The sport suspension adds very little in my opinion to the driving experience. It's (i think) slightly different dampers and 1mm thicker sway bars. If you want a better suspension drive the car for a while and add the jcw suspension later.

The comfort access places a button on the door handle, so if you have your key in your pocket, you just press the button to unlock the door. You can also start the car without the key in the slot.

Heated cloth is very nice to have and if I lived in Washington, I would definitely have to have the cold weather pack!

Welcome to the club, Tina!

I live in Canada and our standard equip./options/packages are quite different to yours in the U.S. So I went on to the MINI.com website just to check out the US prices etc.

Here's the perfect MINI for you!

Attachment 41759

Pick your own colour, of course!

Quite a basic config, with just a few useful options that make it more comfy. The basic MINI has almost everything you need. I ordered my '08 MINI like this and have not regretted anything. Many of the options/packages are extremely tempting, but most of them don't really add much to the basic package, IMHO (especially considering that many of the options are really pricey!!). It's essentially the same car without a lot of tacked-on flashy expensive stuff. Drive a simpler MINI like this one for a while and you won't miss the big wheels/sport suspension/sunroof/chromeline trim etc. etc.

Simplify and de-content, that's my advice! Many people here will disagree with me I know, but I've lived with my MINI for almost a year now and I don't miss the xenon lights, lounge leather and sport seats/suspension and bigger wheels/tires that I considered before ordering. Don't miss them one bit!

I said I didn't regret anything - well, that's not entirely true. I didn't order the heated seats on mine, and really wish I had. I live in Canada, for crying out loud - what was I thinking?

Let us know what you decide.



____________________________________________

The stock suspension is pretty rough as it is. In my opinion, sport suspension would be overkill. The car may not feel that rough when you are test driving it, but the ride will get rougher as the tires start wearing. Tire wear has a direct correlation on the ride. Unless you plan on having brand new tires all of the time, there are going to be thousands of miles of noisy, rough motoring.

I currently have a Cooper S, but I would have been fine with a Cooper as well.
Base Cooper's are just as fun as a Cooper S. I have test drove several base Coopers and have also had a few Cooper courtesy cars.

The base Cooper has just about the same throw-you-back into your seat feeling from 0 to 55. There is some lack of power from 55-65, but those 10 mph come and go quickly.

I completely 2nd the post about checking for complaints with your dealer's service department. Having a good service department can have a big impact on your MINI Cooper experience.
:thumbsup:

The multi-function steering wheel is a must. I love my dad's and my friends' cars that have them and always hate when I have to drive a car without it. Plus, as everyone else has pointed out, it's the only way to get cruise control which is a requirement for me on any trips with consistent speed limits. Given where you live, I would agree with the cold-weather package. I live in Texas so I decided to forgo that option in favor of some others. If you're getting an automatic, you won't be able to get the LSD. The only extra safety feature, besides the xenon headlights and fog lights, would be, in my opinion, the dynamic stability control.

As far as suspension goes, I test drove to Mini Coopers: one with the Sports package(which includes the sport suspension) and one without. I really could not tell a difference.

For the armrest, my plan is to buy one next winter, when it finally cools down here in Texas, and install it myself. There's an "Euro" armrest that is larger than the one Mini sells and it's cheaper. I've posted a couple of links below that I found after searching this site. Good luck and trust your own instincts!

http://www.minspeed.net/MAR.htm

http://www.miniusa.com/AboutYourMini/

2009 pepper white MCS female owner
 

hey, tina--

i'm from honolulu but may move to portland, oregon sometime in the next few years. i'm slightly older than you and i have no kids, no pets. my lifestyle is more young unmarried professional/urban. it's from these viewpoints that i made the choices i made (detailed in my signature).

i have several notes:

