AutoSpies.com provides this assessment of the new base MINI Cooper in its comprehensive review:
The Good:
- Now the standard Cooper comes with an excellent turbocharged 1.5-liter, three-cylinder motor — power is ample
- Great sound that sets it apart from other small cars that feature buzzy and bassy engines
- Since there's not an overwhelming amount of power, torque steer is non existent and the Cooper's handling will astonish you.
The Bad:
- Although the suspension has made strides compared to previous Coopers, it still is not by any means comfortable — city driving can be punishing
- It is a MINI so don't expect its backseat to comfortably transport four adults over long distances
- Reliability is a concern that would remain on my mind if I were an in-market consumer looking at a MINI — the company's history does not bode well but we'll have to wait and see the data with this generation product
The Lowdown:
In the small car class, the all-new MINI Cooper makes an especially strong case for itself. Now equipped with an excellent motor, I am going to go on a limb here and say that it is actually the better pick between the standard car and the Cooper S. Sure the S has more power but it sounds so so and you get torque steer with your helping of added power. Personally, I'll pass. Two anecdotes that really bring home how good the all-new MINI is: 1) After driving the all-new Volkswagen Golf, to me it's VERY clear that VW whiffed on the MKVII Golf. And, 2) if I had not invested so much in my daily driver, a MKVI Golf, I'd probably be looking into swapping it out for a standard Cooper. Yes, it's that good.
