2008 Mini Cooper S
Long term test wrap-up - Sweet sorrow
After six months and almost 13,000 km, I remain unconvinced that the Mini Cooper S is an entirely practical daily commuter. I also remain unconvinced that this would stop me from buying one.
The Cooper S is, of course, adorable, something you can’t help but notice at first blush. The exterior of my tester features wide white hood stripes and a shiny red paint job; the interior features dark pinstriped cloth that never ceased to charm me. I actually used to caress it many a morning before I set out. Odd and perhaps a little pathetic, I know, but it’s this sort of emotional response that continues to make Mini the icon it is.
The S features a turbocharged, 1.6-litre inline four-cylinder engine that puts out 172 hp at 5,500 rpm and 177 lb.-ft. of torque at 1,600 rpm. Those low revs for max torque means that it pulls pretty hard from a stop with the merest of turbo lag (the big vroom does come at about that 1,600 rpm mark), and the 5,500 rpm for the max horsepower is even a little misleading, because its power availability covers a bigger swath of the rev range than it would have you believe. It’s consistently reliable for passing on the highway, getting moving swiftly on a grade, and doing pretty much anything that was required of it.
The six-speed manual transmission uses a stiffish clutch that could have been a little softer for my personal taste, and my hours spent stuck in rush hour traffic, but otherwise was an able companion to its gutsy wee engine.
Mini is rightfully renowned for its superior agility, and this tester is no exception. What makes it particularly strong as a city runabout is its almost-instant response to steering input. In situations fraught with potholes, bicycle couriers, darting dogs, gawky pedestrians and all the other hazards of city driving, it’s a joy to be able to count on its doing precisely what it is called upon to do, every time.
Cornering and braking happen with very little roll or dive, and stability at high speeds is just fine, as evidenced by the fact that I found myself going way too fast on a couple of occasions without much noticing. Ride quality is merely OK on rougher pavement, but any aficionado would be reluctant to sacrifice that awesome handling to do much about it. In what was the most vile, snow-laden winter in memory, it ran around like a little red mountain goat, getting stuck only once (we broke our shovel one day trying to dig it out of the driveway, and in an act of desperation tried to back it out in spite of the snow built up behind it).
The cabin is as cute as the exterior. Its trademark big, round speedo sits front and centre, and since you may argue that a speedo should be in front of the driver, this Mini features a complementary digital speed display right in front of the steering wheel. Audio and climate controls are fairly closely clustered together, but the volume knob is still far enough from the other stereo controls to have made it counter-intuitive. I found myself twisting the wrong knobs even towards the end of my six months in it. Climate control – through cute vertical dials in keeping with the overall theme – take a lot of fiddling to make sure all my parts got sufficiently warm at the same time.
Its controls are sure neat, though, with some organized visually into a Mini logo and others making use of smart chrome toggle switches. There aren’t too many more interesting or charming (there’s that word again) interiors around.
Seating is comfortable and well bolstered to keep you planted when you are throwing it around enthusiastically, as you certainly should.
The rear seat might not appear terribly useful, but I actually found it more utilitarian than I expected. It ain’t roomy, it’s true, but it was comfortable enough for my six-foot brother to spend some time back there without complaint. I didn’t care for it myself, but it was owing to my inclination towards claustrophobia in the back of any two-door car, more than its actually being uncomfortable. My brother is long in the torso and short in the legs; those with the reverse proportions would not have been as comfortable, I suspect.
The onboard computer is a nifty unit that lets you know if tire pressure is lacking, whether there is the likelihood of encountering ice, how many clicks before you really better hit a gas bar, and other functions that add a little peace of mind to your driving.
I love the little round key fob, which needed never to leave my pocket, although it could be docked in the dash. As long as it’s nearby, the doors unlock and lock via a button on the handle, and the car starts with a button inside.
Other complaints are few: visibility is less than stellar, and at its worst in reverse. The screens that cover each sunroof in my tester flat-out refuse to stay closed, something I thought might be a design flaw, except that they stay closed just fine in a Clubman tester I had one week.
Although it wasn’t, this particular Mini could easily have been custom configured for me; it matches my tastes and requirements so well. One of the hallmarks of Mini, aside from its awesome handling, is its customization potential, something buyers love but are obliged to keep a close eye on, as it can get expensive.
It may not come cheap, but there remains nothing else quite like it. For fun factor combined with charm and eye-catching style, few can match it, and my driveway ain’t what it used to be now that it’s gone.
I sure do miss the little fellah.
Summary:
Strong Points
Weak Points
- - agility
- - charm
- - personalization potential
- - rides rough
- - takes premium
Editors Rating:
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