Mini Cooper S Convertible | Aging Gracefully
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- Опубликовано: 25 июл 2024
- We review the short for this world Mini Cooper S Convertible. In North American this is one of the last small 2 door cars that is not designed around being ECO transportation. While there are many dated aspects of the car there remains a youthful feel and experience that cannot be matched. However with the massive improvements in cars like the Hyundai N, Honda Civic, VW Golf, Mazda3 and more, would you consider this?
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#cars #mini #fun
Index:
00:00 Interior Impressions
3:34 Mechanical Impressions
5:40 Driving Impressions
12:25 Final Thoughts 
Авто/Мото
Short story - in 2014 while my truck was in the shop and I got a Chevy Sonic RS "hot hatch" as a joke of a loaner car. It was hands down the most fun I had ever had on the streets and I had to buy the smallest rowdiest car available, immediately!! I ended up buying a 2013 Mini Cooper "GP" that had been sitting on the lot for $35k...funny to think at the time how people said it was outrageously priced...but that car was so special, 6 pot Brembos, real aero and a short wheelbase made the thing feel as close to a sportbike as any car I've ever driven - traffic seemed to stand still as I flew through like the only vehicle moving. The seats were absolutely spectacular, it would do 155mph and nearly a G on the lateral skidpad...but most importantly, I never felt a sense of shame about the car, I neither felt like a porsche driver nor a shitbox fanboy. In hindsight the Fiesta ST ended up getting all the praise for the era and the class of vehicle, but there is something about a Mini that is just cool without falling victim to the absolute shittiness or doucheyness of the other cars - I think its some small sense of timelessness in the style.
I did something similar. Had a 2004 cobra (which Mark and Jack used for their vid). Moved out of the city and bought a Fiesta ST as a daily driver. Woke up one morning last spring to take the mustang for a Sunday drive, stared at both of them in the garage, ended up taking the Fiesta. Cobra went up for sale the next day.
James May was right. Its more fun to drive a small, lightweight car on the street at 8/10ths all the time, without breaking too many laws, than it is to drive something you will never safely take to even 4/10ths without doing jail time speeds or risk a serious wreck.
I got my S when my wife was 5 months pregnant. She loved to look at it and the interior quirks, but the suspension became an issue once the belly grew.
Lovely story. It happened to me in 2013: I go through cars like candy, mostly new. That year we decided to turn our finances around and sold both financed cars and bought “beaters” for cash to pay off debt etc. That process lasted 3 years. The car I bought for $3200 was a 1989 BMW 325i. It was in excellent shape and I still have it and actually daily drive it. I put about 10-12k miles per year on average. I love driving it to work every day with its manual transmission and analog nature. It’s not how fast it can go as it’s slow for today’s standards but more about how it handles on twisty roads, highway ramps, etc. A pure joy to drive. To this day, it’s the car I ever held on the longest by far and just can’t seem to get tired of it.
I absolutely agree. MINIs can hang with any crowd and fit in, while also ripping through traffic or the track.
I drive my moms Mini every single day and I absolutely agree with you, these cars just drive in a way that no other car drives. It doesn’t even matter that much which engine, all of them are fun. The Mini One Cabrio my sister has with 107HP is almost as fun as my moms Cooper S Cabrio with 192HP, they sound great, have good infotainments, the dual clutch in the S is seriously amazing and these cars just have character.
My dad has one of these and you are the only people on YT who accurately describe the driving characteristics instead of saying „it has a harsh ride“ (you are right, it actually doesn’t) and calling it a day. Great job!!!
I've had 2 MINI'S. Both were a BLAST. The non-lockout for reverse is a non issue. Never a problem in 200k+ miles. Loads of fun. Loads of character. Great at autocross. A car to fall deeply in love with. A cult following with endless possible modifications (but stock is GREAT). And very reliable too...go figure (non turbo). And great mpg's. Plus...I've had THREE HIGHSCHOOL BASKETBALL PLAYERS in my hardtop for 1-hour drives to games with little problem. My convertible was a NON-STOP smile. With the back seat down I can haul stuff from Costco or go on a trip with plenty of gear/luggage. It's a great car. Buy it. You'll never look back or regret it. Motor on.
The pricing really kills the Mini. If they could bring the fully loaded cars down into the mid-$30s they would sell a hell of a lot more.
They have to go Mexican manufacturing in order to fulfill the price range.
You are so right. I would suggest that once the supply chain issues resolve themselves, that people go after these in the used market. I bought a certified pre-owned Cooper S several years ago, and it was already down 50% from its MSRP after 2 years of it being new, and has been a blast to own as a second car.
The normal non convertible S are sitting in the mid 30s though
You can get older used Cooper S models of the F56 generation for pretty good value. Though I gotta say, the second facelift that came with the 2021 models with the new front facia and new interior screens really add a lot to the car.
Exactly. This being in the low $40's that's getting into Golf R or Civic type R territory.
