Mini Reviews

Peter Anderson road tests and reviews the 2014 Mini Cooper, with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Dispatched and now matched - Mini and VW build two of Europe's favourite hot hatches.

Peter Barnwell road tests and reviews the Mini Cooper, with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Designing a new Mini isn't easy. As with the Porsche 911, Fiat 500 and VW Beetle, a new Mini must not stray too far from the original.

Despite sceptics having serious doubts about the new Mini when it was launched in the UK and Europe 2001, it has been a big success.

A slightly squarer nose and new headlights and LED taillights are the main exterior styling to the 2014 Mini Cooper, but looking inside the cabin will give trainspotters clues, with the speedo and tacho moving from the massive 8.8-inch circular gauge in the middle of the dash to a more normal position in the instrument cluster behind the steering wheel (with heads-up displays for upper spec variants).The Mini Cooper is powered by a turbo 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine with outputs of 100kW of power between 4500-600rpm and 220Nm of torque at a low 1250rpm, with Mini claiming a 0-100kmh time of 7.56 seconds (auto) and 7.66 (manual) and fuel economy of 4.5L/100km.The Cooper S gets a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder, developing 141kW of power between 4700-6000rpm and 300Nm of torque at 1250rpm, with 0-100kmh times of 6.62 (auto) and 6.73 (manual)  and fuel economy of 5.7L/100km. The diesel Cooper D's 1.6-litre is gone in favour of a new 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbodiesel delivering 84kW and 270Nm, with claimed fuel economy of a frugal 3.5L/100km -- a saving of 0.3L. Transmissions for all variants are a standard six-speed manual transmission or optional six-speed auto. 

It may be Mini by name but there's nothing mini by nature about the Mini any more. In fact, the latest version I've been driving comes with maxi performance and price.

As cute as the new Mini was it wasn't the most practical car you could drive, but that was where the Mini Clubman came in.

If you are a sunshine worshipper, then you will love the Mini Cooper convertible. It may not be particularly cheap, but it's one of the most fun and agile cars on the market.

I keep joking that someone should hold a seance to find out what the original Mini's designer Alec Issigonis thinks about the new one, especially the growing diversity of models.Old Sir Alec died 25 years ago but back in his day there was just the Mini and the Mini wagon/panel van, as well as a ute but that was about it. Fast forward and we have just finished driving the seventh variation of the new Mini  the Paceman.VALUEA two-door, four-seat coupe, based on the off road Countryman, the Paceman is priced from $35,900, or from $44,100 for the more powerful Cooper S model (the subject of our review). Built in Austria standard kit includes 16 inch alloys, sports suspension, sports seats, leather steering wheel, front and rear fog lights, automatic lights and wipers, Chrome line interior and Bluetooth with USB interface. The Cooper S adds Dynamic Traction Control, Sport Button, 17inch alloys, clear indicator lenses and stainless steel trim for the pedals and footrest.TECHNOLOGYIt's powered by the same 1.6-litre engine as other Minis, this one with a twin-scroll turbocharger and direct injection producing 135kW of power and 240Nm of torque, with an extra 20Nm available briefly via overboost between 1700 and 4500 revs. The engine is paired with a six-speed manual or optional six speed automatic gearbox, with drive to the front wheels.Overseas the car is also offered with all-wheel drive, like the Countryman on which is is based. It's fitted with lowered sports suspension as standard, but still rides about 10mm higher than a regular Cooper S  although the car can also be ordered with regular suspension and ride height as a no-cost option.The Cooper S version also comes with DTC (Dynamic Traction Control) that allows controlled slip through the driven wheels. When the system is deactivated an electronic diff lock brakes whichever drive wheel is spinning to enhance handling. In terms of performance the sprint from 0 to 100 km/h takes 7.5 seconds and it has a top speed of 217 km/h. Fuel consumption for the manual is 6.6 and for the auto, 7.5 litres/100km (we were getting 7.8 after about 600km of mixed driving).DESIGNWe don't get it, but like a shark the Mini has to keep moving forward or it drown and sink to the bottom. In effect, this is the Mini equivalent of the equally weird looking BMW X6, also described as a sports activity vehicle. It's almost as big and heavy as the Countryman and the only one so far to have a name on the back. BMW of course owns the Mini franchise.SAFETYUnlike the Mini Cooper, which scores a full five stars for safety, Countryman gets only four stars for from the Australian ANCAP organisation and we can only assume Paceman will score the same (it hasn't been rated yet).Comes with a full complement of safety equipment including six airbags, electronic traction and stability control, an electronic differential lock and anti lock brakes with brake assist, corner braking control and electronic brake force distribution.DRIVINGCan't argue with the way it goes. It's a great engine that likes to rev with plenty of torque down low. The manual shift is easy to use and third gear offers a broad range for corner to corner work. But the car has a tendency to move around on choppy, secondary roads when put under pressure, especially the rear wheels which are prone to lift off.Fitted with 205/55 17s, the tyres have plenty of grip but the taller body structure and higher centre of gravity come into play eventually, reducing the limits of its handling. Having said that it was more than a match for a group of motorcycles that we encountered during a searching test drive, although by the looks of them they were still learning how to setup their corners properly.A defining feature of the car, the huge centre speedo is almost impossible to read at a glance, but fortunately the smaller unit atop the steering column offers a digital readout. Although described as a four seater larger passengers may find it a bit cramped back there.VERDICTWe like it. The head says no but the heart says yes  but if we were contemplating the purchase of a Mini any day soon we'd probably opt for the regular one and a Cooper S (the JCW is just too expensive).Mini Paceman Cooper SPrice: from $44,100Warranty: 3 years/unlimited kmCapped servicing: noResale: 56% (Glass's)Service interval: 12 months/25,000km (condition based)Safety: 5 stars (Countryman)Engine: 1.6-litre 16-valve direct-injection turbo 4-cyl, 135kW/240NmTransmission: 6-speed auto; FWDThirst: 7.5l/100km, tank 47 litres, on test 10.6, 95RON PULP; 166g/km CO2Dimensions: 4.1m (L); 1.8m (w); 1.5m (h)Weight: 1330kgSpare: run-flats