• i considered the sport suspension, but most everything i read online said it didn't have as much payoff, cost versus benefit-wise, as getting the LSD. i also consulted my boyfriend, who is the son of a mechanic and therefore a bit of a gearhead.
• the sport package (different and now unrelated to the sport suspension) includes the white turn signals, xenons, DTC (dynamic traction control) and 17" wheels. i like the way the white lights look--and i've seen my car from behind on the road (my bf was driving my MINI, i was driving my old car). the xenons provide excellent illumination (once you have them, you never want to buy a car w/lesser quality headlamps). i love the way my wheels look but i agree it makes for a rougher ride, esp if streets are potholey.
• i didn't bother w/comfort access. i don't like anything that makes it easier for someone i don't want in my car to get in before me. it seems a hazard for me that my doors would unlock and my car could be started without my actively choosing to.
• i thought i wanted the chrome package, but when i saw it on another pepper white, i decided against it. for me, the coldness of the shiny silver doesn't go with the slight creaminess of the pepper white. admittedly, this is wholly a personal esthetic choice.
• despite the fact i live in hawaii, i absolutely didn't want the sunroof. i didn't want (1) the extra weight, (2) another possible entry point for a thief or vandal, (3) another thing that might break or develop other problems.
• i decided against factory bonnet stripes and got custom ones done two weeks after i brought my car home. it cost me about $130. unless you really adore the layout of the factory bonnets, look into getting your stripes done after the fact.
• i got the cold weather package (my seats are leather) and yes, even in hawaii, they are a godsend! esp on days when mother nature decides that it's time for aunt flo to visit and i have a sore lower back. if i move to the pacific northwest, this choice will become even more meaningful.
• i got the aerokit. i love the way it looks.
• i had a car with cruise control and never used it, so i didn't choose it for my MINI. no regrets. my old car was also an automatic. i love how connected you feel to the MINI with a stick shift and for me, using cruise control would have distanced me from the driving experience. of course, living on an island where rush hour traffic means driving thirty miles on the freeway from the suburbs to town takes almost two hours, cruise control isn't a priority.
• i have the armrest. i would have regretted not getting it since i have shoulder problems. even my office chair has armrests. plus the little bit of storage is perfect for pens, lip balm, hand sanitizer, and breath spray.

hope this helps. you can also check out the two pics in my gallery to get a better view of the aero kit on pepper white.

Congrats Tina. I am sure you will love whavever configuration you go with. There are lots of good suggestions here. Most stuff you can always add after. There are four items that are relatively cheap from the factory, that you cannot do cheaply/or at all once you take ownership, that I would recommend everyone get.
- Limited Slip (LSD). A must if you want to improve handling, and it makes the Mini. Adding after the fact cost an arm and a leg.
- Rear/front fog lights. You will likely rarely use them, but if you have any OCD in you at all, you will hate the missing toggle switches.
- Driving Lamps. They are not for everyone, but to me they are a must on the Mini. Cheap to add from factory, not cheap to add later. You can go with cheaper ones, but they will not have the OEM look and functionality.
- Xenon Lights. Cheap to add from factory, currently no one has documented a successful retrofit that I have read so far.

There are other costlier options that you cannot add once you take delivery (Auto-climate control, heated seats, MFSW, Bluetooth, NAV, etc), but those options will be up to you. I personally like the auto-climate control, MFSW and WISH mine had the heated seats.

Also I agree, skip the JCW items. While nice, not worth the premium in a regular Cooper, especially if you have to sacrifice any of the above for them.

You are either a chrome person or not. Some cars look great with it, I personally do not think any Mini looks good with chrome, unless it is one of the black paints. I like the look of the all Pepper White, or Pepper White with black of CF accents.

Good luck with your purchase and let us know what you do.

Woohoo! Another Washingtonian!

Where are you located?

I bought Viola at Northwest MINI... and was VERY happy with them! I recommend that you talk to Mark Sandau when you go to make an appointment for a test drive. He is just... super awesome. He even went so far as to try to talk me out of buying a car off the lot because he was sure I wanted to custom order... but Viola really is everything I ever wanted in a car... I also have thoughts (we are similar in age) on your car, will get back to you on that in a second!

Welcome to NAM!

Sorry for the double post!

Suggestions for your car for Washington weather:

I don't think you need an S. If this is going to be a daily driver, a JustaCooper will suit you just fine. I love mine and get plenty of speed and thrills and fun in the bends with her. I drove her through Spokane's 60" snow storms this winter and as long as the roads were plowed and I had snow tires, I was good to go and even got better traction than most of the SUV drivers around here.

33EJB's PDF of a MINI for you sounds perfect but I have one caveat to this. If you live near the Sound, your summers get HUMID. You do not want the leatherette seats. I drove a loaner with Leatherette in Tacoma last summer and was miserable because I stuck to the seats THROUGH my shirt. Skip leatherette and get the cloth. Same price... less sticky. The cloth is black and really isn't that hard to keep clean.

