MINI Cooper

revka · October 2003

ontheroadagain- You'll find details on what's new for the 2004 Cooper in Edmunds' New Cars Pricing Guide. It's listed in the Editors' Review section, which can be accessed via the left hand column of the individual vehicle pages. Please keep us posted on your purchase. Happy shopping! ;-)

Revka
Host of Hatchbacks & Wagons

rayt2 · October 2003

Pulley4: 30 LASHES WITH A WET BONNET STRIPE !
You referred to the "Boot" as a Trunk shame shame, your Mini is going to revolt on you for that slight of mouth ! haha

Alan: After 12k miles I still don't like the shift either but you get used to it. There is no adjustment at all on the manual shifts as I have asked the dealer and had Mini check it.

Let's Motor !

Ray T.

andys120 · October 2003

You aren't gonna find a better one in any fwd car, not even a Mini. It'll likely loosen up with mileage.

ontheroadagain · October 2003

Thank you for pointing those editorial ratings out to me. I suppose there is no perfect car...but this one is close!

hpulley4 · October 2003

HVAC is the climate control system. I meant the area below the heat/AC, in front of the cup holders. That empty space can be filled with an organizer.

There are three cupholders. The rear one is in the middle and is larger. That's where I put my Starbucks Barista mug. Left cupholder is a change/mint holder using the provided lidded insert. Right cupholder is cell phone/sunglasses. Glove box is documents and CDs. Door pockets are umbrella, tools, maps, flashlights. Under boot (not trunk, thank you!) mat storage for what is usually the mobility kit that I don't have (runflats) contains tire compressor, more tools, 1L Castrol Syntec. Rest of boot usually contains cleaning supplies, tow rope, warning triangle, first aid kits, and other emergency supplies plus my luggage. I have a clothing bag, extra boots and other supplies in there right now and the back seats are still up. As long as you pack carefully, you can get a lot in 150L.

The tranny does indeed loosen up. I know because my second one this April was tighter than the first and after a few months of driving it loosened up. By now, 6 months later it is again smooth as butter but that also means it is a bit harder to put into reverse again (needs a stop in neutral some mornings).

stryder · October 2003

Some of the '04 changes listed are 'Late Introduction' The 3 spoke wheel is supposed to be Dec.

Also a few color changes are happening, (rumored to be making room for colors for the '05 cabrio (which will probably be an '04, since it'll come out before Oct of next year when '05s start)) Pepper White is available for the Cooper S, Velvet Red is getting cancelled.

Harmon Kardon isn't available with a Cassette anymore.

Also a few programming options have changed but they're not really worth mentioning.

Finally after a rather large and public fight (Though not carried by edmunds.com) MINIUSA is going to offer rear fogs (currently a retrofit kit is available) as a factory option for $100 starting in Dec.

You can get snow tires from your dealer, they'll just be overpriced. Even with dealers that discount parts off MSRP they just can't compete with a national tire retailer (like Tire Rack) on price or selection. Unless your dealer has some wheels someone took off their car that they'll sell cheap, you'll get a better deal elsewhere, but check into it, you have nothing to lose by shopping around.

If you currently drive a Subie and live in NY, you should get snows. I think either your salesman doesn't own a MINI or hasn't driven in snow in one. In any case, you're definetly correct in ignoring his advice and looking into snows.

stryder · October 2003

Ahh,now the most difficult part of MINI ownership. Waiting for the delivery

Hope your wait is short, and congratulations again. Glad to be of help.

Its great all your concerns got dealt with, and I agree, we had a few Karmann Ghias when I was growing up. They certainly shared some genes on the german side of the MINI.

revka · October 2003

To Everyone - When posting a message in the Town Hall, you may mention the name of the dealership and its location. However, please be aware that name of salespeople and contact information (email/phone numbers) is not allowed. To those concerned - I have sent you a copy of your post so you can edit and re-post. Thanks for understanding. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Revka
Host/Hatchbacks & Wagons

ontheroadagain · October 2003

Mea culpa! ;-)

Here's my recap:

I did it. We're expecting in the first or second week of December. It'll be an Indie Blue with a white roof and mirrors.. I'll be passing around the champagne and cigars tonight!

I can't thank Edmunds Town Hall and you all enough for all the patient and detailed help you've give to me. Seriously, my "advisor" was amazed at how much I appeared to know...and it made my second trip for a test drive at another dealer soooo much better! Granted this second dealership/advisor was also a thousand times more on the ball than my first.

