Spec me a MINI

I have the new car itch something bad. Never had it before in my life.

Don't fit into a lot of new cars (head room). Mini is on the short list of cars that I can fit into comfortably, and it's on a really short list of cars that should be fun to drive, that I fit in, and can get a great rate on (1.9%).

Looking for a DD, which I would hope to occasionally autoX, and maybe HPDE a few years down the road.

Hoping to keep options (and thus price) low. I have a set of 15" Kosei's ready to go on with good summer rubber already (from the current Miata).

I am playing around with it on Mini.com and you are looking at about $20k for a base non turbo hardtop...

Yepp, that's the price that I am seeing. Any options worth having? The local dealership is willing to do the premium package for $125, but I am not so sure that I want the extra weight of all that glass up high.

RE: Sunroof thingy: I don't think you do. IIRC, its about 80lbs above your head and really cuts into the head room. But if you do decide to opt for that, wear your helmet on the test drive. Yeah you'll freak the dealer out but its the only way to know if you still fit in the car.

...or you could just ask to sit in the car with the helmet on. I did and they looked at me less strangely.

I considered buying one last year and was going to get the Sport Package, Center Arm Rest and Sport Suspension. That was it. Comes to about $22k.

When I specced my '03, my options were sport seats, xenon headlights (meh, good vision, not worth the replacement cost), sport suspension plus and multi-function wheel (i.e. cruise control).

Mine was BRG with a black roof and the vinyl seats and they were great. Gripped really well and most people thought it was leather.

The only option I would have changed would have been for an 'S' model because I never got a chance to autocross it. I bought the non-S to compete in the H-Stock class.

Back then, it was $18995 with those above options....

-Rob

We got ours with

2011 MINI S Manual 17' wheels Harmen Karden Xenons

Paid ~1.7K less then sticker and got 0.9% financing for 60. When in wanting to write a check for the car but 0.9% changed my mind.

i bought a base cooper s. Only option that came on mine was the integrated blue tooth which is kinda cool.

Center arm rest, limited slip, fog lights(only $100 if i remember correctly), and sport suspension are worth looking into. Most of the rest of the options are just styling fluff.

Mines in the shop right now. Ill try and figure out tomorrow on the way to work if the multifunction steering wheel is functional.

if speccing a second gen (R56) S model, be sure to find out if your kosei's will clear the front calipers. And check to see if you need spacers for the wheel's offset.

Looking back, the options that still make sense today on my daily driver 05:

• cold weather package for the snow belt
• multi function steering wheel - cruise and radio controls
• factory alarm (can be and was done by owner to save on labor $$$)

Fluff packages that I enjoy:

• H/K stereo upgrade
• leather ($$$$)
• xenon - will be very expensive to replace

Options I wished I did:

• rally lamps (factory wiring)
• JCW engine, suspension, and brake upgrades for first gen (who doesn't love factory warranty on mods? :)

I did not opt for the sunroof.

MFSW is now standard, so you don't have to think about that option.

Some Miata wheels fit. Some don't. Check the offset. While the pattern and concentric are the same, the MINI runs a little more positive offset.

I've wasted many hours over the past 7+ years writing diatribes on why the MINI sunroof sucks... it just does.

Many MINI options are personal opinions. The only ones I'd consider to be must-haves now would be the cold weather package (less important if you don't live in the snow belt) and the factory bluetooth.

The sport suspension on the R56 consists of only uprated sway bars (was springs & sways on the R50/53 cars). If building a car for auto-x (stock class), stay with the base suspension and find a factory sport rear bar. Swapping the rear bar takes an hour or two. The front bar is a bit more involved (have to drop the front sub-frame).

If I were buying a MINI primarily for DD, then I'd get a base Clubman and play in HS. A bit more interior room with a minimal mpg penalty. If I wanted one more for performance, I'd go for a factory JCW hardtop and harrass the Miatas and 370's in CS.

Unfortunately, I disagree about the factory rally lights (we have these on our '03). They are simply wired into the high-beam circuit without a relay and it's been rumored they can pop the fuse if left on (never happened to us, but she doesn't use them much). An aftermarket installation would allow wiring them in with a relay and either have them automatic with the high-beams or operated manually.

Ian F wrote: Unfortunately, I disagree about the factory rally lights (we have these on our '03). They are simply wired into the high-beam circuit without a relay and it's been rumored they can pop the fuse if left on (never happened to us, but she doesn't use them much). An aftermarket installation would allow wiring them in with a relay and either have them automatic with the high-beams or operated manually.

good to know about the factory rally lights. In hindsight, they are expensive for what they are. Hella FF200's are still on my wishlist. :)

We spec'ed our R53 2006 S with Sport package, Xenon lights, 16" wheels, sunroof and park distance control. If I had to do it again, I would skip the sunroof but the wife liked it so...

Definitely get the Sport package. The sport supension, xenon headlights and seats are well worth the price. No idea why the guy above said they were expensive to replace. I've had the car since 2005 and have not had any issues with the lights.

The stock radio is more than fine IMO unless you are a stereo kinda guy.

The leather is terrible IMO. I love the stock cloth seats. They still look awesome 5 years on. We just had them cleaned for the first time.

The rear park distance control is a very useful feature.

The Xenon lights make a huge safety difference at night and on rainy streets where the halogens do absolutely nothing.

Again. Comments about the R53 sport package don't apply to somebody ordering an R56. Not the same at all. For one, the R56 sport package does not come with Xenons anymore.

