MINI COOPER
ROAD TESTING A FUN BUT UNDERPOWERED CONVERTIBLE.
It would appear there are few, if any, limits to my hypocrisy.
Intrigued by the possibility of testing a droptop over the Christmas holiday season, I picked up a 2016 Mini Cooper Convertible, my rationale being to find out what it would be like to drive what is clearly a summertime car during the winter months. After all, not everyone who makes the decision to own a convertible puts it away when the weather turns frosty. However, I’m one of those who does; my Miata roadster is occupying prime real estate in my garage; no snowflake will ever land on its shiny, deep blue paint.
As an unabashed admirer of most of Mini’s model lineup — thanks to their irrepressibly cheery dispositions and, in S and John Cooper Works versions, suitably performance- oriented sportiness — I have been willing to forgive some of the brand’s more overt quirks, and even justified ( in my mind, at least) its premium pricing structure. That said, I’m having issues with the as- tested sticker of the new, second- generation Convertible: a jaw-dropping $38,520.
OK, even at that, the Mini is still not stupidly priced — for a convertible. But the tester’s $ 10,000 worth of mostly superfluous options makes me wonder. With its turbocharged, 1.5-litre threecylinder ( standard) and sixspeed Steptronic manumatic transmission ( optional), a much more palatable purchase decision would be to keep it at or near its base price of $27,990 ($28,490 for 2017). Much over that and a whole bunch of far sportier convertibles come into play, most notably the two- seater Mazda MX- 5 and Fiat 124 Spider as well as the fourseat Ford Mustang V6 softtop.
Let me get more specific: The combination of boosted three- cylinder ( a mere 136 horsepower) and $ 1,400 Steptronic t ranny sucks much of the joy out of driv- ing the Mini Convertible, turning it into more of an econocar than the brand’s reputation deserves. Oh, there’s enough moxie to the powertrain for in-town commuting thanks to the Convertible being a lightweight 1, 316 kilograms and the engine’s 162 pound- feet of torque being on call at a low 1,250 rpm — BMW clocks the base model at 8.7 seconds to 100 km/ h — but it’s a busy, growly affair under acceleration.
Mini’s six- speed manual is one of the best in the biz, being light and direct, with short, well- defined throws. It’s the key to defining the sporting rep of any Mini products. For those who care, there are standard Sport, Mid and Green driving modes to play with, regardless of the transmission.
But, say you’re more into maximum UV exposure than performance. All it takes to let the sun shine in is a push of the toggle in the front roof frame panel. Eighteen seconds later the top is neatly stowed. It can even be opened and closed while the car is moving at speeds of up to 30 km/ h. The soft- top operation is fully automatic, electric powered and very quiet, with a rollover protection system that is fully integrated. There’s also a sliding sunroof function, which allows the front section of the top to be retracted to continuously variable levels.
Compared with the previous Convertible, the 2016 model i s more rigid, so there’s less cowl flex over bumps. The ride, however, is still choppy at best, which should be expected considering the Mini’s short wheelbase, run- flat winter rubber and sporty intent.
In the Convertible’s cabin, Mini has refined the funkiness that has been a staple of its interiors. Yes, there are still the trademark dash area toggle switches, but the huge circular display screen no longer houses the speedometer, which is now right in front of the driver where it should be. Instead it serves to illustrate various settings, such as the rear parking sensor and the navigation screen. Speaking of parking, it’s worth noting that rear visibility is equally poor whether the top is up or stowed. On the 2016 model, a rear camera (which should be standard as a safety feature) is included in an $ 800 Visibility package, which also requires ticking off a $ 1,500 Wired Navigation package.
Seeing its overall dimensions increase when compared with the previous Convertible, the new Mini is quite comfortable for the driver and the front-seat passenger; the rear seats are still best left for the young and/or short. Actually, the back seats should be considered extra luggage room. Even though the rear trunk compartment is about 25 per cent larger than the previous model, it’s still limited in function, offering only 5.7 cubic feet (160 L) when the top is open, 7.6 (215 L) when it’s closed.
With the snow tires fitted, the Convertible is as competent a winter car as most front- wheel- drive subcompacts. It handles light snow quite well and the small cabin heats up jiffy quick.
The base Cooper does have its charm, but its lack of performance for the price asked ultimately puts too big a dent in its personality.