CTC Review: 2007 Mini Cooper S

[stodge]

That dash design has to go - it cheapens what is a great little car. My friend was really keen on one until we sat in the current model at the auto show. He won't go near it due to the ugly, cheap looking design.

Otherwise being an expat, I have a soft spot for Minis; especially the old brown one we used to own!

[Blueprint]

There is an EcoAuto label for the base Cooper / Cooper Classic : 1000 $ off from the Feds !

The Classic, a Canuck exclusive, starts at 22,950$, a pretty good deal IMHO.  I think pricing is class-competitive, compared with GTI, A3 and other "upper-crust pocket rockets".

The styling was much better done with the previous-gen new Mini.  Something about the new headlight / bonnet treatment just doesn't look right...or maybe the 1st-gen was just so-right.

Regarding the original Mini, I beg to differ.  The car was sold in Canada right through the '70s, and I have a sales brochure from the Montreal Auto Show to prove it.  Last year was 'round '79-'80; it lasted to about the same end date as MG and Triumph, the other British Leyland brands.  I have memories of a "Kermit-green" Mini that was near my house when I was a kid, all-dressed with oem accessories as shown in this brochure.

[mlg2ca]

Just but an S a few weeks ago, and I just can't stop driving the thing: it is so much fun !!!

Price issue: a little up there for the S but this is a premium compact car. And I can say that it drives like a premium car, not a soupped up econobox.
Rear room: If under 6 feet and 200 lbs, you can sit in the back comfortably for a while without problems - yes it may be a bit cramped for the legs, but the roofline gives lots of headroom which you don't have in 2 door sport coupes.
Fuel economy: In 6th gear at 120, this car gets over 40 mpg !!!! In comparison with other pocket rockets in Road and Track, that was best fuel mileage of group.
Performance: a number of MINI forums accross the web show that dyno testing reveal 170 hp at the wheels !!!
Looks: everebody knows it's a MINI !

This car is a wonderfull combination of performance, practicality, and economy. I am going to do some laps at Mosport in a few weeks, can't do that with a Miata without roll cage ;o)

[Scaerio]

Regarding the original Mini, I beg to differ.  The car was sold in Canada right through the '70s, and I have a sales brochure from the Montreal Auto Show to prove it.  Last year was 'round '79-'80; it lasted to about the same end date as MG and Triumph

I think you are right in that the regular Mini 1000 was sold in Canada until 1979-80, but I don't think the Cooper version was availalbe that late...

[safristi]

They still attract the LOOKS from passers bye.............and i always smile on seeing one..memories of My Aunt's "original" borrowed and bombed around London and Windsor England   good times......would love an ORIGINAL one fer a Summer Buzz Box....prolly fetch too much Dinaros NOW... ...maybe I'll just BROWN_NOSE mlg2ca
 fer a R.I.D.E....................Hic..hic.....ya lucky BUM........

[AVToller]

I had a '69 Cooper and a '76 Mini 1000. The Cooper and Cooper S were no longer imported after 1969. There were some phony (riced) "Coopers" around, but the real ones ALL had side curtains rather than roll-up windows, and were 1969 or earlier unless there were some non-factory imports. That is why I asked.

[safristi]

YUMMY.............Honey I.......................Ooooh nuttin'..............

[jww]

Nope - Canadian born and bred. I only wish I were a native brit. There's a word for that - anglophilia. My family refers to me as being a wannabe 

I had that affliction too. Marrying an English woman and visiting England twice cured me. 

We go back every couple of years for a month - that usually cures me. You get the best of both worlds - enjoying the sights and sounds of the UK, but living in Canada (where, btw, all our british friends want to live).

[mdxtasy]

They still attract the LOOKS from passers bye.............and i always smile on seeing one..memories of My Aunt's "original" borrowed and bombed around London and Windsor England   good times......would love an ORIGINAL one fer a Summer Buzz Box....prolly fetch too much Dinaros NOW... ...

I have an idea....why not just fix up the Elan?   

[Arthur Dent]

They still attract the LOOKS from passers bye.............and i always smile on seeing one..memories of My Aunt's "original" borrowed and bombed around London and Windsor England   good times......would love an ORIGINAL one fer a Summer Buzz Box....prolly fetch too much Dinaros NOW... ...

I have an idea....why not just fix up the Elan?   

or better yet ship the Elan over to me and I'll fix it up 

[safristi]

NOW there is a PLAN.....Muffer In Law is in Calgary so she could keep an eye on ya......


  "arthur get yer hands off tha "donuts" i won't accept tha new fangled couplers....."......

[naruto16]

I bought my own 2007 MCS in mid April, I am also an owner of the 03 Mini Cooper S.  I have got to say the new one is definately a very good car like the old one!  Drives the same but with more refinement(better seats, more comfortable, better mpg, more power/torque, etc).

