Not the car I expected, but safer than many people seem to think
Written: Aug 30 '02 (Updated Aug 01 '05)
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Pros: Style, refinement, power, stable handling, better than expected ride
Cons: Seat adjustments, lacks sharp responses, shifter
The Bottom Line: I approached the MINI hoping for a small car with razor sharp reflexes. Instead, I found a small car with the refinement and amenities of a near-luxury sedan.
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| mkaresh's Full Review: 2002 MINI Cooper |
I could introduce my review of the new MINI in so many ways. I could discuss the technological significance of the original MINI, which demonstrated how an interior suitable for adults could be packaged within a tiny car (just over ten feet in length) through the innovation of a transversely mounted front-wheel-drive powertrain. (Okay, Saab did it a decade earlier, but no one was paying attention. And they didn't stick with this configuration for long.) Today most cars are packaged this way, but Alec Issigonis did it first in 1959, and brilliantly. I could talk about how that car evolved from good, affordable transportation for Britons to a successful racecar (in Cooper form) to a celebrity pet, and finally to a pop icon that remained in production for over forty years. I could talk about how BMW bought the British manufacturer of the MINI, lost billions trying to make it profitable, then sold every piece of it—save the MINI. The MINI BMW decided to keep, seeing a way to capitalize on the nostalgia thing kicked off by the Beetle. I could talk about how BMW’s highly innovative yet also highly effective marketing campaign for the car is perhaps the most brilliant ever. Books can and likely will be written about this campaign.
But neither you nor I has time for all of this. Besides, you can find it elsewhere.
Instead, I’ll just focus on the sort of thing that makes me happy, and that might make you happy, too. Some people think fun in a car requires major horsepower and fat sticky tires. Not me. I’ll always have a big place in my automotive heart for small quick cars. I suppose this began back in 1985, when I test drove a Civic CRX Si. Very light with a nimble chassis and peppy (if not overpowering) sixteen-valve engine (one of the first available in the U.S.), that car was pure joy to drive, even at legal speeds. I still recall the well-balanced four-wheel drifts at 30 MPH or so through neighborhood intersections. Fun fun fun.
I’ve never driven the original MINI, but imagine it must have felt the same way. After all, Honda totally knocked off the MINI with its early Civics, and its founder’s philosophy of what a car should be strongly resembled Sir Alec’s. So I strongly looked forward to driving the new MINI, thinking I’d find a magical combination of go kart moves with BMW style and refinement.
Sadly, I was only half right.
Note: I have a more nuanced review of the 2004 MINI based on more extensive test drives of both models here.
MINI Cooper Reliability
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Styling
I was right about the style and refinement. The new MINI has style in spades. With the exterior the essence of the original MINI has been captured perfectly, even though the car has grown two whole feet in length (to meet modern expectations for comfort, safety, and big wheels) and been brought thoroughly up-to-date. The stubby nose, long roof, and wheels at the extreme corners—features that made the original so distinctive—are all here. Large wheels play a key role in disguising the growth of the car. Where the original MINI had ten-inch wheels, the new one comes standard with 15s, and 17s are available on the S. Sir Alec would not have approved—such large wheels take up volume that could be better used for other, more practical things. Since people gauge the size of a car largely based on the relative size of the wheels, without another basis for comparison the new MINI looks every bit as compact as the old.
For example, BMW recognized that people would buy MINIs as a statement of their individuality, so they have made the exterior of the car highly customizable. The roof and mirrors can be body color, black, or white. Or, if you prefer, the roof can be covered with a huge decal of the Union Jack. Only in America will people want this. Europeans, especially the British, tend to hate flags. Racing stripes can be added to the bonnet (Brit for hood), in black or white. Different wheels are available, with and without white paint. Chrome trim is available for the bumpers. In all, so many different combinations are possible that a creative owner should not have to ever see another MINI just like his or her own.
As well done as the exterior is, inside is where the new MINI truly shines. The style and materials suggest a much more expensive car. The Beetle interior looks cut-rate in comparison. There are endless details to surprise and delight. For example, the row of toggle switches at the foot of the center stack is an interesting touch. In cars without the optional navigation system (which to me makes no sense in such a car) the speedometer is a huge retro-looking dial in the center of the dash. (Hard to read at a glance there, but trendy right now.) In cars with the nav system, the speedometer is housed like the tach in a pod attached to the steering column. It goes without saying that the currently fashionable metallic trim adorns various surfaces. Clearly a great deal of thought went into this car, unlike most others on the road today. At least this is what my eyes tell me.
Accommodations
The new MINI further maintains the spirit of the old by providing a decent amount of room for adults in both the front and rear seat. Sure, this is no Lincoln Town Car, or even a Honda Civic, but two people can actually fit back there as long as the front seats aren’t pushed too far back. Headroom’s the important thing anyway, right? The long high roof means there’s plenty of that. Cargo room is limited with the rear seat up, but pretty good with the one or both halves of the rear seat folded.