One of the problems with retro, and this applies to the entire Mini lineup, is that it's very hard to evolve over time. Pity the American market doesn't have enough demand to support a wide variety of small cars. "Light on its feet" only works if the car actually is light. Were it my money, I'd be looking at the GTI or Civic hatch. Not as small, but more practical and still not huge.
Exactly, GTI and civic SI/r For damn near $6000 less blow this thing out of the water, and it's not like mini today are building tanks
I dunno about not huge, the new Civic borders on Accord-size. It's significantly larger than an A3! For what it is, it's too big for me if I want a small, sporty car.
@@vomErsten Well, it (the Civic) is certainly no Escalade. But yes, like all cars, including the Mini, it's grown over the years. I recall the '76 Civic having 12" wheels and being a hoot to drive.
Porsche 911: hold my bier
The American market does have enough demand.
The problem is the price point on all the supposedly 'disposable' second/fun cars is fucking ridiculous. North of 40 grand for this? Piss off BMW. Yes, I do realize that a large chunk of that is r-tarded regulations on safety, emissions and economy.
I took advantage of the chip shortage to trade in my ‘19 Mazda3 (at a profit with 20k miles added onto it) and leased a ‘22 new Cooper S hardtop. This car is such a perfect lease machine, and the ‘21 facelift and new tech make it actually pretty nice. Owning one new would be a tougher pill to swallow mentally, but I guess I’m paying the depreciation anyway.
Glad someone mentioned the lack of reverse gear lockout. I turoed one of these and almost reversed into someone on a steep hill. I was doing a hill start and gave it some more gas only to realize in horror that I was in reverse. A screen tells you what gear you're in on the gauge cluster, but it is not intuitive-no idea how this made it past anyone in safety and compliance. It's hella dangerous.
I got my licence in the sixties and owned and drove many European manual manual trans cars with reverse left and up. I always dropped into second, and then up into first, even from rest. That was partly because all manuals back then had non-synchro first gears, so you dropped into second to line up the teeth, and then up into first. I still drive manuals that way even today. (My current car is a MT.)
@@davep8029 seconding this. Have far less driving experience but have indeed noticed that at the very least, going second then back up into first gives far less resistance via the shifter on a VW manual without synchroed first gear.
it's extra weird because I'm pretty sure my older 2006 gen 1 mini had a reverse lock out...
This is why Reverse being right and down is superior to left and up. :p
@@davep8029 Except for the Alfas, they had synchro first gears. However the synchros would wear and I usually did as you did with non-synchro cars. I got my '64 Alfa Sprint, a 101 series car, in 1967, it was my first car, a five speed in an era of four speed cars.
One of the few cars that you can still buy that doesn't feel like an appliance on wheels. My wife and I got one after driving civic si, wrx, jetta gli and as soon as you whip this around a corner it all makes sense. It has some of the sharpest handling on the road and has character unlike anything else.
Hope minis never go away.. was really close to buying the JCW clubman, but with the prices rising so high on cars it was actually cheaper to get a lightly used M40i
my point exactly The price really kills this car this will be a good $35,000 car maybe, but 45K is near insane, you could get a Tesla model 3 or a golf R/gti And get a lot more out of those cars in every category
@@JDMHaze even 35k is too much. The should be a mid 20s car.
@@JDMHaze yep! Though I do feel that the Golf R will need to be careful with its price since it’ll most likely be closer to 50 after MSRP :/
@@Butts0hboi inflation
@@wigletron2846 I remember when minis used to start at like $26000 (USD)
We love our MINI convertible! Manual, turbocharged 3-cylinder, and a few aftermarket goodies 😉 and I can honestly say I’ve never had a car that’s more fun to own or drive, despite owning 20+ cars, several of which are far, far more performance oriented. There’s something about MINI’s that no other brand can offer. And can we talk about the MINI owners, the MINI family?? Honestly the best car family I’ve ever been a part of.
Mini's are fun. If you want to drive and smile and just have a great time driving, this is an excellent choice.
My 2022 Mini Cooper S I purchased brand new for $28k USD. Not terribly more expensive than a lot of other hot hatches. And it is so much fun.
Hello. I’m reaching out to ask how are you liking your Mini so far? Did you have any concerns about its long term reliability before purchasing? Has it been reliable so far? What are your pros and cons? Are the breaks good? Does the A/C work well? Las Vegas is home. Do you have any buyers remorse ? I saw a 2023 Mini Cooper S on Autotrader and deeply considering getting it. It’s my dream car, but there are some nay sayers due to its past models.
This is an extremely fair review which some auto journalists are incapable of when it comes to Mini. I own a Mini Countryman JCW, yes its expensive for a Mini, but it is the only car I drove that truly put a smile on my face. It is so quirky and irrational in so many ways, but I love the damn thing and I’ve yet to see another moron driving one which makes me like it even more. Reliability TBD but if that’s your main focus, you were never considering a Mini in the first place.
