Long-Term Road Tests
2007 Mini Cooper S
July 15, 2008
During a walk in Dresden, Germany, today, I was reminded of Dan's central exhaust tattoo post on our 2007 Mini Cooper S. You'll note that the pipes on this well-preserved old-world Mini (ill-fitting driver door excepted) stick out, too.
But I bet it has a spare tire.
Erin Riches, Senior Editor
- Permalink | Comments (10)
- Posted by: Erin Riches July 15, 2008, 12:18 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
July 11, 2008
The other night I was dropping my friend off at her apartment in the 2007 Mini Cooper S when this car coming from the other direction slowly drove up to us. When I looked over to see what the driver's problem was, she said annoyed, with eyes squinting, "Your brights are on." "They are?" I replied, surprised since I don't remember activating them. "Yes. They are," she said while driving away.
I looked at the dash. Nope, no high beam icon. Then I pulled the headlight stalk to see if it the high beams were on. Nope, they weren't. Silly lady just mistook the Mini's xenons (part of the Sport package) for brights. Whatev.
I'm not the best Photoshop artist but above on the right is what my driveway (and that SUV) looks like with the brights on, the left is when they're off. When they're bright, they're really bright.
Caroline Pardilla, Deputy Managing Editor @ 18,058 miles
- Permalink | Comments (20)
-
- Posted by: Caroline Pardilla July 11, 2008, 12:50 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
July 9, 2008
I've never been a fan of the central exhaust on or 2007 Mini Cooper S, or any example of this layout, for that matter.
For one, it looks weird. I can't get used tot he fact that the central location is somehow too ... biological. At least there are two exhaust ports instead of one.
And I also strongly resent the Mini's central location because the muffler routing eliminates all possibility of a spare, forcing the use of run-flat tires. Even with run-flats, I'd rather have a spare because driving out west involves distances that are too damn far to find a replacement tire within the meager mileage limit of a run-flat. Besides, the hyper-stiff sidewalls tense-up the ride and destabilize the handling on lumpy asphalt. I'd much rather have "normal" tires and a spare to go with them.
All of this is well and good. But last night it got personal.
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (23)
-
- Posted by: Dan Edmunds July 9, 2008, 2:16 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
July 3, 2008
Eleven months. That's how long we drove the Cooper S before the service light popped on for the first time. At just over 17,000 miles.
Service was free under MINI's 3 year/36,000-mile maintenance plan. So when we pulled into Long Beach MINI we also decided to replace the cracked windshield. The service tech seemed to feel bad for us when he drew up the $1,400 estimate.
We'd have walked out and ordered aftermarket glass if we owned the car. But since it's on loan to us the best move was to replace the glass at the dealership. MINI required the vehicle sit at their garage overnight, and charged us $1231.67 for the repair ($725 of that for labor).
Mike Schmidt, Vehicle Testing Coordinator @ 17,386 miles
- Permalink | Comments (13)
-
- Posted by: July 3, 2008, 11:05 AM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
July 2, 2008
Our long-term Mini Cooper S is rated at 26 mpg city, 34 highway and 29 combined, which is already significantly better than every other pocket rocket on the market today (actually those are the '08 numbers; '07 models are rated at 25/32/28, probably because those numbers were just converted on paper from the previous EPA estimates, which were based on the old methodology). And check this out: during a 60.5-mile straight shot on the highway yesterday, I consumed exactly 1.612 gallons of gas. I'll save you the calculating effort -- that's 37.5 mpg.
Now this would be a blogworthy achievement even for our efficiency-minded Ford Focus (24 mpg city, 33 highway, 28 combined). But in the Mini's case, we're talking about 37.5 mpg from a car that will rip off 0-60 sprints in the mid-sixes whenever the mood strikes. I think this could very well be a historic first -- can you think of any other car, past or present, that matches the Mini on both counts? Pretty amazing stuff.
Josh Sadlier, Associate Editor, Edmunds.com @ 17,547 miles
- Permalink | Comments (39)
-
- Posted by: SadButTrue July 2, 2008, 2:05 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
June 16, 2008
It took a while to engineer a comfy seating position as I settled into the Mini this weekend. The problem concerned the location of the seat-adjustment lever. I wanted to tweak the angle of the seatback. The lever that manages this task is located not to the left of the seat, but to its right, buried in a deep, dark abyss next to the parking brake; I felt like I needed a searchlight and an anchor sling to access it. Making things worse is the fact that it's hard to fine-tune the seatback's slope, since the lever's adjustments are made in fairly large increments...Of course, once that fiasco was behind me, the Mini was fun to pilot. Pile in, turn it on and go.
Warren Clarke, Automotive Content Editor @ 16,945 miles
- Permalink | Comments (5)
-
- Posted by: June 16, 2008, 3:08 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
June 9, 2008
Over the weekend, I gave some thought to Kurt's last post, the one about our 2007 Mini Cooper S hatch's overstyled interior. And I do agree: Although materials quality and fit and finish are greatly improved over our long-ago departed '02 Cooper S, the cabin details are even more overdone.
