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2004 MINI Cooper Road Test

All Downhill from Here

A little after four in the afternoon on a hot summers afternoon, and I am in a situation Ive never been in before. I am at the wheel of a vehicle thats not mine, fiddling with the stereo controls, trying to get over my giddiness and excitement. That, and the fact that its mine for the next week. Five years in practice, writing previews about up and coming cars and Im finally doing the real thing. Whats better yet is that its a car thats at the top of the automotive critics list, the MINI Cooper, but in base trim. This is the first car that Ive ever road-tested for an extended period of time, and what a vehicle to start out with - I just might be spoiled for the rest of my journalist career.

Even after its introduction three years ago, the MINI still grabs attention like no other vehicle on the road. Its small, cute and a star thanks to the recent blockbuster remake of "The Italian Job." Speaking of which, my

Although it has been three years since its debut, the MINI is still able to grab plenty of attention. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

test cars Chili Red paint, with white roof, mirror caps and optional hood stripes makes a reasonably good facsimile of Charlie Crockers leading car used in the flick.

Never have I been in a car that gathered so much attention: within the first six hours, four people had already given me kudos on the road, and it had already picked up a new nickname amongst my friends, Sparky. The constant smiles from passersby were a reflection of my own delight at looking at this car. No matter how dull the sky, or miserable the weather, the MINI brightened my day. In any sense, all the commentary makes

No matter how dull the sky or miserable the weather, the MINI brightened my day. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

me wonder what kind of action a go-faster Cooper S, with its hood scoop and checkered-flag roof pattern, or better yet the up and coming Cabrio will attract at stoplights. However good the MINI is to look at, the only person I dont think would approve is Sir Alex Issigonis: he was about moving forward rather than dwelling upon the past.

On that thought the MINI is unapologetically retro, but like most modern re-dos this is far from an exact copy, with much structural change in the forty-seven year generation gap. The new car lives in a world of gargantuan sport utility vehicles and stringent safety restrictions, explaining the reason for a bodyshell thats three

When it comes to the interior, the MINI is a completely different experience from any other car in its class. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

times as rigid as the class norm and the increase in dimensions and weight over the original. The new Cooper is more than one and a half feet longer than the original, and its width and height are much closer to the a modern day subcompact than the Morris. Other reasons for the size increase are that the longer wheelbase increases cabin room as well as improves high-speed stability, plus its added width accommodates a larger track, benefiting handling along with increased hip and shoulder room. Like the original, the new MINI is tall, essential in providing a comfortable cabin for all body types. The end result is a squat looking compact that seems a great deal larger alone than it actually is.

Sitting inside the

The dash and doors are trimmed in top-notch leather-grain soft-touch plastic, and the whole lot has been screwed together with BMW like precision. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

MINI is a completely different experience from any other car in its class. You sit low and a fair distance away from the upright windscreen, almost like being placed in the center of the car. The symmetrical design of the interior harks back to the original Mini, all the attention gets paid to the center of the car where the dinner plate sized speedometer sits, right above the CD-stereo, climate control and stack of wonderfully retro toggle switches. A storage bin beneath, surrounded by a pair of arching pillars coated in the same metallic-finish patina as the rest of the dashboard trim completes the center stack. A lone rev-counter sits atop the steering column, combined with a digital speed readout that helped me keep my eyes on the road, instead on the center console. The dash and doors

While it offers enough room for daily driving, the MINI isnt a car you want to take to transport a new Ikea wall unit home or to pick up your relatives from the airport. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

are trimmed in top-notch leather-grain soft-touch plastic, and the whole lot has been screwed together with the same expert attention to detail as a BMW 3- or 5-Series. The action of the toggle switches, rotary dials and stalks feel very expensive, despite what the cars accommodating price tag suggests. What separates the MINI from any other Bimmer is that its nowhere near as serious and, well, Germanic as the automakers other products.

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