Mini Cooper S - Fun and Frugal

When the British Mini car company was purchased by BMW, the car received the full Teutonic engineering treatment. That meant transforming the iconic car from an ultra-light micro vehicle with sliding side windows and 13 inch wheels to something more substantial, all the while retaining its unique “Mini’ness”.
 
 As impossible a task as that might seem they have actually succeeded quite well. The current vehicle which looks very small to us is actually 18 inches longer and over 1,000 pounds heavier than the original British version.

The nostalgia factor is clearly evident in these cars. There are tons of intricate styling elements crammed into a very small space. That helps make the car interesting and unique. In addition to all of the visual appeal, functionally, this is a great car. It has found new value in these days of less-is-more. Not only is it still small, nimble and fun, it’s also solid and very efficient.

The current slate of Mini’s come in 3 body styles, hardtop, convertible and wagon and in 3 trim levels, Cooper, Cooper S and John Cooper Works. The Cooper is equipped with a modern 1.6 liter 4 cylinder engine good for 118 horsepower. It’s solid and economical and available with either a 6 speed manual or a 6 speed automatic transmission. The Cooper S has a turbocharged version of the same engine outputting a substantial 172 and transforming it from a commuter car to a really fun sporty car. The John Cooper Works versions have 208 horsepower which is giddy fun in a 2,500 pound car.

I recently did a 500 mile road trip in a Cooper S and had an enjoyable drive. the handling is razor accurate and the car tracks very straight on the freeway. You can’t be bothered by high revs in a small car like this but adding a turbocharger to the car adds tremendous flexibility to the driving experience. I averaged 35.6 miles per gallon at 70 miles per hour which is very respectable.

For a vehicle with such a small footprint, the interior is pretty roomy. The front seating area is larger than you would expect but the rear is smaller. The Clubman has a useful cargo area into which many things can be placed. The convertibles have a unique solid frame structure that allows drivers to open the front part of the roof making it similar to a sun roof. The entire soft top folds into a rear storage area with the press of a button.
With a starting price of $18,000+ you can own a responsible small car, that is both fuel efficient and lots of fun.