The Mini Cooper remains one of the most compelling vehicles offered in the U.S. market. It's combination of retro-cool looks, slot-car handling, efficient space utilization and value pricing keep it in high demand -- despite rising gas prices and a stumbling economy. Don't believe me? Check the model's history of sales incentives and residual values. 'Nuff said.
I just put 100 miles on a base Mini Cooper with a five-speed manual transmission and a gaggle of options that pushed its price to $25,650. Yee-up, that ain't chump change for a 118-horsepower economy car -- even if it does get 32/40 mpg. But Coopers start at $18,600 and I could do without most of the options. I'd probably add the $1,400 Sport Package (16-inch alloys, sport seats, stability control, rear spoiler and fog lamps) and call it a day at $20K even. I also wouldn't balk at $21,400 to throw in the Convenience Package (keyless entry, universal garage door opener, auto-dimming rearview mirror, center arm rest, rain sensor, automatic headlights and Bluetooth phone).
Everytime I drive a Mini I'm thrilled with the premium, near-luxury feel. The weightiness of the controls, the chassis solidity, the ideal seat-to-pedals-to-steering-wheel relationship. Mini's parent company always comes shining through -- which is not a bad thing. This might be the first Mini I've driven with a center armrest, and I wasn't impressed by the "floppy" nature of the sliding cushion on top of it. It seemed worn out at 3,600 miles, but maybe that's how it's supposed to work.
I loved the "Oxygen Blue" exterior color, which contrasted perfectly against the "Tuscan Beige" leather interior. The leather adds another $1,500 to the bottom line and it really pushes the cabin feel into "luxury" territory. It was hard to ignore a color mis-match between the beige seats/door panels and the door armrests, which were noticeably lighter in color tone. Funny how my two biggest complaints with this car had to do with the armrests.
I have one other complaint about the Mini -- the dreaded central speedometer. I hated these in the Echo, I hated them in the Ion, and I'm not going to change my mind just because I otherwise like Mini Coopers. I made this photo as large as I could to illustrate one of my major complaints -- can anyone tell me which button to hit to switch from AM to FM? I took this photo from the driver's seat (though the camera is lower than "head" height), so what you're seeing here is what you see while driving and trying to change radio bands or stations.
In the previous generation Mini Cooper you could order either the navigation system or the Chrono Package to get the speedometer moved to the steering column (next to the tachometer). That option isn't availabe on the redesigned coupe, though you can still do it in the convertible because it still uses the old car's option groups. This has me thinking I should order a convertible Mini before that model switches over and there will be no way to avoid this pizza-pan gauge cluster.
Other than the armrests and speedometer design the current Mini Cooper gives me little to gripe about. I know people consternate about the size, but it's packed with safety technology. And the price only seems high until you buy one.
By blueguydotcom
on December 17, 2007
08:52 AM
Love my 07 Cooper S. Everybody freaks that I gave up a BMW for it. I don't regret the decision. The car's just fun.
Yes, it has its share of bad design choices: the pizza-dish speedo (which never is used anyway), the frameless windows on the doors, bad window controls, FWD but overall the fun-to-drive is so high I can easily overlook all of that. Mine was easily worth the 25k list price. I have more smiles per mile in this car than in my departed and not the least bit missed BMW e90.
By pflyer
on December 17, 2007
10:14 AM
Karl,
At the risk of inciting the GM protectors to wrath, what is the better value (which one would you rather own): a 20K Mini or a 20K Saturn Astra?
By bimmerjay
on December 17, 2007
10:16 AM
Don't you just hit the corresponding button under "AM" or "FM" on the display to change bands? Oddly enough I've never had a BMW without iDrive so I'm not that familiar with the cryptic base audio system. Every time I get a BMW loaner I have to remember its "European" logic (see: Last Ope-I mean "Saturn" Astra blog).
By dougtheeng
on December 17, 2007
10:43 AM
" the risk of inciting the GM protectors to wrath, what is the better value (which one would you rather own): a 20K Mini or a 20K Saturn Astra?"
I don't think you can really compare something like the Mini with other cars as far as value, unless you can quantify (ie put at dollar sign on) driving fun.
People don't buy mini's for value. Although both are small cars, with similar price ranges, I think the Mini and the Astra have vastly different target markets.
By drwales
on December 17, 2007
11:03 AM
Bimmerjay is right. That's pretty intuitive to me. Incidentally, the new default GM headunit (as recently experienced in a rental Impala, but I've seen it in the Aura, Malibu and Sky) has the same "soft" button concept.
