05:59AM - 10.02.'14
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News Source: autoblog.com
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If I had a dollar for every time I heard someone from Mini refer to 'go-kart-like handling,' I'd be retired, living on a beautiful piece of coastline somewhere in the Caribbean. Perhaps even on the shores of Puerto Rico, where Mini chose to launch its latest Cooper and Cooper S hatchbacks. As with so many frequently used phrases, though, there is indeed some truth to the cliché – while the Mini Cooper has never actually handled quite like a go kart, it has always had a certain directness in its movements, reacting to steering inputs with an immediacy and fervor unlike most any other automobile meant primarily for the street. Combine those unique driving dynamics with a sense of fun that permeates the entire brand from pre-sales marketing to the actual sales process itself and you end up with a marketplace success. As an ex-Mini owner myself (a 2009 Cooper S Convertible), I can attest to the kinship felt between fellow Mini drivers who share in the knowledge that they are having more fun than the poor appliance-driving masses sharing the highways and byways of these United States. It's no surprise that the style-conscious US continues to be the marque's single largest market year after year. This enviable brand perception hasn't been attained without its own fair share of flaws, however. Though the quirky design and massively customizable bits and pieces that have made up the Mini brand's interior philosophy since it was reborn in 2001 have proven somewhat endearing, the Cooper Hardtop's ergonomics have always been an unmitigated disaster. Plus, this is a very small car, with a rear seat that's practically uninhabitable by adult-size occupants. While that adjective seemingly goes hand-in-hand with the brand's name, the modern Cooper has never been as ingeniously packaged as its 1959 forbearer, which offered up as much interior space as possible through innovative engineering and minimalist design. Further, parent company BMW has positioned Mini as a premium brand, so the Cooper's diminutive size has never equated to low prices. And for being such a small car, the Cooper historically hasn't been well-known for its fuel efficiency. With each subsequent redesign, Mini has sought to improve its shortcomings, with a new, slightly larger platform and more efficient engines in 2007 being the most noteworthy updates. Now, for the 2014 model year, Mini has once again completely reengineered the Cooper, making it larger than ever, rethinking the interior packaging and offering a completely new lineup of engine options. Does it all add up to the best one yet? Casual observers will see little to differentiate the 2014 Mini Cooper from the 2007 Mini Cooper and the 'original' new Cooper from 2001. Such familial resemblance is completely intentional, as the car's styling has always been a primary calling card. It's cute, stocky and upright, and has continually drawn comparisons to the rough-and-ready look of an English Bulldog. That won't change with this latest redesign. I'll get my biggest styling grievance out of the way right off the bat: In Cooper S trim, the front fascia has a pronounced underbite that I don't find appealing, a condition exacerbated by chrome-ringed air intakes at the corners of the front valance. I find the face of the standard Cooper much more palatable, and I doubt I'm alone. There's some debate about the placement of the headlights, but from most views, while the Cooper may have grown from a petite size 0 to a curvier size 2, it's still as head-turningly perky as a young Meg Ryan. So, while it's still mostly cute as a button, a closer look into the model's measurements backs up the fact that it's an entirely new design. A measuring tape reveals that length has grown by a substantial 4.5 inches; it's 1.7-inches wider and a third of an inch taller, with a wheelbase that spans 1.1 inches more than before. Front track is up 1.7 inches and rear track is widened by 1.3. Put more simply, the 2014 Cooper is larger in every measurable dimension than the last generation, but you might not notice its larger size unless you park one next to its predecessor. Is it still mini? That's the million-dollar question, and it's one I'm not going to debate. The 2014 Cooper is still most definitely a small car, both inside and out, and while I'd love to see its engineers eke more interior space from smaller exterior dimensions, as was the case with the original, today's automotive marketplace is a much more complex place to play than it was in 1959, when crash tests were a distant afterthought and drivers had yet to be spoiled by such conveniences as power steering, windows and door locks, not to mention (now) basic necessities like air conditioning and airbags. That said, sure, it's still pretty mini in comparison to the other cars it shares the roadways with (at 151.1 inches long, it's still over 8.5 inches shorter than a Ford Fiesta hatchback). Besides, if you want to go smaller, there's still a reasonable number of Mini models to choose from on the used market. Have fun and be happy! Moving on, what these enlargements mean in the real world is a bit more room inside for passengers and cargo, plus a slightly more composed ride while still maintaining its trademark quick reflexes thanks to an enlarged track. Front-seat occupants benefit from increased seat travel and rear-seat occupants have a longer bottom bench that is indeed more comfortable than before. Shoulder space is up by a few meaningful inches, and there's a general sense of airiness inside the 2014 Cooper's cabin. Still, the back seat isn't a place full-grown adults are going to want to spend lots of time in, and while its 8.7 cubic feet of luggage space behind the seats represents a 25-percent improvement (it expands to 38 cu-ft with the 60/40 split rear seatbacks folded), it's still only enough room for a week's worth of groceries. Suffice it to say that a family of four will still feel mighty cramped inside, while a couple ought to find room enough for a fun weekend getaway. |