They summed it up very well. Let's be honest. If you are buying a Cooper S, you are probably at least a mild enthusiast. You can probably do basic maintenance, fix minor issues, and don't mind doing so. A car doesn't need to be dead nuts reliable if it makes up for it in driving pleasure/personality.
lol damn what have you been driving lmao
My first car was a 2004 (I think) Mini S manual, back when they still supercharged them. I was really young and not as involved in cars as I am now, but man it was so much fun. At one point I had 3 other 6'+ guys stuffed in it to get around town and it was hysterical. I have lots of memories in that thing, but I don't think I'd ever consider a new one.
Why not? Very small cars always make the best memories. Buy an suv and years later you'll have forgotten that you even owed it
As someone who drives a 2018 base model stick cooper, I absolutely love these cars. The turbo three is a peach of an engine, sips gas, whilst the car handles like its on rails. Truly the closest you can get to a street legal go kart. I see myself owning some form of cooper for a very long time.
Also, its without a doubt the greatest small car for tall people; I'm 6'2 and my dad's 6'4, and with both fit with plenty of headroom.
To be fair a Suzuki Swift Sport would be a far better choice. Under 1000kg, 140hp.
Yeah the Mini drives somewhat nice but its way too expensive and the clutch is shit imho.
@@raupenimmersatt6906 those aren’t sold in North America. Also I’m by no means saying there aren’t better options for the price, just that these specific cars are a hell of a lot of fun to me.
I ordered a poverty spec R53 MINI Cooper S when they first came out. It was 25 grand out the door. That car was a tuner's wet dream. There was so much you could modify. The sky was the limit. The supercharged engine was a rough-edged beast, and with a pulley and a tune, you could get pretty impressive power out of it. I still miss that car sometimes, but when you're single and only commute in it, the car makes sense. Add Wife and kids, and it's a different story, at least once the kids are too big for the rear seats. I used to throw the kids in the back, and haul ass through a local roundabout. We were all laughing our hearts out. That's what a MINI is best at. The problem with newer MINIs is the price. All those BMW bits aren't cheap, but the cars don't feel premium. There's also reliability to think about. MINIs have issues, at least the earlier ones did.
I bought a 2015 Cooper S Coupe in 2018 well speced and low miles for under $20k. It's not my only car, but it is my winter car, and my most practical car. It's amazing for bopping around town, reasonably comfortable on the highway, and while it's completely outclassed by my other cars in the twisties, it will still embarrass most cars on the road.
I’m a true MINI fan…I’ve owned 5 modern MINIs and one classic Mini. Of all of them, the supercharged R53 (2002-06…08 for the cabrio) cars were the best in terms of driving fun. Reliability?…none of them were good….but part of the joy of ownership for me was the modding, upgrades, repair, etc.
I sold my last car two years ago (an 06 Cooper S)…rust was beginning to eat it and it was just a matter of time before it was a problem. I have ZERO desire for the current generation. For me, It has lost all of the character it once had.
Ok and?
Right on, bodies got inflated with massive wheel arch moldings and gobs of plasti-chrome, not to mention overly proportioned lighting all the way around…
I caught a bug for a Mini once. In 2016 I went to a dealer with full intentions of buying a new JCW in manual, red with white stripes. While there I decided I'd test drive a new 2016 S (F56) and 2013 S (R56) they had on the lot. I was blown away by how much more I enjoyed the older less powerful R56. It felt much smaller (it was), more raw and exciting to drive. I abandoned the idea of the new Mini and shopped for my dream speck 2013 JCW. I ended up finding a 2013 S with the JCW tuning kit and just about every single upgrade one could throw at it from the Mini catalog including GP aero package and interior with the rear seat delete. It was a brilliant car, an autocross weapon that embarrassed many high performance cars. I ultimately enjoyed it for two years when the turbo fun and maintenance wore thin on me. I replaced with the a naturally aspirated 1999 BMW M3 and couldn't be happier. It's addicting to drive, always, and I don't forsee a reason to sell it. The Mini was excellent, but I saw the writing on the wall that is was going to be very expensive out of warranty to own. The M3 was a good choice, has been very reliable and inexpensive to service.
IM SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU FINALLY REVIEWING A MINI
Shame the Fiesta ST is no longer sold in North America. It is a great compact sports car.
Ford really did us dirty
@@mistamaog I live in Europe and own the new MK8 ST. It’s such a brilliant drivers car. I love it.
My dad got one of the first rebooted Mini’s in Dallas. I’ll always have a soft spot for these and catch myself looking at used ones from time to time. I couldn’t swing the size as an everyday car but I’d still love to get an older S or JCW as a fun car.
I reluctantly bought my brother's 2015 Cooper S manual after a move got canceled, sold my M2, and had no car. I was shocked at just how much fun the Cooper S is to drive, it really gave away nothing to the M2 in that area. In fact, it was more fun on public roads given its agility and diminutive size, while also quieter, softer and far more livable. Aside from one deal breaker, that is. Its just too damn small and cramped in there for me. Its not so much the interior as it is just how bad the base sport seats are. I cant ever seem to get comfortable in them. That said, at almost 70k miles, its been dead reliable, no issues aside from a hood latch mechanism that stopped wanting to work.
