i am absolutely clueless with mini. i thought some of you experts can help me with few issues.

my wife and i are thinking about getting a mini as an extra car. we will prob split time 50/50. but we both have our own cars. we have to get an automatic, yes, stick prob better but no debate there.

we got to drive the 07 cooper. there is no 07 mini cooper S in auto trans yet. i did drive a 06 cooper S in auto. we can talk about power, supercharger, turbo and etc, but here are my impressions:

1. the 07 interior is much nicer.
2. i am not a convertible fan.
3. buying a used one will not save me much money, so we should just get a 07.
4. both the 07 cooper and 06 cooper S all seem under power to me. it really doesn't matter as i will only occassional drive it to work, and other time will be driving with my wife to go places (local).

so here are the questions:
1. is it worth getting the hi-fi upgrade.
2. for the purpose of what i need, should i get the non-s, or just put in an order to spec out a S. my wife would rather i save the 3500$ since it's an extra toy. she really doesn't car if the car has 20 HP.
3. should i get the extra sports suspension?
4. the car we want to order have the following, please tell me if anything i absolutely need to add, or drop.

pepper white/black mirror and top
premium package- dual sunroof, auto AC, OB computer, 3 spoke with multi funct and leather steering wheel.
sports package- DSC, fog, xenon, 17inch, bonnet stripes (this package is still a maybe)
convenience package- comfort access, bluetooth, garage open, auto dimm, arm rest.
auto trans.
power fold heated mirrors,
cream white color line for interior.
hi-fi (another maybe)
leatherette (black)
interior surface in black

thanks in advance.

 

To answer the questions, from my point of view:

1. The stock stereo is very nice. At 6 speakers, it still sounds great. The 10 speakers of course sounds better, but are not a necessity. If you're looking to safe money, nixing this one is one way to go. Of course, if you're interested in the Audio package, the Sirius is on hold until mid-June at the earliest. Another piece to consider.
In short, skip it.
2. That's entirely up to you. As a play car, the extra power will be nice and make it feel like a much more entertaining car. If you feel that the regular Cooper is underpowered then of course, don't get it. However, (tying into another question) if you were to get a regular Cooper with the sport package, the car does feel much more sporty, with the transmission settings, steering input, and brake feel all being changed. Of course, when Sport mode is engaged on an automatic transmission, you will sacrifice some economy.
I prefer the S. If you're getting an automatic, get the Sport package.
3. No.
My reasoning: Drive it on the interstate. The ride can be a bit jarring at times. Very nimble feeling, but for anyone looking for an especially smooth ride, avoid it. Your best bet is to just drive one with and one without and see for yourself. I think the stock suspension handles quite well so it's not necessary, but seeing as this is going to be a toy only, perhaps it wont be an issue to you to go with the Sport Suspension.
4. I've made notes after:
pepper white/black mirror and top non-metallic paint, saves you $450.
premium package- dual sunroof, auto AC, OB computer, 3 spoke with multi funct and leather steering wheel.
sports package- DSC, fog, xenon, 17inch, bonnet stripes (this package is still a maybe)
convenience package- comfort access, bluetooth, garage open, auto dimm, arm rest.
auto trans.
power fold heated mirrors,
cream white color line for interior.
hi-fi (another maybe)
leatherette (black)
interior surface in black

Premium and Convenience packages are my personal favorites, with Sport being my next, mostly because of the visual additions. As you're considering the S anyways, it comes with foglights and sport seats anyways.
If folding mirrors is a must, by all means get them, but you can do without. If you still want them heated, consider the cold weather package. At $300, it's a great deal with heated seats, heated mirrors, and heated washer nozzles.

 

I just placed an order for a mini S and totaly agree with Matt.....