Over the past few years, I’ve had a chance to drive an impressive list of cars from manufacturers such as Audi, BMW, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Land Rover, and Infinity plus more common cars from Toyota, Honda, etc. However, not one single car gained the attention of my friends, family and co-workers like the Mini Cooper. It’s not uncommon for people to ask me what I’m driving that week, or what’s coming next week, and without fail, whenever I mentioned the Mini Cooper, I got an excited response. “Really? Will you take me for a ride?” “Oh Man, I love those!!!” “Wow, how is it?” Over and over, the small, modest car earned me more conversations than anything else I’ve driven. At one point, I was followed out of a local hardware store by the elderly owner and his wife to look at it. “Have you seen that one movie… The Italian Job? That’s a great movie… Those cars are so neat…”
Blah blah blah, I know. How does it drive?
The short answer? In the city, perfectly. On the freeway, not so good. Country road where you really shouldn’t go over 65 mph, but with lots of corners, FANTASTIC.
Overall, there are a few things that I really didn’t like about this car. And there were a ton of things that I loved about it. What I loved was driving this anywhere in the city. No street was too narrow for a u-turn. No parking space was too small. No corner was too tight. No gap between cars in traffic could keep me from merging lanes. It was quick and nimble unlike any other car I’ve driven, and it was so much fun in any corner I felt like a kid. The toggle switches on the dash made me feel like 007 sending an oil slick to my nemesis behind me, and positive attention from everybody around made me feel like a celebrity. Even it’s gas performance was wonderful. While there are many cars out there that get better milage, I’ve never gotten near 35 mpg and had this kind of fun. And finally, can you really put a premium on the near-celebrity status this car gives you? It’s startling that after 4 years of manufacturing, this car still excites people the way it does.
The problems I had with the car all seem small and rather ridiculous critiques of a car, however, there were enough of these little things that really make an impact on the driving experience which was otherwise so fantastic, that it seems sad that such little things kept it from a perfect rating. Chief among them was the interior styling. While some of the touches are really fun, the tachometer and turn single arm seemed gaudy and 70’s futuristic. They clashed with the sporty and well styled exterior and made the car feel like a cheap toy instead of a dream toy. Also, the gas pedal was sooooo touchy at freeway speeds that I never was comfortable for long periods of driving, which was highlighted by the lack of cruise control… an odd luxury that seems standard on anything but the most economic of cars these days. Another gripe was the door handles. Instead of grabbing and pulling the entire chrome handle out to activate the release, you had to press in on a thin lever hid inside the larger chrome handle. It was very awkward and sometimes even a bit difficult unless the hand was completely empty. I can imagine holding a cup of coffee and a bag, fidgeting with the keys, and getting very frustrated by the very precise touch needed to open the door. Again, this isn’t a make or break issue, but the Mini has been back for a few years now, and this sort of design decision seems like it should have been rectified by now. And while I don’t penalize the Mini for it’s visibility, the low roof made it very hard to see stoplights while stopped at a red light. Leaning down and looking up was the only way, and it quickly became tiresome during city driving.
The biggest complaint of them all though comes in reference to the cup holder. I try very hard not to judge a car by the cup holder, but in this case, it needs to be mentioned. It’s terrible. It sits on the dash like some sort of glued on after thought, projecting out towards the passenger seat and swinging directly into their leg room. It’s big, ugly, poorly placed, and not at all confidence inspiring. I do believe it is the only thing about the car that I can say I *really, really* don’t like. It’s that bad.
My wife loved this car, and has mentioned several times since testing it that we’ll have to get one someday. I agree that it would be a perfect second car for the family, one that she could drive on a day to day basis in the city, and the occasional excursion up country roads, while leaving me a larger and more comfortable drive for extended trips. For this purpose, I think the Mini can’t be beat.
Overall, a great and fun car that would make an excellent second car in a multi-car family. 4 stars.
Album: 2006-Mini-Cooper