Definitely, now understand the appeal of these VERY fun to drive machines.
Never understood the obsession with large cars. Especially if you dont have a big family or dont go on long trips regularly. I have always loved small cars because for their fun factor,ease of parking and fuel economy.
Drive a 2016 4Runner and I have no kids. It's just a very practical vechile size wise and it's good for friends. I would be willing to downsize though. But not to something like this. At some point a car becomes too small to even be practical for the random BS life throws at you.
Also I would argue that many subcompacts cars (mostly sedans) look ridiculous nowadays. Compare a subcompact from the past to now. New ones just dont look right and are ungraceful. Too much body for safety reasons.
Also at least in NA most subcompact were are "cute" looking. Just look at what men a women drive. Look how popular the Kia Telluride is over the Palisade. Or the 4Runner to other crossovers.
People like more muscular rough looking cars. Look at the Charger. Still here while other large cars are dying off.
Automakers failed to make a "cool" subcompact by most peoples standards. Maybe you like it but most people dont like cute cars. It's just down to preference and I feel like automakers failed to see that.
Just my opinion.
Back in 2013 when I was shopping for a new car I was looking at the Mini S, GTI, and Mazda3speed. I LOVED the way the mini drove but didn't care for the interior styling. Didn't care for the Mazda body style....so I bought the GTI M/T. But the mini was the most fun of the three to drive. The Mazda was clearly the fastest...
Ok and?
@@whitemailprivilege2830 damn bro you got the whole squad laughing
@@fabiangonzalez-cortes8894 oh yeah???
@@whitemailprivilege2830 I advise you check your white mail privilege sir/zir or whatever.
I have a 2014 MINi Cooper S. And I adore it. Don’t care about interior, it’s a fun car to drive and modify if you are into that thing.
And yes there are better cars for the price but this car has a very special styling and character which I just do not find in other vehicles.
When my wife tried to convince me we need this one, I said OK - let's go and test drive. She was a bit disappointed when her head space was obstructed by really low ceiling (she is 6ft tall - nothing special). It was relatively fun to drive though and kind of "cute", it will attract certain demographics with spare cash. Although that demographics is migrating to Teslas like crazy.
So they're migrating from one overpriced piece of junk to another, at least the tesla is way more spacious
@@totoianugheorghelucian488 You can get a Tesla for about the same price and get a better powertrain and it is surprisingly more reliable, granted I think Tesla is trash overall but it's a real cream pop when you put it against this. if I used car dealer wants to sell a Tesla all they have to do is put it next to one of these and have a customer drive both
Interesting; I'm 6'6" and fit great; perhaps the seat wasn't all the way down?
Own 2, 3rd gen, 2016 Minis, a Clubman S and "Justa" convertible with the i8 3 cylinder. Purchased both off lease with low miles and both have sticks. In my close to 40 years driving, I don't know why it took me so long to try this brand. In the 3 years we'ved owned them, we have had a blast. Solid, fun, practical, if you understand the restrictions of the convertible (which has some pretty ingenious cargo area features), and so much personality. Agree with you that the stick in the F57 is a bit loose and the reverse lockout is tricky, but the Getrag on my F54 Clubman is really a joy to use with nice tight gates and a pleasant mechanical feel. Clutch on Clubby is good, light, progressive, while F57 is, as you point out, spongy.
But all those are nitpicks for the amount of fun and character these great little cars offer. I was a Mazda fan for years, but their need to abandon the stick and tilt their product portfolio to SUV, had me searching for an affordable, yet fun car. My spouse always wanted a (now extinct) VW convertible, but when we drove the mini it was love at first site. I purchased the Clubby shortly after and have not looked back. I will say that these cars, like all European marques, do need to be looked after and maintained and dealer pricing is crazy high, while the recommended fluid intervals IMO can lead to issues with reliability. Thankfully maintenance is pretty straightforward for a DIYer. So I change oil and other fluids more frequently than the manual says (lifetime tranny fluid my ass). 😁
Anyway, your personal experience matches my experience to a T. Is Mini perfect, no. But damn if it isn't a blast to drive and live with. Brings a smile to my face everytime I see it or drive it.
What makes me sad is that it is a quickly dying breed, but a great value used. Also it appears that Mini electric will preserve the fun to drive personality and character. So fingers crossed.
Excellent content as usual.
5:57 - Mark, that's not what she told me - you begged to get this Mini, giving up everything else, even your favorite toys!
I wish other companies (particularly japanese manufacturers) built their small cars like the MINI in the US. I think instead of marketing them as just "THE CHEAPEST CAR MONEY CAN BUY" they could have spent more r&d on styling and driving dynamics and sold tarted up versions of their small cars that all at least had a good platform and nice designs. It seems as soon as small car sales dipped even slightly every manufacturer just gave up on them.
The problem was that the profit margins were always slim on subcompacts. They cost almost as much to make as compacts, but had to be priced lower. Most of them also sold in such small numbers that it just wasn't worth it. Mini only hangs on because of BMW. If they didn't share mechanicals there's no way they'd make sense.
