A MINI for me? Yes, but...
The gen II new Cooper S has shed its rough edges that made the 2002-2006 S so endearing and rewarding to drive. Much like the Mazda MX-5 and many other cars before it, the latest iterations of these niche products have lost sight of their true original callings. The new MINI is still a blast to drive, but I cannot help thinking back (once again) to the last MINI and to how much zippier it was. It took Volkswagen two generations before they rediscovered what made a GTI a GTI; hopefully BMW/MINI will correct their aim soon.

The Cooper has lost a bit of that little something that made the last generation so special.

The MINI Cooper's price range is from $25,900 to about $40,000 for an S with options. This range excludes the Cooper Classic.


Handling
Steering
Brakes (when warm, not hot)
Fuel consumption


Annoying hesitant throttle pedal
Extra weight



Not to be considered as a small family car



Competitors:
Volkswagen Rabbit / GTI
Mazda3 Sport / Mazdaspeed3
Volvo C30 2.4 / T5


Photo Credit : Philippe Champoux, Olivier Delorme