I think I echo a lot of people when I say that you should get exactly what you want and no less otherwise you will never be happy.

It sounds as though you understand all the options and what each one entails so I'd say go with your gut if you can afford it. If you can't afford it save up.

I've been going back and forth over options for the past several months and saving up in the meantime. For me the process came down to me taking a hard look at what I really want. Sure the Nav would be neat to have but I'd hardly ever use it. I like the stripes but I want different ones, so I'll buy later. I've never had nor want heated seats. When it comes to convenience and anything that makes my drive better I'm all over it. It's all about what's important to you.

On that note I'm just waiting for my bonus check to arrive so I can put my order in ASAP and start the long arduous wait!

 

Go for it.... load it up and keep it for several years. Ours was just over $35000 and worth every dollar!

 

Damn! Well you're making me feel better about myself. I showed the printout of my Mini configuration to a good friend yesterday and his exact words to me were "Why are you trying to turn a Mini into a Rolls Royce? The concept of the car is to keep it simple, buy the sport package and the LSD and skip everything else." I can understand how some people think that way and I don't fault them one bit, but I want some of the more high-end options too. I can afford the monthly payment and I know I would be much happier getting what a want rather than conform to some ideal of what the Mini is supposed to be. Again I hold on to cars for a long time, so why not make it as nice as possible? And looking at some of the other posts here, my Mini is far from the most expensive configuration.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention is an S version with the 6-speed manual.

 

See? You're saving money right there!!!

 

Payment? What is this you speak of?


My solution was to drive old cars until I could afford to pay for (not borrow on) a newer one. Bought the MINI used with FAR more options than I could have justified to my cheap self on a new one. But I'll have to say I love them all. And I keep adding new ones - Power folding mirrors FTW. In the OP config I could do without the convenience package and PDC, but that's me. I thought the auto wipers and dimming mirror were over the top, but both rock! Enjoy the MINI.

 

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...d.php?t=125020
Heres an 07 S for cheap if you decide not to get all the goodies .It goes around corners just as fast without em'!

 

It's not about the car, it's about the person checking those boxes. My MCS cost right at $26,000. Not chump change, but certainly reasonable for a high performance car with all of the features that we know and love in our Minis. Think about how important some of those extras really are, particularly those that are part of packages. I was determined not to have a sun roof. I have never made a lot of use of the ones I've had, and they are bad for handling. I got mostly handling goodies: LSD, sport suspension, etc. I happen to like cloth seats, and that was a saving. If you want fancy wheels, buy them in the aftermarket. I ordered my car with 16" wheels, and then ordered a set of 17" wheels with high performance tires from the Tire Rack. I save a lot on the wheels (Koshi K1) and got better tires (Potenza 01R) than any offered by Mini. I won't go on, but you get the idea.
Restraint saves. And as some famous men (H. Ford, C. Chapman) repeatedly said, If it isn't there, it can't break, and it doesn't weigh anything.

Think, then click,
Joe

 

Hey that would work.

 

Hey GSD!
I have also been dwelling on the "it's expensive" problem. (see my post https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...d.php?t=124793 )

I've gotten over it, though. The excitement has taken over. Plus, you get used to some of those features that you once thought were overkill- you get used to them REAL fast. I remember the first time I had the heated seats on. It no longer seemed frivolous. The first time I experienced the auto-dimming mirror in my husbands car- it became a brilliant idea. Same with the rain sensing wipers- LOVE them. You'll love your MINI- I know I will!

 

Cool! Yep, for some people I know my options list is overkill, but I would rather pay a little more every month to be totally happy than to save on the payment and have regrets. I have looked at the option packages and I like every item in them, so there would be no reason to order those things a la carte. I want the moonroof, the premium stereo, the auto-dimming mirror, the rain sensing wipers, the heated seats, the arm rest etc.

Can't wait to order this car now. My girlfriend is very excited about this (she loves Mini's), especially the heated seat option!

 

I went the fairly inexpensive route .... this time. MCS, premium & cold weather packages, arm rest and bonnet stripe, and that kept it under $24K. I have absolutely no regrets about not having gone heavier on the options, because this car is just so damn much fun as it is.

But I'm slowly compiling a list of what I'll get next time. See, I don't usually keep cars (or bikes) for more than 3 years before I get the itch to trade (although I've never had a car I've loved as much as this one before). Sometimes I'll trade for a newer version of the same thing, and sometimes I'll just go off the deep end for something completely different. It's a pretty safe bet that I'll be trading this Mini in for another Mini when that time comes.

But just for grins, I went nuts on the online builder to see how far I could push it ... I ran one up over $47K, and I actually left some options out. JCW and carbon-fiber everything, including toilet paper holders.

Luckily, since this will always be my daily driver, I don't really want all that crap. Next time, I'll probably go a bit more up-scale and get the premium, sport, convenience and cold weather packages on british racing green w/ white. That'll give me a few more buttons to play with and still keep it well under $30K, assuming the dollar doesn't go deeper into the toilet by then.

 

In 1988 I bought a BMW 325is that listed for 30k. The S package had leather sport seats, SS, sunroof, upgrade stereo, and spoilers. Got it for 26k. Drove it for 7 years and it was the greatest car I'd ever had. Last year I got basically the same MCS for 30k, with Conv, cooler wheels, and BT (but paid retail). So 20 years later I got a very similar performing more modern car for almost the same price. Very similar sized car, but with better acceleration and handling. For the now bigger 328is I'd have to pay about 40k. Nice deal I'd say.

 

In 1987 the last new-new car I bought (still have it)
was the CRX. $10,400 without floormats or a radio
AND a bad enough experience at the dealer that I swore
I'd never buy another new honda again, and I didn't.

But how much is that adjusted for inflation (any
cambridge scholars out there?) ? Something close to
$30k in today's dollars I think.

My mini was $22k with auto, sport, a nice
radio and [free] floormats.

A bargain. And outperforms the CRX in every way.

 

Every way except mpg. I forgot to say that.