Radar Detector....

 

"I believe the new cars actually have an electronic locking unit as standard equipment."

The JCW does. The others only have it if they have the DTC option. And it applies the brake on the spinning wheel rather than limit slip mechanically or lock the diff as the name (edlc) says.

 

my choice was simple S or go home......lol

 

For me it was the automatic transmixer.

I carefully considered the 6-speed manual, but reason prevailed and I selected the automatic. The decison came just seconds after my wife said "no automatic, no Mini." I love automatics.

 

Smart move.

 

I heart automatics/sequential gear box if the car is over 500 hp...

I would have to agree with OP... xenons were a must for me

 

100% The ipod/bluetooth option. Talking on the phone is becoming illegal in MD at the end of the month and listening to my tunes/Pandora on the drive home is priceless.

 

Limited Slip Differential - I ordered my car months before my previous lease was up just to get this option on a 2010.

Since you can no longer get a limited slip on the 2011s, I'd say the black headliner or HK sound.

#1 Worst Option = BLUETOOTH...its absolute garbage even after moving the microphone closer to the driver.

 

If I were ordering a new MINI, the only option I would insist upon is that checkbox that says 'JCW'...

 

Door handles on the outside and none on the inside.

 

Non Run-Flat tires. I drove my Mini over 22k miles with the factory run-flats, bounced, jarred, shook, and rattled over every single mile. I replaced them with 215-45-17 Continental DWS tires that help absorb the bumps.
I don't know what tire options are available from the factory.

 

LSD. A real one. Not this e-diff nonsense.

 

Too bad a LSD is no longer available. Not a fan of nanny e-diff either.

Cold weather package is a must also for me.

 

Are you serious? Time to buy a bluetooth headset. Hopefully MD will be like Cali where people honk your *** down if you are caught on the phone. Its bad enough when a person in the passing lane... IS NOT PASSING cuz he/she is on the phone ARRRGG

Hey Guitarfrl75, where are you getting your information from?

 

Premium stereo. The MINI I test drove had a stock. It sounded horrible on the freeway.

 

Well the most important thing isn't an option. It comes standard, standard transmission that is.

 

Lounge leather seats. Very comfy. The sport ones on the other side were a pain.

 

Xenon headlights (since the manual transmission was standard).

 

Manual transmission. You guys that drive an auto don't know what your are missing. Its not the same experience.

I will add 2 more:

Sunroof and leather.

 

Bluetooth.

At some point, every state is going to require it.

 

I could say the same thing about the manual transmission. I love the sequential shift and the paddle shifters the automatic offers. My other cars have manual transmissions. The manual mode in the Asin 6 speed auto is better. It's like shifting without having to stomp on a clutch pedal.

Dave

 

That is what I was afraid of. I thought that thing was a little quirky when I drove it. While clever, I agree a real diff is much better.

 

Oh really now? Be precise, what exactly am I missing? I 've had both, and my current auto experience is no less fun than your manual experience--esp at the track and in the twisties--so please don't make uninformed blanket judgements based on "your are" experiences.

 

comfort access

 

Obviously you see a huge amount of variability in what people think is essential. In thinking back at the time of purchase, I picked up my Justa Clubman (2010) from the lot rather than go through the config and order and there were a couple of things that I wouldn't have configured but I'm glad I have.

- Climate control. I figured, "big deal, i can adjust the ac/heat myself" but actually its pretty nice to just set a temp and be done. I noticed this particularly on long drives with wide temp variations.

Holy crap, I can't imagine having the car without cruise control. I find that if i'm driving roads where you can't really use it for long periods of time, my calf gets a little tired.

The flip side is that I was absolutely set on getting a sunroof and I have one. But... I think if i had to do it over again, I probably wouldn't. its nice sometimes but it adds a decent amount of weight at the top of the car that isn't really ideal.
I picked up mine in Feb of this year and i currently have 14k miles so I've had some chance to bond with the car.