When the winter chill sets in, drivers’ thoughts start to turn toward spring. Perhaps it’s really not a surprise that the Mini Cooper has some spiffed-up design features for 2011 including those on the new convertibles, which are solid performers in all weather but especially loved during warmer months.
Not that the car is lagging in sales. The Mini Cooper has caught on like wildfire since it was reintroduced in the United States in 2002. Mini sold 215,000 cars in 2009, and 109,000 were sold worldwide in the first half of this year, an increase of 7.7 percent compared with the first half of last year, according to Henny Hemmes of the Auto Channel Web site.
Wisely, the automaker decided there’s no point in fixing something that isn’t broken. Mini hasn’t changed its styling significantly, just given it the auto equivalent of a dash of Botox and a bit of eyebrow shaping. Larger fog lights and a host of new colors — including orange spice, British racing green and eclipse gray — give the much-loved iconic car a real boost in exterior appearance.
| 2011 Mini Cooper |
| » Engine: Turbocharged, direct injection, 1.6-liter, 16-valve inline 4-cylinder |
| » Transmission: Getrag 6-speed manual |
| » MSRP: Starting at $20,100 |
Inside, the story is pretty much the same, with Mini changing a few colors from silver to black, rearranging controls and adding a spiffed-up steering wheel with a chrome ring.
But as is true with many cute-as-a-button cars, you’re either a fan and will accept a few inconveniences or you’re not. The auto journalists at the highly respected Edmunds found the climate controls confusing — even after they familiarized themselves with the system — and the look of the center stack to be odd. They also likened the large speedometer to musician Flavor Flav’s oversized clock necklace. Again, though, it’s a matter of taste — either you are partial to the styling or you aren’t.
I told you not long ago that the car was a solid performer whether in heavy traffic or back roads. Although I am among the ranks that haven’t tested the new car, many critics note that the new models have more horsepower (about 12 more for some models) though Mini kept the 1.6-liter four-cylinder engines from 2010. There are two other engine choices for those who want to boost their rides even more.
When I tested a Mini a few months ago, I found the acceleration especially pleasing with none of the lag that I have experienced in other fuel-sipping small cars.
Despite the extra power for 2011, the new Coopers still have excellent mileage ratings. The base Cooper with the manual transmission gets 29 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway. The Cooper S with automatic gets 26 mpg in the city and 34 on the highway.
With the economy still sagging, that’s plenty to celebrate — even before spring arrives.