At first I thought the car I drove had leather with an interestingly shiny sheen. Turned out to be vinyl. Pretty nice for vinyl, like quality patent leather. Since leather runs another $1,250, the vinyl is not a bad choice. Sir Alec likely favored vinyl for its superior durability anyway.
Things turn south in the driver’s seat. It’s a nicely shaped seat, with adjustable lumbar support and decent lateral support. (You'll want the latter; if you get the regular Cooper pay the extra for the sport seat standard in the S.) But the adjustments are awful. First, the reclining mechanism. Europeans generally favor a rotary control for the infinite adjustment and superior durability it provides. We lazy Americans favor a lever for ease of use. Somehow the Americans won this one. With a lever, you have detents, and I could not find one that made me happy. I was either reclined too far, or not enough. I kept fiddling with the thing, which only made me further appreciate how badly the lever in the car I drove was operating. I’d pull it up, and nothing would happen. So I’d yank on it harder, until it finally released with a pop. Doesn’t bode well for durability. A friend who works at a BMW dealer says this mechanism breaks in every car. Maybe when you spend a lot of time on nifty details, a few of the basics fall through the cracks?
I was similarly frustrated by the seat’s height adjuster. The tilt of the seat seemed to change as the seat was raised and lowered. Consequently, I could either have the seat at the height I wanted, or at the degree of tilt I wanted, but not both. Between the height adjustment and the recliner, I simply could not get comfortable behind the wheel, even though the seat itself was nicely shaped.
On the Road
The MINI is available in the States in two forms, Cooper and Cooper S. The major difference is that the S adds a supercharger to the 1.6 liter 16 valve four, boosting horsepower from 115 to 163, a stiffer suspension (optional on the standard car), sport seats (ditto), and larger wheels. Both engines require premium fuel—another reminder that BMW is behind this car. Falling for the “more power is better” mantra, I drove the S.
Not the way to go. Yes, it’s fast. Once that supercharger makes itself felt, speed climbs rapidly. This engine is plenty powerful for a 2700 lbs. car. What it isn’t is responsive. Floor the gas from a stop, and at first little happens. It takes a crucial moment for the supercharger to build up boost, something I thought was more a problem with turbochargers. (The air compressor in a turbocharger is driven by an impeller in the exhaust stream, while that in a supercharger is driven by a mechanical linkage to the engine; with the latter there should be less of a delay.) Even once up to speed, unless you’ve got the engine spinning at high RPM the engine’s initial reaction to a call for more power is tepid. I’ve owned two turbocharged cars in the past, and don’t remember being so concerned about boost lag. Maybe I’ve just forgotten what it was like (though I had no problems relatively recently with the turbocharged Subaru WRX). At any rate, the Cooper S’s supercharged engine lacked the instant responses I personally require in a compact, point and shoot transportation device. I didn’t drive it, but suspect that in a car like the MINI the less powerful but normally aspirated engine is the way to go. I’d forgotten what made the CRX Si so special back in the 1980s. Now I remember, and it wasn’t horsepower.
The transmission didn’t help. The only transmission choice with the Cooper S is a six-speed manual. Fine by me, I wouldn’t want an automatic, especially not in this sort of car. (If you must have one, then a CVT is available with the regular Cooper.) Six speeds is a nice touch, allowing for a short first gear and tall top gear without losing too many RPM with each shift. The problem with the transmission was the shift feel. My ideal shifter resembled my ideal small car: tight and precise, with short, sharp throws. The Cooper S’s shifter does have the mechanical feel I tend to like, but too much so. As I guided the shifter throw a throw that was far too long it seemed like I could feel every last mechanical bit through the shifter, and those bits didn’t feel tightly assembled. BMW needs to take a look at the shifter in their Z3, and replicate it in this car. While they're at it, they can shrink the knob. I found it awkwardly large, one more thing keeping me from feeling connected with this car.
I don’t know if the five-speed in the regular Cooper feels the same way. Hopefully not.
The steering provided other surprises. It had a surprisingly refined, luxurious feel to it. Sounds good, right? But what it didn’t have was the go-kartish, ultra-quick, razor sharpness I expected. I guess that would be unbecoming in such a refined machine?
Maybe the stylishness of this car should have tipped me off. Maybe this car is exactly as BMW intended it to be, a vehicle for professionals who would otherwise buy a near luxury car. People who are more interested in comfort and refinement than in sharp reflexes. People who want the MINI to feel larger and heavier than it is--as if 2700 lbs. wasn't already about a quarter-ton too much too much for a car of this size.
This isn’t to say the car didn’t handle well. It handled very well, with very good balance for a front-wheel-drive car and very little lean in turns. I’m sure the handling stats are excellent. I just didn’t have nearly as much fun driving it as I should have, and much of this I chalk up to steering that, despite an admirable level of precision and feedback, just didn't have the quickness and "alive" quality I expected.
