Be sure to check around at other dealers - there are bargains to be had at dealers that still have some 06s to get rid of.

I have an MC but it's daily driver and I don't really feel the need for the extra power "off the line". So I saved the money on the "S" (hee) and loaded up the car with comfort and aesthetic options, which you seem to be digging

Just a thought, but it's a thought. I recommend driving both the MCS and MC to see what you think about the difference.

As far as the dealerships in the area go, most are pretty decent. I'm sure there's a bad story about each one out there. I bought at East Bay MINI and had a great experience. They don't charge a premium above MSRP, but because of this their order dates tend to be further out. They also don't give loaners for service.

I recently had service at MINI of Mountain View and it was a completely pleasant experience as well. They gave me a free loaner for my regular 10k service. It was nice that it was closer to home than East Bay, too.

I've also heard good things about Niello, MINI of Sacramento, and Concord. I have heard more bad than good about SF MINI.

 

Good point on the DSC, can't believe I missed that. As I have advocated in other threads based on research of my own and personal experience, DSC is a MUST have. Should be standard (soon will). But some will contend otherwise.

I can't say the xenon headhlights would fall into a safety feature, perhaps another "bling" as chow4us might say.

 

I feel the same personally but it seems related to your driving environs. I motor mostly on well-lit streets. Folks away from city lights might well feel it is a safety thing.

 

I went out of my way to order a manual A/C on my '06, after many years of living with German auto A/C systems. The big difference is that with auto A/C (at least '05+), the external vents close up, sealing the car off, if you turn the fan off.... so you always have to run the system/fan if you want air. With the manual, the external vents stay open and you get totally silent air flow (heated even) that increases with road speed (you need to run the fan for A/C cooling however).

Is it a big issue? Perhaps not for many people, but for me, it's the difference between opening windows in my house on a nice temp, breezy day vs running the house's forced air system.

Also had a few noisy, intermittently squeeky, auto fans in the past that used to drive me crazy .

 

Totally agree with a lot of the earlier replies

$21,850 2007 MCS
$500 LSD
NICE!

$450 Metallic Paint

$500 Sport Suspension
Only if you plan to stay stock and only Autox/track occassionally.

$100 Rear Fog Lamp
Good for keeping the tailgaters away

$1,500 Leather w/Colorine
are you sure? The leatherette or cloth are plenty good, doesn't justify the $1500 for leather!

$200 Center Armrest
haven't seen that in person but prolly good in long drives!

$300 Auto AC
oh... how much i missed my auto AC~ haha~ hence I say go for this!

$300 Powerfold Mirrors
not needed

$350 Parking Distance Control-Rear
extremely not needed unless you plan on setting a world record of parking closest to the car behind.

$300 English Oak Trim
BLING~ but pretty nice

$35 Stone Guards
$62 Mud Flaps
$40 Bumper Protection
$53 Leather Shifter
$49 Leather Emerg Brake
For the 5 above, you can prolly just go aftermarket(when they become available) and save some money!

If you ditch the sport suspension, english oak trim, parking control, rear fogs, auto ac, centre armrest, leather, and those 5 minor accessories, then you almost have enough for the navigation system!! haha~ which is the king of the BLING!

 

Very helpful details about A/C system design, snapper! Didn't realize that Auto-A/C works that way......

 

Great input, naruto16, Thanks!

 

Thanks, MLWagner for sharing your thoughts, very helpful....

Did you buy from MINI of Mtn Vw??? If so, do you recommend your MA there for me to contact??

I live very close to them, so it would make sense to try and deal with them if they're good to deal with....otherwise, can go elsewhere...

 

I didn't, because at the time, MoMV was charging a $1500 mark-up from MSRP on MCs (but from what I understand, they recently stopped marking up their sales - check to be sure, it was $1500 for MC and $2000 for MCS back in August). You might try asking in the Regional Forums under "Northern California"...I know a lot of people around here have bought from MoMV, I'm just not one of them

I also recommend once you get all settled in to check out NorCal MINIs and Maverick MINIS - nice groups of people

 

Thanks again, MLWagner79, appreciate your suggestions...

 

Hi Mark - looks like you are doing your homework... since you've driven an 04, you should drive an 06 or 07.

I drove 2 used MINIs before buying my 06... an 02 and I think and 04, and I felt a big difference when I drove the 06. I've also briefly driven an 07 and felt a difference there, too. So try the 06 and 07.

As for MC vs. MCS... same advice. I drove both and although I don't "need" the extra power, I liked it, so I went for an MCS.

I would suggest DSC... I bought it because a day or so before I ordered, I saw that this (or similar type of technology) is going to be mandatory on cars after 2010 (i think?)... anyway, I figured it might help with resale down the line and it is like hidden insurance, although I've never felt it in action.

I would HIGHLY recommend the MFSW... I love it. Being able to control the radio volume and CD with the steering wheel buttons is great. Also, the cruise control works wonderfully. I drove from Memphis to California and used it the whole way. Better than other cruise controls I've used in the past. Even if you won't use it much, it might be worth it for resale also.

I also love my sunroof, although if you don't think you'll use it, it's probably not worth it.

I agree some of the items, like mudflaps and stone guards could go and be added later on.

