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2002 Mini Cooper
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| Little Car, Lots To Offer |
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| Updated |
Jun 10, 2004 22:13:50 |
| Rating |
 31 ( -6 -19.35% ) | | Author | Tara Baukus Mello |
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Description:
2002 Mini Cooper
Little Car, Lots To Offer
Writer's Notes
Test Car: Mini Cooper
Curb Appeal: Unique styling and diminutive size make it appealing to teens, enthusiasts of the classic Cooper and many in between.
Asphalt Rating: The 115-horsepower, 1.6-liter, four-cylinder base engine gives Cooper plenty of pep for most driving situations, although be prepared for some sluggishness if going uphill and to freeway speeds, or upgrade to the Cooper S model.
Real World: Adorable, easy to park, enough room for two plus lots of luggage very comfortably.
Handling: The short wheelbase and wheels mounted at the outermost corners make even the tightest turns seem effortless.
Comfort: Air conditioning, power windows with one-touch down, power door locks, remote keyless entry, split and fold-down rear seat and speed-sensitive intermittent wipers all standard for a starting price of $16,300.
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It had been years since I'd seen Cooper, but when I caught my first glimpse of him, I recognized him immediately. He was hard to miss, despite his diminutive size. The expressive face with large eyes and striped shirt made plenty Americans fall in love when he first arrived in the 1960s. I knew all about Cooper then, but I never had the opportunity to get to know him before he and his brothers returned to Britain for what seemed to be a permanent stay.
But all that changed in March 2002, when, 30-plus-years Cooper jetted across the pond to American shores. Now I had my chance to see just what the others had been so enamored with.
Cooper arrived just as my previous suitor, a big and brawny full-size pickup, pulled out of my driveway. He was tiny by comparison, but had some muscles of his own. His face was a modernized version of his former self---still hip, but in a 21st century kind of way---yet the black cap still covered his head. Flared wheel arches housing 15-inch wheels at each corner accented his muscular shoulders.
He opened his arms wide---far wider than any other small car I'd known---and without a moment's hesitation, I slid into the driver's seat. The leatherette upholstery held me firmly as I took in the interior. Cooper's oversized speedometer was still located in the center, while the tachometer was on top of the steering column, as was known in racecars of his heyday. "Let's motor," he seemed to say.
I twisted the key to ignite the 115 horsepower, 1.6-liter, 16-valve, four-cylinder engine and engaged the continuously variable automatic transmission. I could see that Cooper was still full of spunk and he reported that he could travel to 60 mph from a stop in 8.5 seconds and produce speeds up to 126 mph. While Cooper didn't have a chance to show off these particular skills, he had no trouble showing me a good time while we were together.
On the way to breakfast one morning in the tiny hamlet of Ojai, California, Cooper demonstrated his cornering ability on several mountain roads. Thanks to his short wheelbase, low center of gravity and positioning of each wheel at the outermost corners, Cooper zipped around the tightest curves effortlessly. Cornering Brake Control and Dynamic Stability Control also helped Cooper through the turns, while ventilated four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock feature ensured that Cooper would bring me to a stop only seconds after my request. Like his predecessor, Cooper has his engine mounted transversely with the transmission underneath, which improves the passenger space greatly beyond what you'd expect in a small car.
Putting around town with Cooper's new continuously variable transmission (CVT), however, took a little getting used to. This system differs from a conventional automatic transmission in that there are no shift points. Instead of using a torque converter, the CVT uses an electronically-controlled oil bath multi-disc coupling, while the transmission itself uses a fixed-length steel drive belt connected to two pulleys, which transmit the drive output from the engine. As a result, the system essentially has an infinite number of variable transmission ratios.
Cooper's lack of shifts with the CVT allowed for seamless acceleration, but gave the slightly awkward feeling that there was something not quite "right." The "crawler" function, echoing the feature in conventional automatic transmissions, which allows the vehicle to crawl forward at slow speeds without depressing the accelerator pedal, gives the distinct feeling that one is piloting a manual in the wrong gear for the slow speed. It was not irritating, just simply a bit disconcerting, and is, of course, eliminated entirely by placing the CVT into the Steptronic mode, which allows the driver to shift manually according to six electronically set "gears."
After breakfast, Cooper and I cruised toward the coast. The bucket-style seats cradled me nicely through the turns and my driving partner (a six-foot-tall bloke) was pleased to see that he had plenty of headroom and legroom thanks to a high roofline and front seats with extra-long seat travel. Although there is just 5.6 cubic feet in the cargo area, I soon discovered it was enough to hold four brown grocery bags comfortably and, by folding the 50/50-split rear seat, Cooper's cargo capacity increased to 25 cubic feet.
During the drive, Cooper had no trouble keeping my water bottle and mid-day snack cool in his air-conditioned glove box, one of Cooper's many handy features. The steering column was height-adjustable, while the steering wheel with multi-function controls was an option. Toggle switches were used for the power windows, door locks and optional fog lights, a throwback to Cooper's old racing days. An audio system with CD player is standard, with a Harmon Kardon upgrade available. Other options include rain sensing windshield wipers and a navigation system.
Climbing out of the Ojai valley and entering the freeway, it seemed that Cooper was really much bigger than his actual size. To be sure, he is 18 inches longer and 14 inches wider than his predecessor, made famous by such Brits as Peter Sellers, Paul McCartney and Kate Moss. Yet, when I managed to squeeze into a parallel parking spot formerly occupied by a Harley, I was reminded that Cooper is still just a little guy with a big heart. Guess that's what makes him so easy to love.
---Story by Tara Baukus Mello
© 2002, Tara Baukus Mello, All Rights Reserved. |
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