My husband came along for the ride and sat in the back seat, where he'll often have to sit because our daughter gets motion sickness ;-) and he said it was just fine...good visual lines, etc.

We ended up at MINI of Fairfield County and were "delivered" by fantastic MINI advisor who was just what the proverbial doctor ordered: knowledgeable, helpful, friendly and low key.

My mother would have been proud - she always wanted a VW Kharmangia (sp?) but never did get one because they weren't practical enough. If only she could have had a MINI!

Thanks again - and yes, Karmann Ghias, with the proper spelling!

stryder · October 2003

Is there a simple and concise listing of the rules on posting? I personally know them, but the only way I know them is because a Host removes posts.

All I can find is the Help section and the legalese Member Agreement, neither of which say anything, and besides, its not like anyone really would read them anyway unless they had a specific question.

How about a simple effective FAQ on what posts will be deleted? Seems to be a standard item for most forums, and would prevent problems like this for most people.

revka · October 2003

To stryder - Good idea. I know management is working on something like that. So we don't take this discussion off topic any further, please email me if you have any more questions/thoughts about this. People can also submit their ideas on this feedback form. Thanks for your patience.

To ontheroadagain - Congratulations on your Indie Blue Mini! We look forward to hearing more details.... ;-)

Happy motoring!

Revka
Host of Hatchbacks & Wagons

ozone1 · October 2003

Aside from the color what options did you choose? Did you get the CVT?

ontheroadagain · October 2003

Slowly I'm getting better at keeping track of this kind of info:

CVT, yesiree!
DSC, dual sun roof, leather lumbar standard seats for my sacroiliac, 16" runflats with 5 star standard wheels, aux. output in glovebox for the iPod I don't own yet, rubber mats ;-), and, umm, I think that's it. Figured I spent the most on the seats and CVT but I "needed" those leather seats! Oh yes, fog lights and chrome bumper inserts, too.

It's a very tempting car to keep running up the options on, but I controlled myself fairly well.

andys120 · October 2003

Does it do the job of keeping that motor on the boil?

ozone1 · October 2003

No complaints with the CVT...it does the job.

stryder · October 2003

Did you get the cold weather pack? If your back hurts, heated seats are a very nice deal, regardless of where you live. (And cheap at only $300)

Also as another extra option, the rubber mats are great in winter, but you probably want a pair of carpet ones for summer, they just feel better on your feet. You can always pick those up though.

ontheroadagain · October 2003

Yes, stryder I did get the "cold package". My back doesn't really hurt, I'm happy to say...that was just my small attempt at humor. :-)

I'm sure you're right about carpet feeling better in summer.

You know, the base price of this car is so relatively low that all those options are awfully seductive. Since I didn't know much about Xenon lights, except that I'm guessing they might be what blinds me when an SUV is barreling down upon me or heading towards me in the opposite direction, I skipped them.

I also let the MFSW go too as I figured I really didn't need it... I'm much more of an NPR listener than anything else..though I do switch back and forth between two commercial stations for traffic news while commuting into Manhattan.

It's amazing all the things that one can get for their MINI if they so desire!

In re their roof rack - is it removable? I've heard it can create some unseemly noise if it's not "in use" while you're driving.

hpulley4 · October 2003

Unless they've changed it, the roof rack itself is of course removable but 4 ugly mounting points are permanently attached to your roof. There are better aftermarket ones, try Thule and Yakima.

stryder · October 2003

You want MFSW, its so cheap its worth it. Even if you only rarely adjust volume or stations, its just so much easier. Some people (like Hpulley) get along without it, but its really addicting once you have it, and the buttons on the radio are so small anyway, its just simplier to be able to use your fingertips, and you can pre-set your NPR + commerical stations, so its just a tap of your left fingers to switch.

And don't forget you don't get cruise control if you don't get MFSW.

Xenons are the bright blue lights that blind you. More commonly you'll notice them on BMWs and some GMC Suv's. The blue is the thing, not the blinding actually. I usually get blinded by the sheer stupidity of the designers who put the headlights 4 feet off the ground on an SUV. Headlights are only blinding when they're in your face. They should light the road, not cars, and as Xenon's and all MINI lights are self levelling, so you shouldn't be blinding anyone.

