Mini Cooper 2018 review

I want to hug you. Or maybe we could just high five if you're uncomfortable with all the hugging. Why? Are you considering buying a Mini Hatch or Convertible, here's why. And this is not a decision that someone makes lightly.

You see, Minis are small, but they don't come cheap; and they look so different that if they were fish, many people would throw it back if they caught it. But for those brave enough to buy a Mini, the rewards these little cars give you in return could make you a fan for life. 

So what are these awards? What are the downsides to be aware of? And what did we learn about the new Mini Hatch and Convertible at their recent launch in Australia?

Mini Cooper 2018: John Copper Works
Safety Rating	-
engine's type	2.0 L turbo
fuel type	Premium unleaded gasoline
Fuel efficiency	6.4l / 100km
Landing	4 Places
Price from	$28,200

Is there anything interesting about its design? 9/10

Everything about Mini's design is interesting, just look at the photos of the new hatchbacks and convertibles.

Those bulging eyes, that tiny flat hood, the upturned nose with that angry mouth grille, those wheel arches that bite into the body and are filled with wheels, and that little bottom. It's tough and cute at the same time, and it's still so true to its original look that if you put someone from 1965 in a time machine and transport them to 2018, they'll pop out and say, "It's a Mini." 

The original three-door Mini was less than 3.1m long, but over the years the Mini has grown in size - so the Mini is still a mini? The new three-door car is 3.8m long, 1.7m wide and 1.4m high - so yes, it's bigger, but still petite.

Cooper has bulging eyes, a tiny flat hat, an upturned nose with an angry grill on his mouth. (Cooper S shown)

The hatch comes with three doors (two front and rear tailgate) or five doors, while the convertible comes with two doors. The Countryman is a Mini SUV and the Clubman is a station wagon - both of which have yet to be updated.

However, this update is very subtle. Visually, the only differences between the latest hatch and convertible and previous models are that the mid-range Cooper S and top-end JCW have new Union Jack LED headlights and taillights. The entry-level Cooper is equipped with halogen headlights and conventional taillights. That's it - oh, and the style of the Mini's icon has been changed almost imperceptibly.

Cooper S and JCW have Union Jack taillights.

Outwardly, the differences between the varieties are obvious. Reflecting its more powerful performance, the JCW gets the biggest wheels (18 inches) and an aggressive looking body kit with rear spoiler and JCW dual exhaust. The Cooper S looks pretty shabby too, with a dual center exhaust and 17-inch wheels. The Cooper feels quieter yet still cool thanks to its chrome and black grille and 16-inch alloy wheels.

Step inside the mini hatch and convertible and you'll enter either a world of pain or a world of awesomeness - depending on who you are - because it's an extremely stylized cockpit full of airplane cockpit-style switches, textured surfaces, and a dominant large round ( and luminous) element in the center of the dashboard, which houses the multimedia system. I like all this very much.

Sit inside the Mini Hatch and Convertible and you will enter either a world of pain or a world of awesomeness.

Seriously, can you imagine another small car on the road that's as quirky as the Mini Hatch and Convertible, yet upmarket at the same time? Okay, Fiat 500. But name another one? Of course, the Audi A1, but what else? Straight Citroen C3 and (now defunct) DS3. But apart from them, can you name any? See.

Does it represent good value for money? What functions does it have? 7/10

If you read the section above (And you? It's exciting and full of sex scenes), you'd know that the Mini Hatch and Convertible come in three classes - Cooper, Cooper S and JCW. What I didn't mention is that while this is true of the three-door hatch and convertible, the five-door is only available as a Cooper and Cooper S. 

So how much do Minis cost? You heard that they can be expensive, right? Well, you heard right. 

For the three-door hatch lineup, list prices are: $29,900 for the Cooper, $39,900 for the Cooper S, and $49,900 for the JCW.

The five-door hatch costs $31,150 for the Cooper and $41,150 for the Cooper S. 

The convertible costs the most, with the Cooper at $37,900, the Cooper S at $45,900, and the JCW at $56,900.

