The car I just replaced with the mini had xenons and I was not crazy about them. The halogens are fine for driving around the area I live in(N.NJ). The high beams do a good job when I need more light.

 

+1

I felt like the arm rest was entirely an after-thought design-wise, looked cheap and functioned poorly. It interferes with access to the biggest of the available cupholders. It folds up into your way rather than out of the way and when you use the e-brake, it's definitely in the way. ick...

I'm really happy with the BT handsfree. And built-in Sirius! My first Mini had an unsightly tuner velcroed to the dash. I had to set the interior lighting to blue to match the radio. In my new vehicle the lighting always matches the instruments.

 

This is one of those options a buyer needs to test in person. Mine works just fine and doesn't interfere with anything. The brake doesn't hit it, it's not in the way of shifting. I think it depends on the distance from elbow to shoulder and elbow to hand. Since we're all a bit different, I could see where it could be a problem to some folks.

 

I suspect that many people see how bright HIDs (Xenons) are think it is all good. As the article points out, they are fooled into thinking their visibility is improved because they can see near objects more clearly while their distance visibility is actually impared (with low beams).

 

I think you can just call or email. Several years ago I bought the alarm from them. http://www.driveclassicmini.com/

I agree re the xenons - I love them and find them extremely helpful...it's probably a vision thing, as in aging eyes.

Just thought of another accessory that I bought twice and decided not to this time - the alarm. Realized that it's the engine immobilizer that is the reason my insurance co. gives me the discount. I realize many will still want the noise factor, but I decided to use that $$ for other things.

 

I got the MINI branded car cover. I think i've used it once in 2 years of owning the MINI.

I didn't get the MFSW or Anthracite Headliner! What was I thinking?!

 

My wife just bought her MCS off the floor but I saw to it that it had most of the options (all the packages) and if we can just figure out how to use them it will be great. I ordered my Clubman S--the optioned that I wanted was the JCW package, but it was not available at the time.. Now that it has been introduced, with all the bells and whisltes it would be well above $40,000. I can duplicate most of the performance for substantially less than a base JCW Clubman.

 

Alta and others have mods similar to, and probably more aggressive than, Stage I JCW kit, but don't maintain warranty. For the Stage II JCW (Factory JCW) you would have to change the pistons, clutch, and transmission to match it. MINI felt those had to be upgraded to handle the increased power of the Factory JCW car.

 

No what I meant was some people can see more clearly the distance things with the HIDs just because of their eyes. Just like as some people age they have trouble driving at night while others don't (with regular or HIDs). Everyone is different, especially when it comes down to eye sight at night. I have used halogen for years and find my Mini's HIDs are much better in pitch black than halogens. I've read your other posts about it and know that is not the case for you. Obviously our eyesight is different. I don't "think" I see better just because the HIDs light the ground more. I see better at a distance with the Mini's HIDs than with my other car's halogens.

 

thomastrain-

Jayson at Clasic MINI: bmwparts@classicautocampus.com

or phone: 440-205-6404
I called him, as I'm not a big fan of credit card info via email on a non-secure server.
They're also a sponsor on this site, look to the vendor forums

 

I got the Premium Pkg, Convenience pkg, Xeon Headlights and a few extra.
Really glad I got the Sun Roof, it is excellent.
Really glad I got the iPod Interface with the convenience pkg extreamly nice.
Multifuntion steering wheel controls are worth it.
The Auto temp control is kinda hard to use while driving.
The Bluetooth is very nice.
Overall I'm glad I got all the accessories I did.

Havent figured out what the button is in the arm rest yet.???
Not needing a key or remote to lock/unlock, set alarm is cool too.

 

[quote=rdeppen;2109899] ......I'm not one of you nut jobs that has the patience to order a car and wait 4 months for it to be built and shipped. I buy right off the lot with whatever option they come as configured with. The one thing my S doesn't have that I wish it did was Cruise Control.... /quote]

I'm the same way. I bought mine off the lot also. Like you, mine does not have cruise control. That is an accessory that I wish I had. I thought about having it added, but that would probably be very pricey. I drove a loaner that had the heated seats. That's a nice option, but I can live without it. Otherwise I like the way mine is equipped.

 

So, we who are willing to wait a few months to get what we want for our $32k are "nut jobs'? Maybe we just are willing to do what it takes to get what we want.

 

I am a "nut job" that has configured and ordered every single one of the 4 MINIs I have bought. To me the whole point of the MINI is to get exactly what you want. The Clubman was a 9 week wait. Not bad really as it gave me enough time to sell the '02 MC. The problem I have with dealer specced cars is that almost always they come fully loaded and/or have colors and seat upholstery choices that I am not interested in. Rarely a dealer orders a car with the "bare" necessities. However, ordering is not for everybody and in many circumstances a buyer needs to get the car right away and have to limit his/her choices to whatever is available at the lot.

 

I didn't make the comment, but I don't think that he meant that. It was just a poor choice of words. I believe that it was a typo and the word "you" was meant to be "your".

 

I think he meant "you." But, it's no big deal. I just happen to going through a spate of impatient, ill-advised teen decision-making with my varments at the moment: Buying shoes that are clearly way too big; wearing shorts when it's sleeting because they are "cool;" cutting class because "it's no big deal," etc. Impulsiveness isn't something I'm into at the moment.

 

Well, maybe he did mean it....I don't know. I was just focusing in on the "bought it off the lot". Until now, I thought I must be the only person that did that. I'll know better next time

 

Given the size of dealer lots, I doubt that....

 

I think it is about 50/50 the split between people that place custom factory orders and those who buy straight from the lot. It would be very difficult for MINI dealers to survive on custom factory orders alone...

 

I would have loved to have bought one off the lot - if only I could have afforded to - I'd be driving a beauty right now.

 

My local dealer (Ferman Mini of Tampa Bay) either has loaded or weird configurations. They have a $34k beauty that I would love to own but it's just too big a payment as well as three EB/S's that don't have cruise control. I don't know whether the coupe has the same dysfunctional "optionning" but not having cruise control is akin to deleting cup holders in this fair land IMHO.

I'm glad I caught one of the threads in here that mentioned the necessity of the MFSW for cruise otherwise I might have missed it inadvertently and I would have been very very vexed at that.

 

Same here. I noticed that most of the Mini's on my dealer's lot don't have cruise control or they are loaded beyond what I can afford...but nothing in between. Mine doesn't have it, but I certainly wish it did. I have a Toyota truck with cruise control and I hardly ever use it. However, with the Mini, I find myself cruising at 85 mph without realizing it. You would think that cruise would be standard equipment on the Mini. I don't know if you can even get an American car without it.

 

I have seen a few people who have bought a homelink transimtter from ebay and modded the console on their headliner to include the device. Works with most openers/gates and is a pretty slick mod for about $50 IMO.

 

Really? Do you have a link?

 

Weird. One of the dealers in the Dallas area also has 3 identical LB/S's without cruise control. That's a really odd coincidence......