Really, though, the entire car looks like a gimmick, thanks to the excessive fidelity to retro iconography. It's just that this happens to be the most fun-to-drive gimmick on the planet...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (0)
-
- Posted by: Erin Riches June 9, 2008, 10:56 AM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
June 5, 2008
We now have an answer to the question, "Will our long-term 2007 Mini Cooper S ever need an oil change?" Yes. In 800 miles.
The above text-and-pictogram now flashes every time you start the car, but only for an instant. It took me four tries to capture the moment...
Erin Riches, Senior Editor @ 16,479 miles
- Permalink | Comments (0)
-
- Posted by: Erin Riches June 5, 2008, 1:09 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
June 2, 2008
Styled. That's what the Mini's problem is. It's been styled to have all the retro cues that you can fit in a car this small. It's got a big (obnoxious) center mounted speedometer...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (0)
-
- Posted by: Kurt Niebuhr June 2, 2008, 6:56 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
May 27, 2008
Mr. Kavanagh isn't the only staffer who made a pilgrimage to Sequoia National Park over the long weekend. With a friend in town and the long-term Mini at our disposal, we headed for the selfsame hills, largely in hopes of finding one of those hollowed-out trees that you can drive through. No dice on that front, unfortunately, but we did walk around the biggest tree in the world (39.5 feet in diameter!) and saw a bunch more that weren't much smaller. It's a truly Brobdingnagian landscape -- you can't really conceive of how large these trees are until you've seen them in person.
There's another picture after the jump (gotta give a grateful shout-out to Austin, the aforementioned friend, for helping me stitch it together), but first let's talk about the second half of this post's title: Why wouldn't I buy a Mini like ours?
Two reasons: (1) harsh ride, and (2) demonic torque steer. Brian has already addressed (1) by advising prospective buyers to forgo the optional sport package (which includes upsized 17-inch tires) and sport suspension -- anathema on a BMW 3 Series, for example, but sensible here given our Mini's buckboard-grade ride quality. However, I'm afraid (2) is just part of the car's DNA. For whatever reason the Mini's engineers apparently thought torque steer was cool (unlike the Mazdaspeed3's engineers, for example). It's definitely not cool when I'm powering through a lefthand corner and the wheel's trying to tug me into oncoming traffic.
Josh Sadlier, Associate Editor, Edmunds.com @ 16,282 miles
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (31)
-
- Posted by: SadButTrue May 27, 2008, 4:15 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
May 23, 2008
Everyone talks about how fun to drive our 2007 Mini Cooper S is. But I've found it has an amazing towing capacity. Look at this trailer I lugged around with our Cooper.
Not...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (12)
-
- Posted by: Philip Reed May 23, 2008, 10:15 AM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
May 21, 2008
I think the Mini is my favorite car in our long term test group to drive for one reason only:
The thing is so dang easy to blip shift!
I'm not as good as the others on staff with the finer techniques of driving, but I try to practice my blip shifting while in traffic and around town. The Mini has a pretty responsive motor to rev it up, an easy throw gear, the pedals are nicely spaced apart and the clutch has a nice catch point. It's so easy it nearly over inflates your confidence.
When you get it just right and the little engine is buzzing loudly as you come to a corner, it's a sweet feeling. You can almost imagine you're Lewis Hamilton speeding through Monaco...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (10)
-
- Posted by: May 21, 2008, 10:21 AM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
May 15, 2008
Turbocharged engines used to have a unique character, a.k.a. "turbo lag." You'd roll into the throttle from a stop, wait a few beats for the boost to kick in, and whooooosh! The sudden rush of power would pin you back in your seat. Automotive journalists often had nasty things to say about turbo lag, but personally I enjoyed it...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (16)
-
- Posted by: SadButTrue May 15, 2008, 4:43 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
May 12, 2008
Remember when Donna reported that the Mini literally stinks? One of our readers guessed it was mold and after a waff of Mini stank a few weeks ago, that's certainly my guess as well. It's pretty disgusting and I'd much rather sit in a hot car that slowly die from mold spores being blown into my face. Anyway, before rushing to the dealer, we decided to take a holistic approach...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (13)
-
- Posted by: JRiz May 12, 2008, 9:06 AM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
May 7, 2008
Yesterday our 2007 Mini Cooper S zipped past the 15,000 mile mark. Considering there are still three months to go before it must be returned to Mini, I'd say it'll pass the 20,000 miles mark during it's 12 months in our fleet. And that means we like this little hatchback.
In case you haven't noticed, if a car doesn't make the 20,000 mile mark, it's for one of two reasons...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (22)
-
- Posted by: May 7, 2008, 2:24 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
April 29, 2008
It's that time again. On the eve of our four-car fuel-sipper comparison test, I thought I would calculate the lifetime fuel economy of another diminutive fuel sipper -- albeit one that's fun to drive. Since our last update, we've actually improved our Mini Cooper's fuel economy by 0.6 mpg! How about that!
Average MPG: 26.24
EPA Combined MPG: 29 (d'oh!)