The Xenons are nice until you have problems with them or need to replace one due to damage. We're considering swapping them for the halogens. We have cars with each and while they are nice, they are not worth the replacement cost when it comes out of your pocket nor do I agree they are a huge difference. Compared to US-spec VW Mk IV lights (and especially the lights in my '95 Cummins), the base halogens are good enough.

Both of our cars have the Harmon Kardon system, which i find to be rather muddy-sounding, no matter how I set it and the lack of a manual EQ annoys me and I really dislike the DSP settings. Granted, I hop into these cars after spending most of my time in my Mk IV with the factory Monsoon system (not that I would give it a glowing endorsement either) which I can set easier to my liking.

After years of parallel parking lifted trucks and a conversion van, the PDC is little more than a novelty. I don't find it necessary. It came standard on the R52 we have and it goes berzerk when I back it out of the garage.

My '03 had the "adjustment" motor in the Xenon headlights stop working and had to replace them twice (under warranty). Looked into replacement again before selling it just in case I had issues with it later. Replacements were something like $1100.

Used could be picked up for $300.

Probably specific to my car (it was the drivers side both times) but the cost of replacement was a bit of a shocker. The light portion worked, but it would stay tilted down.....

YMMV.

-Rob

We're having a similar problem, except it's both lights that drop. And when I manually operate the suspension servos, they are fine, which leads me to believe it's a BCC issue.

The sad part is I also own a VW Mk IV and yet we've had far more electrical problems in the 93K with the MINI than I've had in over 243K in the VW (both '03's bought new a few months apart).

I have a MINI and love it ('02 Cooper S). Don't get the sunroof.

You might want to wait till you can sit in a Fiat 500. I saw my first one out and about in Toronto on Sunday. I need to drive one bad. Cheaper than the MINI too, though with the stealer markup it might be a wash.

I just traded in my 2010 R56 S hatch. There are several things to consider when buying one of these. First, a little info on the car I special ordered:

2010 MINI Cooper S Hardtop, 6 spd manual, Factory limited slip, Sport suspension, iPod/Bluetooth, 17 inch wheel and tire package

Ok, it was super fun to drive fast. I live in LA, and taking it through Mulholland was a blast. The setup on mine was such that if I was going to track it, all I would change would be the brake pads and tires. Really. It was that racey from the get-go.

HOWEVER, there are some major shortcomings that need to be considered:

Noisy as hell inside. I was only able to use the bluetooth at less than 30mph or the noise in the cabin drowned me out and other people couldn't understand me.

Super stiff ride. I like performance cars. This was too much. LA freeways are crap, however, so keep that in mind. I would come home after spending 2 hours on the freeway and I would have a monster headache from the bouncing, hopping, bumping, etc.

No room. Seriously. I had a hard time fitting my (larger than normal, granted) computer bag in the cargo area. I tried to put my kids in there with their car seats. They fit, but it was not comfortable. Forget about it with adults.

Base stereo is not good. I can't comment on the upgraded ones, however.

Maintenance costs after the 3/36k is going to be bad. Parts have the BMW tax.

Don't get me wrong, I am not bashing the MINI. It was a great car UNDER THE RIGHT CIRCUMSTANCES. If I was driving 20 miles or less on a commute and never had to haul stuff or people, I would still have it. However, I needed some versatility and the days that I had to spend 4-6 hours on the road were killing me. I traded it in for a 2011 Ford Fiesta SE. Aside from the lack of turbo power, the Ford is a much better car for my purposes.

So, I would say, make sure that the space thing isn't an issue, and drive it on the freeway to be sure that the ride and noise levels are not too much for you. Seriously, the MINI is a great car, just make sure it REALLY works with your needs.

Geekspeed

Did you still have the runflats on it? I know it sux to say that the stock tires need to be replace immediately, but a harsh ride and noise is a common complaint from those.....

-Rob

Ian F wrote: Again. Comments about the R53 sport package don't apply to somebody ordering an R56. Not the same at all. For one, the R56 sport package does not come with Xenons anymore.

Um, did you read the Sport Package description? It clearly states Xenon lights.

i think the warranty they come with are 3/36 bumper to bumper and 4 year 50k for powertrain....

Ive found you have plenty of cargo room in the back if you simply fold the rear seats down. At 6'2 and 180 pounds i fit in the back alright. It wouldn't be optimal to do a 5 hour trip back there but quick trips around town arent bad. I'm also like a ninja and can fly out of the rear. I see a lot of other people struggle getting out.

Rob,

Yes the run flats suck but never had trouble using the blue tooth on my 09 while i still had them. Once you toss out the run flats road noise is lowered a bit.

i saw a super clean CRX siR today and it made my car feel huge.... i kinda want a crx.

amg_rx7 wrote:

Ian F wrote: Again. Comments about the R53 sport package don't apply to somebody ordering an R56. Not the same at all. For one, the R56 sport package does not come with Xenons anymore.

Um, did you read the Sport Package description? It clearly states Xenon lights.

You're right. I could swear they removed it. However, the Sport package also includes 17" wheels... which is another reason not to get it. Also includes DTC, which should be generally avoided.

IMHO, the Sport package adds nothing useful to a MINI you want to keep and definitely not if real performance driving is intended. It's a package of fluff and the masses love it, so if you don't plan to keep the car, it would help with resale. Same for the sunroof.

If you really think the Xenons are necessary, add them a la cart.

Oddly enough, one accessory that seems to be worth the price is the JCW suspension. I have a couple of friends who installed it on their R53's and actually found the ride to be improved over the std and Sport suspensions. Unfortunately, since it's not a factory option, it not Stock-legal if that is a concern. Folks have been complaining about that for years...