I know the options are really appealing if you have the money... I keep thinking of getting all of them except Parking and Nav (parking because it screws up the look of the bumper, and Nav is ugly) on my next MINI

hpulley4 · October 2003

Music in my car is almost always from my MP3 player using a line-in jack so aside from volume (which I find speed sensitive to be enough most of the time) I wouldn't use the steering wheel controls. When not using the MP3 player, it is a bit annoying to switch stations or skip tracks and the MFSW would be nice for that. I don't have much use for cruise control (have it in our family wagon and even in that car it doesn't get used much, just not a lot of cruising on Ontario, Canada highways).

All that said, if I'd had a choice I likely would have got the MFSW (it was on the car I test drove and I thought it was a cool idea) but I got mine off the lot (impatient) and the only one available didn't have a MFSW.

Next one I get I'll probably get the MFSW and the computer, even though I'm not sure they'll see much use. Both could be retrofitted to my current car but the price to add it now is so much more than the original option price that I can't bring myself to pay the difference.

I hear the 2005 MCS will have an optional limited slip differential. Sounds like that might be a good reason to upgrade from the reports of people who've put Quaife LSDs in their current cars... though I still might wait for the Peugeot engine specs to at least be announced before I decide.

crcoxe · October 2003

... if you have ever had one. After 1 1/2 years with the MFSW and the computer, I had the first chance to drive a MINI without them and I felt lost. It was a loaner from the dealer (airbag light was on and they had to replace a harness under the passenger seat), and fortunately I only had it for one day. If for no other reason, the MFSW is so great in this car because the radio controls are so small and are way below eye level. I was so used to keeping my eyes on the road while changing channels, changing between radio and CD, or adjusting volume, that once I couldn't do it anymore, it just didn't feel right. Yep, this car has spoiled me. Almost to the point at which I will have to have a MFSW on any new car I buy. At purchase, I also did not think I would get much use of the MFSW or the computer. In fact, I only got them because they were included in the premium pkg. I am now VERY glad I have both. Wouldn't have it any other way.

Oh and by the way, the repair was under warranty. They said I got a loaner only because I purchased the car there (MINI of Towson, MD).

ontheroadagain · October 2003

Well, I really appreciate everyone's detailed replies - the only downside is that now I really think I'll try to add on the MFSW, if it's not too late. Everything you're saying makes sense and, stryder, I do go between NPR and the various traffic report stations that never seem to be talking about the highway I'm on! ;-)

Just sent an email to my "MA" today toa dd on the Xenons after reading both these posts and some on MINI2. I keep rationalizing that 1. I'm saving so much money by not buying a more expensive car (base price wise) and 2. when I trade it in or sell it down the line...it'll be worth more.

hpulley4, thanks for that info re the roof rack - I'll look into Thule.

OK, one more question: I can't remember if there's a retractable cover for the boot/luggage compartment? You'd think there would be but I have a nervous feeling there is not. I did see one advertised through a British company...but it just seems insane that MINI wouldn't have this as a standard part.

arkytect · October 2003

Yes indeed! The MINI comes stock with a solid panel boot cover (not a soft retractable one) that has two ropes connecting it to the rear lift hatch for "automatic" lifting action. The boot cover can be cleverly stowed behind the front seats when the rear seats are reclined. Very cool design!

Also, good call on the MFSW. It is a huge value.

Personally, I find the stock halogen lights to be very bright. The $500 price of the Xenon's just wasn't worth it to me. I guess it depends on when and where you drive.

Congratulations on your new MINI.

Mike

ontheroadagain · October 2003

Thanks for that - I think I can finally stop worrying!

You're all very responsive and helpful...now I'll have to think about the snow tires and rims... next. :-)

eman5 · October 2003

Any audiophiles out there care to comment on this? Specifically, can you notice a difference between the base stereo and the HK while driving around town? Mostly I'm listening to NPR; every now and then my teenagers like to crank their stuff up, too. I'd appreciate the advice.

ozone1 · October 2003

I haven't heard too many complaints. I don't have it, personally. I mean, there are some better 3rd party systems you can buy for sure. The only complaint that I've read about is that some people have experienced door rattles because of the deeper bass.

rsunico · October 2003

Has anyone had the rear fog light retrofit switch installed? If so how much were you charged? My dealer wants $90 bucks or so for the install and $75 for the part/

kat101 · October 2003

Ok - I've decided to get a MCS, but I'm still not so sure on some of the options.

