2014 Mini Cooper Review

Gotta say we weren’t all that interested in the new Mini Cooper once we found out it had a three pot, 1.5-litre petrol engine. That’s what the horrible old Daihatsu Charade and other cheap, nasty little piles of junk had back in the day. Didn’t go, sounded awful.

We jumped too soon. Mini offered us a drive of the base Cooper hatch starting at $29,000 with optional six-speed auto and we grudgingly went to get it.

Surprise, surprise, apart from a warbling exhaust note at low speeds, you wouldn’t know this is a triple - and it goes great.

VALUE

The base model Cooper is well endowed feature-wise with comprehensive infotainment, Bluetooth phone and audio, decent sound system, cruise control with brake function, park distance control and alloy wheels.

Some driver assist features are provided - dynamic brake lights stability control, crash sensor and a diff lock to moderate any tendency to torque steer under full throttle application. The interior is attractively style and functional with a modern, funky flavour.

DESIGN

This is the third generation Mini and it looks, well, like a mini only this time, it has a fatter face caused by pedestrian safety front end requirements.

It looks a lot like the Countryman front from the previous model which, in our opinion, isn’t as pretty as the previous car.

Gen 3 Mini has grown too - in every dimension and that means more interior space and better ride/handling thanks to a longer wheelbase and wider track.

Inside is a variation on Mini’s brand style with a large centre dial housing a trip computer and multiple control selections. Our drive car had multiple interior light colour choices which has real appeal even for old fogies. 

ENGINE

Those three big pistons are boosted by a small turbocharger, direct fuel injection and double Vanos variable valve lift courtesy of BMW.

It achieves some 100kW and up to 230Nm output while sipping fuel at a possible 4.9-litres/100km. That would preferably be 95 octane.

A solid chunk of grunt is available from as low as 1250rpm - just off idle and it reveals itself in the Cooper as strong acceleration and gratifying throttle response  - better than the previous four cylinder base model Mini by a longshot.

DRIVING

We really liked driving this car for a whole range of reasons. It has plenty of performance, handles brilliantly and uses minimal fuel.

We would have absolutely no qualms living with the Cooper on a day to day basis because of this and the six-speed conventional auto makes matter better.

It fires through gear changes quickly and offers a paddle shift sequential change system. There are also a number of drive modes you can choose that affect various dynamic functions.

The ride is firm/sporty but doesn’t wear you down over a long drive. They have calibrated the car’s dynamics for a sporty kart-like feel - like the previous two generations and it is a hoot to drive as a result. More aluminium is evident in suspension componentry and more high strength steel is used in the chassis/body.

The boot is small and useful only for some of the weekly grocery shopping. Seats are provided for four in what is actually quite a roomy passenger compartment.

It’s sharply priced and offers much more character and drive feel compared with other vehicles in the ballpark.