Best Tank: 33.70 mpg
Worst Tank: 16.57 mpg
There was a fill-up that reported 40 mpg, however, the entry's penmanship was questionable and it just seemed too good to be true. So it's certainly possible that Brian Moody went on a 123-mile downhill road trip with a stiff tail wind, but I've thrown it out just in case and used the second-best tank...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (17)
-
- Posted by: JRiz April 29, 2008, 10:02 AM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
April 22, 2008
When IL Senior Editor Erin Riches and I took a road trip to Central California this past weekend, we stayed at the (low) Quality Inn in Pismo Beach. This ended up being a big mistake as this particular motel seemed to attract nothing but college kids.
So from 10pm to 2am, these kids were running up and down the walkway outside of our motel room on the 2nd floor as their party was going off two doors down from ours. Sometimes they would even bang on our door and run away...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (13)
-
- Posted by: Caroline Pardilla April 22, 2008, 1:58 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
April 21, 2008
Various California Central Coast wineries were the destination for the 2007 Mini Cooper S over the weekend. As I'd expected, driving the Mini on all the back roads between Los Angeles and San Luis Obispo was a bigger treat than tasting various pinot noirs. As previously reported, any curvy road is fun with a Mini. However, roads with tighter, lower-speed turns show off the car's personality to best effect...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (0)
-
- Posted by: Erin Riches April 21, 2008, 2:55 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
April 16, 2008
I had the Mini Cooper S this past weekend (I didn't notice the A/C stink) and I once again realized the vast improvements made to this car over the original new Mini. In fact, I'd venture to say that this one went down in only three areas: center stack ergonomics, styling and steering. Even the last one is a mixed reaction since the two-mode electric set-up is far friendlier in parking situations.
My girlfriend owned a 2005 Mini Cooper S and I subsequently logged quite a few miles behind the wheel in it -- including the same route I took this week to Moorpark, Calif...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (17)
-
- Posted by: JRiz April 16, 2008, 2:15 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
April 15, 2008
Haven't driven the Mini Cooper S in a while. Jumped in last night and the previous driver had left the A/C on full blast. I got hit in the face with a musty, stinky, yucky smell.
It was like "feet wrapped in leathery burnt bacon."
(If you get that pseudo-Star Wars reference you win a gold star.)
It took a good five minutes for it to clear up...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (23)
-
- Posted by: Donna Derosa April 15, 2008, 3:40 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
April 11, 2008
The above photo has little to do with this post. I was going to talk about the fact that while the seats in our 2007 Mini Cooper S fold down, they don't slide forward, so the space use is a trifle inefficient. . .blah blah blah...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (9)
-
- Posted by: Doug Lyoyd April 11, 2008, 10:12 AM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
April 9, 2008
The crack. It's mesmerizing. Much like the Tide-To-Go ad where the guy is in an interview and all you can look at is the coffee stain on his shirt.
When you drive at night you think there's a twig lodged under the wiper...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (12)
-
- Posted by: April 9, 2008, 9:47 AM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
April 7, 2008
My esteemed colleague Mr Jordan extolled the virtues of our long-term Honda Fit's small wheels, and it reminded me of something that's bugged me about our 2007 Mini's wheels (and tires) for quite some time.
It goes beyond our Mini's flinty ride quality and the tires' susceptibility to damage.
It's the look. To me, the styling of the 2007 Mini just doesn't look right with all that wheel...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (21)
-
- Posted by: Jay Kavanagh April 7, 2008, 3:16 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
April 3, 2008
Mini fun.
If I could just write that for my blog and not get into trouble, I would. But seriously, it's the most concise and true explanation of the Mini.
Usually my choice for cars to drive is based the fact that a smaller car is better on the crowded streets for parking...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (24)
-
- Posted by: April 3, 2008, 12:54 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
March 26, 2008
I don't know if you can see that in the picture up there but that's a crack in our 2007 Mini Cooper S's windshield. I saw it when I took the Mini home last night and was instantly saddened. I wonder how that got there considering there's no mention of it happening in previous Mini posts. There doesn't seem to be a point of impact like where a rock might have hit it...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (13)
-
- Posted by: Caroline Pardilla March 26, 2008, 11:08 AM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
March 19, 2008
Now, this may not apply to all drivers, but at my height and driving position, shifting the Mini Cooper S is a serious pain in the arm. (What'd you think I meant?)
Pictured above is the interior of the Mini Cooper. Please note the center armrest. Nice touch, right? Well yes, in the most basic "where-should-I-put-my-arm?" way, beyond that, however, it is the single most irritating piece of hardware in our long term fleet.
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (16)
-
- Posted by: Mike Magrath March 19, 2008, 5:58 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
March 14, 2008
The other day I had a dilemma. I was faced with either taking our 2007 Mini Cooper S or 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer. I know these cars aren't usually shopped against each other but for the moment, I was trying to decide if I should follow my heart or my head.
