I like small cars. They are great to toss around, great fuel economy, easy to park, cheaper price to buy, etc.. Car looks fun. What's the hp, top speed,etc?
The 1.6L Turbocharged V4 built by Puegot produces 172HP and 177lb/ft torque and gives a 0-60 in the 6.5s range and a top speed of 156MPH.
MPG is rated around 32 on HWY driving, but I put 150 miles on this this weekend and was getting closer to 38.
My first impression review:
The R56 Mini Cooper S looks like a cheap car.
But it's not.
I was shocked at how refined the interior is. High quality plastics, metal switches, chrome, well stitched "leatherette", and clever ergonomics made me feel right at home as soon as I hopped in the cockpit. I'm tall (6'4"), and the seats could be positioned so someone as tall a 7' could fit. I think it even has more drivers room than a BMW 3 series (and it's easier to get in and out of).
Mini strives to be different, and sometimes they try too hard. The controls and layout in the car were...perplexing. I'm usually a "oh yeah, these are the headlights and this is the wipers and this is how the radio works..." guy. Well, Mini doesn't work like that. The designers packed the car with metal switches with bizarre icons on them, knobs with no icons on them, and a center display larger than Ted Danson's head that controls it all.
I spent 10 minutes trying to figure out how to tune the radio. I'm not kidding. I was stuck listening to Rush Limbaugh for 10 excruciating minutes until I was able to switch to Foghat. "Why don't you read the manual?" my wife says. Pfftt...manuals are just some other guy's opinion. Once I had the radio sorted out, I started playing with all of the other controls. I stumbled upon this thing:
I assumed it had something to do with lighting, but it didn't seem to do anything. It was the middle of the day though...the fun in this switch came at night. Flipping the switch around in the dark gives the car mood lighting! There's about 5-6 colors...I like to switch to purple for "sexay time".
As for the driving experience, if you like driving, you want to try a Mini. Pure and simple. The 6 speed manual on the S is as solid and precise as any you've ever tried. Solid, no nonsense short throws get you into gear, and once you're there you are rewarded. The car's launch experience will put a smile on your face, the faster you go the more teeth you'll show, and the Peugeot designed engine gives a nice little growl to show it has just as many teeth.
There was more in store however, and my tour through the gadgets uncovered the "Sport" button. Sport buttons in cars are always good. They should all be called "Make Better" buttons. In this case, engaging sport mode increased throttle response, stiffened the suspension, and made you want to head to your closest track to show off. This mode really makes the car a handful- the torque steer when the turbo kicks in can easily make the wheel get away from you if you're not careful. I renamed the button "Do Not Use When Raining Mode".
"Go-kart" is the default term when talking about a Mini's handling and there's a reason for that. For fun, I did a 180 degree turn in a Walmart parking lot, and I was able to do this in the area of two parking spaces. That's crazy! There is no body roll, no argument, no squealing...it just moves in the direction you tell it to go, much like a man taking his wife shopping. Handling at speed is equally impressive. 90 degree curve at 65mph? No problem. Mini somehow learned how to circumvent the laws of angular momentum. If Netwon drove a Mini we'd be 100 years behind in physics today.
The suspension is designed by BMW, and it is very "BMW-ish". Weighted steering, stiff yet comfortable. It's a near Goldilocks suspension setup. If you want your spine to crack from potholes, that's what Sport mode is for. Otherwise it's as comfortable as any sports sedan to drive. The car's tiny stature makes potholes look especially daunting though...I avoid them at all costs as they look very expensive to hit.
Things aren't all Union Jacks and Crumpets however. I have a few issues with the interior that I'm going to learn to live with eventually. For instance, the window controls are on the center console, and your can't raise/lower both windows at the same time without hitting both switches...at they're fairly far apart from each other. The USB and AUX jacks are also hidden underneath the radio...yeah, that's a convenient. The speedometer for some reason counts in increments of 20's instead of 5's. So driving 65MPH is more guesswork than exact science. The turn signal doesn't "lock" in place- you use the stick to engage the turn signal, then pull it the opposite direction to turn it off. I'm still trying to figure that out as I always engage the opposite turn signal when I do that. Finally, the back seats are "back seats" in name only. The car will fit two comfortably or 4 uncomfortably.
Overall, I fell in love with this car the first time I drove it (and that hasn't happened since my 1972 Super Beetle). For anyone looking to make their commute to work a happy experience, you want this car. Cheap, economical, and if anyone calls it "girly", just downshift into 3rd and easily pass them on the highway with a manly roar. That'll shut them up.