The convertible costs the most, with the Cooper at $37,900, the Cooper S at $45,900, and the JCW at $56,900. (Cooper S shown)

It's a lot more expensive than the Fiat 500, which starts at a list price of around $18k and tops out at $37,990 for the Abarth 595 convertible. But the Mini is more upmarket, better quality, and a lot more dynamic than the 500. So, if it's not just about looks, it's better to compare it to the Audi A1 which starts at $28,900 and tops out at $1.

High quality, but slightly simplistic standard features for the price is typical of prestigious cars, and the Mini Hatch and Convertible are no exception. 

The Cooper 6.5-door and 4-door hatch and convertible come standard with cloth seats, velor floor mats, a three-spoke leather steering wheel, a new XNUMX-inch touchscreen and an updated media system with XNUMXG connectivity and satellite TV. navigation, rearview camera and rear parking sensors, wireless Apple CarPlay and digital radio.

Cooper and S get a new 6.5-inch touchscreen and an updated infotainment system.

The hatch has air conditioning, and the convertible has dual-zone climate control.

As mentioned in the styling section, Coopers come with 16-inch wheels, a single tailpipe, a rear hatch spoiler, and the convertible gets an auto-folding fabric roof.

The Cooper S-shaped hatch and convertible feature cloth/leather upholstery, a JCW steering wheel with red stitching, Union Jack LED headlights and taillights, and 17-inch alloy wheels.

Cooper S gets 17-inch alloy wheels.

The convertible also gets dual-zone climate control.

Only the three-door Hatch and Convertible models are available in the JCW class, but at this level you get a lot more in the form of an 8.8-inch screen with 12-speaker Harman/Kardon stereo, head-up display, JCW interior trim, Dinamica (eco-suede) fabric and upholstery , stainless steel pedals and front parking sensors.  

There's also a JCW body kit, as well as brake, engine, turbo and suspension upgrades, which you can read about in the Engine and Driving sections below.

Personalization is an important part of owning a Mini and there are a billion ways to make your Mini more unique through color combinations, wheel styles and accessories. 

Paint colors for the hatch and convertible include Pepper White, Moonway Grey, Midnight Black, Electric Blue, Melt Silver, Solaris Orange and of course British Racing Green. Only the first two of these are free options, however the rest only cost $800-1200 more at the most.

Do you want stripes on the hood? Of course you do - it's $200 each.

Packages? Yes, there are a lot of them. Let's say you bought a Cooper S and want a bigger screen, then the $2200 multimedia package adds an 8.8-inch screen, a Harman/Kardon stereo, and a head-up display.

How practical is the interior space? 7/10

The name of this car is sort of a clue as to how practical its insides are. 

In three-door, five-door hatchback and convertible, the car feels roomy in the front, even for my 191cm height with plenty of head, leg and elbow room. My navigator on the boat was my height, and there was a lot of personal space between us.

What can not be said about the rear seats - in my driving position, the back of the front seat almost rests on the rear seat cushion in a three-door, and the second row in a five-door is not much better.

Now you need to know that the three-door hatch and convertible have four seats, and the five-door has five seats.

The luggage compartment is also cramped: 278 liters in a five-door hatch, 211 liters in a three-door and 215 liters in a convertible. For comparison, the three-door Audi A1 has 270 liters of boot space.

Cargo space for the hatchback includes two cup holders in the front and one in the back of the Cooper and Cooper S Hatch, and two in the front and two in the back of the JCW. While the convertible has two in front and three in the back. Driving from top to bottom can be a tedious job.

There isn't much other storage space aside from the glove box and card pockets in the seatbacks - those door pockets are just big enough to fit just a phone or purse and wallet.

In terms of power connections, the Coopers have USB and 12V up front, while the Cooper S and JCW have wireless phone charging and a second USB port in the front armrest.

What are the main characteristics of the engine and transmission? 8/10

It's simple. The Cooper is the least powerful with its 100kW/220Nm 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine; The Cooper S sits in the middle with its 2.0kW/141Nm 280-liter four-cylinder engine, while the JCW is hardcore with the same 2.0-liter engine tuned for 170kW and 320Nm. 

All of them with turbo-petrol engines, and all hatchbacks and convertibles are front-wheel drive.

The 2.0-liter Cooper S engine delivers 141 kW/280 Nm.