DSC - I figure I'll push my Mini from time to time and this seems like a nice feature to save me if I ever push a little too hard. Just curious as to other's thoughts around this. Instead of being a 'fun killer' figure it will actually increase the amount of fun I can have as I will be able to push a little harder without worries.

Sunroof - The sunroof seems great, my only concern is the sunshade may not provide enough protection on really bright days. I sometimes will close the sunshade on my wifes car as I find the light to be too bright. Anyone with a sunroof have any thought on this?

Automatic Air - never had this feature on car, but it seems nice. I notice that it only changes the temp by 2 degrees F, and I was a little concerned that this might not be enough control. Thoughts on this and autoair in general?

I've already got some great info from others in this group. I look forward to people's thoughts.

markjenn · October 2003

The cost/benefit tradeff is completely subjective, so don't let anyone tell you that anything is a "must have". Having said this, here's my $0.02.

The Mini is a car focused on simplicity, light weight, and great handling, and as much as possible, it is best to stay true to the spirit of the car, and thus make the benefit bar from options relatively high. Loading it with luxury features seems a little like lipstick on a seven-year-old. And while a $20K MSC seems like a great buy with virtually no competition, a $28K loaded MSC with all three packages, nav, and a few other options seems like a very poor buy compared to something like an Acura TSX.

Having said this, DSC, in my mind is above the bar because it is a valuable safety feature and with a very small car like the Mini cruising around in the land of SUVs, you want all the safety you can get, especially active safety that will prevent an accident to being with. The steering on the Mini is also very quick, so you could make the argument that steering errors that might be forgiven in another car would spin the Mini.

On the sunroof, I doubt you'll have much issue with the shading - the shade blocks most of the light. But you do want to keep in mind that a sunroof is a source of squeaks/rattles, may leak, steals headroom, and reduces body rigidity. All these make it well below the bar for me. If you're tall, I'd definitely forget it.

Good luck with your choices. I ended up with a sport pkg MCS with metallic paint and that's it. I'd would have forgone the sport pkg if I didn't want DSC and Xenons (safety thing again), and when you price them ala carte, the sport pkg wheels and fog lights are virtually free when you get the pkg.

- Mark

arkytect · October 2003

I concur with Mark's opinion regarding DSC. Believe me, you can still have a blast with the handling of a DSC-equipped Mini. I've only had mine kick in once, and that was on an emergency avoidance maneuver in a rain slicked curving tunnel exit.

Regarding the sunroof, the shade does it's job. As a matter of fact, I like the fact that the interior still receives daylight with the shade closed. Here, we don't get as many cloudless skies or the intense heat of places like Phoenix, so perhaps someone from the southwest could comment.

I had a minor sunroof rattle (common, then) when the car was new, but it was the the folded wind deflector rattling against the closed sunroof panel, and I fixed it with a small circle of the soft half of an adhesive-backed velcro fastener. No other problems in the last year.

Regarding the climate control, I just set it and forget it for the most part. But then, I did that with my old car's basic air-conditioning system as well. Truth be told, my car had the Premium package as I wanted the sunroof and the Multi-function steering wheel and hadn't really felt that strongly about the Auto A/C (but it and computer were in the package for almost the same cost). My feeling is that I have enough control with the Auto A/C, but standard A/C would have been fine.

Good luck!

Mike

ontheroadagain · October 2003

My buyer's opinion, based on test drives only, is that the sunroof is great!! There is a ton of headroom in this car and I can't see how, unless you're 6' 8", you'd be bothered by the roof being slightly lower... However,markjenn obviously feels differently. For me, I really like the feeling of openess it gave to the back seat as well - those rear windows don't open so this helps counter that closed in feeling. The sun shade seemed fine to me on a sunny, fall day in Connecticut.

It's funny but my view of options is very different, too. I say if you can afford it and think it's something you want, do it. For me it was the sunroof, DSC for safety!, and leather seats with the lumbar, the cold weather package because quite frankly I'm used to it on my current Subaru and it's wonderful on those cold, icey, winter mornings! At the last minute I've tried to include the Xenons and MFSW but don't know if they'll make the cut or not as the order was already placed.

I chose Xenons because I read about their amazing light and I drive twisty highways at night without street lights...and I'm not as great at night driving as I used to be.

