have to pry out of my cold, dead spec:
LSD (WHEEEE!!! I wonder how anyone can do without an LSD in this car. This and the manual were the #1 deal breakers for me when looking at candidates for buying off the lot.)
Manual Transmission
Cold Weather Package
HIDs and Fogs F/R
MFSW
Autodimming Rearview Mirror
HK and iPod adapter (although there's plenty of nicer and more functional solutions out there, I hate messing with wiring and the added break in threat and I think the HK actually sounds pretty damn good for OE)

Things I would love to add if only they were actual options:
MINI Haldex w/ JCW Kit
Heated leather racing seats w/ airbags
Two stage opaque/netted sunscreen in sunroof
Lighter (<18lbs) 17"x8" mini-dish wheels w/ 225/45/17 Max Perf summer tires

 

I am glad I didn't get the supercharger

I hate stering wheels that do anything beyond making the car turn and making the horn blow, buttons on the sterring wheel are a distraction. Actually pretty much every option is a distraction of some sort. Which is why I got the most stripped Mini I could live with:

Rear fog light, so I have another toggle switch (best to have two empties)
Security System, because I live in an urban area.
Sportlink, because I ride bikes alot and needed a cool way to transport them.

Everything else was not needed so I didn't get it, it is after all a car for driving, not a computer that gives rides.

 

On the contrary, I like my MFSW because it doesn't force me to look
over to the radio to change the station or the volume. The same goes
for the cruise controls.

 

Not having cruise control on long trips is completely unsat in my opinion. The cruise control buttons on my steering wheel have never given me a moments trouble.