I already had some experience with the MINI Cooper — in Germany, instead of the booked Audi TT, the rental company gave me a "Mini." Honestly, I didn't share the general enthusiasm then: in a city with strict speed limits, you can't really speed up, and on the autobahn you just drive straight. And on the wet North Loop of the Nürburgring, where I went in it, the modest 175/65 R15 tires — standard for this model — let me down. It wasn't about driving pleasure then; I just hoped not to fly off the track.
The body has become 7 centimeters longer. But rear passengers don't benefit from this — the wheelbase hasn't changed. For those who need more space, there's the MINI Clubman.
However, all my skepticism vanished the moment I saw this car again. It's yellow! And even though the lemon MINI with a checkered roof and mirrors resembles a clown's shoe — this color incredibly suits the stylish little guy. You look at it and immediately want to paint the dull gray autumn city in such juicy tones.
Inside, the celebration continues. You sit in a sport seat with leather upholstery and can't hold back a smile at the sight of the funny inserts on the doors and dashboard — they're also yellow, matching the body color. Every detail lifts your mood: the huge "pancake" speedometer, and the cute round key you want to take out once more. Although that's not necessary — you don't even have to take it out of your pocket. The doors open and the engine starts with simple button presses.
The front seats are decent, though a bit slippery. In the back, it's still quite cramped.
It all looks especially great in the evening, when you can change the color of the ambient interior lighting with a switch on the ceiling. In such an atmosphere, the not-too-informative speedometer no longer annoys — only a small piece of its needle remains, with the rest of the space taken up by the navigation screen. Another amusing detail is the climate control unit, styled after the MINI emblem. And the checkered roof turned out to be glass with a sunroof. Beautiful!
The built-in navigation with a Russian-English interface generally pleased me. Why so? Voice prompts are in Russian, but data entry and on-screen reading are in English. What did I like? It doesn't lag and quickly recalculates the route if you miss a turn or deliberately choose a different road. The only complaint might be the not-so-convenient interface — it's better to figure out the menu while stopped or in a traffic jam. Though you get used to it over time. Or you just don't order this option.
At first glance, the MINI's interior has hardly changed. But the materials have become noticeably better, and there are more bright elements.
But the automatic gear lever sticking out of the center tunnel immediately spoiled my mood, and I think it's clear why. But as soon as I pressed the gas pedal once, I immediately stopped and got out of the car. I looked under the hood — there seems to be no air intake from the Cooper S, I checked the documents — exactly, 120 horses. Where does this briskness come from?!
Another reason for vivid emotions — the MINI Cooper gives a great sense of speed. And the tuned exhaust doubles these impressions.
In reality, there isn't that much dynamics — the Cooper with a manual reaches 100 km/h in 9.1 seconds, and with the "automatic" it's even slower — 10.4 seconds. Before this acquaintance, I was sure people said about this car "it doesn't go." But when you really press the gas, you don't care about those seconds from the specs — only pleasure remains.
The secret to this feeling is in the lively engine, the responsive six-speed "automatic," and the sporty exhaust note that adds to the sense of speed. It's nice that you can shift up and down with the buttons on the steering wheel even without activating manual mode. And there's also a sport mode — there, shifts happen almost instantly.
In the previous MINI, the headlights rose with the hood; in the new generation, they're mounted on the body.
The MINI loves being "revved." Encouraged by the driver, the little car happily announces itself with a loud "voice" from the chrome exhaust pipe. Inspired by the unexpected briskness, I decided to drive more lively. And then, to the well-coordinated pair of "engine — gearbox," was added sharp, sensitive, and precise steering. As a result, "more lively" quickly turned into "extreme." With what enthusiasm the MINI dives into corners, how instantly it responds to the steering wheel! This isn't a car; it's a provocateur — it's simply impossible to drive it slowly! And, honestly, I don't regret it one bit.
However, I did try to drive calmly. But the MINI doesn't accept measured driving — it grumbles discontentedly with the engine and on every bump faithfully "tosses" the driver and passenger. But all this is more than compensated by the attention of passersby and, oddly enough, respect on the road. The yellow Cooper brings positivity even when you just look at it. You turn on the turn signal — and neighbors obligingly let the small hatchback through. Thank them. And how girls look at it! Which of them doesn't dream of such a car? Perhaps only the one who already has it.
The first MINI was so successful for the designers that it was very difficult not to spoil the appearance of the revived legend when changing generations. Therefore, the intervention of the "surgeons" turned out to be minimal.
When congested city streets give way to winding but smooth country roads, the MINI transforms. Sharp and predatory habits, excellent stability, and great brakes — you want the corners to never end. This is the true element of the MINI Cooper! True, when braking on uneven asphalt, it noticeably yaws and tends to "drift" off the trajectory in potholes. But that's an honest price for such sharpness of reactions. It's a pity that the impression is spoiled by not-at-all sporty tires, and even run-flat ones — the stiff and heavy Goodyear Excellence RunOnFlat don't like serious lateral loads.
