MINI Cooper Review
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Introduced in 2002 as a completely new design, the MINI Cooper is a throwback to its ancestor of the same name. Widely known for its unmistakable looks and small size, the MINI Cooper appeals to both the young and the old. Thanks to its stiff suspension and chassis the MINI Cooper is also very comfortable on a twisty roads and pushed to its limits. Available in a variety of trims, styles, and performance levels, the MINI Cooper provides even the most stringent of buyers with the unique options they desire.
See also the main fact sheet for the MINI Cooper.
目次 |
High Points
- Unique stylish looks
- Peppy handling
Low Points
- Ride is rough (The Car Connection)
- A bit cramped inside (Kelley Blue Book)
- A non-existant back seat (Cars.com)
- Dealer mark-up is steep (Kelley Blue Book)
- Large and heavy compared to the original (MiniWorld)
- Less room than the original
- Poor rear visibility in the convertible
Performance and Handling
Driving the MINI cooper is sporty and comfortable at the same time. Though changes in the suspension, the increased torque of the engine, and the incorporation of the electromechanical assisted steering make the car easier and safer to drive fast than the previous model, the satisfying responsiveness of the previous model, called "go-kart-like" by nearly everyone who drives it, is no longer an obvious trait.
The new engine is the major and most obvious change in the 2007 Mini. To meet increasingly stringent European environmental regulations, which now focus on both mileage and CO2 emissions, BMW realized several years ago that the Tritec engine that had been jointly developed by Chrysler and Rover for the first-generation new MINI would have to be replaced. Development of the new engine was jointly funded by Peugeot and BMW, with BMW doing the engineering design and Peugeot seeing to manufacturing considerations. As used in the Mini, the engine is manufactured in the BMW Hams Hall engine plant in England.
In its basic form as used in the Cooper, the new engine has the same capacity and produces approximately the same 120 horsepower and 118 pound-feet of torque as the previous engine. However, with BMW Valvetronic variable-valve technology using European standards (U.S. EPA tests are not yet available), the engine is now rated at 31 mpg in urban use and 51 mpg on the highway, better than many hybrids, and CO2 emissions are significantly reduced.
In the turbocharged form with direct fuel injection as used in the Cooper S, the engine gives the car very sporting performance. The 175 horsepower is more than adequate in the lightweight Mini to produce speeds twice most legal limits, but the 177 pound-feet of torque, which can be overboosted to 190 pound-feet for short intervals, and is available from 1700 rpm to 5000 rpm, is nothing short of marvelous. A sport button control gives quicker response from accelerator and steering.
The turbo engine takes the Mini from 0 to 60 mph in 7 seconds, reflecting a slight turbo hesitation at the start, but produces satisfying acceleration at all speeds once in motion. Even with that performance, the turbo is still rated at 28 mpg urban and 41 mpg extra-urban in the European mileage tests.
The Cooper S comes standard with a sport-tuned suspension, but its behavior is still much more refined than other cars capable of similar track speeds. Using the MacPherson strut front suspension and multi-link rear suspension adapted from the BMW Z4, the car is flat and stable in corners, and absorbs most bumps without discomforting passengers.
Though this model still has the same short wheelbase as its predecessor, and the same tight turning radius, BMW has retuned the suspension to reduce its oversteer potential so that even with radical changes in throttle or brakes in the middle of corners, the car never feels at risk of spinning out.
This feeling of composure has been heightened through the programming of the electromechanically assisted steering, which uses an electric motor, instead of hydraulics, to alter and enhance driver steering input. Because the steering is still mechanically connected to the front wheels, this system can't be called "drive-by-wire," and the driver still has a feel for the road and the car's changing cornering force can be felt through the wheel.
However, the system can alter the steering ratio and force required to make directional changes. This is most apparent in tight, slow parking lot maneuvers where very little effort or wheel motion is needed to make large changes in direction. In comparison, at highway speeds larger changes in the wheel result in smaller and less sensitive directional changes.
