Here’s an excerpt from the article that says it all:
>The tachometers tell this story. Although positioned directly ahead of the driver, as it should be, the Beetle’s rev counter is teeny tiny and placed in an overly crowded pod with a much larger speedometer and a similarly sized gas gauge. The Mini’s tach, on the other hand, is the size of a compact disc and sits solo on the Cooper’s steering column, much like hot rodders have always done on their 1932 Fords.
>Story told: The 2006 Mini Cooper Convertible is more of a driver’s car than the 2006 Volkswagen New Beetle Convertible 2.5.
>Moral of the story: Driver’s cars finish first.
You can read the entire review below:
[ 2006 Mini Cooper Convertible vs. VW New Beetle Convertible 2.5 ] Edmunds.com
Evidently Edmunds is having a bad morning. I keep getting an error message trying to access the article.
To make the link work, remove the ” from the end of the link, or, after clicking, delete the “22%” from the address bar.
You guys may want to just try re-clicking on it as well.
Wow…what a Sparky little review!
“At first, more than a few male members of our staff avoided the yellow Beetle’s key like it had been dipped in anthrax. “I’d drive it home,” said one insecure staffer, “but I’m afraid the experience will make me want to watch Oprah and buy more shoes.””
I am still laughing…what a great line.
I like the part about how they spent $3k on a option package for the Bug that came with a high end sound system and traction control etc., didn’t purchase any of the option packages for the MINI. Then bitched about the items the MINI didn’t have. The least they could have done is to make the two cars as identical as possible.
Cheers,
Jack
Amuch better review that the previously posted R&T one. They dissed the MINI for no clock and armrest, not realizing the clock is in the trip odo and the armrest is optional. The MCC really blows the others at its price point out of the water.
I’m not sure which MINI convertible they tested. The 2006 MINI Cooper Convertible comes with the following standard features that they seemed to omit:
Steering mounted audio and cruise controls.
-how could they complain about changing the song on the mp3 stereo with the buttons right at their fingertips?
Automatic Stability Control plus Traction Control (ASC+T)
-where did they get their test MINI convertible that did not have ASC+T? This is a standard feature and was also on the 2005 model.
Also, MINI’s heated seats are more than adequate!
Just a few more things to add to the already good review for the MINI Convertible. Except to say that we are not really going for the ‘cute’ factor and prefer to be known as ‘sporty’! Then again, that cutey sporty spice (Melanie Chisholm) was my favourite! 🙂
David
I like the part where it says the MINI takes the slalom almost as fast as the BMW M3 with the Competition package.
agree. The VW New Beetle convertible looks much better than its hardtop sibling. The minute they remove that goofy round roof, the car’s looks completely change for the better.
The Beetle is nothing more than a Mark IV generation Golf with rounded body work. There is nothing Beetle about it except the shape and the badges. That has always been my beef with the New Beetle. If VW had done this car right back in ’98, it should have had its own dedicated RWD chassis and a rear mounted engine (either air or water cooled). But that sounds too much like the way a Porsche is configured, doesn’t it?
Once I had the opportunity to ride in a New Beetle hardtop and the car has very good fit and finish for a car that is completely assembled in Mexico (Puebla to be exact). The Beetle probably has more substantial interior materials than the MINI but that’s about it.
I hate the ergonomics of the Beetle with its mile long dashboard, tiny instruments and funky seating arragement and uncomfortable rear seats for a car that is bigger than the MINI. Aside from the Turbo version, VW has never done anything to make this car truly appealing to enthusiasts. It is just a chick boulevadier car. Most New Beetle convertibles I see here in Miami are driven by young and middle aged women.
VW said publicy last year that they have no plans (Read: interest) in re-designing the Beetle or keeping it alive. The car is slated to die a quiet death in about a year or so when the Mark V platform is in full swing, specially here in the US with the all new Golf (The GTI hatchback is the beginning of the transition process).
The all new 2007 VW EOS (Which is a Corolletta, eh Jetta in cabrio version) will replace the VW New Beetle Cabrio at the end of the year. So if you want a new Beetle Convertible, plan to buy one very soon. VW should be offering incentives to move these slow selling cars out of VW lots. The Beetle will be dead once again and this time is for good.
With so many MINI owners getting larger sway bars to reduce understeer, it is amusing to read that, “Mini’s engineers have dialed in just a touch of oversteer”.<blockquote>The 2006 MINI Cooper Convertible comes with the following standard features that they seemed to omit: Steering mounted audio and cruise controls.</blockquote>Multifunction steering wheel is a $250 option and does not come standard on any model of MINI.
In response to David Lalonde’s comments regarding the standard equipment on MINI Convertibles
Multi-Function Steering wheel & Cruise: $350 option
ASC+T: N/A on Coopers (DSC is a $500 option)
I agree the bun warmers are more than adequate (I only use the low setting!)
David & I are from Canada and those two features as well as Xenon HID Headlights are standard on Canuck Cooper Convertibles