That was the funniest intro to the drive segment, not sure how you guys kept a straight face lmao
Insanely expensive. Like everyone else has said - this would sell if it was $10k less expensive...
And they would still make a profit
Just don't get the convertible version, saves a chunk of change
Would love to see your take on the Mini JCW GP. That thing looks like a hoot.
I had the 2nd gen GP, it was an awesome little machine. I heard the new one is off the deep end...
@@JS-sy8mo Fake aero, fake noise through the speakers, torque converter auto...
@@supraJZA80s Yeah those are some lame parts, but a mini wheelbase and that much horsepower has to be fun either way...
@@supraJZA80s The next best thing for around that money with that much flare would be an Abarth 595 Biposto, and they're not really much more than what you listed.
Wait lol Abarths are cheap af in comparison
Great point about the price, we did the next best thing & bought a used 2017 Mini S Carbon Edition 4 door hardtop two years ago with 35,000 miles for only 23,000..it’s a great car that handles amazing on the canyon roads. Bottom line let someone else take the depreciation:)
IDK why ... but one of the best savagegeese reviews yet!
Thank you!
On the question of storage. I owned an '06 R56 while I played in a "pop punk" band called American Boyfriend. I could haul a medium sized drumset in a car that was slightly smaller than this without any issue as long as I didn't have a passenger. With the four seats, I often hauled around friends who didn't complain at all about feeling cramped owing to the novelty of the car itself, and the sheer perceived gimmickry. That R56 was one of the best driving cars I've been in relative to its comparative utility as a hauler. As long as the mechanical kinks endemic of that generation are gone, like that crappy proprietary gearbox and the premature clutch wear, I urge anyone remotely curious to drive one.
Imagine seeing all the new and used cars you can buy for $45,000 and below and thinking to yourself "Yup a brand new Mini Cooper, that's the one!".
That's why you can get one for $22k
I know two people who have bought fully optioned minis new in the past year, they are fun to drive and the girls around where I live love them. (Mostly high school girls driving them)
😂🤣🤣🤣 right, The price point is exorbitant when the competition is steep, you have the Volkswagen golf which is a slightly bigger and more spirited version and surprisingly probably a little more reliable.. It's a no brainer, gti us sporty but yet conservative at the same time ...It's amazing that anyone buys these mini coopers besides the nostalgics
@@JDMHaze There's way too many cars even 10k less than this that are so much better. Miata, wrx, civic type r. You could probably even get a Camaro SS or Mustang GT for less.
Sold! 😂
I watched this because my wife has a 2006 MINI Cooper S convertible. With diligent maintenance it looks and drives like it's new despite its age. I look forward to borrowing it from her because it is a joy to be behind the wheel. We'll make it last because I don't see dropping 42k on a replacement.
40k for that? geez might as well get a Type R
right!! I literally just said that, I know a few years back that could've been focus RS money. prety much a European car lol
Or GP
Link to Type R convertible, please.
I enjoyed having my '16 Cooper S 6sp hardtop for a while, I even tracked it a number of times. A couple things really help, namely an aftermarket shifter and a beefier rear sway bar. I bought mine slightly used but even so the MSRP new was under 30k, mine had very few options, I think the options really get you and most of them seem gimmicky. After a while the lack of LSD really got to me, thought about putting one in but it just didn't seem the platform to dump money into. The tuning of the B48 is really great, it's the same engine every day all day. As something fun and agile with character, no regrets at all owning it for a bit.
We have a 19 Countryman bought used in late 2019. It's roomy, gets great mpg and handles well. Ride quality is great. It's the personality that puts it over the top. Yup, they're too expensive new. Decent deal used. And here in St Louis, absolutely top notch dealer service.
I honestly don't understand the problem with the position of the reverse gear, every bmw manual transmission is exactly the same
I drive a 2015 base model 3 cyl turbocharged mini hardtop in Cali. And everytime i take the backroads I swear I fall in love all over again. I paid about 14k a couple years ago for it because i wanted cheap fun and man.. theres just something about these cars.. the friendly mr. Rogers face of a mini doesnt get old. But man just how connected you feel to the road and the car is just dumb fun. I will vouch for these cars forever, but its just such a damn shame how much BMW wants for one.
I have an ‘09 Mini S convertible with a manual gearbox. Love that car
happy new year from australia!
I love my 2021 Mini Cooper S Hardtop just as much as I really enjoy watching Savagegeese car reviews. The retro styling got me into a test-drive and getting behind the wheel made me drive out of the dealership with it. This review is spot-on. I'm not trying to justify the price but I also like Morgan 3-wheelers ... so when you see the price of those, the Mini is actually pretty cheap.
Hello. I’m reaching out to ask how are you liking your Mini so far? Did you have any concerns about its long term reliability before purchasing? Has it been reliable so far? What are your pros and cons? Are the breaks good? Does the A/C work well? Las Vegas is home. Do you have any buyers remorse ? I saw a 2023 Mini Cooper S on Autotrader and deeply considering getting it. It’s my dream car, but there are some nay sayers due to its past models.