One advantage of electronically assisted steering is that input/output ratios can be changed during the course of a turn, not just varying with vehicle speed. In the Mini, this means that the initial turn-in is cushioned slightly, so the car doesn't feel as go-kart twitchy as the previous model, but once a constant turning radius is established, it takes almost no effort to maintain the turn, regardless of speed.
Both the Cooper and Cooper S rely on the same front and rear disc brake system, though we expect that upgraded, enlarged performance brakes will be available as a John Cooper Works option soon after the Cooper S is available for sale.
Gas Mileage
As seen on Autos.com, in the compact car MPG rankings:
- The 2006 MINI Cooper was in 8th place with 28/36 MPG
- The 2006 MINI Cooper S was in 15th place with 25/32 MPG
Safety
The MINI Cooper comes standard with the following features:
- Flat tire monitor
- Six total front and side airbags
- Electronic brakeforce distribution
- Dynamic stability control
- Anti-lock brakes (ABS)
- Accident sensors
- Break away engine
Reliability and Maintenance
MINI offers a warranty for their 2007 models that consists of a 4 year/50,000 mile limited warranty and 12 year/unlimited mileage warranty against rust and corrosion perforation. Full maintenance is also standard for 3 years/36,000 miles.
Interior and Comforts
Describing the new model, the designers call it "evolutionary on the outside, revolutionary on the inside." However, since major design cues have been retained, revolutionary may be too strong a word. The interior still has a sporty feeling, though now a bit less extreme, with the enlarged round speedometer in the center of the dash, and the tachometer mounted on and moving with the tilt-adjustable steering column to remind owners of the classic MINI heritage.
Audio controls have been moved from the center stack into the bottom half of the speedometer dial and the heating and air conditioning controls on the optional automatic climate controls have been compressed into a smaller Mini-wing shaped cluster. These changes reduce the width of the center stack which increases knee and leg room in the foot wells, a complaint in the previous model. For a car that has the smallest exterior of any four-passenger car on the road, the Mini is surprisingly spacious inside. Even a six-foot, five-inch driver will be comfortable in the front seat, and the three manual levers, controlling height, rake, and front-rear position, allow both driver and passenger to find a comfortable sitting position.
The compact seats are surprisingly comfortable. The few changes that have been made in the seats in the 2007, improving the shape and position of the bolsters, have only improved these characteristics. Upholstery and trim have been upgraded, with the range of customizing possibilities expanded for 2007. At the one extreme, by electing sport seats with leather and contrasting cloth trim and metal accents and ambient lighting, the buyer can create a very trendy, fast-and-furious interior look. At the other extreme, by electing all-English leather seats with contrasting piping, trim panels matching the piping color, and real wood accents, a more conservative buyer can evoke an upscale, almost Rolls-Royce appearance on the interior.
The audio system controls, now built into the speedometer dial, are almost too clever for their own good, sacrificing ease of control for design symmetry. For example, though the tuning knob is in the audio cluster, the volume knob is placed below the speedometer in the center stack, closer to the HVAC controls than to the audio controls.
A six-CD changer, or an alternative plug-in connector that allows control of an MP3 player, are options (they both plug in to the same circuit in the audio system) for owners who wish to have more musical variety, and an optional Sirius satellite radio receiver is available as well. An upgraded 10-speaker Harman-Kardon audio system is also available. However, the integrated design of the audio controls in the speedometer dial will make it nearly impossible to fit any other aftermarket sound system.
Cosmetically, the audio and HVAC controls are one feature that nearly every reviewer has criticized. Made obviously of plastic, with a matte-gray in finish, the controls could be described as being refugees from a Buzz Lightyear remote control system. With their prominent positioning, they detract from the otherwise high-quality interior appointments.
A navigation system is optional, and if elected, replaces the central speedometer with a round screen of the same size as the speedometer, which has a central rectangular navigation and display screen, surrounded by a digitally generated needle displaying vehicle speed around the perimeter of the dial.
