My saga of finding the perfect Mini for me still continues as I had to postpone for personal reasons and therefore lost what was my first choice before.

I have located 2 great choices at a much bigger discount so no worries. Just wanted to see what you guys think of the following options:

Auto wipers --bit afraid of potential replacement costs

17" S-lites vs. Std 16" wheels -- I think I prefer the ride of the 17s but how about flats? Will I be getting a lot more of those?

Navi -- One of the cars I am looking at has navi. Have always used maps so not sure it's worth the extra $

I need to move FAST so any comments appreciated! Keep in mind I do mostly highway driving w/some driving in DC and NY (pothole hell...)

 

Auto wipers - the rain sensor windshield costs a bit more, but I wouldn't pass up a car because of it. They work wonderfully.

Haven't heard any annecdotal tales of more flats on 17", but the shorter sidewall makes them more prone to bent rims. Then again, the Slites are big, heavy, tough wheels, so that's a tie in my book.

I like the Nav - you'll burn your maps. I would only go with the DVD version (mid '03 on) vs. the CD version. The CD version requires several CDs for all the map info, while the entire US is on one DVD.

Good luck!

 

Thanks, useful comments... Here's the difference between cars to make it clearer. Both cars have premium and cold weather and HK.

Car #1 -- Convenience package, leather seats, 17" tires, red shift ****, Cooper S headrests, checkered mirrors.

Car #2 -- Navi, anthracite headliner, chrome line interior, xenons, fogs, silver/black leatherette

Price difference is $1000. I think I may like the leather and 17" in #1 more, but the other one might be the more practical car with the 16", navi and leatherette.

This will be my 2nd car and 1st mini so not sure what I will like or not like in the long run...

 

Remember you can always add aftermarket leather and wheels/tires.

I suggest picking the car you want based on things you can't change once you get it.

Good luck!

 

remember that if you have a problem with the rain sensors in the auto wipers and your windshield breaks (for whatever reason) youre stuck with the MINI brand windshield

 

I'd pass on the auto wipers... More complexity and limited windsheild options, as was mentioned. Also, as far as the Nav goes, a Garmin Street Pilot is only about $300, and that's a portable unit. I love mine - when I go out of town, I pull it out of my car and pop it in my bag, then I have it for use in my rental car on the other end. When it was snowing here, I also used it quite often in my 4WD truck... That's a better value IMHO than the in-dash unit. Plus, I think that a MINI doesn't look HALF as sharp without the huge, center-mounted speedometer... having it beside the tach isn't nearly as cool I don't think. So, having a Garmin is totally a win/win for me.

 

Hmmm... all good points.... keep in mind I am basically getting the navi for free w/the discount... so it seems that would be a good choice.

Any more thoughts? Keep it coming!

 

It's a good choice, but only if it's something you want or need.

 

"Elephants two-for-a-quarter is a great deal, but only if you have a quarter...and need some elephants."

 

 

Neither want nor need really... but I can't find exactly what I want... so I have to make compromises. Not sure which compromises I would most happily live with and maybe I will discover something I did not think of that I can't live w/o in the process...

I was thinking of the 17 wheels but maybe the 16s are actually better... and maybe having navi will be good so I won't have to stop at gas stations to ask questions...

 

So car #2 is $1K cheaper?

FWIW, the cost of the Nav is within a few hundred bucks of the leather, so cost-wise, it's a toss-up. Back to what you want. I wouldn't have paid for leather, but it came on my used car, and it's ok. Note, however, that the leather seats have lumbar adjustments, while the non-leather do not.

You can get a set of take offs for ~$500, so if you want to swap wheels (or have a second set for winter tires), that's easy after the fact.
As 200-OK said, focus on things that you can't change after you purchase.

Those who dish on the Nav LOVE to dish on it. I've got a handheld GPS as well, and love it in my cars that don't have nav, but the integrated factor (and British voice ) is a big plus for the OEM nav. It's nice not having to do mapquests.

 

I don't have any of the features you are specifically comparing, but I do have the Chrono pack and really love the double guage pack above the steering wheel. Looks cool, and when I test drove both the chrono and standard back-to-back at night, I found the center speedo to be quite distracting.

