Cute is the Mini legacy
The Mini Cooper is known particularly for two things: looking cute and handling well.
It isn't such a bad legacy, as it does both things extraordinarily well.
Yes, it's adorable. Its legendary styling remains intact in 2007, with the convertible's getting the addition of a "Sidewalk" options package, the highlight of which is Malt Brown English Leather sport seats with matching steering wheel. (Available only on the convertible, the package also contains an exclusive Sparkling Silver Metallic exterior (one of four colours available with the package), newly designed 17-in. light-alloy rims, DSC, power folding mirrors, front and rear fog lights, heated front seats, on-board computer, auto climate control and a Harman/Kardon sound system, all for $3,900.)
My month-long tester had Hot Orange metallic exterior paint and a Panther Black leatherette interior, and was equipped with a Platinum Package that added most of the stuff the Sidewalk package would have, except the interior niceties.
There were myriad things to like a lot about the Cooper S convertible, not the least of which is its awesome roof.
With the touch of a centrally placed button, the roof behaves either like a portable awning, wherein you can half-open it, giving an effect somewhere between a sunroof and a convertible (and you can do it at speed), or lower the entire roof, in which case the siderails lower with it for true open-air motoring. It looks good in any stage, works quickly, takes no fussing and doesn't impinge on trunk space. Well done!
Said trunk space is not huge, but its limitations are more apt to be due to the size and shape of the opening rather than the space itself. There was easily enough room there for a giant bag of dog food, but getting it in and out was trickier. The hatch flips down easily enough and bears enough weight to make loading and unloading simple enough, provided what you're trying to get in there meshes with the size and shape of the hatch.
All of the interior controls have a chunky, cartoony, space-age look and feel to them, from the turn signals to the details on the centrally located speedometer, to the cue-ball shifter that perfectly suits the vehicle's personality. And I mean cartoony in the best possible way — Roger Rabbit would love this car as much as I did. There is a centrally located window all-up or all-down control in addition to the individual controls for the side windows located at the bottom of the centre console.
Cubbies, map pockets and cupholders were plentiful enough and well located. Interior lighting was easy on the eyes, and included a couple of nice touches, such as the lights on the inside door handles.
The clutch and transmission in the Mini has long been a personal reviewing gold standard, and it continues to impress.
The only thing that did not impress (except for the stereo, which I thought sounded awful, but not being an audiophile can't pick on too hard) was the rearend. The rear window got dirty and foggy easily, and the rear defroster shut itself off, often before it had sufficiently done its job. Rear visibility was generally poor; in particularly bad weather, potentially dangerously poor. Top down, of course, all was well. A rear parking assist feature certainly helped out when backing into a space, but was less helpful when trying to back into traffic without getting T-boned.
Seating was comfortable, even to my picky 90-year-old grandmother, who liked it better than usual family sedans in which she's squired about.
The rear seat was surprisingly functional; my brother spent a rather lengthy drive back there when Granny grabbed shotgun, and found it not only easy enough to get in and out of, but roomy and comfortable enough once ensconced. He's five-foot-11, and a little short of leg, but certainly not tiny by any stretch.
All this interior and passenger goodness takes a metaphorical backseat to the handling, fun factor and driving dynamics that have quite rightly contributed to the vehicle's remaining iconic.
A supercharged 1.6-litre capable of 168 hp and 162 lb.-ft. of torque was mated to a six-speed manual on my tester and it is a plenty-peppy powerplant with good low-range power, and like all Minis, the convertible S corners flat, with the nose staying planted during hard acceleration and during hard braking. Right from about the 1,500 rpm mark to the 6,500 redline there is enough power here to give you confidence, if not make you think about taking up street racing.
Response to driver input is quick and accurate, and feedback is ample — not only through the pedals and steering wheel, but through one's bottom as well. Sporting up the suspension has made the ride a little rough, but you weren't expecting a boulevard cruiser anyway, right?
Braking was also ample and confidence-inspiring.
The dynamic stability control kicked in a couple of times while I cornered hard in rainy weather, but I wouldn't have felt it — only saw it when the dash light came on. It's part of the Platinum Package; the S comes standard with traction control. It remains one of the best-handling front-wheel-drive cars around.
Fact File
2007 Mini Cooper S Convertible
As tested, before tax: $38,500
Options: Platinum package ($1,900) includes DSC, 17-in. bullet alloy wheels, power fold mirrors, heated front seats, sports seats, on-board computer, rear foglights, Harmon Kardon sound system
Freight: $1,695
Configuration: Front engine/FWD
Engine/transmission: 1.6 L I4/6-spd. manual
Horsepower: 168
Torque: 162 lb.-ft.
Fuel required: Premium
EnerGuide fuel economy ratings (L/100 km): 9.8 city; 7.0 hwy.
Observed fuel economy: 9.6 L/100 km over 2,400 km combined
Basic warranty: 4 yrs/80,00 km
Competition: VW New Beetle convertible, PT Cruiser convertible
Strengths: Handling, styling, personality
Weaknesses: Rear visibility, "S" is thirsty
MSRP Range: $22,950-$36,500
Engines available: 1.6 L I4; 1.6 L turbo I4; 1.6 L supercharged I4
Transmissions available: 5-spd. manual, 6-spd manual
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