MINI Cooper S

Hey, first reviewer, don't joke about my age. I'm 50 and I REALLY feel 25 again after driving it and now owning a new cooper S!!! Even my Mrs, who is XX, is now 25 again. Brings out the joy of driving again.......sigh...my Mrs refuse to drive my SUV and so I can't use the cooper S everyday......looks like I gotta swap out the SUV for another cooper S.

Went to see for a friend...some weeks back...

First looks...CUTE and LOVABLE....a yuppee car...drive when you are 50 yrs old makes you feel 25 again.

The looks on the exterior makes you fall in love immediately. The front frills and shape...although reminds of Mr. Bean but this is the modern version...Feels young and trendy to have it which can make you shine on the roads here.

Interior is a unique speedo dial in the centre which need to get used to it...otherwise its a trend setter to this category of cars...legroom is quite tight...probably meant for 2 people only.

Boot space small too...maybe groceries or small shopping trips might be adequate for this car.

The drive, I must say is GREAT...the moment you power the engine, it comes alive...the moment you throttle, it revs off almost as instant...EXCELLENT for a 1.6L.

I must say...the handling is SUPERB. Cornering is a breeze...compare to other small cars I tried..complete drive over with almost no bodyroll at all.

Brakes are great...responsive and immediate.

Overall, its a trendy car to have if you want great handling and looks to shine on the roads.

I drove the Mini Cooper S Auto a few weeks ago and I must say I was impressed. At first look, it looks civilised, refined and cutesy perhaps. Its the kind of car that dosent amaze you on first looks. However, once u get down to the details, like the huge speedometer in the centre, the large rev counter and everything, it all sums up to a pretty good car. The car is powered by a 1.6L turbo charged engine which was developed by parents BMW, and it shows. The car is responsive, at the slight touch of the throttle the car responds and jumps forward with no lag at all.

In terms of driveability, its simply amazing. A serious driver would love this car. Handling is excellent, it just grips the road like a child grips onto a bottle. Its very hard to make the car misbehave. It just takes the punishment and thanks you for it. However, if you are looking for a comfy car, look somewhere else. Even in comfort mode and on the smoothest roads, the car finds holes and drain covers to run over, and you can feel it in your back. The ride of this car is not exactly like lying down on a bed of flowers, in fact its as hard as a rock. I wouldnt drive this car everyday. But I will maintain, if you are a proper driver, get a manual one of these. Its really that good.

Have gotten this new ride about more than a month ago and have no regrets so far...

I was able to customize my ride to my liking and ensure that my mini was unique. Other than electric seats, basically the MCS boosts everything else like bluetooth speaker, cruise control, DS mode, peddle shifts, rain/wiper and light sensors, ipod connectivity, etc...

The new mini central visual dashboard is the latest upgrade to the MCS and is one of the reason I signed on the line. Its interface is very user friendly and I have no problem navigating it even though I am on the road..

It comes with a sun-roof as well which gives me a perfect reason to off my aircon and open the sun-roof at night, saving some fuel..

As I eased into traffic for the first time in this car, the only thought that went through my mind was the brilliant weighting of the leather clad steering. It was so well weighted and precise that I could almost navigate the turning radius with pinpoint accuracy, with any amount of traffic distraction thrown at me, at any speed. It would be a waste if you drive it with only one hand on the steering wheel, because I dare say that half the fun will be lost if we do not drive this special one like how a proper driver should, with the appropriate techniques. Anchor your thumbs in a proper 9-to-3 position and pay attention to how it steers. To be honest, not many cars come close in terms of steering feel (at least the ones that I’ve tested) as the MINI.

I've always overlooked the quality of the 'Prince' engine ever since the day VW released their twincharged 1.4 powerplant. Both engines boast numerous awards in their trophy cabinet, but VW will definitely have the upper hand in terms of technological leap. Who in the world would have thought of squeezing two forced inductions in a puny 1.4-liter motor? I have to indicate that the 'Prince' lacks the high-end poke during freeway overtakes and you'll have to drop a few gears to really get it going convincingly, and this brings me to mention about the auto transmission. My friends have been telling me how a gearbox can numb the entire experience of a good car. Pass me a stick shift, and I wouldn't complain. In all honesty, there is truth in the statement, but how MINI manages to conceal its flaw in the relatively slow shifts astounds me even further. It almost seems that MINI engineers foresee customers complaining about the boring and somewhat incompetent (with dual clutches entering the fray) autobox, and strived to engineer something else special enough to bring us back to the basic joy of driving. Yes, I'm talking about the MINI's chassis. Tear the bodywork apart and we will be able to notice a rigid skeletal structure that has taken countless man-hours to perfect. How it manages to work in tandem with the gearbox and engine just amazes me. Not only was I in complete control of the car, the confidence to take it to the limits had reached an unfamiliar territory. Corner entry speed was a whole lot faster than others tested.

Great car for city driving... especially in Singapore where looking for decent parking lot in the CBD area is always a problem during weekdays.

"Mini? no way..." This seems to be the usual response I get from all my mates after I had made my purchase 10 months ago when the Cooper S JCW was introduced in SG. This decision didn't come easy. In fact, it was down to the wire, on the final day of my selection deadline which I had decided on it, in case you were wondering what was the other in comparison, it was the Golf GTi. Amazing wasn't it?

Why the Mini?

Firstly, it's a decision that I had made with my heart, and not my head. The GTi is a beautiful car (budget wise too). It has good power, road holding, and looks. But, the Mini Cooper S has it ALL, and better...yes..its cheaper in terms of ROAD TAX! The MCS (mini cooper s) handles like no other, and with the power it amases from the engine block acquired from Peugeot, it actually gives out better displacement and Fuel consumption than the Peugeot.

Of course, the cons for a mini is definitely the boot space. As a matter of factly, the boot has only enough space to store a cabin luggage, and that is to say, if you are a bachelor, your closest date to an air crew will the most be a return flight stewardess.

There are seriously no others to replace such an ICONIC and AMAZINGLY BIG in the heart car as the Mini. As what some have said, owning the Mini is never a logical decision, it's simply an Emotional one.

Enjoy.