I chose MFSW at the last minute because of what I've read about upcoming improvements and the use of iPods and other things...and felt it might increase the resale value of the car as well.

Also included fog lights and 16" runflats...again to put my anxious saftey concerned mind a bit more at ease.

For me a fancier stereo didn't matter... And I fool around with the air conditioner temperature too much to want automatic AC...

So, it is - as always - a matter of personal taste. To me, the MINI is an amazing car with tremendous built in safety features, great handling, wonderful looks, the perfect size for parking in Manhattan, fun to drive and the initial price tag is low enough that I could afford to add on these extras - whereas another car's base price would have been substantially higher and I could never have afforded these luxuries and extra saftey features.

There's my $1.50's worth of advice! ;-)

Good luck and keep us posted!

t33 · October 2003

After a few months of reading people's opinions and test driving, I finally ordered my MCS (Indi Blue, black roof) this weekend. Hurrah! I went for the custom car with the options I thought were essential (DSC, fog lights, rain sensing wipers and auto dim mirror) and fun (premium and cold weather packages, HK).

In one MCS with HR that I test drove, the doors did shake, but then I was pushing the radio to see what it had. I've since test driven cars with HR and didn't notice any shaking.

I agree with ontheroadagain that the sunroof adds an openness to the car that's appealing. I found that I still had enough head room (which isn't what I've found in other cars with sunroofs) and the screen offered enough shade while driving on a sunny day.

Not much has been written about the rain sensing wipers lately. I discovered that MINI has intermittent wipers, however there is one setting that is dependent upon the speed you are traveling. In other words, the wipers go less often at slower speeds and more often at faster speeds; there is no other settings. The dealer I spoke with thought they were well worth the cost. So, for someone like me who this will be their first manual car, I thought the more help I can get the better!

Thanks to everyone for their help and opinions.

hpulley4 · October 2003

All MINIs get speed sensitive wipers. You don't need rain sensors for that. Rain sensing ones you leave on intermittent all the time (except in car washes) and when it rains they come on by themselves dependent on amount of rain and car's speed.

markjenn · October 2003

Of course, any option you want is a good one. But ...

Rain-sensing wipers? Sorry, this is one I just don't get. You see the windshield getting wet and you flip on the wipers. Do we really need a $150 gizmo to do this for us? (In fairness, the $150 also gets you auto-dimming mirrors which seem a bit more useful to me.)

I've also heard that it complicates windshield replacement and MC's tend to be stone chip/crack magnets due to their lack of windshield rake, the way the hood is shaped (it has more "draw" than any other hood produced) and proximity to the front of the vehicle.

Finally, asking dealers whether an option is worth the money is like asking a stock broker if it is a good time to buy stock.

- Mark

markjenn · October 2003

While we're debating options (some of us have nothing better to do while waiting for our cars than 2nd guess our choices and drive our dealers crazy), does anyone out there have any direct experience with the heated seats?

I like heated seats, but have heard that the MC's don't work very well - they tend to get hot very quickly so you end up oscillating between hot/cold which makes them more annoying than useful. But I'd like to get other opinions.

Thanks,

- Mark

hpulley4 · October 2003

I think they're a worthwhile option but if you live in Florida you can probably skip them unless you have back pain.

I have the seat heaters and I really like them. They have two settings. One push of the button puts them on setting two which is very warm, good for heating through layers of winter clothing. Pushing it a second time lowers it to setting one which is just nice. In addition to the two levels, the seats initially come up to a higher temperature to warm you up and then come down to a constant level where it just keeps you warm.

If you turn them on and off you'll actually make them hotter as they'll never reach the constant level I mentioned. The low level's constant heat is not bad. Level 2's initial heat is high but when you are sitting there in the car shivering, it is nice -- if you turn it on at other times you'll find it is too hot.

I sometimes put the low level heat on just when I have a bit of a sore back. My wife uses it all the time during summer on the high setting for her back (though I think that's a bit much). This far into fall I sometimes use the low setting in the mornings because of the cold, not due to my back.

t33 · October 2003

In fairness to the sales people I have delt with, not one has pushed an option. In truth, if I had followed their recommendations, I would have purchased a less loaded and consequently cheaper car. I have been very pleased with my experience with the MINI dealers and sales people I have dealt with.

markjenn · October 2003

Well, any generalization will have exceptions, but my experience is that car sales people push optinons since they make more money that way. I understand this and discount their advice accordingly. I don't expect them to give good advice because they have a vested interest in the outcome.