Amazing how in the mid 2000s, these types of vehicles were the rage. I jumped on the veloster turbo craze in 2013. These are great smaller cars. Fun, good on gas and reasonable space. Sad to see them go. Happy new years!
I've always been fond of the Mini, but their choice to go upmarket was ultimately their undoing. The Fiat 500, which had a similar goal to the Mini, did a better job capturing the spirit of the original design. It was small, fun and quirky as hell, but without being ridiculously expensive.
Exactly! BMW decided it also had to be a premium car, which ruined the whole point of it. Just let it be fun and affordable like the fiat or miata.
@@caglioso unfortunately new miatas aren't cheap anymore
yep, all the Fiat are absolute shitBut at least the price point was fair and did it's job perfectly if the reliability wasn't horrendous they would've lasted longer.. Because they actually sold very well in the beginning back in 2012 fiat 500e seem to do well with reliability For the obvious reason
@@JDMHaze The 500L and X were proper hot garbage, but the 2-door 500 was honestly a pretty good little car. I used to work at Fiat and owners would absolutely neglect the shit out of them, but they rarely ever had an issue that made them undrivable. They are cheap, but were pretty well-executed by FCA standards.
@@dil6969 Oh I can definitely vouch for that 500L being garbage, Ex girlfriend has a jeep renegade and that thing is burning oil like a candle, And that's just ridiculous, we're lucky I caught it in time it was at the bottom of the dipstick and that was between a oil change, I need to someone that works at the Jeep/Dodge/Chrysler dealership and he told me it's a common issue
Had one of the early ones with the supercharger. My Dad custom ordered it when they came out and went only for performance. A fun driver.
Hmmm, perhaps I've HAD enough of everyone else. I'm suddenly drawn to the MINI convertible. Love your reviews. Brilliant.
I has the joy of driving a JCW Mini (2Door) and it was a blast! Faster then a car that small deserves to be. They really are a unique experience and I wish it made sense to own one.
I just bought mini convertible cooper S from steven creek ; it's astonishing and great eye turner
When I got my pre LCI in 2016 It was an ex demo car off the lot for 27k starting. The bargains for these small cars are out there. Just that when its specced out they cost a metric ton. The convertible is more niche than the usual hatch and is geared for that 1%. Don't know why people buy loaded S convertibles for loaded JCW countryman/clubman prices. Those comparing a Type R, etc etc to a convertible S don't understand what the convertible F57 is geared towards. Definitely not to hardcore car enthusiasts.
The motor itself is the same motor that is in the 2.0L Supra, it has tunability, can reach 280-300 crank hp reliably, 300~ torque. Anymore than that and LSPI/ ringland failure scenarios can occur
As far as reliability is concerned BMW has lost money on these because they are not constantly breaking down like the 2nd gen. 82k miles on mine roughly, only thing replaced was the passenger +lower engine mounts and the fuel tank vent canister.
My confirmation bias loves the curb rash on the wheel.
It’s amazing how much more these cost in the USA than the U.K., you can get these for the low 20k’s in the U.K. brand new with a bit of haggling - makes hen a much more realistic. I used to have one myself, and it was a tonne of fun, but...no one else liked it 😂 so I guess I was on my own
You’re looking at £35,000 gbp and mini don’t do discounts.
I’ve owned a mini. What’s not mentioned here is that having a larger gentleman like Jack, changes the handling and performance dynamics drastically.
Miata is looking pretty good right about now.
Miata is much less practical though. In a mini you can put a roof down and throw two long surfboards on a reclined passenger seat and sit a passenger behind driver.
I’ve been looking at an off lease cooper s 2 door rn and I’m totally gonna cop one just for that snappy handling
I have a 2014 Mini Cooper s that I bought used for 14k (40k miles) from a dealer in 2018. They don’t hold their values well but used, are a bargain. The only gripe I have about it is the engine mounts fail 2-4 years in. If you don’t fix the engine mount, it will break the the other one and it will cause some big issues. The repairs are way more time consuming than most Honda products that I’ve owned. I have 110k miles on it and am stuck between replacing it with a 2 series, civic Si, jcw, and a type r. I do have 1 child, it’s not easy to get him into the back but I make it work.
In Mexico Mini sold a lot of Minis, we love small cars here too! And yes they are not cheap but as a previous owner of a manual Mini Copper S 2015 I’m looking to get the same car but in 2022 haha because they are so fun. No other car drives incredible as a mini in back roads and is the only Hot Hatch with a manual transmission in the market even the JCW is auto. Yes we have the Miata but is impractical and the BRZ expensive ASF same price as the JCW. So the middle point is a base Mini Cooper S manual for a daily driver. Cheers!
I had copper s... Loved it.. thinking about picking up a second one
Ah yes my daily dose of premium luxury compacts is fulfilled especially with this Mini
And Happy New Years to you all! Hope you all have a blessed year!
