ROAD TEST EDITOR JAKE LINGEMAN: Thank god this Mini is so damn big. I took it up to my cottage this weekend with luggage and gear for two and food for some friends, and it barely had enough room. That’s the problem, I think: I look at the Mini, and it looks like a regular-size car, so I think I can stuff whatever I want in there without worry. The old Mini, even the recent “old” one that came back to the States, was actually a small car. I wouldn’t have tried to put two duffel bags, towels, sleeping bags and coolers in there.
It doesn’t really feel small on the road, either. The throttle tip-in is good, especially in sport mode. It’s quick to jump off the line and revs high, getting into the turbo rpms quickly. Flick the shifter over into sport transmission mode, and cog swapping is quick. too. That does make it feel light on its feet.
The steering, on the other hand, is heavy without a lot of feel. It’s not super direct, either — probably better than most cars on the road, but I want a Mini to feel like a go-kart. The brakes add to the bigness, too. You have a few good inches of travel before anything happens, then they get hard, and I had to put a lot of foot pressure to slow this car down. Makes it hard to judge stopping distances. Normally I’d chalk that up to this being a press car, but it only had about 1,000 miles on the clock.
The suspension is just about right. It’s sufficiently stiff for quick lane changes but will roll over must bumps without jarring your bones. The big ones, however, watch out. There were two in particular over the weekend that made me wince in sympathetic pain with the car. It’s nothing like the coupe, though, which rides like it’s on wagon wheels.
The interior was nicer than I expected, with cool houndstooth designs on the dash, the big, round central screen and a tach right above the nicely formed steering wheel. The sport/eco button is a little hard to get to at the back of the shifter, but I do love the “Let’s Motor Hard” notation on the screen when you’re in sport, and “Let’s MINImalize” in eco. Get it? MINImalize? Good.
The seats are comfortable, with adjustments for height and angle. I sat comfortably for an hour. The dual sunroof is cool, but the rear shade cover rattles when it’s in the fully retracted position. You can move it an inch to stop it; I’d probably glue in a piece of padding if I owned this car.
The HUD is cool. It pops out when you start the car, but it looks a little flimsy. I touched it, and it’s not though. It seems to be a piece of thick plexiglass. I do worry about the mechanism that makes it work. In five or 10 years, would it be stuck halfway out?
It definitely still looks the part of a Mini and wears the recognizable face, and from a few hundred feet away you would probably think it’s a small car — it just doesn’t really drive like it. I can’t believe it’s less than 3,000 pounds. I did get pretty good gas mileage, though — less than a half tank — with almost 200 miles on it. So there’s that.
The new Mini offers more legroom, headroom and luggage compartment volume.
ASSOCIATE EDITOR GRAHAM KOZAK: What does this Mini have in common with the GMC Sierra 1500 2WD double cab I just tested? Like the pickup, you can almost make a case for the Mini … until you see the sticker price.
I’ll start with what I liked. Despite the Mini lineup-wide bloat and the extra set of doors, this is a fun, competent front-driver. The 2.0-liter turbo is strong and lively, especially in sport mode; it meshes well with the auto transmission. I rarely felt the need to touch the paddle shifters. Not sure about the engine note, though. It had a rough edge to my ear, and I’d have to spend more time with it to see if it gets grating.
Suspension is similarly well sorted. The car might not sound great going over road imperfections — you’ll cringe for the car’s sake when you hear the crashy BOOM! of a pothole — but it doesn’t seem to be too upset by less-than-perfect pavement. All in all, it’s no longer quite kartlike, but it’s still flingable.
As for the aesthetics and character of the car — you’ll either buy the Mini shtick or you’ll find a different mode of transportation. The round gauges, the round everything, the center-console toggle switches, the totally pervasive “LET’S MOTOR!” thing … it’s a little cute for me. Mini has always pitched itself as a lifestyle brand as much as it has an automaker, but with each successive generation it becomes more of a caricature of itself — and less and less mini. We’re supposed to get excited about that fact that this isn’t quite 3,000 pounds?
