If you want a fun little car, go for the base Mini. But if you want something really sporty, check out the Cooper S.
Beyond that, keep things simple. The automatic works well but a manual  transmission better fits the Mini's nature. You'll probably want a  metallic paint color for an extra $500. Adding 16-inch wheels to the  base Mini costs another $750. The standard halogen headlights are rather  weak, so we'd suggest going for the $750 LED lights.
Even though the standard radio is simpler to use, it lacks the  connectivity you'd expect in a modern high-tech car. So we'd also get  the $750 Media package to get a bigger dashboard screen, Bluetooth  streaming audio, voice commands for the phone, and a center armrest.  (2015 Minis will have more connectivity standard.) It's hard to resist  the optional $1,000 panoramic sunroof, but tough choices need to be  made. Without the sunroof, that brings a base Mini Cooper to right  around $24,000.