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Avenue of the Giants Weekend Run - Sat. March 23, 2024

Saturday will be a very full day of cruising from Novato up through the Avenue of the Giants and ending at Eel River Brewing in Fortuna. Sun...

Real World Test Of The 2016 MINI Cooper JCW

Jerry Perez writes about his "Real Word Test" evaluation of the new 2016 MINI Cooper John Cooper Works for Life is Poppin' and provides this "Overall" view:
All in all, I walked away with mixed feelings after giving Dreyer and Reinbold back their Mini. In the end, I was extremely pleased with the car, how it drove, and of course, the way it looks. It brings back fond memories of my previous Mini Coopers and how much I enjoyed driving them. But at the same time, I don’t know that I could walk into the dealer and sign away forty-grand. Why is that? Most people would say it needs more power to be relevant in its segment, which is somewhat true. Some would say that it’s impractical, but they’re wrong, as I managed to fit a stroller, a power wheels and other large items in the back of it. Don’t complain about the lack of cargo room. It’s a Mini, not a Tahoe.

I’ll tell you what it is —it’s bloody good. It’s fun, its exhaust crackles and pops, and I just can’t get over how well it glues to the road. And that’s why I couldn’t buy one. A car like this is meant to be driven fast and hard, so if you’re looking for a fun and quick commuter, save yourself eight-grand and buy the Cooper S. You’ll thank me for it.