I have the armrest (not sure how different it is in the 07), but it works fine for me. It's not the best design in the world, but it was in the car when I picked it up and that made it easy.

Good luck! We expect pics "when" you buy!

 

Thanks for all the good tips and words of encouragement, mini_dreams!!

Will continue to do 'my homework'..... lot more fun than the homework of yesteryear....

Never used cruise control nor had a sunroof before, so don't think I'd miss them much.......

 

And really, the best homework is to go into the dealership with an options list in hand, and ask to see/try it all.

 

I completely disagree. The back of the MINI is high and the rear window small. I have PDC and am glad I do. I also have the NAV which displays a graphic of the car with zones where objects are. It is pretty cool, and useful.

 

Nope, I think it is the reverse. I'm sorry I have them.

I live where it is dark enough to see the Milky Way, and you notice a difference when driving under a full Moon vs. dark of the Moon. The Xenon lights are too bright and cut off too sharply. If you have to drive with low beams due to oncoming traffic on twisties, all you can see is what is in your low beams. If there is a deer standing in the road, you wont see it until it gets into the light. You've got to be going pretty slow for that not to be too late.

 

I don't have the greatest night vision & I do consider the xenons a safety feature. They have greatly improved visability for me & I never intend to own a car without them again

 

I'd ditch the leather and get the sports package instead...

 

I'd suggest getting DSC and xenons a la carte. The 17"s might not be too useful for your needs.

 

I stand corrected--I got the sport package, but dealer traded for 16" wheels.

 

$21,850 2007 MCS
$500 LSD - I got it, but it's not necessary unless you auto-x or race. Practically worthless for daily driving.
$450 Metallic Paint - gotta pay it if you want the color.
$500 Sport Suspension - Same as LSD. Not really necessary.
$100 Rear Fog Lamp - Only reason I got this was so the row of toggles was complete. If you don't get it, you have a blank.
$1,500 Leather w/Colorine - The leather is very nice (and I got the Lounge). If you like leather, you won't be disappointed.
$200 Center Armrest - This is something I really wanted, but ultimately regret. Not even close to worth $200, and largely a PITA. It's a cheap POS.
$300 Auto AC - only reason I have it is that it came with the premium pack. Agree with other comments that it's not necessary.
$300 Powerfold Mirrors - Probably great for European parking garages, but otherwise unnecessary. The mirror adjustment is already power.
$350 Parking Distance Control-Rear - Agree with other comments. Not really necessary unless you suck at backing/parking.
$300 English Oak Trim - Personal preference on this option. Get what you like.

Accessories that follow... Get what you like. They get installed by the dealer, so maybe you can pick a few to be thrown in with the car.
$35 Stone Guards
$62 Mud Flaps
$40 Bumper Protection
$53 Leather Shifter
$49 Leather Emerg Brake
$26,589 SUBTOTAL
$2,425 CA State Tax/Reg
$29,014 GRAND TOTAL

Stuff I think you forgot
Multifunction Steering wheel - This gets you cruise control. I'd pick it over another $350 option (like auto AC)
Cold Climate ($300) or Heated Seats ($270) - If you get chilly mornings, these are great. Especially with leather seats.
White Signals ($100) - I didn't get this because I thought it only affected the rear lenses. It will also get you the clear front signals. I hate the yellow disc in my headlight assembly. I thought it would come clear and that I could just swap the bulb.

 

So, as you can see, it's a very personal thing. I am not a believer in the "if it's not functional, it's not worth it" view, though. I'm in the "if you want it, get it" group because, hey, it's only money, but a big part of your life enjoyment.

 

True, but it never hurts to get input. I wish I knew how crappy the armrest was beforehand. It was on my "must have" list.

 

I have the armrest and don't see a problem with it. Occasionally the lid slides back but it's not really a problem, and it has a little storage place in it.

 

I agree with you, dneal. My comment just reflects the fact that one person's "must have" is another's waste of money. Input is great to have, though.

Daff, I still would rather have the arm rest than not. But, I don't think it is worth what they charge and is more what I'd expect from J C Whitney than MINI.

 

Here is some perspective from a minimalist - well you will have to be the judge of that. I started out loading my Mini to the gills, then asked myself the question, do I really want that? I ended up with:

• CR/B - I really like the color combination
• English Oak trim - made it feel more traditional - I really wish I could get wood trim steering wheel, shifter **** and parking brake
• MCS, LSD and DSC - I really wanted performance and safety
• Center arm rest - WTF - I still don't know why I got it!
• MFSW - wanted the cruise and like the radio controls on the wheel so I can keep my eyes on the road
• Map light - thought it was cute. What can i say?
• Mats - another WTF

Things I considered and rejected:

• Premium package - I really have no business getting a sun roof. I burn easy and don't want to put sunscreen on to go for a drive!
• Rear fog - hard to say whether this was a mistake to take out. I want my car to be visible and discourage tail gaters
• Color line, anthracite, etc. - I ended up liking a lot of the standard configs
• Automatic - HORRORS! I really went back and forth on this. THis will be a commute car stuck in traffic for most of its life. But on those few occaisions when I go dirving in the Cascades or Olympics, I really want the manual.

So there you go - another example of ver personal choices.