It's no secret that this office is a citadel of the "more power is always better" motoring philosophy. It colors our test-car priorities and tints our comparo results. It's why we rush the latest Mini Cooper S to the test track ["Power Toys," May 2007] and treat the ordinary Cooper as an afterthought.
We make no apologies for these proclivities. But we do recognize that max haste isn't a max priority for everyone. And for those folks, the latest Mini Cooper is a lovely update on a lovable original: subliminally bigger, a little more powerful, and, remarkably, a little lighter.
The Mini is now 0.2 inch narrower. The wheelbase is still 97.1 inches, but the overall length gets an increase to 145.6 inches, a gain of 1.7 inches. The back seat is still suitable only for house elves, but the cockpit does feel a little less snug. Looks a little more refined, too, even if some of us carp about the toggle switches, the center-dash speedo, and the flimsy sunroof shade.
Although the exterior has been subtly reshaped, the most tangible update is what lies beneath. A 1.6-liter Peugeot/BMW joint venture Valvetronic DOHC 16-valve four replaces the previous Chrysler/BMW four, mated, in this tester, to a Getrag six-speed manual, versus the older Cooper's five-speed. The new engine's output-118 horsepower, 114 pound-feet of torque versus 115 and 111-isn't much higher, and at 2555 pounds, this Cooper scaled in just 36 pounds lighter than a test car in July 2002.
But all the little gains show up on the clocks: 7.7 seconds to 60 mph and 16.3 at 85 mph in the quarter-mile versus 8.3 seconds and 16.6 at 83 mph for that 2002 car. The EPA city fuel rating is slightly worse-27 mpg city versus 28 for the old car, but that's because the '08 EPA test is tougher.
So, it's a more desirable base Mini Cooper: riding smoother on rough stuff than the S, equally brisk in its responses, and just as impressive in braking performance. One cautionary note: At an estimated $19,000, the Cooper rates as a bargain. But at about $25,500, our test car was in Cooper S territory. Careful with those options boxes. For example, are you really willing to pay $950 for a satellite-radio outfit that supports Howard Stern? Didn't think so.