MCS 2K-mile review

[Plaz]

The Car: 2008 MINI Cooper S (Lightning Blue/Black Roof) with John Cooper Works Engine Tuning Kit (intake, exhaust, engine software), Premium Package, Convenience Package, Cold Weather Package, Sport Suspension, LSD, DSC, Navigation, Carbon Punch Leather, Anthracite Headliner, Brushed Aluminum Trim, Chrome Line Interior, Sirius

Highs: Punchy acceleration, wonderful steering feel, low weight, go-kart handling, fantastic fuel economy, solid build, great engine/exhaust sound

Lows: Runflats, torque steer, seat adjustment difficulty, rear seat room, rear seat ingress/egress, no spare

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The "C" word

The Cooper S' exterior does have some sporty flourishes to it, but basically I've just had to come to terms with the fact that this car is, in a word, cute. I wish it was a little less cute, with a little more "mean" in its appearance, but well, it isn't. It isn't a car that makes anyone have fear when they see it in their rearview... they're far more likely to smile. I'm secure enough in my manhood to accept that.

Once settling into that reality, you also notice the benefits. People are far more likely to let you merge or change lanes, fellow MINI owners wave to you, pedestrians grin and give you thumbs ups, and you no longer get the feeling that people immediately assume you're some sort of prick or rich a-hole... the de rigeur feeling you have when driving a BMW, Benz, or a sports/sporty car.

Fooling them all

But you also feel like you're putting one over on all those people, on two fronts. Firstly, on the inside, the MINI really does feel like an upscale vehicle. The plastics are soft for the most part, the build quality is excellent, and the car just has that solid, chunky stiff-chassis feel common to all BMW products. Switchgear feels substantial, not flimsy. It all gives the car an overall feel that truly justifies its categorization as a "premium" compact. There's just no comparison to other cars in its size class... the Fits and Yarises of the world cannot even begin to compete in this regard. The MCS' interior feel is actually very reminiscent to me of my old E46, quirky design themes notwithstanding. This is not a modern Chevette. It's a little BMW, and it feels like it.

The second front on which you feel like you're deceiving the outside observer is in the world of handling dynamics and the overall driving experience. This car, torque steer notwithstanding, is a total blast to drive. The 1.6L BMW/Peugeot turbo powerplant is really a gem. With peak torque being reached as low as 1700 rpm, the power is ample. You never feel like the car is underpowered or can't get out of its own way, like a typical compact/subcompact hatch. Turbo lag is non-existant. Grunt is always available, even when in the wrong gear (within reason).

Handles like Rollie Fingers

Both the limited-slip differential and DSC help get the power to the ground with a minimum of drama. There is some tugging at the wheel, unavoidable in any front wheel drive car, but it's entirely predictable, and once acclimated to it, essentially a non-issue. Of course I wish it wasn't there, but it's totally livable. I've found that disabling DSC really minimizes the tugging, but with it disabled, great care is required in throttle application, as the power can easily break the wheels free in 1st and 2nd. I suspect that the LSD actually increases the frequency with which there's a bit of tugging, but decreases its intensity. You can really feel the LSD doing its job, as it gently tries to find traction equilibrium. Without it, I suspect the car would perceptually pull toward one side or the other less frequently, but much harder.

The lightness of the car, torque curve, and the amount of engine/exhaust sound that's let into the cabin (enhanced by the JCW intake/exhaust), really convey a visceral thrill on acceleration. I think it's probably a 6-second-ish 0-60 car, but it feels faster. Let's face reality... for typical suburb/interstate/city driving, that's more than sufficient power. With the sound and feel, it makes the daily commute a total hoot. The combination of the stiff chassis and wheels pushed all the way out to the extreme corners of the car enhance the go-kart feel exponentially. This car makes mundane drives a ton of fun. A great recipe for a daily driver.

Steering feel is excellent, though it's mandatory that the "sport" button be pressed immediately upon starting her up. Without it, the steering is far too light... it's kind of like the difference between a 2001 and a 2002 E46... maybe grandma would prefer the button off while parking at the A&P, but the weight and tightness of the steering when the button is engaged is right for everything else.

On sweepers, there's some gentle understeer that comes on predictably when pushed, but a little lift or a gentle tap on the brake lightens the rear nicely, allowing a bit of rotation. It's a much easier balancing act with this car than I've experienced with other front drivers. I'm sure all of this will feel much better still once I switch from the crappy all-season runflats that came with the car (Conti 195/55/R16s on MINI 16" Bridge Spoke wheels -- my winter setup) to the 215/45/R17 Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD3s on 17" Enkei RP03s I bought from TireRack.

