2007 US Market Options Packages

My my god keep me away from the options sheet when I change in the future – it is clear that the new options will add to what was already a great choice!

In the UK there are rumours of a £40,000 car!

Wow, looks like the potential is there for an expensive car. It will be a car with better optiosn though it seems.

In coverting euro’s into GBP £ the chili pack seems to be over £1900. This however does include local German tax at 19%. The cooper is aroung £900 cheaper than the price announced for the UK.

Are those packages/prices the same for MC and MCS?

• Chad

Finally the tyranny of having to push buttons to unlock doors and turn ignition keys to start the car is at an end! Mankind can finally be free! Wrists rejoice!

Look for the sarcasm, I’m sure you’ll find it.

I’d much rather have a remote start option than do away with keys. I know all the proximity unlocking and push-button start thrills some people, but keyless entry and a coded key are all the complication and convenience I’d ever want in a car. Beyond that seems to be a bit pretentious and asking for trouble. To each their own. I’m with Paul, less is more.

Nice to see full Bluetooth integration finally make its way in. If the next generation iPod is Bluetooth as rumored, that’d be pretty sweet.

i’m with you nathaniel – i think all the wireless “you’re close enough to stat the car stuff” is a wee bit over the top. i know people (myself at the top of the list) love hi-tech, but thart system seems to be – as you put it – asking for trouble!

on another note, despite how little love i have for the new ceter stack, the nav option actually looks great to me. not good,but great.

Any news on Canadian packages and pricing?

I assumed the “keyless go” has the option of using the key too. It could be a redundant system and actually add a way to get into your car and start it. Why fumble for keys and buttons if it’s all electronic anyway? I imagine it will be standard on all cars in 10 years or less. It’s probably $50 or less to add and would be worth maybe $200 or so to me now. Hope it comes in that low.

In general I’m with the less is more concept. No Bluetooth or Nav for me, but that’s the beauty of a la carte. If only you could delete the radio and get a flip down double DIN sized MINI designed pod instead!

I think the wizz-bang (keyless go) stuff is great. I built and installed a complete remote start (by keyfob or by phone) alarm and convenience system on my ’03 MCS with manual tranny. Getting past the “oops, I left it in gear” transmission problem as well as temporarily deactivating the clutch sensor and ignition module were all overcome by this shadetree 12-volt electrician. I am certain the fellas in England will have no issues with theirs. I don’t know how you could like bluetooth and not like keyless go. BTW … can you imagine anything handier than being able to begin the defrosting process of your frozen windshield in an airport parking lot as your plane taxis you to the arrival gate? Unfortuantely, I doubt MINI will add any kind of phone interface or remote start as both are usually wasteful on petrol and often used (or overused) in ways which are not socially responsible given our current global conditions.

This is how I’m guessing the convenience and audio packages will break down a la carte: Hi-Fi stereo $600, HD radio $600, Sirius Satellite radio $500, Keyless go $600, Bluetooth $500, rain sensor/auto headlights $200, auto dimming mirror $200, UGD 200.

Anyone taking bets?

A big amen, to Paul’s mantra of “less is more”…

With the clarity of hindsight, next time I’d skip the xenon’s [that are giving me warranty problems with the leveling feature] and the sunroof [which is great, but will probably develop problems down the road, adds a lot of weight, and doesn't allow the sun to be totally blocked].

Order every stinkin’ option and you could have bought an Elise…

-B

is that third picture what the nav will look like like? if so , thats awesome. i love how they integrated the MPH around the screen.

i’m with you 100 percent gabe. of course you left out the biggest check: the yet to be released JCW kit. see you in 2008!

For the nav, what goes in the grey areas above and below the LCD? Is it just empty filler plastic?

chad – if its anything like the current nav, then yes: filler plastic.

Since Sirius Satellite radio is now a factory option does this mean that it and Nav are no longer mutualy exclusive?

Circular nav screen would be nice. But they could also put buttons in there. So you don’t have to touch the screen to change stations or volume. My parents have a DTS and the nav and radio controls are on the same touchscreen. Which means that to change the volume, like when you are pulling up to a tollbooth and need to talk to the attendant, you have to take your eyes off the road, press a button that takes you out of the nav mode, and find the volume control button. This is VERY dangerous at places like say, a toll booth. There’s a reason that older cars had textured buttons with little bumps and ridges on them. So you could operate all the controls by touch. Steering wheel controls alleviate a lot of this problem, but I HATE it when a passenger leans forward from the back seat and starts pressing buttons on my wheel. So annoying…

They could make the top section one HUGE hazard light button. Amazes me how hard it can be to find a hazard light button on some cars. Likewise, make the bottom button a mute for the audio system. Then you just WHAP the speedo and you are in emergency mode.

