Category: Hot Hatchbacks 
Price Range: No data available
Unassailable image, fantastic interior, strong residuals, excellent to live with, TLC package.
Pricey, limited room in the back, cheap seat tilt mechanism, dull engine note, not frantically fast.
The Mini has grown up a little and, although it lacks some of the sparkle of the original, it's still a cracking car - if not really a full-on hot hatch.
Fuel consumption on the new 1.6-litre engine is a vast improvement over the old Chrysler-sourced engine, with the Cooper S now has a respectable 40.9mpg return from the turbocharged engine, instead of the 32.8mpg that the old supercharged engine would struggle to achieve.
Thanks to Mini's excellent TLC service package - which gives you five years/50,000 miles worth of servicing for £150, and a further three years/30,000 miles for an extra £380 - plus excellent residual values, the Cooper S is a relatively cheap car to run. So long as you keep any options fitted reasonably sensible - the Salt, Pepper and Chili packs are a good bet - you should get a good return if and when you come to sell.
Latest Readers' Drives About the MINI Cooper S
wrote on 16 12 2007
wrote on 23 01 2007