Not sure how that would shake out with the Nav there instead of the chrono pack guages though...

Are both cars you are looking at the same color combo?

 

Thanks again for all the input!

Went back last night and came to the same conclusion. The nav is actually quite nice sitting there in the middle and when I test drove another car w/o it at night I found the light from the center speedo a bit too strong.

Car #2, which is cheaper, is the fancier car w/the rain-sensing wipers, the 17s, and the leather seats, but I could have more costs down the line with those things (potholes, seat maintenance, windshield cracks). I think #1 might end up being more practical w/16s, the xenons & fogs, navi and leatherette.

I guess you guys will agree...

The complete specs are:

#1 -- CR/CR, leather seats, HK, Premium/Cold/Convenience packs, 17 S-lites, red interior, red shiftknob, Cooper S headrests, checkered mirrors.

#2 -- HB/W, silver/black leatherette, HK, Premium/Cold packs, Navi, Anthracite headliner, xenons, fogs, rear fog, chrome line interior, white bonnet stripes, 16s.

 

I drive 25k or so a year. Mostly in the same 125 mile radius. Very seldom need a $2,000 nav system. Would seldom use one. Would you use it 2k worth? I do like the options on # 2 better though.

 

I never thought about getting it precisely because I don't find it essential... however 95% of my driving is for fun --NY, beach, skiing to places I have never been to so I always end up printing maps or stopping at gas stations to ask for directions because I missed an exit or there's an unexpected fork in the road.

One time I had to pee in the bushes because the highway was super crowded and there was no way to tell which exit would take me to a hotel or gas station. It was really funny, a girl saw me from the road and totally cracked up... Another time I almost ran out of gas cause I could not find a gas station... I almost freaked out. So I guess with navi these would be things of the past.

Also, remember that I am picking an 06, so I can't really customize that much, plus I think it's better to get a bigger discount on a more expensive car, than a smaller discount on a more basic one --in terms of resale value.

 

Now I'm confused - I think you swapped #1 and # 2 above.

Enough of this 'practical' talk - we're talking about fun here!

Are you a fan of leather? For some it's a must have.
You can get a set of 17's for #2
Get an Ian Auto Up w/GDO module, and you don't lose out on an integrated garage door opener.
If you like xenons, it would cost $$ to add them to #1.
Which color combo do you like?

I know which one I would choose...

 

The Nav ROCKS in that situation. I was on road trip in the middle of nowhere Idaho when the gas light came on. A couple of dials and clicks, and it told me where the nearest Chevron station was. A big relief for those of us who like to run it to empty. No map is going to do that.

 

Oops... yes I did swap... my bad. I am even confusing myself at this point

I like the look of leather, but I am a big fan of easy cleaning stuff. It grosses me out when seats get dirty and I can't clean them thoroughly or when I think sweat soaks into them... gross

No garage so no need for an opener...

No crazy about xenons but I don't truly see that well with the lights in my 98 car.

I like both colors I may get bored of red though. I tend to get bored of my red sweaters very fast, plus I love the look of white t-shirts and jeans...

oh, and the wheels I know I can always change... plus I almost left my entire set of wheels in NY a couple of times... damn metal covers on the road I was surprised I did not get a flat... but then again I have cushy 14s now.

For the posts I've seen around, I think i know what most people here would choose. I looked at the "What did you regret not getting post" and navi and chrome interior were up high...

 

Oh, and btw, I think I know what I am choosing too...

 

with the full specs, I would definitely go with number 2, I agree you can retro-fit most of the "essentials" that aren't already on it. HB/W is a great combo in my opinion.

 

The leather is easy to clean (vs. cloth) but does call for a bit of care i.e. 'leather food', whereas the pleather is wash 'n wear.

Get the auto-up anyway - I bought mine before I bought the car.

FWIW it's easy enough to retrofit the interior chrome - I swapped my entire interior to anthracite.

 

auto-up is for the windows, right? funny my 98 cabrio has it...

good, then I can get rid of the chrome if I don't like it...

 

No! you simply can't choose the Navi over a CR car!

That's just not right...

I have to say the CR does sound like a hot ride...of course I'm a little biased...

 

That's the hottest chili I've ever seen, though I haven't seen yours....