Normally the Mini manages to win by tugging at my heart strings but since I was going to drive way the heck across town to Pasadena from Santa Monica in rush-hour traffic, I considered taking the Lancer...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (25)
-
- Posted by: Caroline Pardilla March 14, 2008, 11:51 AM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S, 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS
March 12, 2008
Last night as a friend and I were leaving Pasadena, we took this long, wide speedway of a shortcut to get from the 134 freeway to Hollywood. Everyone seemed to be ignoring the 40-mph speed limit and zooming past. I was just driving along in our 2007 Mini Cooper S minding my own business when at the corner of my eye I saw this car hanging out at my passenger side door.
"Check out those boys...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (9)
-
- Posted by: Caroline Pardilla March 12, 2008, 10:06 AM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
March 3, 2008
If I'm offered a car for the night, I usually pick from the available wheels based on vehicle size as I have to park on the crowded streets of West LA. So when I saw the Mini was open, I jumped at the chance.
This time my choice wasn't based on the fun factor or my neighborhood's parking situation, but rather for the fact I was going to cheer on friends at this Sunday's LA Marathon. There were predictions of crowds nearing the one million mark in downtown plus there was a Lakers game...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (10)
-
- Posted by: March 3, 2008, 4:46 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
February 25, 2008
I've not spent a lot of quality time in our Mini Cooper so I opted to take it home for the weekend. I think my expectations were too high - the car is disappointing to me. I suspect the optional Sport Package is to blame.
On the freeway, the car darts around like a nesting sparrow and the ride is so bumpy that even normal conversation sounds as if both participants are pounding their chests...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (25)
-
- Posted by: Brian Moody February 25, 2008, 8:11 AM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
February 22, 2008
The roads were half-dried from last night's rainstorm -- dry enough to justify a quick back-roads drive in our 2007 Mini Cooper S before heading to the office.
There aren't many words I haven't already used to describe this car's handling, but suffice to say the Mini can be even more fun when traction is low. It still bites into corners the way I like, but you have to be a little more alert at the steering wheel to mind the tail. Damp bits of pavement, ruts, a little extra throttle -- all will get it wagging just a bit. Nothing dangerous, mind you. This is all play for a Mini Cooper S.
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (0)
-
- Posted by: Erin Riches February 22, 2008, 12:30 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
February 19, 2008
As you Mini Cooper buffs know, the previous-generation S was supercharged while the current one is turbocharged. Before this version debuted and I had heard that Mini was switching from super- to turbocharging, it struck me odd. Granted, Toyota had done this with the MR2 -- the first gen had a supercharged version, while the second-gen went to turbocharging. But isn't supercharging usually better in terms of a no-lag, right-now boost in performance?
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (0)
-
- Posted by: John DiPietro February 19, 2008, 4:27 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
February 15, 2008
I dig our Mini's wheels. Wheels are one of those obvious details that can really make or break the looks of a car. I think our Minis' wheels really up its sporty looks and fun factor.
In fact, out of all the manufacturers out there, I think the Mini had the best selection of wheels available...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (10)
-
- Posted by: February 15, 2008, 3:31 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
February 11, 2008
The Cooper S is a performance car, right? Feisty turbocharged engine, sports car handling, blah, blah, blah.
So why isn't there a temp gauge in this thing?
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (15)
-
- Posted by: John DiPietro February 11, 2008, 2:39 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
February 6, 2008
A few editors, including myself, have written about the Mini's stupidly designed audio controls (here and here). Last night I discovered that the stereo has sound quality to match. For reasons too uninteresting to discuss, I still carry around a full catalogue of CDs with me and last night I decided to pop in the new Muse album I downloaded from iTunes recently. It sounded awful, with virtually no mid range and the speakers sounded as if they were encased in mud. Having never listened to the CD before and knowing iTunes files can differ in quality, I immediately popped in a store-bought Coldplay CD and it too sounded awful...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (17)
-
- Posted by: JRiz February 6, 2008, 10:41 AM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
February 4, 2008
It's hard to believe we've put 11,000 miles on our Mini Cooper. It's harder to believe that we haven't changed the oil yet.
We planned to combine a service with the installation of our new wheel. To our surprise, Long Beach Mini refused to perform the service. The advisor explained, "BMW won't pay us if we service the car early. You have to wait until the car's computer determines it's due."
Look quick...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (40)
-
- Posted by: February 4, 2008, 7:27 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
January 31, 2008
Not too long ago, our long term Mini Cooper S lost a brief, but valiant altercation with a California bomb crater pothole. The casualty, originally thought only to be a Dunlop SP Sport 01 DSST, turned out to include the wheel to which the Dunlop was mounted. While the wheel didn't seem to have suffered any structural damage, we thought it best to go ahead and pop for a new wheel.
When our usual go-to dealer, Long Beach BMW/Mini, didn't have one in stock, we tracked one down at South Bay BMW/Mini...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (0)
-
- Posted by: Kurt Niebuhr January 31, 2008, 9:02 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
January 28, 2008
Our friends at Stokes Tire Pros took delivery of our new 205/45R17Dunlop SP Sport 01 DSST run-flat tire ($284.44, including shipping, from the Tire Rack) today, so we drove over there to have installed on the 2007 Mini Cooper S.
