As soon as i saw the commercial for the MINI Cooper S Clubman I was hooked. I was looking at the MINI brand for my first car but they couldn't hold enough people for my taste. When I saw the Clubman I knew that it was the car of my dreams. The only problem I'm facing is what to get with it. I am a college student so I don't have much money but I've already begun the sacrifices to save for this car.

Right now I have 3 views influencing what I should get:
~my boyfriend says I should only get sport package and struts to keep it light weight but he tunes his car
~my dad has never splurged on a car so he'd rather the cheap, no accessories route
~my female self loves the ideas of some of the extras like the sunroof and automatic a/c and wants to be pampered beyond my wallet's dreams

From a MINI owner's point of view what are the vitals? and how can I keep it affordable?

 

First and foremost: it's your car, your money, and your decision.

So, we'll ignore what your father has to say and focus on your boyfriend. He wants you to get the sport package. Is that for him or for you? Are you the type that likes to race people on the highway, or are you more polite than that. Keep in mind that you'll get a smoother ride if you don't get the S, and you'll save money.

Now, lets focus on some of the options.
Transmission: Do you know if you want auto or manual? Again, if you get manual, you can save some money. And you'll still have that sporty feel. What type of traffic do you anticipate driving in? Manual is a bad choice for stop & go traffic.

Premium package: The sun roof is a nice, and I love the climate control and excellent sound. That's me. Is it worth $1,500 to you?

Cold weather package: Do you live in a cold state? If so, this might come in handy, if not, save the $500.

Convenience package: I like this one because I like gadgets. Originally, I was just planning on getting the multi-function steering wheel for cruise and the center armrest for those long trips, but then I decided to spend another grand and go for all the fancy gadgets.

Tires: I'm a practical person. I live in Maine. I took the All-season. If you're planning on driving it in the snow, you should either plan on getting all-season tires, or keeping a spare set of tires and rims to use in the winter time.

Everything else is cosmetic. I'm a guy. I barely care. My wife, however, wanted to splurge on the metallic paint. I'll like it better than Chili Red, but if I made the decision on my own, then I would have saved $500. If you like Chili Red, Pepper White, or Mellow Yellow, you can save $500 there.

The best thing to do is to go to MINIUSA.COM and configure a variety of Clubman with a variety of options. Save your configurations so you can refer to them throughout your decision making process.

Good luck, and let us know how you make out.

 

You must get the premium package . The best value of any of the packages. Plus if you ever need or want to sell the mini, (heaven forbid) it will be easier to sell with the sunroof and auto a/c . IMO

 

First, don't let your boyfriend do any mods to the vehicle! If you let him, you probably aren't doing to like them and they will probably void your warranty.

 

The other thing to think about is what do you want to be able to do with the car? Don't get things because your boyfriend or your father want you or don't want you to get them. This is YOUR car. That's the great thing about mini's-- if you order one, it is built just for you to your specs.

Do you just want to drive to work and on the occasional road trip and have fun and be comfortable?

My husband auto-crosses in his sports car. I purposely didn't get the sports pack because I have NO INTENTION of doing it, or letting him! Not my thing, and therefore I didn't need it and I didn't get the "S" model.

My MINI is going to be my daily driver (since I telecommute, it's more of a monthly driver).

How long are you going to have this car? What are things that you see happening in your life in the next 5 years that this car may be a part of?

You can see my options below. iPod connection, arm rest and MFSW were important to me for my once-or-twice-a-month three hour drives to the main office. The premium pack was for fun. I just got a new Garmin off of the costco website for WAY less than MINI charges. Leather is nice, but I live about 10 miles from Mexico, so, cloth seats fit our climate better. I dislike driving stick with the kid in the car-- so automatic was a must for me. I wanted an alarm for those times when I may be parked in a less than savory area.

Stripes and checks because I wanted a little personality.

 

Most MINI dealers have a selection of test cars available, either base and "S", manual and automatic. I would recommend scheduling a set of test drives of the choices available, and then decide what works for you. A back-to-back test should give you a very good idea of which you prefer.
If you go on a weekday morning the salesperson should give you plenty of time and attention.

 

Did we mention mileage? Fttt managed to get over 39 MPG on the first tank in his manual Clubman.

 

Thank you everyone who responded! You definately made me feel better about getting the different bits and pieces of a clubman. So far I know that I want the stick because I find manuals to be more fun to drive and I want the S model so that I can try to keep up with my boyfriend's tuned Audi S4. I want to have fun when I drive either to class and work or to the beach or my aunt's house. For now I've lucked out and can make my schedule around the DC rush hour that funnels into my area. Now to find a second job and get to saving!

 

Start with your budget. Pick the highest $$ number you are willing to pay. Then on a sheet of paper, put down the accessories/options that are important to you. IMO, forgo the packages unless you absolutely want everything in the package. List the items 1-10, with 1 as a " Must Have" down to 10+ "nice to have". If two or more things are equal in your mind, give the lowest number to the lowest priced item. For example: Metallic paint and bonnet stripes are #1 and #2, then auto transmission and sunroof are equal. Make the sunroof #3 and the auto #4.

Then take the base price, and transportation costs, and add state sales tax (unless you plan to lease). Now start adding your options, starting with #1. Remember to add sales tax for each item. Keep going down your list until you hit your maximum $ limit. That is your car.

One other hint - Think of options prices in terms of extra payments. I use $350 as a payment. So adding that auto airconditioning feature and a set of floor mats means you will make car payments for 2 additional months. Adding the convenience package and the leather seats means you will make payments for an additional 10 months. They are pretty sobering calculations and make you decide what is really important.