Clutch feel is very natural and predictable... the pedal throw is a touch long, but not at all distracting. I don't feel the need for a clutch stop, something that was all but required in my E46. Similarly, the shifter throw is a bit long. The gates are well-defined without being notchy, but the length of the throw is a bit agricultural. Unfortunately, I think an SSK installation on this car is a much bigger hassle than on an E46. I'm not a big fan of the stock shift knob, either -- I have the JCW pistol-type knob on order. These gripes aside, it's an easy car to shift -- I've never missed a shift or wondered what gear I was in. The ratios seem very well spaced, too -- no complaints there -- though the broad torque curve of the engine would help to mask iffy gearing choices, were there any.

I opted for the sport suspension with stiffer dampening and bigger swaybars. This really helps control body roll and brake dive. The ride is a little rough over less-than optimal roads (90% of the roads here in the northeast), but that's a sacrifice I've always been willing to make to avoid any sort of "float." This roughness is another thing I think will be alleviated greatly by switching to non-runflat summer tires with more forgiving sidewalls.

Overall, the handling of the car is simply phenomenal. It's so light and agile, it's easy to do slaloms of dotted yellow lines. Right-angle street turns at speeds that would roll your typical SUV. This car defines "tossable."

Internal Affairs

The sport seats with punch leather are very comfortable and supportive, with good side bolstering and plenty of adjustments available. That being said, It's all manual (no power/memory seat option available), and regrettably there is no seat cushion angle adjustment. Additionally, trying to adjust the seatback angle or lumbar support is impossible with the center armrest down. I'm really not sure why these adjustments are on the inboard side of the seat. A minor complaint, but annoying nonetheless.

On first glance, the highly-stylized interior would seem to be incredibly ergonomically incorrect. However, once acclimated, everything seems very natural and easy to operate. The cartoonish pie-plate speedometer (whose form:function ratio is substantially improved when opting for the nav system, with its screen in the center) is not really a functional problem at all, as the tach display is easily configured with a couple of stalk button presses to display your speed digitally. The auto climate control works great -- basically identical to the E46, except it only increments/decrements the temp in 2-degree (F) jumps. Big deal.

Visibility is very good, with a large greenhouse, and big mirrors. The one exception is if you have a habit of creeping up too far at intersections with only overhead traffic lights... need to make sure you don't move up so far that you can no longer see the light! Sometimes that's a half a car length behind the stop line.

The in-car electronics, encompassing navigation (w/real-time traffic info), bluetooth phone communications, AM/FM/Satellite radio, USB-based iPod integration, multi-layered OBC with trip computer, in-car settings, and voice commands all work just great. I'm continually impressed with the whole package. Its capabilities are FAR beyond anything I've had in previous cars, and as such I don't have much of a baseline with which to compare them to what other manufacturers offer. But I am thoroughly satisfied with it all, and very happy I bought the Nav option in order to get a reasonably-sized screen with which to operate all these functions. Even though I use the voice commands more than anything else.

The sound is okay. Plenty sufficient for me. I've never been much of an auto-audiophile, though, anyway... a car is just about the worst possible environment for serious music consumption. I've never really understood the obsession with which some approach this subject. Mostly I'm happy to listen to the engine. iPod integration and library navigation is excellent, though, as is the Sirius menu structure... though I wish there were a few more "slots" for Sirius presets.

Miscellany

Parking this car is so easy it's a joke. It fits anywhere, and I can't even begin to comprehend why anyone would bother with the available park distance control option.

My daily driving is pretty much 50% highway and 50% suburbs/city driving, including a daily trek into and out of midtown Manhattan. When safety and traffic permit, I usually drive it like I stole it. Not the best recipe for fuel efficiency. But even so, I'm averaging 30mpg consistently. This is HUGE for me, especially coming from an RX-8 that drank as much as a Hummer. In these days of near $4/gal. gas, this makes me very very happy.

Changing the oil is a fairly easy process with a top-side extractor, with one exception. In order to reach the filter housing, one bolt needs to be removed, so the coolant overflow reservoir can be dismounted and temporarily moved out of the way. Kinda stupid, but not really a big deal at all.

Three thumbs up

I highly recommend this car to anyone who's looking for a fuel efficient yet powerful small car for their daily drive, and especially to those who demand a car that provides a tight-handling, visceral, enthusiast's experience for their daily commute.

[FC]

Thanks for the great write-up!

Keep motoring!

[JST]

Nice review. I haven't had a chance to type up my thoughts, but now I don't have to.

Can't believe you already have 2K miles on yours. Mine only has 3500, and I have had it since October.

[lemming]

Highs: go-kart handling. Steering feel. Brake pedal feel. Clutch engagement. Typical getrag notchiness that is familiar. Neat twin pane sunroof. NAV system best resolution screen. Power to weight ratio. Very stiff chassis.