And only on straight highways does the driver finally remember that under the hood is an atmospheric 1.6. No, you can't call it a slowpoke (the needle quite briskly approaches 200 km/h), but after active driving on narrow roads, you want the same drive on the highway, and the engine is no longer enough. Yes, and after 150 km/h, aerodynamic noises begin to dominate in the cabin — for the sake of style, the MINI's front pillars don't help effectively "cut" through the air.
But all these are trifles and nitpicks. Overall, the MINI Cooper is not just a good car. It's magnificent! To hell with the numbers in the "Engine power" column! As it turned out, that's not the main thing at all — everything is outweighed by the bright image, spirited character, and indescribable driving pleasure. You look at it — and you want to smile. Driving it is pure enjoyment. And it's not just about the driving qualities. Who else, besides MINI owners, waves their hands so joyfully at "kindred spirits" when meeting them on the road?
Before us is a genuine MINI in the Cooper version with the Chili package. I'll admit right away: I'm not one of those who consider this car exclusively a women's toy. Yes, its appearance is deceptively cute and rounded, but behind this facade hides quite serious technology capable of delivering plenty of driving pleasure. However, let's take it in order.
Technical stuff
Under the hood of the test car is a 1.6-liter naturally aspirated gasoline engine, which BMW engineers developed jointly with the PSA concern. This unit is interesting not only for its output of 120 horsepower and 160 Nm of torque but also for its technical solutions. Here you have a dual variable valve timing system on intake and exhaust, and the proprietary Valvetronic technology, which allows you to completely abandon the throttle valve. Paired with this engine is a six-speed "automatic" that's part of the optional equipment list.
As for the chassis, everything is in order: front — McPherson struts, rear — multi-link design. Brakes are disc all around, and the front ones are ventilated. The car is shod with 195/55 R16 tires, which, by the way, allow you to continue driving even with a puncture. For an extra charge, the test car has a sport suspension, which, as it turned out during the trip, noticeably changes the car's character.
Driving impressions
I'll say right away: the dynamics of this MINI aren't that impressive on paper. Acceleration to 100 km/h takes 10.4 seconds, and the top speed is limited to 185 km/h. But in real life, the sensations are much brighter than these numbers. The main thing is to catch the moment in time and use the manual shift mode. The automatic, of course, isn't lightning-fast in response, but if you keep the revs in the right range, the car goes quite briskly and willingly responds to the gas.
Handling is where the MINI truly shines. The steering is sharp and informative, and the short wheelbase and wide track do their job: the car literally screws itself into corners. The sport suspension fitted to our test car adds excitement, but you pay for it with comfort. On rough roads, the car shakes noticeably, which is unlikely to please those seeking a smooth ride. But on smooth asphalt or a country highway, this MINI can deliver a lot of driving pleasure.
Fuel consumption, by the way, turned out to be quite reasonable: in the city cycle, the onboard computer showed about 9.1 liters, and on the highway with calm driving, you can fit into 5–6 liters. In the combined cycle, the manufacturer claims 6.5 liters.
Design and Interior
The production car, as it turned out, almost completely replicates the design sketches we saw before the premiere. The only things changed were the wheels, which became slightly smaller, and the steering wheel, which moved to the new model from the previous generation MINI. The cabin exudes an atmosphere of a quality and stylish product: leather seats, body-color inserts, comfortable seating. Special attention deserves the huge central speedometer, which immediately catches the eye.
Inside, the car is, of course, a bit cramped — that's expected for such a body, but four passengers can quite fit if desired. The trunk, however, surprises with its capacity: if you fold the rear seats, the volume grows from 160 to 680 liters. For such a little car, that's a very respectable figure.
Trim Levels and Price
The base version of the MINI Cooper Chili, which includes almost everything you need — from climate control and cruise control to bi-xenon headlights and parking sensors — is priced at 924,000 rubles (about 26,400 euros). However, our test car was additionally equipped with an automatic transmission, navigation, power sunroof, keyless entry system, and sport suspension. As a result, its price rose to 1,210,370 rubles (approximately 34,582 euros).
Expensive? Possibly. But for that money, you get not just a small city hatchback, but a car with charisma that can bring joy every day. Even considering its capricious nature and not the best ride smoothness, the MINI Cooper Chili is a case where driving pleasure outweighs dry numbers.
Finally, a bit about the photo shoot. We had to go out on a weekday, and as usual, we got stuck in terrible traffic. When we finally arrived at the location, a surprise awaited us: the freshly cleaned front of the MINI was covered with a dense layer of insects that had stuck on the way. We didn't bother wiping them off by hand — our art editor removed all the "passengers" in Photoshop. So we owe him again.