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (0)
-
- Posted by: Erin Riches January 28, 2008, 6:19 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
January 24, 2008
For those curious, total mileage for my LA-Flagstaff-Vegas-LA trip in the 2007 Mini Cooper S was 1,236 miles. The car consumed 42.143 gallons of 91 octane, and average fuel economy was 29.3 mpg.
As you might be able to tell from the photo, I stopped off at the southern rim of the Grand Canyon while en route to Vegas. It was my first time there, and although I was appropriately awed, it was tough to find a clear spot to document the Mini's first trip to the Grand Canyon. I guess I was missing the point. But it was only 30 degrees outside, which is a little cold for a hike on-foot.
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (0)
-
- Posted by: Erin Riches January 24, 2008, 12:58 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
I was pressed for time as I left Vegas yesterday morning, but I couldn't live with the reality of not taking a back-roads detour in our 2007 Mini Cooper S. So when I reached Baker, California, I turned down lonely Kelbaker Road, which runs between I-15 and I-40 through an area called Devils Playground.
Evidently, the devil doesn't like to drive, because although there were lots of ominous rock formations, the road itself was a disappointment -- nowhere near enough tight turns for a Cooper S. There were lots of potholes, though, and although I drove with care, I eventually hit one. I pulled over, and sure enough, there was a bulge in the left front tire's sidewall just like that time with our BMW 330i. In other words, terminal damage to the Mini's run-flat tire.
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (20)
-
- Posted by: Erin Riches January 24, 2008, 12:43 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
January 21, 2008
I'm about two-thirds of the way through my Mini road trip, which includes a stop in Vegas in addition to Flagstaff, AZ. Time constraints have necessitated more time on the interstate (and less time on back roads) than I'd like, but I'm hoping to squeeze in a run through the Valley of Fire before it's over.
In the meantime, I've found new ways to enjoy our 2007 Mini Cooper S. The turbocharged engine was energized by the cold mountain air and didn't seem to lose a bit of stamina during the climb to 7,000 feet. As you'd imagine, I, too, was energized and I drove accordingly. Yet, the car still returned respectable fuel economy -- I got 27 mpg during my most, well, enthusiastic stint behind the wheel (totaling 346 miles) and 31 mpg during a more frugal 332-mile period.
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (0)
-
- Posted by: Bob Holland January 21, 2008, 11:27 PM
- Categories: Convertibles, Volvo
January 18, 2008
I try to imagine which features would still bother me after driving a car for a year. In our 2007 Mini Cooper S, it's the HVAC controls. They are small and poorly positioned and would always be difficult to operate, especially since this car is fast and twitchy. Try looking away from the road while navigating traffic and attempting to stab a small button that's poorly labeled...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (6)
-
- Posted by: Philip Reed January 18, 2008, 11:07 AM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
January 16, 2008
Getting into our long-term Mini always feels like a treat, but the logic of its stereo head unit is a continual irritation. Fortunately, it will only bother people like me who still listen to CDs. Here's the deal: Often, if the previous driver was listening to the radio, the Mini's stereo will not switch formats when you insert a CD. If I want to hear my CD, I have to tap the "audio" button a couple times or hit audio and use the twister knob...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (0)
-
- Posted by: Erin Riches January 16, 2008, 3:16 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
January 14, 2008
Here are the current mpg numbers for our 2007 Mini Cooper S. Now even though the manual Coop is reported to get 29 mpg/36 mpg city/highway, suffering under our staff of leadfoots (feet?) she's been averaging 25.7 mpg. Best tank: 30.9 and worst tank is 22.3.
And just out of curiosity I looked up my average mpg for my trip up north over the holidays, driving extra legal speeds and without the benefit of cruise control and I got about 26.5 mpg...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (17)
-
- Posted by: Caroline Pardilla January 14, 2008, 10:03 AM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
January 10, 2008
When I got into the Mini last night, the gas gauge had 3 of the 10 lights illuminated. Now, if it had a total of 8 lights, I would know that 2 lit meant I had a quarter of a tank of gas. But 3/10? OK, so I've got a little room, I thought...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (10)
-
- Posted by: Donna Derosa January 10, 2008, 5:08 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
January 8, 2008
When learning how to drive stick, I recall viewing an upcoming hill -- and the subsequent stop -- as if 10,000 frothy-mouthed huns were rampaging towards me. To prevent rolling back, I'd usually rev the hell out of the engine and wait with nostrils primed for the aroma of smoking clutch. Sometimes I'd resort to the old e-brake pull, which is what I witnessed drivers routinely doing on the damp, cobblestone streets of Edinburgh.
Today, I don't have that problem, but starting a manual-equipped car on a hill is still hardly a treat. Except of course in our Mini Cooper S and other cars equipped with Hill Assist (I recall Subaru being the first to offer it, but I could be wrong)...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (21)
-
- Posted by: JRiz January 8, 2008, 2:04 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
January 7, 2008
I've been lucking out lately with our 2007 Mini Cooper S in that it's been available to me a lot more for some reason so frankly I'm at a loss as to what else I can say about it that hasn't already been said. "Um, it's still a fun car."