The car is definately worth the price, mind you I have the exact options/colours as canadiandriver's review car! You can't compare the Mazdaspeed3 with this car, that's like comparing an Accord V6 to an BMW 323/328.  The Accord will beat the BMW in a straight line and cost less, but we all know which is a better driver's car.  The Mazdaspeed3 is more expension anyway (assuming you don't go nuts on the options with the MINI). [edit] my mistake, the MS3 is the same price. [/edit]

The new MINI is more BMW now, it's comfortable with the new leatherette seats and the new softer stock suspension(you can still opt for the sport suspension!).  It's new engine has more HP and WAY more torque, where the old car lacked the torque for city driving, this new one shines in the lower part of the rpm.  I am getting average of 28.5mpg with my car right now, with the 50L tank, I get about 550-600KMs!!!!! 

To the person who said there's no JCW options, I can tell you there is so go check out the dealer!  I believe it's about $5000 dollars, it will give you 200hp/210tq if I remember correctly.  Not that you will need it anyway, I am running 17 inches Hankook Performance tires on my stock 2007 Mini Cooper S.  In first and second gears, my tires are just spinning if I do WOT(wide open throttle) with my DSC off. 

There are lots of cars that can compare with the Mini Cooper S, like the GTI, A3, Miata, etc.  The MINI tho, is lovable, most people love the MINI's "cute" looks.  No one will look at a GTI and say "omg it's a GTI", but they will all smile at the MINI. (no offence to the GTI, good car but too blend) 

For those that are unsure about the new MINI, go test drive one and you'll see exactly why I love my car.

[mdxtasy]

They still attract the LOOKS from passers bye.............and i always smile on seeing one..memories of My Aunt's "original" borrowed and bombed around London and Windsor England   good times......would love an ORIGINAL one fer a Summer Buzz Box....prolly fetch too much Dinaros NOW... ...

I have an idea....why not just fix up the Elan?   

or better yet ship the Elan over to me and I'll fix it up 

I agree.  It's doing no good sitting in the front yard Saf.  You can replace the lawn decorations with a knomes.   

[Mitlov]

That dash design has to go - it cheapens what is a great little car. My friend was really keen on one until we sat in the current model at the auto show. He won't go near it due to the ugly, cheap looking design.

I agree 100% about the dash.  The Civic Si and the new Mini Cooper are both off my list for the sole reason of the tacky interior designs.  It's a shame, as they're both apparently fantastic sports compacts.

[mmret]

That dash design has to go - it cheapens what is a great little car. My friend was really keen on one until we sat in the current model at the auto show. He won't go near it due to the ugly, cheap looking design.

I agree 100% about the dash.  The Civic Si and the new Mini Cooper are both off my list for the sole reason of the tacky interior designs.  It's a shame, as they're both apparently fantastic sports compacts.

Second (Third?). Just give me two equal sized analog gauges right in front of the wheel please. Everything else can be digital, I don't really care, but digital speedometers belong in airplanes and spaceships, not cars.

[Allen]

The new MINI is more BMW now, it's comfortable with the new leatherette

Leatherette   is that like naugahide   give me a break your buying a BMW you should get real leather for the price...  what is leatherette? a new name for cheap plastic seats???

[Mitlov]

Second (Third?). Just give me two equal sized analog gauges right in front of the wheel please. Everything else can be digital, I don't really care, but digital speedometers belong in airplanes and spaceships, not cars.

I disagree that a digital speedo could NEVER look good.  And digital speedos are nice because, as a vehicle's top speed increases, the numbers become tighter and tighter bunched until they're illegible.  But the layout Honda chose for the Civic is just too busy, and the speedo on top of the tach isn't a natural setup.  Here is a different layout that's commonly used in sportsbikes. 

2006 Kawasaki ZX-6R:

[Mitlov]

The new MINI is more BMW now, it's comfortable with the new leatherette

Leatherette   is that like naugahide   give me a break your buying a BMW you should get real leather for the price...  what is leatherette? a new name for cheap plastic seats???

It looks like real leather.  Some people say it feels like real leather, but I disagree, unless we're talking very cheap leather.  I wasn't impressed by the leatherette in a 2006 325i that I test-drove.

[mmret]

And digital speedos are nice because, as a vehicle's top speed increases, the numbers become tighter and tighter bunched until they're illegible.

I think we're a long way off from running out of room on the circle.

[Mitlov]

And digital speedos are nice because, as a vehicle's top speed increases, the numbers become tighter and tighter bunched until they're illegible.

I think we're a long way off from running out of room on the circle.

There are plenty on the market that I consider crowded.  I do NOT like speedometers like the one below (BMW 335i).  I this type difficult to read with a quick glance.  Are you going 105 or 115?  Better look again.  They're prettier and classier than a digital speedometer, but not as effective when you're driving, in my opinion.