In fact, I discount all information they give, particularly about the local market conditions, what their competitors are selling for, strengths/weaknesses of other competing models, etc. Their focus is on selling cars, not giving good advice. Some of the things I've had car sales people say are so absurd, it takes tremendous control not to burst out laughing.

Mini sales people may be a little more laid back than most - the have about the easiest sales job in the world, at least for the moment.

- Mark

kcr2 · October 2003

I'd love to hear from anyone who uses an iPod in their Mini. Where do you put it? We normally put ours in one of the cup holders. The AUX jack is mounted behind the cup holders so it works pretty well. Has anyone found a good iPod mount/holder?

alanmini · October 2003

Looking ahead to snowy New England winters, today I inquired of my Connecticut dealer about run flat snow tires. The parts man said I require new rims, as they cannot guarantee the original (16" aluminum five-spoke) wheels will survive run flat tire changing. Also, they do not offer 16" snows. So what I am offered is 15" run flats on new aluminum wheels for $251 per corner or $1004 per Mini! That's about double what I planned to spend. Say out there - does this sound kosher? alanmini

hpulley4 · October 2003

It sounds like the dealer is exaggerating. Of course you can change runflat tires on those wheels, otherwise what would you do if you got a flat or your tread was bald (my 5-stars' tires are nearly bald)? Throw the wheels away? No. Of course you can change the tires on those wheels. That said, it _is_ better to have two sets of wheels to save the wear and tear of swapping tires twice a year and ends up being cheaper in the long run compared to the labour to do that work every season.

I don't know of any runflat 15" tires, especially snows, though they might exist. You should ask what exact tires they intend to get you, on what wheels.

I got a second set of MINI wheels, the 16" V-spokes, and put 195/55R16H Dunlop SP WinterSport M3 DSST (Dunlop Self Supporting Tire or runflat) on them. I found the Dunlops to be an excellent snow tire. They cost me about what your dealer has quoted you for 15" so 15" should be cheaper.

Overall, the dealer is not the place to buy wheels and tires. A wheel and tire shop will be able to offer better price and selection.

In addition to the Dunlop runflats, Goodyear has winter runflats (Ultragrip EMT) and so does Pirelli (Snowsports, 210 and 240 only in limited sizes with runflat sidewalls).

rayt2 · October 2003

Did you end up getting your Mini for MSRP or with added (greedy) dealer mark-up.

Ray T.

markjenn · October 2003

As hpulley says, I would strongly recommend you get dedicated wheels for your snow tires to avoid the wear/tear of twice-a-year changeovers. Within a couple winters, you'll fully recoup your investment in the wheels by avoiding changeover costs.

www.tirerack.com will make a good recommendation on new wheels and tires and will mount them for free so they arrive on your doorstep ready to put on. You can even do it with the jack that comes with the car. I just put together a 16" package with ASA wheels and Blizzak tires and it was about $840 plus shipping. I would do something like this.

Blizzaks aren't runflats, but for another $100, you could get a Dunlop that is if your car doesn't have a spare. If it were my car, I'd go with the non-runflats and carry a couple cans of fix-a-flat, a plug kit, a AAA card, and a cell phone and not worry about it. Flats are rare these days.

- Mark

kat101 · October 2003

First of all, thanks to everyone for the great input to options that I posted earlier.

I have one more question and that is on the Invisishield coating. Anybody have experience with it? Do you still get rock chips and feel that it was a rip off? Anybody not have it and wish they did?

Thanks,

Rob

hpulley4 · October 2003

A friend got it on his original Cooper. He's since upgraded to an S and I haven't checked closely enough to see if he put it on that one as well. Actually, it was already done on the first one and I don't think he got it on the S.

It isn't quite invisible for one thing. You can see the edge which I find unappealing. Next, the rock chips my MINI has received have been far up on the hood where the shield doesn't cover anyways. I'm not sure how much good it does but actual owners may have more to say.

stryder · October 2003

I was busy this weekend, who knew it'd suddenly get popular in here.

