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 July 13, 2007 Test Drive: 2007 Mini Cooper S 6-speed manual
Discuss this story in the forum at CarTalkCanada Find this vehicle in CanadianDriver’s Classified AdsPhoto Gallery: 2007 Mini Cooper S Second opinion by Paul Williams Though it's not obvious, the second generation Mini Cooper S hatchback model has undergone some significant changes for 2007, including a restyled body with improved crash protection, a new turbocharged engine with more horsepower and better fuel economy, a new rear suspension, and a redesigned interior.
Unless you park a 2007 Mini Cooper S hatchback side-by-side with a 2006 model, it's not easy to pick out the styling differences. The most obvious change is at the front where the nose is longer by about 38 mm (1.5 in.) and the hood is slightly higher to offer more pedestrian collision protection (more space between the 'hard' engine and the 'soft' hood). The new honeycomb grille now digs into the front bumper, and the headlights are larger and more horizontally inclined with the turn signals relocated from the bumpers to under the clear covers.
In profile, there is a higher window 'belt-line' which rises towards the rear of the car creating a slight wedge shape. At the rear are wider "shoulders", larger taillights and a bigger roof spoiler. I can't quite put my finger on why, but the new Cooper S is not quite as "cute" as the previous model - perhaps because it moves further away from the original 1959 Mini's simple design. And I'm not convinced the Mini needed to get any bigger - it seems contrary to the whole idea of a mini car. As before, the Cooper S distinguishes itself from the Cooper with its hood scoop, chrome fuel filler cap, centrally-positioned twin rear tailpipes, and twin rear fog lights. The 2007 Cooper S is now available in twelve colours, including new Sparkling Silver, Lightning Blue, and Nightfire Red; and exclusive to the Cooper S, Mellow Yellow (like this week's test car), Oxygen Blue, Dark Silver and Laser Blue. It's also available in Chili Red, Pepper White, British Racing Green, Pure Silver, and Astro Black. As before, the roof can be ordered in Black or White, or with a number of unique designs such as the Union Jack, and the hood is available with stripes.
Fuel economy is now rated at 8.9 L/100 km city and 5.7 L/100 km highway, compared to the 2006 supercharged engine with 9.5 L/100 km city and 6.7 L/100 km highway (manual transmission). Interestingly, the engine has been turned around by 180°, with the exhaust side now facing to the front.
Inside is a new interior with a larger central speedometer with integrated audio controls, redesigned heater and radio controls, larger toggle switches, a narrower centre console that provides more legroom for front passengers, and new ambient lighting that can vary in colour. A round ignition 'key' and a separate Start/Stop ignition button are also new. There is a little bit more trunk space as well. Structural changes to the body have improved crash protection. The 2007 Cooper S has yet to be crash tested in North America, but it has already been given five stars in Euro NCAP frontal and side impact crash tests.
Driving impressions
With an exhaust-driven turbocharger instead of a mechanically-driven supercharger, the Cooper S' engine is noticeably quieter under acceleration - the mechanical whine of the supercharger has been replaced with a gentle whistle.
Unlike with the standard Cooper's naturally-aspirated engine, it's not necessary to rev the Cooper S' engine high to achieve moderate performance - the turbo engine is responsive at lower revs and there's less gear-changing involved. As well, the new Cooper S has improved passing power: it accelerates in sixth gear from 80 - 120 km/h in just 5.5 seconds, according to Mini's published figures. Interestingly, the turbo engine features a unique "Overboost" function which briefly increases torque from 177 lb-ft to 192 lb-ft. under hard acceleration giving an extra 'punch' in acceleration.
Cruising at a steady 100 km/h on the freeway in sixth gear, the engine turns over at 2,500 r.p.m., while at 120 km/h, it does 3,000 r.p.m. That's a bit higher than I expected but the engine isn't particularly noisy or busy.
The standard six-speed manual transmission offers a smooth, well-defined shifting action, and clutch pedal effort is light.
One significant improvement I noticed over the previous Cooper S is the lower steering effort at slower speeds. The previous variable-assist electro-hydraulic steering was a bit stiff when parking, while the new variable-assist electric power assisted steering is easier to turn. This makes the Cooper S a more urban-friendly car.