Keyless Go… Hmm thought it was a silly option on my 650CiC until I used it. Just like the active headlights on my previous X3, I thought this was a waste until I actually used it. Now, I feel like I am going backwards, retro even, in my MCS using the key to perform all the functions. I’d get this if it means getting into the car after my wife drove it and having everything set to my preferences. Will there be seat/mirror/radio/AC/Nav memory built into the next convenience package like my 6?

Less is more… This is very true. I ordered my 2nd MCS with an eye towards lighter and less electronics. Manual A/C, no Auto anything other than what comes on the car except for the steering wheel controls and that I ordered so I could intergrate an aftermarket bluetooth kit. Resale may be a bit of a pain, but I get to drive the car for a few years the way I want to drive it.

Should I get a second gen. MINI at some point, I will choose none of the option packs – for me they are overpriced, and largely unnecessary. $1500 for the “convenience” and audio packages…you gotta be kiddin’ me!

Everyone has their own likes and preferences. That is one reason I like how Mini makes options available. (They could do a bit more, i.e. offer 2-spoke SW for US :-)) )

Nav system – I’d only get it because of how ugly the Center Speedo is without it, and it’s good for getting around since the traffic designers in the US have no clue on where to place traffic and direction signs.

Sport package – Don’t need (or want) 17″ wheels, Xenon headlights should be outlawed. They are blinding and numerous studies have shown they do not illuminate down the road any better than halogen lights. They sure do seem to blind on coming traffic (and mirrors in car in front of them) (as people like to tailgate) and shine outwards (to the sides). Fogs, yes definitely, need that in the San Francisco.

Convenience package – Come on folks. How bad have we as humans become that we can’t stick a key in a slot to turn on an engine? Geeze. What a waste. Just think of the poor folks that had to hand crank the engine, and now “we” complain about turning a key?

Premium package – nah.

Cold weather package – Don’t need it. Live in California.

Audio Package – If the standard audio system on the new Mini is as good as on the current Mini, don’t need an upgrade.

What I would get al la Carta -

Auto dim rear view mirror (Because of all the Xenon headlights) don’t want to have to keep reaching up and flipping the lever back and forth. Being in a Mini – Low – and SUV and Trucks blinding me, Auto Dim is a safety feature and in my opinion should be standard.

Fog Lights – Have a lots of that (fog) around here

Mulit function Steering wheel. Again a safety feature

Car alarm – No brainier for me

Sport seats – Comfort and stability.

Chrome package-exterior. My one for fun item. As long as it doesn’t come with/include Chrome Mirror caps. Dislike Chrome Mirror caps.

Ipod adapter – yes.

Of course in the US A/C is standard equipment.

I would be interested in how keyless go works. Will it only open the door I am closest to? By so doing it won’t unlock a door for a mugger on the other side. Will there be a way to get the passenger door to open at the same time? Like a “shake your hips” or a “turn around twice”.

Hokey pokey anyone?

I just purchased my MINI S with the HK “upgrade” for $500. The sound was so muddy and unclean, it strained my ears to listen even at low levels. A month later I dropped another $2,000 for a premium stereo, but was worth every penny. Needless to say, my MINI dealer was not at all interested in taking back the HK stereo for a refund of ANY size! The HK speakers look like cheap too, like they’re worth about $100.

Paul – that kind of information sounds like it might be worth a beer. I’m thinking Tommy Nevins after work? :)

That would have been worth a few of pints! … but I just stepped onto the train to go home :(

Ralph, not sure where you are getting your information about HID lights. DOT approved HID lights blind no one. If you see an HID system that hurts your eyes odds are its an aftermarket system which is not DOT approved.

I concur. I have HID on my MINI and my wife’s Nissan Murano. I find the cars that have overwattage halogen bulbs to be much more of a nuisance. I would also like to know who decided that HID don’t improve road lighting. The difference is night and day (pun intended). I also like having the automatic headlights. As long as you have the ability to turn them off if you need to. I had the auto wipers on my last MINI, and they were awesome. With my current MINI I often find that slow is too fast and intermittent is too slow. It’s much easier, not to mention safer, if you can just turn them to auto and they wipe when they need to.

P.S.- why only Orange and Blue?

There are several colors (including red). Blue and orange are just the two colors at the ends of the available spectrum.

The Keyless go thing is wonderful when you have your hands full of stuff. My wife has the Intellikey on the Murano, and I love it. I wouldn’t look for power memory seats any time soon, but I don’t see why they couldn’t easily set the system up to remember other personalized settings. I do like the implementation on the Nissan. You have to push a small button on the door handle, and only the button closest to the person with the transponder works.

I would say that most of the cost for the upgraded stereo is based on the fact that it is HD radio. Just like an HDTV used to cost a small fortune when they first came out.

The nav will also be a definate when I get around to buying my next MINI. The nav definately makes the center column look better, and now that I have a poertable nav in my current MINI I don’t know how I ever lived without it.