Auto A/C...is it worth it on an 08 mini?

I have placed an order for an 08 mini cooper. (Not an S) I am really looking into just a daily commuter car so MPG is very important to me. I am very tempted to go with the S but every mile counts when you have a 100 miles daily commute. So I have not even test driven the S just so I wouldnt fall in love with it. This is my first MINI so if you have any suggustions please feel free to chime in.
 
My 08 mini is has the following specs...
 
-Cooper
-Chili Red/Black Top
-Black Bonnet Stripes
-Gray/Carbon Black Leatherette
-Convenience Package
-DSC
-15" Rotator Spoke
-Anti Theft Alarm System
-Sport Seats
-Foglights
-Xenon Headlamps
-HD Radio
-MINI HiFi Sound System
-White Turn Signals

   Congratulations on ordering your new Mini. Sounds like a nice rig. I am sure you will love it.  About the only thing I would suggest additional, and that depends on where you live, is a cold weather package.  Nothing like heated seats in the winter time!
   Having driven both a Mini and Mini S, I can tell you the substantial batch of extra power that the S has is really a nice feature I wouldn't mind having available every now and then.  I too selected the standard Mini as mine is also basically a commuter car, which makes milage a item of economic interest.  I find myself questioning how much of a difference that economy is in reality. 
  I am sure that if you are on the gas all the time, the difference between the two is appreciable.  I have heard people say that they were getting around 40 mpg with their new S's though, as long as they keep their foot out of it.  That is about as good as I can get with my '06 standard. By the way, my Mini's milage drops to around 30 mpg on the few times I let my 22 year old son drive my car (Tells me a lot about how he drives the old man's car!  Also says why he has driven it just a few times).
   I also have to confess that the one time I reset and checked the fuel conservation when I drove an S (I know the computer isn't that accurate), it registered 28 mpg, but I was on the gas a lot,... just checking out the hp.  (And I complain about my kid!)
   Anybody tried to drive an S with gas milage in mind?  What do you get?
 

The most I can get is 25mpg in my MCS when I'm being gental.

Ok for the original poster:

skip the DSC - you won't need in the Cooper, not enough power to ever set it off.
skip the fogs - you'll never use them, they're pretty worthless
skip the alarm - they're pretty much impossible to steal

Everything else looks right on the money but, I would take the savings of the above items and get yourself a moonroof!

Oh and PS. they don't come with cruse control standard, with a 100 mile commute you might want the multifunction steering wheel.

Well Amg, sounds like an S isn't the car of choice if fuel economy is an issue!  I will quit second guessing myself.
Also, I agree with all your option suggestions except fog lights.  I have had a few occasions on a foggy night where I appreciated them being there.  They give quite a bit more perifial light close to the car.  They aren't nearly as good as the fog lights on my Dodge truck, but better than nothing. 

quote:

ORIGINAL: cougsfan

Well Amg, sounds like an S isn't the car of choice if fuel economy is an issue! I will quit second guessing myself.

Well, my car is far from stock and makes >200whp. The R53's are known for bad mileage but the R56 MCS gets really decent mileage.

Hello
 I have a 07 MCS if I was you I would delete alot on your list and get the S . If you do not beat it it will give you great MPG I get over 40 on a trip. Just get the S with Cruise . The MCS comes with alot of stuff you want. the Xeon headlights ,DSC will more than pay for the S and the S comes with sport seats and fog lights.
                                                   My Opinion
                                                   John
 I have a Pepper White Black top premium ,cold and leather,
 It is my dream car . Do not settle for non S
 
 

I'm on the verge of ordering my first MINI.  I've driven both MC and MCS.  MCS has wonderful power and response.  MC is fine, but not in the automatic version where it is anemic until about 3k.  In the MC standard, you've got to work to keep rpms in the powerband, but if you're not lazy and actually enjoy driving, you'll find the manual xmsn version has the pep you need.  But you've got to work at understanding when to shift and what gear to shift to.  You'll frequently skip a gear (e.g., 6th to 4th).  Makes BMW's choice of a six-speed with closely spaced ratios the perfect choice.
 
I've got auto A/C in my Merc and never use the auto function.  I just adjust the controls when I'm hot or cold.  Will not get it on the MINI. 
 
Recommend you get the rear fog light since you're in fog often enough for front fogs.  Having spent 8 yrs in Germany, I can attest to its exceptional value in warning overtaking cars of your presence.
 
Will not get DSC.  I'm old enough to know how to respect corners.  Anyone needing DSC will have to be either routinely in some strange weather or will be trying to substitute technology (and blind trust) for skill.  It seems to me that part of the MINI experience is to actually drive the car, not pretend it's a ride at Disneyland.
 
