F56 Cooper S - My Thoughts Following Test Drive
Discussion
I will start by saying that I ordered a Cooper S last week - so I've been a little back to front as I only just got to drive a demo model today.
Most people will know that I have owned 3 MINI's and this will be my 4th (1 x 1st gen and 2 x 2nd gen) so I wasn't too concerned about ordering the car without the chance to drive it.
Anyway, my salesman offered me the chance to take an extended test drive and today and I got a feel for the car I have ordered!
Exterior
I have to say, bar the massive wheel gap (which will be sorted once some aftermarket parts are available) I love the look of the new car. It will be marmite to some, but for me I can see why MINI have made the changes they have and it looks very much like a MINI.
I don't like the launch spec Orange colour, and I think more people will come round to it once some other colour options start to become more common. I have opted for Thunder Grey.
The new LED headlights and halo rings look great and are stupidly bright! Its nice to see some forward thinking here with putting new tech into the car.
Driving
On the road, it felt very swift - its not brutal, but before you know it, you are doing speeds that would get you in trouble! The rev matching feature has been a subject of contention, but honestly, its great and it makes the exhaust pop and bang too (especially when in sport mode)
I had a play between the various different driving modes, and unlike on my 2007 JCW Stg 1 - its nice to see that pressing the button actually DOES something!! Sport mode felt much more aggressive in terms of engine note, exhaust sound and the car I drove had the EDC suspension, so the handling tightened up nicely too.
It felt as though the car really does have an alter ego when you mash the throttle - it sounds very flat buzzing around at 30 in 4th, but it sounds absolutely fantastic in the cabin when you floor it, and the engine feels so much more torquey than my previous experience with my R56 JCW Stage 1. I would like to hear more sound from the exhaust though if I'm honest! Although its pleasing to still hear the all too familiar noise of pops and bangs.
I would also say the engine sounds and feels totally unstressed, you certainly don't get the impression that you are having to wring its neck to get every last HP from it.
Eco mode really did dull the car down, but I guess thats how they can claim 48 mpg and to be totally honest on my daily 45 mile dual carriageway commute, I will be using this mode quite a lot!!
Yes, I would agree that its a much more grown up version of the R56 yet IMO it still manages to display the same character and engage you just as much as the previous two versions of the MINI - in short, it makes you want to drive it!!
Interior
Its a massive change, but I love it! I have gone to town with the options on mine, as I will be using it 6 days per week and I wanted to have somewhere nice to be.
The launch spec car I drove had all the same features as my order, plus a few others. The HUD for me is a gimmick and I'm glad I haven't opted for it - it also clutters the smooth lines of the dash. The seats are a league ahead and the leather with alcantara is a really nice touch - which makes the car feel very upmarket. They also hug nicely when you are giving the car some beans through the corners.
The sat nav screen at 8.8" is massive, but it doesn't look too big sat there - the menu seemed a little complicated to me, however with more time to explore it I'd imagine that its not as clunky as it appears at first glance.
My only other criticism is that I think the steering wheel and gear knob are not very tactile. I will be looking forward to seeing the JCW options!
Finally, it could be a placebo for me since I have been out of MINI's for 9 months, but I certainly felt as though the windscreen is a lot shorter than on my old R56. Its like looking through a pillbox - I loved it. It could also be that the dash seems to sit higher?
Summary
In essence, I am really happy I have ordered - I was smitten by the car just from sitting in it to be totally honest, hence ordering before driving. I would say there are things that could be better and I hope the JCW range has some nice options to replace things like the steering wheel, gear knob and hand brake.
I also hope MINI will bring out a range similar to the BMW Performance catalogue where they offer things like exhausts and air induction kits, as I would like to see the car have some warranty friendly options to make it a little more 'hardcore' than it currently is. Some will say thats the job of the coming JCW model, but again when you look at the BMW marketing strategy they offer various exhaust upgrades for most of their model range.
For anyone sitting on the fence, go and have a drive!!
Most people will know that I have owned 3 MINI's and this will be my 4th (1 x 1st gen and 2 x 2nd gen) so I wasn't too concerned about ordering the car without the chance to drive it.
Anyway, my salesman offered me the chance to take an extended test drive and today and I got a feel for the car I have ordered!
Exterior
I have to say, bar the massive wheel gap (which will be sorted once some aftermarket parts are available) I love the look of the new car. It will be marmite to some, but for me I can see why MINI have made the changes they have and it looks very much like a MINI.
I don't like the launch spec Orange colour, and I think more people will come round to it once some other colour options start to become more common. I have opted for Thunder Grey.
The new LED headlights and halo rings look great and are stupidly bright! Its nice to see some forward thinking here with putting new tech into the car.
Driving
On the road, it felt very swift - its not brutal, but before you know it, you are doing speeds that would get you in trouble! The rev matching feature has been a subject of contention, but honestly, its great and it makes the exhaust pop and bang too (especially when in sport mode)
I had a play between the various different driving modes, and unlike on my 2007 JCW Stg 1 - its nice to see that pressing the button actually DOES something!! Sport mode felt much more aggressive in terms of engine note, exhaust sound and the car I drove had the EDC suspension, so the handling tightened up nicely too.
It felt as though the car really does have an alter ego when you mash the throttle - it sounds very flat buzzing around at 30 in 4th, but it sounds absolutely fantastic in the cabin when you floor it, and the engine feels so much more torquey than my previous experience with my R56 JCW Stage 1. I would like to hear more sound from the exhaust though if I'm honest! Although its pleasing to still hear the all too familiar noise of pops and bangs.
I would also say the engine sounds and feels totally unstressed, you certainly don't get the impression that you are having to wring its neck to get every last HP from it.
Eco mode really did dull the car down, but I guess thats how they can claim 48 mpg and to be totally honest on my daily 45 mile dual carriageway commute, I will be using this mode quite a lot!!
Yes, I would agree that its a much more grown up version of the R56 yet IMO it still manages to display the same character and engage you just as much as the previous two versions of the MINI - in short, it makes you want to drive it!!
Interior
Its a massive change, but I love it! I have gone to town with the options on mine, as I will be using it 6 days per week and I wanted to have somewhere nice to be.
The launch spec car I drove had all the same features as my order, plus a few others. The HUD for me is a gimmick and I'm glad I haven't opted for it - it also clutters the smooth lines of the dash. The seats are a league ahead and the leather with alcantara is a really nice touch - which makes the car feel very upmarket. They also hug nicely when you are giving the car some beans through the corners.
The sat nav screen at 8.8" is massive, but it doesn't look too big sat there - the menu seemed a little complicated to me, however with more time to explore it I'd imagine that its not as clunky as it appears at first glance.
My only other criticism is that I think the steering wheel and gear knob are not very tactile. I will be looking forward to seeing the JCW options!
Finally, it could be a placebo for me since I have been out of MINI's for 9 months, but I certainly felt as though the windscreen is a lot shorter than on my old R56. Its like looking through a pillbox - I loved it. It could also be that the dash seems to sit higher?
Summary
In essence, I am really happy I have ordered - I was smitten by the car just from sitting in it to be totally honest, hence ordering before driving. I would say there are things that could be better and I hope the JCW range has some nice options to replace things like the steering wheel, gear knob and hand brake.
I also hope MINI will bring out a range similar to the BMW Performance catalogue where they offer things like exhausts and air induction kits, as I would like to see the car have some warranty friendly options to make it a little more 'hardcore' than it currently is. Some will say thats the job of the coming JCW model, but again when you look at the BMW marketing strategy they offer various exhaust upgrades for most of their model range.
For anyone sitting on the fence, go and have a drive!!
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