But then I realized there's one thing no one has mentioned before: During the holidays when attending the various shindigs, I found that the triangular cargo nets in the trunk (sorry I didn't take a picture of them) were perfect for toting wine/liquor bottles to and from the parties. That way my bottle of 18-year-old Elijah Craig wasn't in danger of breaking or even opening when I had to carry unused portions back home. The nets hold the bottles upright and keep them from colliding into the other cargo you may be lugging around in the trunk...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (6)
-
- Posted by: Caroline Pardilla January 7, 2008, 4:40 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
January 4, 2008
Just before the holidays I spent a long weekend with a 2008 Mini Cooper hatch, the base model, with the Sport Package and various other options. I never cared for the base version of the previous Cooper. I was quite surprised then when I ended up liking the car -- to the point that I'd take the base hatch over our turbocharged S, even without the $3,000 price break.
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (0)
-
- Posted by: Erin Riches January 4, 2008, 12:00 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
January 2, 2008
OK, so it seems no one in my family likes to be a passenger in our 2007 Mini Cooper S. My brother rode shotgun with me for the trip up north to Sacramento and then back to L.A. and complained about the Mini's stiff ride the entire time. Actually, he's a complainer so it was really annoying, not only did he suffer but I suffered, too...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (16)
-
- Posted by: Caroline Pardilla January 2, 2008, 4:03 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
December 31, 2007
Even though our 2007 Mini Cooper S's backseat wasn't a favorite of my parents, with the seats down it proved handy for lugging Christmas presents and After-Xmas sales purchases back to L.A., including a cooler filled with holiday leftovers, a pair of luggage, and two computer bags.
I was skeptical about everything fitting in at first (why did my brother have to buy a Christmas tree?), but then I removed the partial shelf and slotted everything in like a jigsaw puzzle. Sure, it took some careful planning and several attempts to get everything fitting just right so that I could still see out the back window from the driver seat but in the end it worked. It would have been even better if the seats folded flat but we were able to work around that...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (4)
-
- Posted by: Caroline Pardilla December 31, 2007, 3:48 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
December 25, 2007
I just realized how selfish I was in taking our 2007 Mini Cooper S as my road trip car for the holidays in Northern California. Usually when I visit my folks, we end up taking a trip to San Francisco to visit even more family or to Monterey for fun. But this time, when I brought up the idea of going somewhere in the Mini, even to the mall that's 8 miles away, my parents would have none of it. I thought it was because they figured they wouldn't fit back there but my mom said it was because she didn't feel safe in the small car...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (25)
-
- Posted by: Caroline Pardilla December 25, 2007, 11:17 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
December 10, 2007
Something that actually irks me about our 2007 Mini Cooper S is how it requires a light touch with almost everything. It seems that every time I flick the turn signal to get in the next lane I end up using too much force and actually activate it to go off longer than I mean for it to. So then I try to cancel it by flicking the turn signal the other way but that just manages to activate the signal the other way. By this time, I'm cursing at the turn signal stalk and the drivers behind me think I'm off my rocker...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (15)
-
- Posted by: Caroline Pardilla December 10, 2007, 2:42 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
December 4, 2007
Here's the bowl:
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (32)
-
- Posted by: Dark Helmet December 4, 2007, 8:38 AM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
November 30, 2007
Yesterday our 2007 Mini Cooper S spent the day at the Streets of Willow road course -- parked outside the pit lane. To offset the lack of track time for our happy red hatchback, I took the long way up to the desert that morning. On my way out of LA, I turned onto Oro Vista Road in Sunland, CA, which becomes Big Tujunga Canyon Road, and then I turned onto the Angeles Forest Highway (here's a map for those interested).
In addition to the Mini's lively, mischievous personality, I was again impressed (and yes, delighted) by how well everything comes together in this car as you're going through turns -- the way the steering feels, the way the suspension reacts, the resistance of the pedals, the euphoric revviness of the engine following a smooth heel/toe downshift...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (0)
-
- Posted by: Erin Riches November 30, 2007, 2:06 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
November 28, 2007
Other quirks I just noticed about our 2007 Mini Cooper S? The dimmer switch located on the tachometer actually works by pressing it like a button, not twisting it like how it is in most cars I've been in. Mind you I was determined to figure out how to work this without reading the manual. So when you press and hold the skinny "button," the interior lights get brighter and pressing it briefly makes it dimmer...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (11)
-
- Posted by: Caroline Pardilla November 28, 2007, 4:31 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
November 26, 2007
The 2007 Mini Cooper is like a fun little toy that you love killing time with. With its peppy engine, it's just as much of a blast to pilot as an RC car. And its miniature dimensions -- which came in so handy during this holiday weekend of crowded parking lots -- only heighten this impression.
Unfortunately, though, the Mini is also toylike in one way that's a bit less impressive...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (0)
-
- Posted by: Warren Clarke November 26, 2007, 1:07 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
November 14, 2007
You might have noticed that we've published a follow-up test on the 2008 Volkswagen R32. The lead of the story mentions California's Highway 178, and in fact I had the opportunity to drive that white R32 back-to-back with our long-term 2007 Mini Cooper S on the same route. It winds through the Sierras and dumps one out into the vast expanse of the Mojave desert.
