Smiles Abound! ... kinda
Written: Aug 07 '03 (Updated Aug 07 '03)
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Pros: small, eye-catching, fun, reasonable price
Cons: sometimes uncomfortable, can be expensive, gas mileage
The Bottom Line: It really is a great car and BMW put a lot of time and effort into it, which is great, and certainly well worth it!
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| the_ikonoclast's Full Review: 2003 MINI Cooper |
Okay everybody, I just got my epinions account tonight just so I could write a review about this car. [I think I am also the only MINI driver who calls their car a "Pooper" as a term of endearment :^)]
I finally got my Cooper S last December, after hearing about it for over a year, since 2001. I had been eagerly anticipating it's arrival to the market for a long time. I am not quite sure how the market is doing now, but a while ago, it was kicking! Orders placed at the end of November/early December would be ready Spring of the next year. It's a little hard to get your hands on one, especially if you are impatient! Another thing to watch out for is the mark-up at highly frequented MINI dealerships. So far, all of the ones here in the Northern California Bay Area have a mark-up fee. One way to get around it is to buy it from other dealers in a location where there wouldn't be as much demand for the cars. My cousin told me how his co-worker wanted one so badly, and in order to avoid the unnecessary add-ons and mark-up, ordered the car in Utah and drove it back to California. Now that's dedication.
Now, so far, everybody has written about how well the little guy can handle corners and curves, and that the feeling of driving one is akin to a go-kart, you can't deny it. If you want your Pooper to be a little softer on the bumps with a cushier ride, get the regular Cooper that comes with 15" or 16" wheels, but then you miss out on the sportiness that comes with the 17" performance tires (included in the "Sport Package"). The Cooper S comes with 16 inchers, and to upgrade to the 17 inchers would cost you an extra $600, so for that money, you're better off getting the "Sport Package" (that includes the larger tires, Dynamic Stability Control, Xenon headlights and a couple of other things).
There is also the "Premium Package" which includes cruise control, the large dual-pane sunroof, onboard computer and automatic AC. I would say that these two are probably the best packages as the little things add up in the long run for a sportier and more "luxurious" ride.
Now, here are my gripes that nobody else seemed to share. Ready?
#1. The seat is uncomfortable. Well, it is comfortable, only after fiddling the darn thing for 10 minutes. There are 4 possible ways to adjust the seat; a pumping lever to adjust the height, a lift-up-lever in which you move closer or farther away from the steering wheel, a turn-dial for lumbar support and a regular lever to adjust the seat back. What is annoying is that you cannot adjust the height without it affecting the seat angle between the seat back and the bum part. Since they are bucket seats and not those couch-like seats that are in Mercedes' or Lexus', my back started hurting after driving a long distance (about 1 - 1.5 hours). I couldn't just pull over and pump, dump, pull, push and turn all the levers to get to a comfortable position while I was on the highway, so my savior? The seat warmer (comes in the "Cold Weather/Chilly Package" along with heated side view mirrors and heated washer jets). It soothed my aching lower back. Another thing, once you've grooved a comfortable place for your back and bum, DON'T, I REPEAT DON'T let anyone else drive it or change it. Its a hassle! Trust me, my father just took it yesterday and I literally came home with a sore lower back thirty minutes ago because he changed it.
#2. The air conditioner/heat vents are cool and interesting and are, for the most part, a good design...for only the passenger. The circular little vent on the far left corner, the one intended to cool down/heat up the driver's left area has a poor design. The flow of air is blocked by the steering wheel itself (because it is relatively thick) and the turn signal. In order for me to feel any AC I had to close all 3 of 4 vents (there 2 for the driver, 2 for passenger) so one would blast the cool air to me. Unfortunately it only cooled the right half of my body.
#3. Not sure about the regular Coopers, but my experience was not too great while driving with the AC turned up full blast. Hey, it was 90 something outside and the black leather interior is hot! Anyway, I was surprised at how much engine power was taken away by turning it on so high. I mean I realize it sucks up power and gas, but I had to get the RPM going up noticeably (that's the key word) higher before letting out the clutch, otherwise I would have stalled at the intersection. And from there, if you don't punch the gas, it kind of stutters along until it gets going.
#4. Okay, so I shouldn't gripe too much about gas, as it does claim to get 34 highway and 28 for the city I believe, on a MINI Cooper S, and it holds 13 gallons. Sounds like you'll average out to about, well, at least 360 miles for a whole tank, right? Wrong. I only get about 280. Come on! That means I have to fill up every single week, sometimes twice a week if I have to go far for work. I asked the dealer about this and they all said "that's about right." So I know it's not only my car. Just pointing that out for you dear readers.
#5. There is no spare tire for the Cooper S with the "Sports Package" because they figure giving you the run-flats are good enough. I've had this car for 8 months now and its already gotten a flat, so it was kind of a pain to deal with. Just something else for the dear readers to consider.
#6. The cupholders are just accessories, or they are really little circular areas to hold pennies under the guise of a "cupholder". It is almost next to impossible to put any type of beverage in the two cupholders that are located directly under the toggle bar (where you toggle up or down the windows, DSC, lock/unlock, etc) --- for primarily that reason. It doesn't get enough clearance between the two things so you are left to put that cup of something in the 3rd cupholder, located between the front and back seats. It sometimes can be a hassle because you have to kind of twist your arm around to get it while driving, and can be a little annoying if you have more than one person in a car who might also need to use one of the cupholders.
#7. The seatbelt. When I am driving, (I am 5 ft. 7) I feel like no matter how I try to shift around, the seat belt is forcefully pushing itself on my neck and across my abdomen. I cannot put my chair far back to allieviate this problem otherwise I cannot reach the clutch!
Well, honestly, I think my critique is done. There are so many good reviews out about the MINI that I just felt like I needed to write about my little pesky troubles just in case people wanted to know. Don't get me wrong, it really is a good and fun little car, with a lot more character than the VW Beetles (and more aesthetically pleasing I think). Every single day I drive, there will be at least a couple of people who smile or give a thumbs up (or even other MINI drivers honking/waving hello) so it's also a really nice smile inducer.
My Pooper is grey with white bonnet stripes and a white roof with white mirrors, it has the sports package, premium package & cold weather package and the extended warranty, for your information
Also, http://www.bridger.us/2002/12/16/CrashTestingMINICooperVsFordF150 is where you can find an interesting article on the crash test results of the MINI Cooper compared to a Ford F-150.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 27,000
Condition: New
Model Year: 2003
Model and Options: MINI Cooper S
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Epinions.com ID:
the_ikonoclast
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Location: Bay Area California
Reviews written: 1
Trusted by: 0 members
About Me:
One hip female college student, majoring in international relations.
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