I've always wanted a cooper S JCW. It's a guilty pleasure car for me. Would have bought one, but my Fiesta ST was 1/3 the price, with equal performance, and more headroom for modifications.
I am a contractor and my only car is a Mini. Call me crazy, but I do not enjoy driving a large, bulky vehicle. I wish they made more small wagons/utes to combine practicality with driving dynamics.
My friend had a 2009 JCW. That was a fun car.
Sold my R53 JCW to my grandfather to keep it in the family. The reliability is horrible but it’s so engaging to drive when it’s running right. Maybe I’ll buy it back down the line.
5:50 HTFU! palms forward... I came for cars and I got this level of dramatic turn, this channel has it all, Wheres the shooting scene?
My neighbor had a mini convertible. It was very small amd impractical. Sat in the back once and was amazed how the back seat wasn't cloth or leather. But a giant slab of padded plastic. No lines or contours or stitching. Just a single slab of plastic.
No way! A mini was small! 😂
I have a 3 cylinder turbo two door 2019 Mini Cooper in British Racing Green with a white hardtop. It's a really fun car to drive, handles extremely well and is very comfortable. No need to pay extra for the four cylinder, the three popper is more than enough! The driving position and interior ergonomics are spot on perfect and the build quality is excellent. It's worth the asking price.
Aging gracefully up until about 75,000 miles, then they rattle themselves apart.
The last generation I had went to 160K before the clutch wore out. New control arm bushings aside, I didn't have to do much. Was an easy car to wrench on as long as it wasn't transmission related.
My 2016 S doesn't have any rattles, 82k atm no issues
Bullshit not true with this newest gen
@@papa_pt do you own one?
Cars built after 2016 are put together extremely well and have no rattles.
I absolutely love the Mini, but that's a 25k car at best, I hate these "brand" products is the same like with the iPhone, they make the phone with 50 bucks and then they sell it to you for 1000 or some of these designer clothes that have price tags 4/5 times more than what they worth.
I keep coming back to SG for anecdotes about Jack's love life and Mark's matrimonial troubles.
Great review! Does the muffler still pops?
The best part about the Mini Cooper is the old Hammer and Coop ad campaign.
2:09 OMG stock footage of edgy hip consumer on obvious greenscreen was unexpected.
@Kaiser Soze they\them looks like the type to stay on Twitter instead of joining it's comrades trying to burn down the city. But it's possible 🤔
2004 mini Cooper s was my very first car but damn these things are insanely expensive nowadays. the jcw is pretty sick I love the sequential shifting option and sounds great but damn there's so many better performing cars for way less money
I honestly had no idea these were still being made. I thought Mini went out of business years ago. They were fairly popular for a few years and then seemingly disappeared. I never see these things anymore.
I've always been curious.
Never drivrn a 'BMW' reboot though have had the chance to drive a few Morris Mimis as well as either Leyland, Rover or Austin re-badges.
They were actually small cars, maybe why my heart belongs to Lada.
Definitely a secret Integra. The new Minis are super fun.
Loved having a MINI in Southern England, but couldn’t stand it in Arizona. Definitely a “horses for courses” car.
I have a 2014 Mini Paceman S and LOVE LOVE it . Yes its bigger then a regular Mini but still fun to drive . Only complaint is it harsh to drive on bumpy roads. I'am sadden that Mini is overpriced and may go away as what we know it to be.
I also have a Mini. I found that the harsh ride almost disappeared completely when I dumped the run-flats and went with a regular high performance tire. HUGE difference.
"Look.. I ve had enough of everybody else" 😂😂
Shoutout to Mark for repping Hawaii with his hat 🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽
LOL! I recently bought a brand new 2023 Mini Cooper S hardtop and fucking love it! Beautiful green w/ a white top and a few unique bits resulting from the oddball supply chain impacts on the Mini production line. The 7 speed DCT is a fantastic automated manual and you can actually get it to work well in the manual mode if circumstances require it. It's a second car to our 2014 SUV and it fills the second car niche perfectly. TONS of room for front passengers (we are both 6 feet tall), best seats I've had in a car since maybe forever, and it rides comfortably on back roads or the interstate. I dunno if I will keep it for a long time, but I'm definitely having more fun in it than my 2015 228i, and it's much more capable all around than the 2014 500 Abarth I had before the BMW. I'd call the Mini Cooper S a sweet spot for small, but capable and relatively sporty-ish cars. BTW, the '23 gets a fantastic Nappa leather steering wheel (mine has heat too) and very effective bun warmers. Our daily driver Nissan seat heaters suck balls (not literally, unfortunately). I find the recycled BMW iDrive (8?) infotainment very useful and familiar and the voice command function is amazingly effective at everything I throw at it. And if I fold the rear seats down, the 3 door hatch can carry surprisingly large items. Anyway, just thought I'd put in a plug as someone who recently pulled the trigger and bought one of a "dying breed" of car. Oh, in case anyone cares, I actually got $2k off MSRP on my Mini Cooper S so the purchase price was right around $32k with quite a few options. That's less than a GTI would've cost me or any number of other sporty-ish small cars. Despite MSRP, I don't think you can get a Civic Si for $32k right now. Seemed like a decent deal to me. Warranty is way better than many competitors as well and there's something to be said, reliability wise, for buying a car that's basically the same as it was in 2014. Keep up the great videos! ;-)
Hello. I’m reaching out to ask how are you liking your Mini so far? Did you have any concerns about its long term reliability before purchasing? Has it been reliable so far? What are your pros and cons? Are the breaks good? Does the A/C work well? Las Vegas is home. Do you have any buyers remorse ? I saw a 2023 Mini Cooper S on Autotrader and deeply considering getting it. It’s my dream car, but there are some nay sayers due to its past models.