Lows: most of the characteristics that come with FWD. Minor torque steer. Too quiet. Stock halogen headlamps are lousy. Heat soak saps power on extremely hot days with a/c running.


In a word: 'brilliant' !


My 15k mile writeup cannot begin to touch Ponderosa Plaz' effort which is a great writeup. I'll just add that it has been a terrific daily driver for me. There have been very few days where I have missed the sheer grunt of the CTS-V. Obviously the powertrain needs to be caned to make decent power, but the car scoots and is a very benign handler. Probably getting a new rear swaybar would be high on my list for chassis control to free up the rear a little bit.


The primary beauty of the car to me is the lightweight chassis. While being lightweight, it still manages to feel solid over nasty bumps. BMW has made a fantastic little car.


For those of you who have not experienced BMW's version of VAG's famous 2.0T motor, it is a revelation compared to the R53 supercharged powerplant.

[equ]

Cheers guys, it makes me want to go drive one. I was not super-impressed with the SC-engine, though it was ok. Had I commuted for work, it would be a major contender (despite the interior that I just can't seem to get over).

BTW, I just drove the Civ Si in 30 miles of stop&go (can you say Nassau to NNJ on Sunday afternoon) and was happy for honda clutch engagement/throttle response as opposed to bmw.

[clyde]

Originally Posted by Plaz

I think it's probably a 6-second-ish 0-60 car, but it feels faster. Let's face reality... for typical suburb/interstate/city driving, that's more than sufficient power.

Funny how a sub 6.0 second car has less than sufficient power for the same task when it doesn't "feel" like [fill in the blank], isn't it?

[equ]

Plaz, when I read your review to my gf, she insisted we build one. Here it is:

Pepper white/black stripes & roof
Carbon cloth interior
Sport package
LSD
Xenons
17" crown spoke wheels
Hi-Fi Sound
Bluetooth/USB
Cream white interior trim

$25,600.

If only I commuted...

[SARAFIL]

Plaz and crew:

One thing you find about the MINI community, much like the BMW one, is that there is an abundance of after market mods and add-ons to address some of the concerns that people find with the car.

Here are two things that I think are great (and cheap) mods that I've heard about from many different clients and from posts on northamericamotoring.com

1. Plaz's concern about difficulty seeing the traffic signals if you are at the front of the line, and either having to stop further back from the lights or bending down to see the signals: A product called "LightInSight" is basically a plastic lens that attaches to the top edge of your windshield, and it bends the light from the traffic signal so that you can see it much easier.



About $15 plus a few minutes to install and it works great from what I've been told (I have not used it in one of my MINIs yet...)

2. A concern that no one mentioned but I hear alot... "fear" about driving a smaller car in traffic and people not seeing you as easily, fears of getting rear-ended, etc. A "Brake Light Pulsar" will let your 3rd brake light pulse several times before staying on when you press the brake pedal, I've seen a 4-pulse version and a 6-pulse version. Seems pretty basic, but it works, and people behind you seem to react much quicker when you apply your brakes. Also, they are programmed so that the pulsing will be disabled if you apply the brakes a certain number of times within a given period if time... for example, if you are crawling in stop and go traffic.

This is about $25 plus shipping, and the install is a fairly easy DIY.

[EDIT: just did some more research on this one... the delay is 15 seconds, which is good for stop and go traffic. The one with the 15 second delay feature is $50 plus shipping... for $25 you get the basic one without the 15 second delay.]

[Plaz]

Originally Posted by clyde

Funny how a sub 6.0 second car has less than sufficient power for the same task when it doesn't "feel" like [fill in the blank], isn't it?

I really doubt the RX-8 is as fast as the MCS 0-60 if neither do a 3000+ rpm clutch dump off the line.

And yes, if I'm wrong, well, it doesn't really matter, since it sure feels a lot faster. And perception is reality for the most part in day to day driving.

[Plaz]

Originally Posted by SARAFIL

Plaz's concern about difficulty seeing the traffic signals if you are at the front of the line, and either having to stop further back from the lights or bending down to see the signals: A product called "LightInSight" is basically a plastic lens that attaches to the top edge of your windshield, and it bends the light from the traffic signal so that you can see it much easier.



About $15 plus a few minutes to install and it works great from what I've been told (I have not used it in one of my MINIs yet...)

I've seen those, and considered it... but I've found that just being aware of the possibility of the problem at the odd intersection has made me adjust my habits already. It hasn't been an ongoing issue, just an adjustment I made within the first few days.

Who knows though... maybe as I drive other places and run into the issue more, I'll reconsider. Thanks!