Stopping power is excellent: the Cooper S has larger front disc brakes than the Cooper, and features standard Anti-lock Brakes to provide greater steering control when braking on slippery surfaces, Electronic Brake Force Distribution to even out front/rear braking forces, Cornering Brake Control to modulate braking forces when cornering and Brake Assist to automatically increase brake pressure in emergency braking.
In addition, the Cooper S has standard traction control to help prevent the drive wheels from spinning when accelerating, and Dynamic Stability Control to help prevent spinouts when cornering. A mechanical limited slip differential is also available to increase traction at the drive wheels.
The new rear suspension is more compact, freeing up a little more trunk space, but it doesn't appear to significantly alter handling which is still nimble, go-kart-like and very controllable at the limit. The standard tires are 195/55R-16-inch all-season run-flats, but my test car was equipped with optional Dunlop SP Sport 205/45R-17 performance run-flat tires.
My test car had the optional dual sunroofs: both panels tilt up at the rear for ventilation, but only the front panel slides back. With the front sunroof wide open at highway speeds, wind noise is tolerable and there's minimal wind buffeting, but I noticed some wind noise seeping in when it was closed.
A new feature is "Hill Assist" which briefly applies the brakes on a hill after the driver takes their foot off the brake pedal to prevent the car from rolling back. This is a very useful feature and probably saves some clutch wear.
Interior impressions
As before, the Cooper S seats four adults, but rear legroom is still tight. I tried "sitting behind myself" by leaving the driver's seat in its normal position and then climbing in behind: there just wasn't enough room for my legs. The front seats have to be pushed forwards a bit to seat rear passengers. The flat roof bodystyle does allow adequate rear headroom for people under six feet tall, even with the sunroof.
The driver's seat has a manual height adjuster and the steering column tilts and telescopes, so it's easy to find a good driving position. The front seats have big side bolsters for lateral support and I found them quite comfortable during the week that I had it.
To access the rear seat, both front seats automatically slide forwards when the lever on the top of the seat is pulled up, however getting in and out is still awkward if you're not nimble. Unfortunately, the front seats don't slide back to their former position when the seatbacks are pulled back.
The split rear seatbacks fold down to create more luggage space, which is a good thing, because the trunk is tiny - even though it is slightly bigger than last year.
The new instrument panel has a larger centre speedometer, now with some of the audio controls contained in the lower half of the gauge, but curiously, the CD player and Volume knob are located separately below the gauge. Still, this is one heck of a stereo with a full, clear range of sounds and a deep resonant bass.
The heater controls in the centre console are a mess: the new vertical dials for the heater temperature and fan speed functions are awkward to operate and the ventilation graphics in between them are hard to see from the driver's seat.
Just below that, the larger toggle switches for the power windows, locks and fog lights are easier to use. The overhead console also features new toggle switches for the sunroof and map lights.
To start the Cooper S, a new round fob must be inserted in a slot and a Start/Stop button pressed. An optional keyless remote that you can leave in your pocket is also available.
Some of the options available include a DVD navigation system with a 6.5-inch colour screen that fits inside the big round speedometer housing, automatic climate control, and Bluetooth phone synchronization.
Safety features
The Mini Cooper and Cooper S are probably the safest cars in their size categories: six airbags are standard - frontal, side and curtain airbags, and three-point seat belts at all four seats feature belt tensioners and force limiters. Crossbars and reinforced door structures also provide side impact protection. In a severe collision, the electrical fuel supply pump is shut off, the doors are unlocked, and the interior lights and warning flashers are activated. As mentioned, the new Cooper received five stars in recent Euro NCAP crash tests.
Verdict
The improvements to the 2007 Cooper S make it a quicker, safer and more comfortable car, but styling changes have taken some of its cuteness away.
Pricing
Specifications
Related stories on CanadianDriver
Competitors
Crash test results
Manufacturer's web site
Greg Wilson is a Vancouver-based automotive journalist and editor of CanadianDriver
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