Both cars are European hatchbacks, and the price of a loaded-up Mini Cooper S can come very close to the R32's $32,990 base price. But could our 172-horsepower Cooper S with keep up with the 250-hp all-wheel-drive R32? I wanted to find out.
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (43)
-
- Posted by: Brent Romans November 14, 2007, 1:13 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
November 13, 2007
This weekend, I put some serious miles on our long-term 2007 Mini Cooper S. Great little car. Spunky as hell, quick, a blast to drive. And despite its relative ubiquity in Southern California, people look at it...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (14)
-
- Posted by: Doug Lyoyd November 13, 2007, 5:47 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
November 7, 2007
I have to admit, one of the main reasons I wouldn't mind owning a Mini is so I could wake up to this face. It just makes me happy. Ahhh....
Aside from that, aspects of our 2007 Mini Cooper S seem to be configured to making my life pleasant...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (6)
-
- Posted by: Caroline Pardilla November 7, 2007, 11:25 AM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
November 5, 2007
Seat heaters have got to be at the top of my list of favorite car features and I especially appreciate them in the cloth seats of our 2007 Mini Cooper S. They are so effective. There are three settings: Simmer, Roast and Scorch. But my buns could only really bear Simmer...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (12)
-
- Posted by: Caroline Pardilla November 5, 2007, 1:54 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
November 1, 2007
Last night a friend and I were heading over to a Halloween party clear across town in Downtown L.A. While we were sitting in the 2007 Mini Cooper S during post rush-hour traffic, out of the blue she blurts out, "Why is the speedometer so huge?" What's funny is that I never really considered that before as I just shrugged it off as a Mini quirk.
But why is it so huge? It's not like it contains a lot of additional gauges. "It's almost pie-size," she continued. "It's just weird for a small car like the Mini to have this one big pie-plate thing in it." "Yeah, I dunno," was all I could think to say.
Later I asked one of the editors, John DiPietro, if he knew the answer.
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (19)
-
- Posted by: Caroline Pardilla November 1, 2007, 3:51 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
October 30, 2007
When I bent down to check the tire pressure in our 2007 Mini Cooper S this morning, I noted that it has one of the higher recommended cold inflation pressure readings I've run across in recent months -- 38 psi. The Mini's 205/45R17 Dunlop run-flat tires were all between 35 and 36 psi, so I proceeded to the gas station to top them off.
Erin Riches, Senior Content Editor @ 6,152 miles
- Permalink | Comments (10)
-
- Posted by: John O'Dell October 30, 2007, 10:13 AM
- Categories: 2007 Honda Civic GX
October 29, 2007
Any doubt I had about my descent into Mini-nerdom was put to rest during last week's trip to Tokyo: I now get excited just walking by Mini dealerships. Like Mini Roppongi, which is tucked into an upscale block of department stores in this central district of Tokyo.
I was particularly smitten with the rain-soaked Mini One parked out front.
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (0)
-
- Posted by: Erin Riches October 29, 2007, 11:22 AM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
October 24, 2007
After driving our long-term Versa for a couple of days, slipping into the 2007 Mini Cooper S was like slipping into a warm bath on a cold day, like jumping into a pair of tailored, high-quality trousers after wearing ill-fitting jeans...I could go on. But shifting the Mini is soo easy and I don't know if it's because I learned how to drive stick on one or what.
Every shift was smooth, things snicked into place like buttuh. I found myself taking long detours during quick errands just so I could get more seat time...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (4)
-
- Posted by: Caroline Pardilla October 24, 2007, 12:53 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
October 15, 2007
I thought I would be safe from the wiles of the second-generation New Mini: The steering isn't quite right, the torque steer can be annoying, and the red body/black roof color scheme of our 2007 Mini Cooper S is not at all what I'd choose for myself. But yesterday I realized our long-termer has gotten to me. I never get up early on weekends, yet there I was, at 8:30 in the morning, still not fully awake, speeding toward some good roads -- just so the Mini and I could have a conversation.
We talk about different things every time, because there's just so much happening with this chassis and almost all of it's interesting. Also entertaining is the rapidfire response of the turbo 1.6 in sport mode, and I never tire of working through the gears even if redline (6,500) comes a bit early for my taste...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (0)
-
- Posted by: Erin Riches October 15, 2007, 10:26 AM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
October 4, 2007
As you might know from reading previously published reports, the turbocharged engine in the second-generation Mini Cooper S has an "overboost" function. When the throttle is floored, increased turbo boost pressure is allowed for a brief period, and the result is more power and quicker acceleration.
When driving our long-term 2007 Cooper S, I've noticed the overboost burst of speed on numerous occasions. I've attached a pretty cool graph from Mini's press kit that shows torque and horsepower curves for the Cooper S' regular and overboosted conditions.
