Yup, I'm in the market for a car, and the new MINI Cooper is at the top of my list. I won't be getting anything until Spring 2011, and maybe even 2012 if everything bad happens, but I'm trying to figure out which options are necessary.

I saw a new convertible at the dealer and I love the new interior, I hated the old gray dashboard style. The new Spice Orange color looks pretty good too, but color is the last thing I'm going to think about. It's a hard choice.

I'd (hopefully) be getting a 2011 MCS, so... (trying to keep price down) what options does everything think are the best?

 

Xenon Headlights, HK stereo and heated seats.

 

Everyone is going to have a different opinion but for me I'd want Bi-Xenons, Comfort Access and JCW Aero (If not the actual JCW itself).

 

Definitely Xenons, anthracite headliner, and the JCW Aero kit.

 

Hi Jack!

White turn signal package.
Everyone who doesn't get it ends up doing everything they can to replace their lights with the white/clear ones anyways.

 

I built and ordered my car, spec'd it out to the cheapest car I could configure that only had what I considered the bare essentials. Generally I wouldn't think heated seats are necessary but the leatherette in the winter can be downright frigid! And the rear fog was purely to fill out the toggle switches, though I will say it has came in handy on more than one occasion to warn a tail gator to get off my rear! Probably used it more times to do that than in the fog. I had a friend drive my car the other day and I was behind him and had him turn them on, and they were brighter than I ever imagined. Well worth the $100 IMHO. All totaled, my car MSRP'd for $24,100, of which I paid $23,100. I'm sure the same car now would be slightly higher with the bump in base price.

I recommend you drive several cars with various options, and get only the ones you know you can't live without. What I'm noticing is that most dealer-built MINIs don't come with the HIDs, but that's an option I doubt I'll ever go without.

Good luck! Hard to go wrong.

 

Thanks for the tips, I really wanted to get some sort of idea of what everyone suggested. I wasn't thinking about getting heated seats, but that would be nice in cold Michigan weather.

So here's my idea at the moment.
Definitely
-Heated Seats
-Harmon Kardon

Possibly
-Bonnet Stripes
-Rain/Light sensor
-Xenons
-Comfort Access
-White Signals

And I don't know, still need to give it thought. :D

 

Yeah, keep thinking you have plenty of time. But Michigan, definitely heated seats and mirrors.