@@leom00n79 Love it! Zero reliability concerns. They've been building basically the same exact car since 2014, so the bugs are all worked out. Pro is that it is hella fun to drive and super comfortable too. Con is that it is front wheel drive, but all hatchbacks in the U.S. are FWD and it still handles very well. Brakes are fantastic. AC is probably sufficient even for your hellish Las Vegas if you tint the windows and keep the sunshade closed. Zero buyers remorse.
Man oh man I have absolutely no interest in this car so I was not sure whether to watch this or not…I am so thankful I did since the part starting with Soy Chai Latte had me laughing on the floor for about a minute
Never change!
I didn't realise that Mini was available in the US and I'm kinda surprised that it is. Here in the UK our roads are increasingly congested so a car of this size gets into places that the SUV's can't but it sure ain't a sensible choice on long distance trips. I bought one for my wife, same spec as the one you've tested. Many of us here in Blighty started driving in Mini's, our heroes won the Monte Carlo Rally in them, so there is a nostalgic element which I imagine doesn't exist on your side of the pond. The styling cues (like the Union Jack on the roof) are a bit cynical but I'd still rather be driven in a Mini than the ghastly Range Rover Evoque Convertible that she asked for and which takes cynicism to a whole new level.
They've been selling minis here (in US) since the early 2000s and I think some point before that shortly,... I am amazed they are still here because in the US they are absolute shit m(in US spec) and tend to have issues And are over priced for what you get overall... you would think with that forward hinged hood They would be easier to work on, but BMW purchased them and injected all their stupidity into them
I really really hope a convertible version of the Mini SE is available in the US soon.
Our 2009 Mini JCW Convertible has been a joy for the last 13 years. We live in the Southwestern Virginia mountains with the Blue Ridge Parkway traversing the county and the ragtop has delivered fun transportation and curve-hugging driving fun and is driven year-round. It replaced a 1972 Porsche Targa that we used as daily transportation and on-road events until selling it in 2004 with more than 300,000 miles on it. Will the Mini last that long? It will probably outlive us.
The Mitsubishi Mirage seems to be hanging on pretty well in the market, I don't know who's buying them but they are selling.
Can you get your hands on a 22 BMW M240i to review? I would really like to know what you think.
No joke, I hope you guys choose to do a quick review on the Chevy Spark. The most affordable car in the USA. Manual with an naturally aspirated engine. That is THE dying breed.
toyota yaris*
@@JDMHaze true to that too. I suppose a conglomerate like GM still producing this thing amazes me.
I love my MINI!
No shout out to your own review of the SE that's way cheaper (after tax incentive) and better in many ways (besides range)? That review was one of the reasons I bought mine, and it's great!
The SE makes way more sense.
Im surprised to find anyone has accidently found reverse instead of 1st, i feel that the lockout is good enough to prevent that, it feels pretty stiff to me and you would never accidentally select reverse
You didn’t even have the top down?! I love MINIs and have an ‘10 Cooper Hardtop that’s my 2nd vehicle. It’s just so fun to drive even in base form with Sport mode on! I am in that 1% who will be purchasing a Mini convertible in the near future
It was 29F
How does the driving experience compare to a GTI? I was cross-shopping the two (ended up with the mini cuz it was more affordable)
A Miata is reliable, drive’s well, and about 10-15k cheaper. Why does anyone buy a convertible mini?
I was thinking the same while watching this. If I wanted a car solely because it’s fun to drive but didn’t want to spend a lot I would look at a Miata before I would a Mini any day.
I really want a savagegeese review of a 2021 WRX with a Cobb or MAPerformance OTS Stage 1 tune just cause they specifically cited the stock tuning as being done by a kid or something when they reviewed it. I know there are other reviews done but those were by people who bought the AP and were maybe not as unbiased, detailed or technical as SG could be... but they won't do it and I get that. (takes large and sad bite out of Big Montana)...
I had a 2019 hardtop and I thought the rear seats were plenty usable. Maybe a bit of a pain to get back there but once there leg and head room were no problems. Not fair to call this "basically a two seat car" imo
The convertible's rear seat is far smaller than the coupe's. Even the coupe is top small for four average-sized men. For kids the back seat will do, or adults if the people in front are small.
I come for the car review, I stay for the Larry David dry humor.
I have nothing to say. Happy new year for y’all. PS. My 2nd ex wife sister loves this one.