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (11)
-
- Posted by: Bob Holland October 4, 2007, 8:58 AM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
October 1, 2007
The second-generation Mini Cooper is 3 inches longer than the first generation model. But its 146.2-inch overall length is still quite petite as cars go, and that allows for easy parallel parking. The Mini is actually the shortest car sold in America save for the upcoming 2008 Smart Fortwo. As such, it's quite the functional urban runabout...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (4)
-
- Posted by: Brent Romans October 1, 2007, 7:20 AM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
September 24, 2007
The customization aspect of the new Mini Cooper has always been one of the car's major strengths in my opinion. The range of features and styling choices for the car (Mini says there are 10,000,000 different permutations for the second-generation) remind me of the customization possible on Porsche's cars. The only problem is that adding a lot of cool stuff results in a not-so-mini price.
Building your own Mini can be good waste of a few minutes. Our long-term car comes pretty close to how I'd want mine if I were buying a Cooper S. But there are two missing features that I'd have to get.
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (11)
-
- Posted by: Brent Romans September 24, 2007, 10:04 AM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
September 21, 2007
It's Friday afternoon. It's TGIF, Miller Time, etc. So what recent Inside Line long-term car would you want for the weekend?
Limited to small, sporty cars, your choices would include: The 2007 Mini Cooper S. Our previous 2002 Mini Cooper S...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (18)
-
- Posted by: Brent Romans September 21, 2007, 1:16 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
September 13, 2007
Regarding '07 changes in the Mini, something I couldn't help but notice in our 2007 Mini Cooper S is that ridge on the gearshift ball. I hate it. It digs into my hand when I shift. I tried grasping under the ridge but that just feels too awkward...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (10)
-
- Posted by: Caroline Pardilla September 13, 2007, 9:48 AM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
September 10, 2007
When Mini redesigned the Cooper coupe this year (the convertible remains the same as last year), it was great that they kept the same loveable retro style. But so subtle were the generational changes that it was somewhat frustrating to car nuts like me to try and tell it apart from last year's coupe.
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (0)
-
- Posted by: John DiPietro September 10, 2007, 2:03 PM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
September 7, 2007
I love the new Mini. The engine is superb, the seats no longer make my lower back go numb, and it's still an absolute hoot to drive. But the interior irks me. I think the design in terms of aesthetics is better than the old one (I'm actually OK with the center-mounted speedo), but look up "form over function" on Wikipedia and a picture of the Mini's center stack will be displayed along with some inaccurate information. Also, there are several basic features that should be standard, but aren't.
So let's play a little game I call complaint by numbers.
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (18)
-
- Posted by: JRiz September 7, 2007, 9:59 AM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
August 23, 2007
When I read the early reports on the Mini Cooper redesign, I got worried. Mini designers had to raise the hood height to comply with European pedestrian safety standards, and this necessitated a rise in the car's overall beltline to provide a uniform appearance. Raise the beltline, of course, and you get a smaller glass area -- and I feared this would diminish the superb visbility and accompanying sense of driver empowerment that I found so endearing about the "old" new Mini...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (0)
-
- Posted by: Erin Riches August 23, 2007, 11:15 AM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
August 20, 2007
First off, let me state I love our Mini Cooper S. Loved the first-gen that we had in our L.T. fleet and love this one even more. It's small, quick, fast and agile. The ultimate giant-slayer on a twisty road. And the new one has something the old one didn't -- bags of low-end power.
The down-side to the feisty turbo engine is the occasional torque steer. The latter is the tendency of a powerful front-drive car to pull left or right when you stand on the gas -- you feel it as a tug in the steering wheel. Even some all-wheel-drive vehicles (e.g. the previous-generation Saturn Vue with the V6) will exhibit this if it's the type that operates in a FWD mode until slippage is detected...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (9)
-
- Posted by: John DiPietro August 20, 2007, 10:05 AM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
August 14, 2007
I feel like putting a sticky note on the key to our 2007 Mini Cooper S: "Stop me from driving this car!" You see, I need to protect myself from myself. This car is so fast and so capable you think you can do anything. In a crowded space like Los Angeles, with so many moving objects all battling for space, this feeling can be dangerous.
I also can't believe how different this '07 Mini is from our 2002 Mini Cooper S...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (5)
-
- Posted by: Philip Reed August 14, 2007, 9:48 AM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
August 13, 2007
I haven't quite forgiven the Cooper S for losing some steering feedback in the transition to full electric power assist, but I came awfully close over the weekend. First things first: I found the "Sport" button behind the shifter (which "causes your Mini to respond even more sportily," says the owner's manual, via quicker reactions to throttle and steering inputs) and took the long way through the canyons to the Loehmann's in Van Nuys. Great fun...
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (0)
-
- Posted by: Erin Riches August 13, 2007, 10:31 AM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
August 8, 2007
Even before the Long-Term intro went "live" (the green flag that allows us to commence blogging) I'd suffered a "Low Tire Pressure Event" in our spanking new 2007 Mini Cooper S. Without planning to, I conducted an impromptu test of the Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) and the Dunlop run-flat tires.
Continue reading...
- Permalink | Comments (31)
-
- Posted by: Dan Edmunds August 8, 2007, 11:09 AM
- Categories: 2007 Mini Cooper S
