So, I am going to be ordering my MCS pretty soon, and I am trying to figure out all of the options to get. I know that a lot of the options are based on style/opinion, but some things I would like some input on.
Let me preface my questions...
I want to get the best bang for my buck, but I want the car to handle and drive as 'sporty' as possible. I would rather spend money on performance than fluff.

What is the point in the packages when you can cobble together the exact features you want, and ignore the semi-useless stuff? Are there any packages that are 'essential'? (ie; all of the options are worth it)

Does the Sport Suspension make much difference? Also, if I get it from the factory, will I need to do aftermarket upgrades?
To me, the Dynamic Stability Control seems kind of like a bad idea. Why get a sporty car that you are not in total control of? Is there something I am not seeing?
LSD? Seems like something I would want, but i am not much of a gear head, so I don't know if this is a good bang-buck ratio...
Is there any reason to get the rain sensing wipers? I live in the Pacific NW, so it seems silly, but who knows...
I am not quite understanding the Comfort Access System. What is the point, and is it worth 500 bucks?
Is the stock wheel any good? Is it worth the upgrade to the wood or leather wheel, or even the Works wheel?
I like the JCW Aero Kit better than the Aero Kit option that is presented in step 2 of the Configurator. Is it possible to get that kit instead of the other one? I don't want to install it myself, and I want it BRG, like the rest of the car.
Are the roof racks something can be put on later?
Invisishield? yay or nay? I am all about keeping it nice, but does it look weird? Is it needed?
I like the black JCW wheels, but is there any reason to pay that much to get them from the factory, or should I go with my gut and get aftermarket wheels? I am thinking of some black 5 spoke, or maybe 3 piece wheels.
JCW tuning kit? worth 2k?

IF there are any options that you think are overlooked, you wish you hadn't spent money on, or wish that you had purchased... let me know.

Thanks much if you read all of that.

-David

 

I think on the JCW tuning kit, the real question is "is tuning your car and still be under warranty worth $2K?"

 

Good point... The warranty is very important indeed.

 

No experts with time on their hands?

 

well if you are not going to race the car i would take the dsc it could save your life. How cold does it get there? heated seats are nice but if it does not get too cold why buy it. if you want a moon roof buy it now you cannot add it later. some insurance companies give discounts for the alarm system. But they do not give you a lot off. I would call my insurance carrier and get them to figure out what the savings would be. How long will you be keeping the car. if you trade often then i would not get too many options you will not get more for them. Look at the sport package if you want the leather steering and such buy that you can save. the convenience package i do not think is worth it.

 

SS: does make a difference, but will stiffen ride due to stiffer springs and shock valving. An aftermarket rear swaybar will make more difference, even with the normal suspension.
DSC is a safety feature. Leave it on when driving normally so it can help you if surprised by unexpected accident avoidance maneuver. Turn it off for track or more spirtited use. DSC is a controvercial topic on NAM. Do the research and decide for yourself.
LSD is a mechanical device that distributes torque to both front wheels when one wheel begins to slip. = faster. Without LSD: Picture one wheel on ice and the other on dry pavement. The wheel on ice will spin and the tire with traction will not receive torque. A bargain since aftermarket retrofit is $ and can give waranty problems.
Rain wipers and comfort are convenience features.
Multifunction Steering Wheel (MFSW) is a must... gives radio controls and ONLY way to have cruise control. Many that do not get it, regret it.
The rest is pretty much cosmetic.
Aftermarket wheels are better since you spend less $ for a lighter wheel.
The best thing you can do is use the search feature and read other's opinions on options you are considering.

 

I live in California and love the heated seats. The car's heater takes awhile to warm up. The seats are much faster.

The point in packages is that sometimes they are less expensive than the individual options. If you want most of them, it can mean paying less, or getting an additional feature for the same price.

DSC would be a bad idea if it was too assertive and messed with spirited driving. In my experience, it doesn't. It only comes on when you are in trouble. Of course, if you are intentionally drifting, you can turn it off. When you want to have it is when the something suddenly happens in front of you that you want to avoid. DSC can make the difference between your avoiding it, or losing control and crashing. There is a video posted in one of the many DSC threads that shows an experienced driver demonstrating a 70 mph accident avoidance maneuver on ice with a DSC equivalent in another car. In spite of being a very capable driver, he could not clear the course without it. With it on, he went through cleanly. Everyone should have DSC. Just turn it off when you want to play with controlled drifts. DSC does things no human can. So, driver skill completely cannot replace it.

My MCS has LSD and I like it. It will keep ASC from coming into play quite so soon. You definitely want it for performance considerations. It is also handy when you've committed to turning left, but didn't realize the oncoming traffic was coming quite so fast. Put your foot in it with just ASC, and the engine can bog when you lose traction in one wheel. With LSD, you will get torque steer, but you will go go go.

Get the rain sensing wipers if you want to just turn on the wipers and have them vary as the rain varies. They work quite well. Keeps you from having to be turning them up, then down, then up... One less thing to think about.

The point of Comfort Access is that you put the fob in your pocket and leave it there. You approach the car and push the black button on the door handle. The doors unlock. It senses the fob and allows you to unlock the doors without taking the fob out. Get in the car, depress the clutch, and press the Start/Stop button. The engine starts. The fob is still in your pocket. When you reach your destination and park, press the Start/Stop button. The engine stops. The radio continues to play. Get out of the car and press the black button on the outside door handle. The radio stops, doors lock, and car shuts down. If the windows were open, just hold the black button down instead of just pressing it. The windows will roll up as well as door lock and car shutdown. I thought this feature was gimmicky until I started using it. I like it very much.

I highly recommend the Multi-function steering wheel. For one, it is the only way to get cruise control. Two, it has controls for the audio. So, you can change the volume, skip to a new track or station, or go back with a flick of your thumb. No reaching for a **** on the dash. I'm constantly adjusting the volume on mp3 CDs because different tracks have different volumes, or road surfaces produce different levels of background noise.

Go with after-market wheels. The factory wheels are heavy and over-priced. There are a lot of good options after market. Get the cheapest smallest factory wheels and use them for snow tires, if you need such a thing. Or, sell them on the NAM marketplace to someone who does.

I have standard suspension and haven't driven the factory sport suspension. There are after-market options as well. What you want will be something only you can decide properly. Test drive what you can.

I think the JCW kit looks acceptable. I'm not at all fond of the factory aero kit. Seems like change for the sake of change, not an improvement in looks. I believe you can get the JCW kit istalled by the VDC or your dealer (not sure which). However, there have been color matching issues reported by several people.

I believe that roof racks can easily be added later, but best check with the dealer to make sure nothing changed in the 2008s.

I put invisishield on my headlights and foglights, but not as a bra. There are issues with it if you have stripes, and I don't really like the look of it over paint. YMMV.

I'm thinking about adding the JCW tuning kit. You can get more bang for the buck from Alta parts, but JCW keeps your warranty intact.

Other options people regret not getting are mostly cosmetic.
Rear foglights -- can help you be seen by cars behind you in dense fog. Definitely something you would want if you drive I5 through the central valley of California where spots of tule fog cause multi-car pileups. They also look better on the back and fill an empty position in the toggle bar inside.
Anthrocite headliner -- looks good.

 

Do yourself a favor and watch this video before deciding against DSC:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=8S8GkJH8_hY

I didn't see the vid until after I placed my order, but now I'm really glad I got DSC! Like others have said, you can always turn it off if it's that much of a problem for you.

 

Thank you all very much. I think I have the answers I need.
This forum is such a great resource.