BMW has carried forward from the previous model chrome toggle switches that look like something out of an aircraft or racecar cockpit. Positioned at the base of the center stack, these switches control the windows, auxiliary lights, and DSC system. Based on their positive acceptance in the previous model, the designers have duplicated them in a second panel of toggle switches above the center of the windshield to control interior lights and the sunroof, if fitted.
The toggle switches and other switch gear in the cockpit, and especially the light and turn signal stalks, have benefited from the BMW touch, and are more pleasing to look at and offer a much more satisfying feel in use.
Though the rear seat wouldn't ever be argued to be comfortable for adults, and the coupe access is anything but convenient, changes in the contours of the rear seats have added about an inch of rear legroom, so that even adults can endure short rides in the back seats.
With the large rear hatch, and separate folding rear seatbacks, the Mini is quite flexible in configuration, though its overall size limits luggage space to a airline roll-aboard and brief case with the rear seats up. With the rear seats down, 24 cubic feet of cargo can be loaded into the rear, more than enough for luggage space for two passengers for a two-week trip, as we proved this summer.
Exterior
The new MINI is still unmistakably a Mini. Though forced to extensively redesign the car for safety, mechanical, and manufacturing considerations, BMW designers were reluctant to risk messing with a successful formula. Anyone who is not already a Mini owner will have difficulty distinguishing the new Mini from the old one, unless the two are side by side. Nevertheless, though the same chassis has been used, there is not a single exterior panel that is common between the two cars.
The front of the Mini had to be restyled to conform to more rigid European restrictions on exterior panel shapes for pedestrian safety, as well as to adapt to the shape of the new engine. However, because the designers didn't wish to alter the iconic bulldog image of the new Mini, the remainder of the car had to be restyled as well.
Close inspection of the exterior shows that in almost all areas, the design and execution of trim features is upgraded from the 2006 model, with examples such as the incorporation of turn signals into the headlamp clusters, incorporation of the headlamp clusters into the fenders but fitting through openings in the hood (in contrast to the previous model which had the headlamps built into the hood), and the grille.
Styles and Options
The MINI Cooper is available in either a 2-door hatchback or a convertible. There are 3 trims available: Base, S, and John Cooper Works (which is only available as a hatchback).
MINI Cooper
- 115hp, 1.6L 4-cylinder/16-valve engine
- Sport suspension
- 15" silver alloy wheels
- Leatherette bucket seats
- Front air conditioning
- 6-speaker AM/FM/CD audio system
- Power locks, windows, mirrors
MINI Cooper S
Adds to or replaces base features with:
- 168hp, Supercharged 1.6L 4-cylinder/16-valve engine
- Distinctive hood scoop
- Twin exhausts
- 16" silver alloy wheels
- Leatherette sports seats
- Rear wing spoiler
- Body colored grille with chrome accents
John Cooper Works Tuning Kit
- 207hp, Supercharged 1.6L 4-cylinder/16-valve engine
- More powerful supercharger
- Modified cylinder heads
- Parallel-flow low back pressure sports twin exhaust
- Tuned computer engine management system
John Cooper Works GP Edition
- 214hp, Supercharged 1.6L 4-cylinder/16-valve engine
- Limited slip differential
- Electronic stability control
- 18" painted alloy wheels
- Driver/front passenger heated seats
- Cruise control
- Trip computer
- Rocker panel extensions
Main Competitors
- Mazda Mazda3: side-by-side comparison
- Honda Civic: side-by-side comparison
- Subaru Impreza: side-by-side comparison
- Toyota Matrix: side-by-side comparison
- Volkswagen Jetta: side-by-side comparison
- Ford Focus: side-by-side comparison
External Links
WikiCars Contributor Favorites
MINI Manufacturer Sites
- MINI Cooper - Official US Site
- miniportal - MINI websites around the world
Community Sites
- North american motoring - North American MINI Community of owners and enthusiasts
- Mini Cooper Register - Mini Magazine and owners group
- minicooper.org.nz - Mini Cooper club in New Zealand