Anyway, to add what hasn't been answered, I think if you're going for simplicity in a car, you've already shot yourself half in the foot with a MINI. There's just too much electric and complicated in them. Its the price of their BMW heritage. I say take the sub-compact luxury car and run with it. The extra features make the car that much more fun, and if I'm not for instance fiddling with the temp (2 degrees is fine, you can get in the car on a hot day, it'll crank up the fan and A/C and settle down after a few minutes to the exact temp you want, highly addicting, unless you suddenly feel the need to go from 66-78 degrees all the time. Most of the time you'll set and forget, like the thermostat on your house).

Reliability may be a concern with options, but I think for most people, they don't really plan on keeping the car for 20 years (I know some people do) so it will probably not be a huge problem.

Anyway, H/K seems to be good if you like everything to be uniform, and just want a better system. If you trust an installer and want to spend the time selecting a new system and such, you could probably find something better for $500, but that'd be the bottom of the price range for a set of speakers, amps and a new head unit installed that exceeded H/K quality.

The sunroof lowers the headroom by a fraction of an inch. Its not really an issue because it pops on top of the roof, instead of sliding inside.

The speed sensative wipers are active on slow and torrential downpour speeds on all MINIs. The rain sensing benefit isn't 'ooh I'm too lazy to turn on the wipers' its that hrm, its raining, so I'll turn them on and then not need to constantly adjust them as the rain gets heavier and lighter, they do it for you. The rear dimming mirror would be nice though, but certainly cracked windshields are an issue. MINI really needs to fix something so they quit doing that.

When I was iPoding in my MINI, (2nd gen 20 gig model) I just left it under the handbrake. I couldn't see its display, but I was trying to drive, so not a big deal. If a song was annoying, I could hit >> easily, and I'd pick it up and select a playlist or something at lights. It fits pretty well under there, and doesn't eat up a cupholder, or look bad, like the cellphone mounts that hang on the downtubes (silver plastic things).

I got blizzak snows on 15" Borbet H rims (195/60/15) for around 750 from tirerack. They were excellent. I looked at all the dealer options with the parts guy, and they just couldn'
t match the prices even though the dealer sells with a discount off MSRP. I think they sell tires and wheels because people are lazy (The kind who buy a 7 series and have someone pick it up for service and need new tires) not because they're good at selling tires.

I'm not sure what the logic in 'flats are rare these days' is. If you live in a major city or drive on busy roads, I think flats are as common as ever, because there's so much stuff to run over. Didn't matter to me, I got non-runflats, but be prepared you migh have a flat, so do follow the advice on fix-a-flat and such. With that said, flats tend to become more of an issue the older your wheels and tires are, and also on steel wheels, so on a MINI its less likely. Carry a compressor too, they're small and its much easier to pump up a slow leak then have to change it, or fix a flat it and lose the tire.

ontheroadagain · October 2003

What a strange thing for your car dealer to say about the wheels! I can't help but wonder if we're using the same dealership in Darien, CT? My MA told me that I didn't need to bother with snow tires and my husband thinks he's right because of the FWD, but from everyone's previous posts and more recent ones, it sounds as if it's better to have them.

OK, here's a novice's question for you all: how do you know what kind of rims to get for your second set of tires...as in snow tires? My MINI is coming with those 5 star 16" rims (with runflats)... I haven't got a clue as to what makes a rim good or not good...I thought it was all a "style" thing.

Any advice?

hpulley4 · October 2003

For most people, style is it. If you're worried about performance then you want the lightest wheel which is still strong enough not to crack when going over potholes and speed bumps. Next, you'll be worried about offsets different from stock, rim widths to match the tires, spacers, centre hubs, etc. You need the right bolt pattern and central hub (with or without hub spacers), 'right' offset so it doesn't rub but doesn't throw alignment off, etc. Wheel and tire shops know about this stuff.

The V-spoke 16" wheels are lighter, 17.5lbs compared to 20lbs each for the 5-spokes but whatever you like is cool. I have 5-spokes for my summers and got V-spokes for winter because they were available for less than 5-spokes at the time. After the fact, it is neat to have different wheels for winter but overall I prefer the look of the 5-spokes.

The 5-spokes are easier to clean but look dirty quicker than the V-spokes if that means anything to you.

ontheroadagain · October 2003

Thanks hpulley4 - I'll go with the easier to clean most likely!

By the way, I've seen this term "pulley" used before on MINI message boards - what does it mean?

alanmini · October 2003

ALL HANDS: Thanks for the good advice about snow tires and wheels. I'll be checking with my local tire discounter for the best deal. I'm grateful for your help. Alanmini.

MINI Cooper

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