Below someone says the S gets 40 mpg when driven gently.  Someone else says not so.  If it were true, I'd get the MCS.  Seems that since the turbo isn't robbing crankshaft power, maybe it can be true.
 
Anything on this from the board?
 
RC
 

The person getting 40mpg in their MCS has an R56 with the new engine, I have an R53 with the old engine and only see ~20mpg.

My wife has the 07 MCS, 6 speed.  Driving  conservatively, about 30 MPG in town and a little over 40 on the road, in cruise at 70 MPH.   Put your foot into it, and I'd seen the instant MPG drop to under 10 !!

Love the turbo !!!

That 10 mpg is instantaneous MPG, not average. I can get mine to say 5.

We've got an 07 MCS that we purchased about 5 months ago.  Interstate travel, cruise control set at 78-80 mph, over a distance of 350 miles, we got about 33-34 mpg.  We've made that trip twice and it was the same both times.  I'm not sure how much better it would be if we set it to 70mph for the trip.
 
We never use the Auto A/C, I just manually adjust it.  We got it though, because it came as part of a package.  I think it was the sunroof, multifunction steering wheel, and Auto A/C packaged together for cheaper than adding them individually.  We wanted the first 2, so we just took the package.

   I don't have a lot of faith in the instantaneous mpg reading.  From watching it on my MC for a couple years now; I think it is extremely optomistic under acceleration and under coasting conditions (you are doing worse on gpm than it says).  I think it is probably fairly accurate under steady load. 
  The average mpg reading, however, is surprisingly accurate on my Mini.  It is usually right on, or off not more than a couple gpm (usually reads a wee bit better than actual, if it is off).   The range reading (how many miles left in the tank) I have found to be a pretty good number I can rely on too, as long as I am driving under fairly steady conditions.  I have pushed the limit by driving to the next town, a couple of times, getting it down to 10 or 15 miles left on the range.  It has taken right at 13 gallons (in the 13.2 tank) to fill it each time. 

My average MPG is usually within 1 mpg but you have no way of measuring instantaneous mpg and I think the OBC does a pretty good job. It calculates how much fuel your using and how far you're traveling... also, the average mpg just takes the average of the instantaneous over some amount of time so I'd bet if your average is close your instantaneous is too.

I have reset the average mpg on a few occasions and drove up large very long consistant hills, like "Cabbage Patch" between Pendleton and LaGrande, Oregon.  I watched where the instananeous reading stays, and at the end I checked it against the average indication.  The average says it is doing noticably worse gpm-wise than the instananeous indications would have lead you to believe.  I developed the opinion that the average gpm indicator is the more accurate.  The same is true going down a hill.   On fairly flat stretch running steady speed, they seem to agree pretty well.   None of this is a big deal, and I sure don't worry even a little bit about it.  Only a thoroughly bored commuter like me would bother checking such an insignificant, meaningless detail like that.
Also, the instanaeous mph indicator (both on the gauge on the digital display) are way off.  At an indicated 70 mph I am really only going a measured 64 mph.   Oddly enough, over a long distance, the average mph is not quite as far off.  it is more like a true 66 mph at steady 70 indicated.  (Again, you gotta be really bored to check such trivial stuff)
I agree that seems wierd it would do that.  You would think the numbers are coming from the same calculations.  Also, maybe it is just my car with these slight inconsistancies??  If any of you are driving along someday bored out of your wits, check it out.

What I really wish is that the speedo was accurate though.  I hate having to constantly calculate how fast I can safely drive in a given speed zone without getting a ticket.   Let see; In Washington you can usualy drive 74 mph on the freeways in their 70 posted zones.  So I can go about 80 according to my speedo.  In Idaho, in their 75 mph zones I think maybe I can do 5 mph over,,,, so what indicated speed is that??  What a PITA.  A minor one, but a PITA anyhow.

  My dealer gave me a line that said in England, if you get a speeding ticket and you can prove that the speedo on your unmodified car's speedo reads pessimistic, the auto maker is deemed at fault.  So Mini makes them read optomistic on purpose.  I have a hard time buying that one.

Question... does the '08 come with A/C standard, and only *Auto A/C* is an upgrade? I always hate the car thinking for me on climate control, so prefer to manually adjust it. If I'm understanding it right (from reading this thread), I can save myself $500.

Live in hot/humid North Alabama - A/C is a *Must*, but I could live w/o "auto a/c".

Did I understand this correctly?
Haven't been able to get up to Nashville to a dealer yet to be sure of all the spectrum of options.

thanks,
cinco