Looks can be deceiving in new Mini Cooper

The new Mini features a softer suspension, so drivers don’t feel punished driving over imperfect surfaces. The interior is furbished with exquisite detailing, such as real brushed aluminum panels on the dashboard, and user-selectable cockpit ambient lighting color. The switches on the roof console are now nickel-finished toggles that match those on the dashboard. If Apple designed a car, it would be the Mini Cooper.

The center portion of the Mini’s dashboard houses an elephantine speedometer, bejeweled with enough chrome decoration to do a Wurlitzer jukebox proud. It looks dazzling, but is a triumph of style over function. People standing outside the car can read the speedometer better than the driver because it is out of the driver’s line of sight. That’s an unfortunate flaw in such a zippy car.

Just as the standard version’s suspension has been softened, while the harder-riding, quicker-reacting Sport suspension is available optionally to those who are so inclined, so other aspects of the Mini’s behavior are user-selectable, depending upon mood and circumstance.

A “sport” button on the console eases off the power steering assist for a more direct connection to the road and quickens the engine’s response to the gas pedal. For those cars outfitted with the optional six-speed automatic transmission, the “sport” mode also features quicker, harsher gearshifts. Thankfully, the test car was outfitted with a proper six-speed manual transmission.

Mini USA People standing outside the new Mini can read its elephantine speedometer better than the driver — that’s an unfortunate flaw.

With the regular Cooper getting 32 MPG around town and 40 MPG on the highway, capering over hill and dale in a Mini is still one of the few remaining sources of politically correct automotive fun. Even the turbocharged Cooper S I tested scored 29 MPG in the city and 36 MPG on the highway. If U.S. consumers show interest, Mini could import the even more efficient versions it sells in Europe that use a smaller gasoline engine, or run on diesel.

Ripping through the gears, the 172-horsepower turbo motor demonstrates the challenge of funneling a lot of power through a vehicle’s front wheels, as the Mini tugs from side to side depending on which of the front tires scrabbling for grip has found better purchase. Many consumers (even driving enthusiasts) might be willing to trade away a bit of that power in favor of the greater fuel economy found in the regular Cooper model.

Other advantages to the Mini’s base model include a price that is $3,150 lower than the Cooper S version, along with a smaller gas bill and, presumably, a lower insurance bill. The model you buy depends on your priorities, but you can’t go wrong with either the Cooper or the Cooper S. The important pattern to recognize is Mini’s tradition of offering fun-to-drive, premium cars to people who value efficiency and tidy proportions.

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