[supa-dupa-cooper]

If you were buying a new MINI, which option would you go for above......?

Both are useful in different ways, but which is most useful?

They both cost roughly the same to spec.

[ScottyBoy]

Personally id go for the Bi Xenons, if you spec chilli pack then you will have aircon anyway.

[N20]

I would go for the Bi Xenons

[Paul]

Lights.

[Washy]

Xenons..

[supa-dupa-cooper]

Im sensing a pattern here

What makes the Xenons the best buy?

[Paul]

Parking sensors: Only really helpful if you're rubbish at parking and do it often.
Automatic aircon: Quite good in the 2nd gen MINI as they standard controls are rubbish, but still only helpful.
Xenon lights: Dramatically improve night time visibility, safety, and are helpful whenever you drive at night, which in the UK is usually a lot!

[supa-dupa-cooper]

See...

Parking Sensors - I said i'd have them when i bought the car i have now, but i didnt. I have been known to reverse (very slowly with no damage! ) into the bollards at work. But I have coped perfectly well without them, though for parking up at home, they would be very useful!

Auto Aircon - Again I said i'd have this on a new car, after my dad had it in his current car. The set up on the new MINI seems to be easier to use (the twidley bit for the manual air con just doesn't seem quite right) and also looks better.

Bi-Xenons - Ive never owned a car with them, or driven a car with them, and my halogen lights have always been ok. But I have been in a car with them at night and they are good. The setup looks nicer too! And again (surprise, surprise) I said i'd have them on a new one.

[LeakyTurnip]

Funny that this question came up as I had the same problem when speccing my Mini. I have climate control and parking sensors in my current Leon, but I always wished I'd got the BI-xenon headlights. They are quite a cheap option on the Mini especially compared to the 800/900 pounds that they cost on other cars.

In the end I went with the Bi-xenons as I don't really see the usefulness behind climate control and parking sensors are a bit of a waste on such a small car! (Now that I've said that I'll probably reverse into something the day I collect my car!)

[CC07ERS]

Parking sensors are for women , better to see in the dark

[supa-dupa-cooper]

Quote: Originally Posted by CC07ERS (original)

Parking sensors are for women

Well thats ok then

[Tigger, Eeyore & Roo]

Xenons first, PDC second and climate control a very distant third.

As far as PDC is concerned, it's not the length of the car that matters, it's what can't be seen beneath the rear window line that is potentially disasterous. Ignoring bollards for a moment, much more importantly it's all too easy to hide a pushchair and/or toddler and/or pet dog beneath the level of the rear window in the MINI, especially if it's an R56 where the rear window is significantly smaller

Specced it on my original R50 Cooper and miss it on my current R53 S

[Tigger, Eeyore & Roo]

Quote: Originally Posted by CC07ERS (original)

Parking sensors are for women

I guess that's why women have lower insurance premiums then?!

Have you ever owned a car with them fitted?

[supa-dupa-cooper]

Quote: Originally Posted by Tigger, Eeyore & Roo (original)

I guess that's why women have lower insurance premiums then?!

Have you ever owned a car with them fitted?

Me?

I havent personally, but i know someone thats had them on 2 cars now.

Though the Cooper S i test drove last year had them fitted, as i remember thinking 'whats that noise'

[Tigger, Eeyore & Roo]

Quote: Originally Posted by supa-dupa-cooper (original)

Though the Cooper S i test drove last year had them fitted, as i remember thinking 'whats that noise'

Was "that noise" just before you reversed into something?!

I first had it on a Citroen C5 estate and I would never have specced it by choice! Bl**dy silly option really! Then, one day, it stopped me from reversing into 3 small children that ran behind the C5 car while I was reversing! I couldn't have depended on the C5 breaking down before it hit them, but it was always a close run thing!

I asked you if you'd ever owned a car with it on, because the longer I had PDC, the more useful I found it!

Tigger.

PS: Still voted for Xenons though

[Harpo]

Leaving aside PDC - which is surprisingly worthwhile, I note that nobody has asked a rather obvious pertinent question...

Since the two are unlikely to be operated at the same time, do you spend more time driving during the daytime or nighttime?

An important consideration I think you'll agree.

My vote goes like this: PDC; Xenons; manual A/C

[Paul]

Quote: Originally Posted by Paul Mullett (original)

Parking sensors: Only really helpful if you're rubbish at parking and do it often.
Automatic aircon: Quite good in the 2nd gen MINI as they standard controls are rubbish, but still only helpful.
Xenon lights: Dramatically improve night time visibility, safety, and are helpful whenever you drive at night, which in the UK is usually a lot!

Quote: Originally Posted by Harpo (original)

Leaving aside PDC - which is surprisingly worthwhile, I note that nobody has asked a rather obvious pertinent question...

Since the two are unlikely to be operated at the same time, do you spend more time driving during the daytime or nighttime?

An important consideration I think you'll agree.

My vote goes like this: PDC; Xenons; manual A/C

I did, as most people use their car to get to and from work, which for many months of the year in the UK usually means twice a day in darkness.

[supa-dupa-cooper]

You've got a good point there Harpo

I normally drive in the day, so therefore (unless really rubbish weather - as Paul says, quite probable over here ) the headlights wouldnt be used.
BUT.
I just have this feeling that I would regret not speccing them? Dont know why!

[SoggyCornFlakes]

the pdc is a red herring, put that aside and most fiolks would really choose lights over air con I'm amazed tbh , and resale value would always much prefer the air con to lights !

[Paul]

Auto aircon, not just aircon.







But yes, if I had to chose on my own MINI, I'd take the lights over any aircon.