2010 MINI Cooper Reviews
2010 MINI Cooper Reviews
1000 Miles and Lovin It, even with some problems
I have had my car for going on 3 months now and I am just about to hit 1000 miles, and have already had to have my car brought back into the dealership because of some semi serious problems. The car died immediately after starting on one occasion and a problem light lit up on the dash. Mini did tow the car out to the dealership (55 miles away) for free and gave me a free replacement vehicle, and had it fixed in one day. The problem was a faulty high pressure pump for the fuel. They replaced it and no problems since. Honestly I dont care, I am under complete warranty for 4 years so if somethings majorly wrong I'd like to get it out of the way now hah.
Aside from that, I sometimes wish I had splurged a little more and got a clubman for the extra room. There really is no backseat space if anyone is in the front, though its not uncomfortable for 4 people, just more cramped than I would like. Also there is almost no trunk space at all for groceries or luggage. But the price was right for me and I wanted the S model so I got what I could afford, plus it really does look better than the clubmans!
The cooper S is FUN to drive. Its acceleration and steering is amazing; I dont even realize how fast I am going most of the time! Its like driving a sports car for sure. The wheels on the car are runflats which is a really good thing as there is no spare tire, but this also means you feel every bump in the road. Tradeoffs for everything I suppose, but I quickly get used to this and dont even realize it any more.
The customization of Minis is just unbelievable and awesome. Its like having a toy car that you can constantly add things to and take things off, both on the exterior (in terms of awesome decals) and interior (in terms of everything!). I have added black stripe decals to my pepper white mini and the only downside was that I paid for it at the dealership when there turns out to be websites with TONS of different kind of stripes for really cheap and are apparently easy enough to apply. I plan on added side decals and maybe even a roof decal eventually. I also plan on blacking out the rims. It seems the customization will never end!Improvement Suggestions
Reliability is not as great as I would have liked in purchasing a new vehicle. Coopers are not rated very high in terms of reliability according to all studies I have seen, which I find surprising as the cooper is literally the ONLY vehicle Mini makes. At under 1000 miles I have already had to take my vehicle in and had parts replaced, which is kind of ridiculous. And prices after warranty for upkeep is very high.
While the Mini already gets pretty decent MPG it can definitely be better. When it becomes viable I would like to get a completely electric or non-oil consuming vehicle, but for now the better the MPG the more likely I am to consider a vehicle.Jorge Ortega's 2010 MINI Cooper Coupe review
While the new MINI belongs to the germans now, BMW has really embodied the spirit of the MINI into this wonderful little car. Just looking at it makes you want to drive it. If your best friend was a car it would be the new MINI. Its quick too with the MINI S outrunning V6 mustangs and Civic Sis with ease. The beautiful race oriented interior has the tach right in front of the driver with clear numbering because that's all that matters in such a rev happy car. It really feels like you're going faster than what you really are, which is exactly what makes this car such a joy to drive. The manual transmission is the gearbox of choice here because the automatic seems to zap the little car's spunk. Its a little cramped for passengers so the MINI is not really a car that you drive all your friends in. The interior is high quality and unique especially with that huge speedo. The John Cooper Works edition is a real performer outrunning much larger rivals thanks to its 22 psi turbocharger and with aftermarket brands responding to the MINI's huge popularity you can really make the car unique. No it is not a chick car, it really books and looks amazing with the flat black rims. If you're looking for a hot hatch that's not as overplayed as a Civic Si or Golf Gti, then the MINI is for you.
Improvement Suggestions
A little sharper handling for the John Cooper Works. The MINI S felt more capable in the corners and the steering was not as stiff.