By miniharryc
on December 17, 2007
11:10 AM
I think the base Cooper got a tremendous upgrade with the R56; the old engines never really returned the mpg you'd think--high 20's, 32 or so on the hwy.
The new valvetronic engines are a real step-up.
Now, as far as friskiness, it'd be nice to get an R56's engine in an R53 chassis :D
By editor_karl
on December 17, 2007
12:03 PM
"Now, as far as friskiness, it'd be nice to get an R56's engine in an R53 chassis :D"
That would be awesome. Maybe I'll talk to my Mini contacts about getting the older body and a new engine together as a one-off deal... :)
The Astra and Mini do make a logical comparison...hmmm...
Anyway, between these two cars you know which one I'd get. Like I said above, for the roughly $20,000 our Astra test car cost you could get a well equipped base Cooper. I'd go as high as $22K or $23K on the Mini to get a truly luxurious, BMW-like driving experience and never look back.
And don't forget, Minis have one of the best residual values on the planet, so paying "more" for one up front will likely come back to you in spades when it's time to sell.
By blackadder5639
on December 17, 2007
12:37 PM
So, Karl, which would you prefer (in terms of driving fun): Mini S, E36 3-series (IMO the best 3-series ever) or the 1-series (I'm assuming you've driven it in Europe)?
By editor_karl
on December 17, 2007
01:13 PM
Haven't driven a 1 Series yet, though I sat in one at the Tokyo Auto Show. I'm betting that car is the best combination of drive wheels and weight in terms of FTD. But now that pricing as been released, I'm not quite as bullish on the car. A starting price of over $35K???
I know the whole Euro/Dollar thing is messing with German automakers, but that's simply too much money for a "sub 3 Series" car IMHO. I'd rather get a loaded up Mini Cooper S for $5K less.
By brett8210
on December 17, 2007
01:33 PM
When are we supposed to get the Clubman here in the US? Before my accident that was on my short list of considerations.
By crowb
on December 17, 2007
02:17 PM
Should one consider dealership availability when considering purchasing a Mini? In my area the closest Mini dealership is about 150 miles away. I really love the idea of owning a Cooper S, but I'd worry that if I had a problem I'd be too far away from a dealership for a quick resolution. If you have a warranty issue, or you just need to get regularly scheduled maintenance, then what? Obviously this isn't an issue for people who live in an area with a Mini dealer close by.
But I see a lot of these driving around here, and it always leaves me wondering what they do to get the car serviced. Doesn't Mini offer free regular maintenance? Or did they stop doing that.
By editor_karl
on December 17, 2007
02:22 PM
They still offer free maintenance (another element that makes the "higher" price of Mini not really higher in reality).
You just have to ask yourself how willing you are to make those dealership runs when necessary. Minis aren't prone to excessive maintenance issues, but you will want to use a proper dealer for scheduled service, especially if you buy new.
By ahightower
on December 17, 2007
08:00 PM
I really wanted to fit one of these into my budget last month. Great gas mileage, and the used ones seemed to be holding their value incredibly well. Kinda like Hondas - why buy a used one when you can get a new one for only a little more? I was very tempted to exceed my budget and get a base Cooper just as you described, sport and convenience packages. A number of budgetary and practical considerations led me to something else, but it sure was tempting.
By sabastian
on December 18, 2007
09:32 AM
@ brett8210: The Clubman goes on sale in the U.S. on February 16th, but dealers are taking orders as I write.
Speaking of which, I really can't wait for the Clubman. I had been thinking about a sport compact (GTI, Si, MS3, etc), but had ruled the Mini out as being too small. The Clubman, however, puts the Mini right at the top of my list. It's a hoot to drive, looks and feels different from any other car (even the regular Mini), and gets great mileage. Sure, it's about $2k more than a regular MCS (with the equipment I'd want), but it has a decent boot, a usable back seat, and the coolest rear doors ever.
As for the center-mounted speedo, I know it looks dumb, but most Mini drivers will probably tell you that they don't even look at it. The digital display within the rev-counter is much more accurate and easy to read.
Karl: Any idea of when Edmunds will be running a full-test of the Clubman S?
By blueguydotcom
on December 18, 2007
10:04 AM
Sabastian, you've driven a clubman?
By sabastian
on December 18, 2007
12:29 PM
@ blueguy: Driven a Clubman?...::sigh:: If only. I should clarify though...*From what I've read*, the Clubman is a hoot to drive. Again, from what I've read, the Clubman fixes all the problems that I have with the regular Mini: slightly better ride and more cargo/people room. I can't wait!
By heffling
on December 18, 2007
01:19 PM
Wouldn't it be more accuracte to the call the Mini the only BMW under 20k?