As confusing (to me) as this car’s place in the universe is its pricing structure. Mini is definitely going the BMW route: Rather than providing value to the buyers of this $ 36,000 compact, you’ll have to spend an extra $ 1,000 to get a rearview camera and another $ 300 for satellite radio. I’m required to mention that we once got along without all these things just fine, but these days it’s really only the premium brands that feel they can nickel-and-dime you for them. I’d hate to see what the $ 22,000 Mini Hardtop looks and feels like.
Maybe the price is immaterial because everyone simply leases these things. But for me, this is awfully rich for an admittedly decent front-driving compact that leans heavily on style to make a case for its existence.
189 hp is the output of the four-cylinder engine in the Mini Cooper S Hardtop four-door.
DIGITAL EDITOR ANDREW STOY: It’s been awhile since a relatively nondescript car has come through here and caused so much discussion. Megabuck luxobarges and exotics, sure, but a Mini Cooper? What’s there to argue about?
Raison d’etre, for one. What is Mini these days, now that the brand has backed off their platform expansion? Who’s the new Mini buyer — new as in “new to the brand” instead of current owner upgrading to the latest model? Obviously there are some — the brand’s sales are up 16 percent for the year entirely on the strength of the Cooper S. The market for upscale, premium small cars is apparently still present, though this latest Mini Cooper begins to straddle dangerous ground between “fun” and “too cute for its own good,” particularly with the interior design, lighting and overall design personality.
Then there’s driving dynamics, traditionally not a bone of contention when it comes to the Mini. Some on staff found the ride harsh and the suspension unrefined. I think engineers absolutely nailed this latest Cooper S, despite its automatic transmission. Engine response is fantastic, and shift points are tuned perfectly to the torque peak and driver’s wishes. The Mini felt quicker in numerous situations than the far more powerful Focus ST I’d driven the previous two nights, and for the few opportunities I had to really beat on it, a flick into sport mode plus the paddle shifters invoked all the turbo-go-kart grins of the original modern Mini.
About those four doors: Yes, they make it easier for folks to get in the back seats, but it’s not really any more comfortable back there than it is on the two-door model. If you’re hauling the brood, the Countryman is really your better option, but then you start talking about real money.
Speaking of which: This is a $ 37,000 Mini Cooper. Let that sink in for a sec. Granted, it comes with a bunch of crap you don’t necessarily need, but even a build-and-price skipping things like metallic paint ($ 500) and all manner of stripe/chrome upgrades left me with a $ 32,000 Mini Cooper S. Question is, is that really a lot of money for a personalized, premium statement car like this?
I don’t think it is. Would the Mini be my choice in the mid-$ 30K price range? Not necessarily, but viewed from the perspective of, say, a single person or empty nester considering a perfectly nice loaded Fusion or even a Mercedes-Benz CLA/Audi A3, it begins to make a lot more sense. The Mini has a ton more personality than any of those options, and it’s a better driver than any of the entry-level German cars (setting aside the fact that the Mini IS an entry-level German car).
Besides, what price style, eh? In this case, $ 35,900.
The Mini Cooper S Hardtop four-door is fitted with sport seats.
Options: Fully loaded package and Premium package, including navigation system, enhanced Bluetooth and USB connection, comfort access keyless entry, panoramic moonroof, storage package and Harman/Kardon premium sound ($ 4,500); sport automatic transmission ($ 1,500); Sport package, including 18-inch Mini Yours Vanity Spoke alloy wheels, LED fog lights, LED headlights and white turn-signal lights ($ 1,000); cold weather package, including power folding mirrors and heated front seats ($ 600); electric blue metallic paint ($ 500); park distance control ($ 500); head-up display ($ 500); interior surface fiber alloy ($ 350); JCW leather steering wheel ($ 250); headliner in anthracite ($ 250)