BMW’s priorities again become clear in how the car rides. Despite the short wheelbase, despite the low-profile tires and “sport” suspension, the Cooper S rides quite smoothly, at least relative to my expectations. I crossed railroad tracks at around 40 MPH, and though I heard the impact I didn’t feel much of it. I've read reviews that were critical of the car's ride. I drove this car in Virginia, where the roads are much smoother than in my native Michigan, so that might have influenced my evaluation.
But road quality aside, there is something about the ride of this car that says "luxury" to me. There are many aspects to a car's ride. There's how it feels just going down a smooth road. Some cars have a velvety, almost liquid feel to them. This is what I felt with the MINI. But there's also how a car reacts to potholes and bumps. My sense here was that the MINI performs much better than I expected, based on the railroad tracks and a few other minor bumps,but I was not able to take the MINI over some truly rough patches. I should have this chance if I get my hands on the regular Cooper now that I'm back in Michigan.
I’ve had similar complaints about BMW’s 3-Series. Surprisingly cushy, yet lacking the ultra-sharp responses and liveliness I personally desire in a compact car. The feedback is certainly there for those who seek it, but it's subtle, so as not to disturb those who don't. The MINI’s rear suspension is adapted from that in the 3-Series. It seems a fair share of the latter’s spirit made the journey as well. The MINI is a Honda Civic with a fair helping of the cachet and feel of a 3-Series BMW. There’s a definite following for both cars, it’s just not me.
Safety
Normally, I don't discuss safety features. After all, dozens of websites will tell you all you need to know. But this being a small car aimed at people who car afford much more, I suspect the MINI's safety features will receive a lot of attention from shoppers. There are plenty to attend to. Six (yes, six) airbags and ABS are standard on both models. Traction control is standard on the S, and included with the optional ($500 on either model, also in the sport package) stability control on the Cooper. For those who might want to seat a child in the front seat, a switch is provided to deactivate the front passenger airbag. I've begged for the last in a Z3, which I hope is in my future, but one never appeared. But in the MINI, a car with a back seat, they provide one. Go figure.
Many people will assume that becaue the MINI is small it is unsafe. However, as long as a car is designed with safety in mind, and the MINI clearly was, then mass is much more significant than size in collisions. As I've already mentioned, the Cooper S is very heavy for its size, nearly 2700 lbs. Even a stripped Cooper is over 2500 lbs. To put this in perspective, a Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla sedan is about 2400 lbs., and a Honda Accord or Toyota Camry about 3000 lbs. Past cars the size of the MINI, such as the Yugo adn Ford Festiva, weighed about 1800 lbs. For its size, the MINI is one heavy car, by some standards much heavier than it should be, and thus is safer than its size suggests. Sure, you're still in trouble if your MINI is hit by a 5600 lbs. Ford Expedition, but only marginally more so than an Accord or Camry driver in the same situation.
Pricing
For quick, up-to-date pricing, and especially user-specified price comparisons, check out the website I created: www.truedelta.com. Why yet another vehicle pricing website? Well, I personally lacked the patience to keep using the others. They were too slow and required too much effort, especially when trying to compare prices. So I taught myself some programming and created a site where there is no need to dig through option packages, prerequisites, and the like one by one -- the TrueDelta algorithm figures these out for you in one swift pass.
The following is from when the review was originally written:
The base prices on both models are reasonable for such a highly styled, BMW-engineered car: $16,850 and $19,850, respectively. Of the $3,000 between the two, I’d guess at least $2,000 is for the supercharger and extra gear, with maybe $1,000 for the other extra equipment standard on the S: sport seats, sport suspension, larger wheels, etc.
BMW charges a lot for options on its own cars, and has extended this practice to the MINI: $400 for metallic paint, $500 to go from 15s to 16s on the Cooper, $1,250 for leather, $1,600 for the Navigation system, and so on. For those who want all of the luxury car options in a tiny car, the MINI can get quite pricey. A loaded S is around $27,000.
The way I see it, most of these options don’t belong on this sort of car. The strangest is the $300 “park distance control.” Is it really that hard to park a car that’s only twelve feet long? The $300 automatic A/C makes only a bit more sense. Clearly they’re just throwing in a lot of this stuff figuring, once again, that the real market is professionals who would otherwise buy an Acura or Infiniti.
What would I do? Probably get the regular Cooper in yellow (i.e. non-metallic) with sport seats and 16” wheels, for a total sticker of $17,620. The $800 sunroof, a very large one, is also tempting.
Last Words
I approached the MINI hoping for a small car with razor sharp reflexes. Instead, I found a small car with the refinement and amenities of a near-luxury sedan. So I was disappointed. On the other hand, people attracted by the image of the MINI, but concerned that they’ll have to endure the jiggly ride and flighty handling of the typical tiny car, will be surprised in the other direction. This is the car for them—assuming they can succeed where I failed and find a comfortable seating position.
To learn more about my reliability research and sign up to participate in it, or to perform thorough up-to-date new car price comparisons, visit www.truedelta.com. A link to this website and alphabetized links to my other vehicle reviews can be found on my profile page.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 22,600
Model Year: 2002
Model and Options: S with 17" wheels, metallic paint, and dealer-installed package
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