Okay, here's where things get a little confusing - transfers. The Cooper, Cooper S and JCW hatchback come with a six-speed manual transmission as standard, but a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission for the Cooper, a sporty version of this car for the Cooper S, and an eight-speed automatic transmission for the Cooper S are optional. JCW. 

The opposite is true for the convertible, which comes standard on these cars when you upgrade from Cooper to JCW, with the optional manual transmission.

How fast is hardcore? The three-door JCW can hit 0 km/h in 100 seconds, which is very fast, while the Cooper S is half a second behind and the Cooper is a second behind.

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How much fuel does it consume? 7/10

The three-cylinder turbocharged Cooper petrol engine is the most economical engine in the lineup: Mini says you should see 5.3L/100km in the three-door hatch, 5.4L/100km in the five-door and 5.6L/100km in the five-door. Convertible with automatic transmission.

According to Mini, the Cooper S's four-cylinder turbo engine should consume 5.5 l/100 km in the three-door hatchback, 5.6 l/100 km in the five-door and 5.7 l/100 km in the convertible.

The JCW four-cylinder is the most power hungry of them all, and Mini claims you'll use 6.0L/100km in a three-door, while a convertible will need 6.3L/100km (you can't get a five-door JCW hatch). ).

These figures are based on urban and open road traffic.

During my stay in the three-door JCW, the trip computer recorded an average consumption of 9.9 l / 100 km, and this was mainly on country roads. 

What safety equipment is installed? What is the safety rating? 6/10

The Mini Hatch received a four-star ANCAP rating in 2015 (that's four out of five), while the convertible was not tested. While both the hatch and convertible come with the usual safety equipment such as traction and stability control and airbags (six in the hatch and four in the convertible), the standard advanced safety technology is missing. The hatch and convertible don't come with AEB (Autonomous Emergency Braking) as standard, but you can opt for the technology as part of the driver assistance package.

For child seats, you'll find two ISOFIX points and two top cable attachment points in the second row of the hatchback and convertible.  

Warranty and safety rating

Basic Warranty

3 years / unlimited mileage


guarantee

How much does it cost to own? What kind of guarantee is provided? 6/10

The Mini Hatch and Convertible are covered by a three-year unlimited mileage warranty. Service varies by condition, but the Mini has a five-year/80,000 km service plan for a total of $1240.

What is it like to drive? 8/10

I've never driven a Mini that wasn't fun, but some are more fun than others. At the launch of the updated Hatch and Convertible, I piloted a three-door Cooper S and JCW, as well as a five-door Cooper.

You can't go wrong with any of them in terms of driving - all handle precisely and directly, all feel nimble and nimble, all are easy to drive and, yes, fun.

I haven't driven a Mini yet that wasn't fun. (Cooper S shown)

But the increase in Cooper S power over the Cooper adds grunt to match the excellent handling, making it my choice. I've driven a three-door Cooper S, and to me, it's the quintessential Mini - lots of grunt, nice feel, and the smallest of the family.

Stepping up a few notches, the JCW is sniffing high-performance territory with its powerful engine with its JCW turbo and sports exhaust, beefier brakes, adaptive suspension, and beefier brakes. I've driven a three-door hatch in the JCW class and loved shifting with those paddles, the upshift bark is amazing and the downshift crackle too.

The Cooper S's power boost over the Cooper adds a grunt to match the excellent handling. (Cooper S shown)

The eight-speed dual-clutch transmission in the JCW is a nice and fast thing, but the seven-speed sport transmission in the Cooper S is also very good.

I didn't get the chance to drive a convertible this time around, but I've already ridden the current generation convertible, and aside from the lack of a roof to make it easier for people my size to climb in, the "in-out" driving experience adds to the fun. 

Verdict

If you're buying a mini hatch or convertible because they look unique and are fun to drive, then you're doing it for the right reasons. But if you're looking for a small family car, consider the Countryman or something bigger in the BMW lineup, like the X1 or 1 Series, which are Minis cousins ​​that use the same technology but offer more practicality at a similar price.

The best place in the hatchback and convertible lineup is the Cooper S, whether it's a three-door hatchback, a five-door hatchback or a convertible. 

Mini is the coolest little prestige car? Or expensive and ugly? Tell us what you think in the comments below.