Displaying items by tag: Mini Cooper

 
 
The verdict: The 2022 Mini Cooper S Convertible is a droptop that’s designed to be noticed, but it’s better as a driver’s car than as a convertible.Versus the competition: The ranks of affordable, fun-to-drive convertibles have dwindled in recent years, leaving the Cooper S Convertible as one of the few remaining offerings — and perhaps the most stylish.Mini freshened the Convertible for the 2022 model year, giving it mild exterior and interior styling updates and some new standard features, including LED headlights, a digital instrument cluster and lane departure warning. As before, it’s available in Cooper, Cooper S and John Cooper Works form, with each offering increasing levels of performance. Our test car was a Cooper S Convertible with a starting price of $32,750 (including destination). Optional features raised the as-tested price to $41,750.How It DrivesIf you’re looking for driving fun, you’ll find it in the Cooper S. While it lacks some of the visceral feel of prior-generation modern Minis, there’s an eagerness to the driving experience that’s increasingly rare in new cars. This is especially evident in the car’s Sport mode, which makes the steering weightier, heightens gas pedal response and activates the six-speed manual transmission’s downshift rev-matching feature.
Our test car’s EPA-estimated gas mileage is 23/33/26 mpg city/highway/combined. Manual-equipped cars have a fuel-saving engine stop-start feature that shuts off the engine when the car comes to a rest and the clutch pedal is released; pressing the clutch pedal again restarts the engine. The optional seven-speed dual-clutch automatic bumps the Cooper S’ estimated fuel economy to 27/36/30 mpg.Our test car’s options included adaptive shock absorbers and 18-inch wheels with summer tires. The resulting ride is firm and transmits road imperfections to the cabin, with bigger bumps producing a harsh, jostling response. On the plus side, the Cooper S stays flat when carrying speed through corners.

The Interior

As is characteristic of Mini vehicles, the Cooper S Convertible cabin has many unique design cues, including Union Jack accents, a red starter switch, and an illuminated ring around the dashboard multimedia screen that reflects things like cabin temperature and audio volume changes with a color-coordinated response.The Cooper S Convertible has a standard touchscreen multimedia system with an 8.8-inch widescreen display. The system can also be controlled by a knob and some buttons aft of the shifter, but I’m glad Mini includes a touchscreen; the console knob and buttons are positioned in a way that makes them difficult to use comfortably.
 
There’s an adjustable center armrest between the front seats. It’s a nice touch, but it can get in the way when lifting the parking brake handle. I get that there’s not a lot of room to work with in the cabin, but it’s an unfortunate quirk that could be fixed by Mini switching to an electric parking brake.
Storage space, not surprisingly, is at a premium, with minimal space for stuff in the doors and glove box. Lifting the front center armrest can reveal an optional wireless phone charger; I fit my iPhone 12 in the charger without needing to remove its case, but it was tight.If you don’t plan on using the backseat, you can fold it to create a storage shelf. The trunk itself is small — 7.6 cubic feet with the top up and 5.7 cubic feet with it down, according to Mini’s measurements — but the convertible includes levers to release the rear section of the power-folding soft top to improve trunk access.The front sport seats have manual adjustments, including ones for lumbar and thigh support, but some shoppers will expect power adjustments at this price. The seats are supportive, and their side bolsters hold you in place in fast corners.The Cooper S Convertible’s two-person backseat is about what you’d expect from a diminutive convertible: barely usable for adults. There’s hardly any legroom, and the seat itself isn’t that comfortable. It’ll perhaps be useful in a pinch, but anyone who has to sit back there won’t want to stay for long.

Is It a Good Convertible?

Like the car itself, the Cooper S Convertible’s standard power soft top has some unique characteristics, some of which add to the driving experience and some that detract from it.In our testing, it took about 16 seconds to lower the top and 13 seconds to raise it. The top also has a sunroof feature, wherein you can retract the portion over the front seats but leave the rest of it in place. An optional Mini Yours top features a Union Jack emblem in gray across its entirety.
The Convertible’s body structure isn’t particularly rigid, either. The windshield pillars and rearview mirror shake when driving on bumpy roads, and I noticed some squeaks in the cabin.