If you're in Spokane area... get whatever you like better. The humidity in Spokane isn't that bad. I prefer the heated cloth myself and you will find that it does WONDERS for back pain. :nod:

I would listen to both stereos at the dealership before you choose one. Pick the one you like best, and drive an automatic and a manual before you make up your mind about which you like better. Very personal choice with these cars.

If you're short (under 5'5" tall) skip the center arm rest, you won't be able to make use of it as an armrest and you will end up smacking your funnybone on it when you go to shift. It's just too far back in the center console area for short people to make use if it. If you're tall and like an armrest, go for it. I'm 5'3" and I leave mine in the up position and wish they had a delete kit for it.

Hubby loves it tho and uses it when he drives... so I guess it evens out.

Um... that's about it. I hope I didn't overwhelm you with too much info.

Tina,

You had the 15" performance tires. In Washington St. I'd recommend the all seasons. A little better all weather grip and they will last longer than the performance tires. No cost to you for either choice.

MFSW is a must. Some of your options like illuminated door sills, comfort access, auto dimming mirror are just conveniences I could do without, but only you know. I'd definitely do the Hi-Fi and ditch some of those.

Good luck, only you can decide. One word of caution, the configurator is not your friend. The more you play with it the more you'll keep adding. Decide what you must absolutely have order it and be done with it.

Mini Cooper continue...
 

Hello everyone,

It's Tina again. Thank you so much for helping me; I found everyone's feedback is very helpful for me to order my Cooper.

Today, I just built my Cooper again. Could you take a look to see if it's reasonable to order each parts? I have to get alarm because I don't have a garage, it's not safe if somebody unlock my car at night. While I order, I notice there are two different Alarm System, I am not sure what is the difference between them?

If I don't want cruise control, do I need MFSW? I never used cruise control before, and I don't need it. I love the aero kit package, it does make the car looks "cuter". Does it worth it to order this package or is it too expensive for just the looking? Before the aero kit makes Mini cuter, what else does the Aero kit does to the car?

Please continue to advice.

Thanks,
Tina

Please disregard the checkered Flag Roof Graphic, I didn't mean to order them. The Black Bonnet Stripes are not too expensive to order it right? Or is it better if I do after market? But the difficult thing is I don't know where to go for after market?

Thanks!

You want the MFSW, I never use cruise either except on really long road trips. I use the MFSW primarily for the stereo controls and I love them.

You don't need the alarm. MINIs are equipped with immobilizers. The car cannot be started without the fob. There is no "key" system, no way to hot wire it. They'd have to put it on a flatbed tow truck to move it.

Don't leave anything in your car, ever. That's the best theft deterrant there is. If there's nothing in the car worth having, they'll move on to the next person's car.

Aero kit reduces the ground clearance, given the state of the roads in this state... I would skip it. You're going to end up getting it scuffed or not being able to drive your car when it snows, and either way this will break your heart.

Looks pretty good Tina. I'd recommend the xenon headlights. It's much brighter and you will never have to change your bulbs for a really really long time. Having a mfsw will make your daily driving experience much more comfortable. There is not much functionality with the aero kit but it does make your car more unique and better looking. Get the bonnet stripes now. They'll charge u labor plus the 90 something dollars. You'll also feel better not having to worry about adding it later. Good luck!

hmm. I have a MCS, just for the sporty look of it, and the sound that my engine makes.

i drive it like an old lady over bumps, but once in a while i find myself going over speed limit... :)

i don't know about the multifunction steering wheels, its too much stuff on the steering wheel for me, since i don't answer my phone through my car or use the cruise control.

The cruise control is a must-have, for me. If you are ever on Interstate trips or if you are prone to speeding tickets it is really nice to have. And I love the radio controls for volume/switching stations without needing to take my eyes off the road.

Another thing to think about is if you ever plan on selling your MINI. I don't mean to imply that you need to stock your new car with options that you won't use just to make resale easier, but many buyers will pass on a car without cruise control. It is almost expected on cars these days, and I don't know why MINI doesn't include it on all cars. I know that when I was shopping for my used cabrio earlier this year I automatically passed when I saw a MINI without cruise control/MFSW.