Section: Reviews
Jan 30th, 2012
Kindchenschema. It’s a German word, but the idea is universal. Humans are intrinsically attracted to small things with large features — like a puppy or a baby. These things disarm us and give us a warm, happy feeling. According to the MINI Design team, it’s this idea that’s behind the design of the MINI, and perhaps never better exemplified than with the MINI Roadster.
However, it’s not just the puppy dog looks that attract me to the Roadster. To me it’s summed up neatly by one word: simplicity. From the moment I walked up to the Roadster, that was my first reaction. The look is easy to wrap your head around. Step into the familiar cabin, flip down the top and just toss it over your head. There is no pretense. There is no step two. This is a car that strips away the unessential and gives you the most pure experience possible.
(Full gallery + Video after the break)
continued →
Jan 11th, 2012
Sometimes it’s just nice to be back where you feel most comfortable. Those were my thoughts as I slipped begin the wheel of a lightly spec’d 2012 MINI Cooper S hatch. No this isn’t some chopped coupe or puffed up crossover. This is the car (or at least the shape) that owes more to the original Mini than any other. So much so that BMW simply refers to it as “the MINI” internally. continued →
Dec 16th, 2011
The cars of MINI’s John Cooper Works sub-brand are often described as halo models. They are intended to be each MINI in its purest, most sporting form. While perhaps not as aggressively separate as BMW’s M division, the JCW cars have always been a good balance of power and performance without sacrificing reliability. For those willing to pay the premium, the JCW cars offer that little bit extra on already brilliant cars. Since the Countryman’s introduction, many have wondered (myself included) if the R60 would also come in a JCW flavor.
Wonder no more because, as the photo above suggests, we now know the answer to that question. continued →
Nov 25th, 2011
Back in September during the MINI Coupé press launch in Nashville, I got to drive several Coupés with a variety of specs. There were JCW cars, regular Cooper S Coupés and a variety of colors to choose from. What each car had in common, however, was MINI Connected w/Nav, and a MINI-supplied iPhone with a pre-release version of the MOG app installed. While I wasn’t previously aware of MOG’s on-demand music service, its main rival, Spotify, had just launched in the US a few weeks earlier. So I was at least familiar with the concept. Additionally, this was my first real chance to use MINI Connected for an extended period of time, so I didn’t have any pre-conceived bias as to how it should or shouldn’t work. continued →
Oct 3rd, 2011
It’s safe to say that the MINI Coupé and its sibling, the Roadster, are two of the most highly anticipated models within the enthusiast community since the original ‘new’ MINI.
On a temperate Tennessee Thursday I arrived in Nashville for the official launch for the first of “the twins”, the 2012 MINI Coupe. Though Gabe got a sneak preview of the car earlier this year, and a handful of pre-production cars have been circulating around the country, this was our first real look at the production versions. Here’s what I learned, and here’s what I experienced. continued →
Aug 4th, 2011
A few weeks ago we started a new feature at MF called the MF Vault. The idea is to bring back some of our favorite reviews over the years and present them to a new (and larger) audience at MF. We started with our R53 vs R56 review from late 2006. Today we’re back with another view. However this time one that’s technically less than a year old. However with the internets having a such short memory, we thought it appropriate to re-aquaint some of you of our Countryman Comparison pitting the Cooper, Cooper S and Cooper S All4 in a death match.
And it’s a perfect time as we’ve just taken possession of our own long-term Countryman MCS All4. So with that, let the best really small cross-over win…
The roads west of Austin Texas were my personal rally stages last week as I test drove each of the three Countryman models back to back to back. It was a perfect combination of weather, roads and the right cars that so rarely happens with busy schedules. But beyond the joy of just driving, the time allowed me to dig deeper into each of the Countryman models and get past the initial “getting to know you” phase we had with our first drives of the Countryman. What it allowed me to do is truly evaluate each model compared to the next without any assumptions or preconceived notions.
If you’re looking for a more straight-foward review of the Countryman head over to our first drives of each model (MCS All4, MCS, MC). But if you’re ready to move beyond the typical first drive review and hear our objective thoughts on the entire Countryman range from an enthusiasts point of view, read on. continued →
Jun 30th, 2011
Let’s get this out of the way up front. The Fiat 500 Sport does not compare favorably to the MINI Cooper in ways an enthusiast would appreciate. The steering is light and the clutch lighter. The manual transmission is vague at best and any propulsion out of the highly acclaimed 101 hp Multi-air Fiat 1.4L four cylinder feels like a happy coincidence. Within a half block behind the wheel of the 500 I was in ‘leisure’ mode whether I liked it or not. Yet it didn’t take long to really come to appreciate the meandering quality of the performance and the confident (and unfortunately cheap) ambiance of the Italian style inside and out.
But let’s not lose focus on what this car is. Clearly Fiat isn’t trying to out-do the MINI in terms of driving dynamics. Instead it’s focused on bringing costs down to deliver a stylish small car at an affordable price. Case in point the Fiat 500 Sport we tested came to $19,500 with Rosso Brilliante exterior paint, sunroof and the safety and convenience package. It’s a pretty impressive value proposition when you consider a standard Cooper with no options in the US can’t be had under $20k these days. And the Fiat 500 Sport comes with eight airbags, a better than good Bose Stereo and the cutest little red painted brake calipers I’ve ever seen. continued →
Browse Pages:
Next Page »
Next Page »