Safety and Driver-Assist Features

The 2022 Cooper S convertible hasn’t been crash-tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The convertible’s standard forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking system was rated advanced by IIHS out of a possible basic, advanced or superior.

Should You Buy the Cooper S Convertible?

The Cooper S Convertible is engaging to drive, it has unique styling cues and offers interesting personalization options. It has its share of quirks, too, and whether you find them charming or annoying will be a good indicator of whether it’s the right convertible for you.
https://www.cars.com/articles/2022-mini-cooper-s-convertible-review-better-at-fun-than-sun-440038/
Published in Blog/News

The current family of Mini models configured in the form of hatches and convertibles, from the F55 / F56 / F57 series, debuted back in 2013, only to undergo the first wrinkle tightening operation five years later. Then we got a chance to notice the British flag in the form of which the graphics of the last signal groups were made.

Although we would all think that after almost eight years, the time has come for a change of generations, that will not happen. That is why you should know that the new wave of modernization that swept the Mini brand, brought a lot of freshness to the offer, both in terms of the number and depth of improvements made.

Traditional Mini models got a new character with a large lid in the middle of a stylized air intake. The new bumpers have a flatter design, and are no longer "complemented" by fog lights, which are becoming just one of the separate functions of the main headlight groups, which now offer LEDs from the basic equipment package.

The last single groups incorporate the mentioned diodes in the same style as before, but the change is that they are part of the standard equipment package, while in the past such "feet" were paid extra. The rear center light, set to break the fog, remained in place, but is now successfully camouflaged by a transparent diffuser.

Other changes include new grilles on the front fenders, a newly developed collection of wheels with 17- or 18-inch wheels, as well as an enriched palette of available color shades for the body. However, the company is most proud of the two-tone roof and states that such an option is available for the first time in the history of the automotive industry. Of course, this refers to the vehicle that leaves the factory halls, and not to the secondary market.

Several color combinations can be ordered in that spirit, and it is up to the buyer to express style and measure, although even the manufacturer will not allow him to show distaste, that is for sure.

There are a lot of novelties inside the little ones as well. There are different ventilation openings, steering wheel, and even a gear lever. Customers have a wider choice of combinations of available colors, materials and finishes.

An optional five-inch screen was offered instead of the instrumentation cluster even earlier, and now the graphics of the same have been improved. The infotainment system has also been redesigned, regardless of the fact that the dimensions of the monitor have remained identical, ie 8.8 inches. The new options bring a heated steering wheel as well as an electromechanical handbrake.

On this occasion, the "minis" were not left without diesel, but it happened in 2019, on the eve of the introduction of the environmental standard Euro-6d. That hasn't changed even now, so the range includes only petrol and electric models. The powertrains were not modernized during this restyling.

So, five petrol versions are offered in different countries, although only two internal combustion engines are in circulation. The turbocharged engine is offered in the following editions One First (75 hp), One (102 hp) and Cooper (136 hp), while the four-cylinder two-liter 2.0-liter is hidden on the market under the indexes: Cooper S (178 hp) and John Cooper Works . (231 hp).

The transmission can be a six-speed manual, a seven-speed automatic with a double clutch (for four versions), as well as an eight-speed automatic for the most desirable variant, the one that says John Cooper Works. The electric hatch Mini Cooper SE will continue to offer 184 horsepower and a traction battery with a capacity of 32.6 kW / h.

For Mini vehicles configured in the form of hatches or convertibles, it is planned to offer an adaptive suspension system where the shock absorber stroke is adjustable and variable. Previously, this option was "under the nose" of only buyers of the hot hatch Mini John Cooper Works. Through this restyling, a more modern adaptive cruise control has been installed, so he can now restart the vehicle after the driver has previously stopped.

Sales of the updated Mini in Europe start in March. It is best to inquire at an authorized dealer about the prices of newcomers. They are especially looking forward to every customer, which is also true for the BMW parent brand, with the bigger brother selling much better.

AutoRepublika

Published in Blog/News
Tagged under

The latest news from the world of the auto industry

"It's time for Europe to respond to the threats posed by Chinese car brands," said Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo, urging European Union countries to collaborate in addressing the i...