RE: Open Season: Cabrios On a Budget

RE: Open Season: Cabrios On a Budget

Tuesday 1st February 2011

Open Season: Cabrios On a Budget

Mini Cooper D faces off against the Renault Wind



Do not adjust your laptop - PistonHeads is reviewing a diesel Mini soft-top, and a somewhat effete two-seater from Renault with a name that rather puts one in mind of a certain bodily function. But before you switch off, thinking you've logged into What Car.com by accident, allow us to explain.

Because, while taking The Renault Wind and the Mini Cooper D Convertible for a critical spin might not seem the most PH-ey of activities, like (most) things we do, there is method in our madness.

You see, in our PH Open Season quest to discover as many aspects of top-down motoring as possible, we have to delve into the less hardcore corners and lower-budget echelons of soft-top motoring.


Trouble is, apart from the near-ubiquitous MX-5 (a well-loved option but perhaps too much of a 'known quantity' here on PH), there's not much in the way of sub-£20k soft-tops to get the average PHer's juices flowing. There's the MG TF, but to say that's long in the tooth would be to truly master the art of understatement. There's also the Fiat 500C Abarth, but we've already covered that.

Apart from that, all that's available is a gaggle of heavy, unappealing folding hard-tops a la Peugeot 207CC...and these two.


The Renault might look a little like a training shoe on wheels, especially in 'Nike' white (not the actual colour name, by the way), and it doesn't exactly ooze sporting intent, but it does have a trick up its sleeve: it sits on a chassis and drivetrain that is essentially identical to a Twingo Renaultsport's which is about as hilarious a small hatch hoot this side of a Mini Cooper...

...which is potentially troubling for the Wind in this context, because the Mini Cooper D Convertible, as you might expect has just that chassis, albeit combined with financially prurient diesel power. The big question (at least on PH) is: regardless of their appeal to the non-enthusiast, can either of these two cut it as enjoyable open-top fodder for the true petrolhead?

Renault Wind:


With 133bhp from its 1.6-litre engine, the Wind certainly feels sprightly enough, but with peak power not coming until 6750rpm and, crucially, the engine's relatively meagre peak torque not on song until 4400rpm, you'll need to work the motor to get the most from it - which is quite a noisy experience.

The five-speed gearbox also feels like a bit of a handicap - in the Twingo it's not really a problem, but it grates in the Wind, and we're not really sure why. We suppose one possible reason is that, at 1173kg, the Wind is 124kg heavier than its hatchback brother, so you have to work the engine that bit harder - there's the sense that, with an extra ratio, the motor would feel less strained. That extra lard does blunt performance a little, too - it'll take you half a second longer (9.2secs) to get to 62mph from rest.


If you're in the right mood the wind can be quite good fun - the 12-second hood operation means easy access to top-down driving, while various bits of bracing underneath the body, in the boot and in the sills do a fair job of maintaining structural rigidity. But there's still a fair bit of shimmy through the car over busy surfaces, meaning the suspension can't do its job properly, while the soulless electric power steering further separates the driver from fun.

A less significant flaw - but a disappointing one nonetheless - is the low-rent feel of the cabin. Apart from some unexpectedly lovely leather seats (a £970 option), our test car's cabin was a symphony of drab, mismatched, shiny and scratchy materials.


In a £13k Twingo, this would be fine. In a £17,770 Wind it's a bit more of an issue.

But forget the hit-and-miss interior finish; what really nobbles the Wind from an enthusiastic driver's perspective is that everything that makes it the Wind and not a Twingo Renaultsport makes it less fun to drive. And that just doesn't cut it on PH - even a fast roof can't save it.





   
   

Mini Cooper D Convertible:


Let's be clear about this from the start: The Mini Cooper D Convertible exceeds the expectations we had of it by a dramatic margin. Mind you, that's as much a measure of the prejudice of our preconceptions as it is of the abilities of the roofless Mini.

Thing is, when we hear the word 'diesel', combined 'Mini' and 'soft-top', mental images of about the most anti-PH car we could conceive of (this side of a Prius, at least) inevitably swim into Focus.

But the thing is, despite its hairdresser/estate agent (hairdressing estate agent?) image and wilfully sensible running costs (thanks to a CO2 output of 105g/km, the Mini attracts just £20 per year road tax), the pram-hood Mini also manages to be darn good fun.


For a car that has had so much bodywork chopped away it wobbles surprisingly rarely and, while the ride is even harsher than a regular Mini's, the handling suffers very little; this is still an eminently chuckable, fun-to-steer little car.

The chunky 199lb ft of torque, meanwhile, gives it enough oomph to feel reasonably quick, and the motor manages to avoid the typical diesel clatter, save for when it's at its coldest.

All too often driving enjoyment, manageable running costs and soft-top motoring are mutually exclusive, but the Mini Cooper D Convertible comes pretty much as close as any car we've driven to balancing that tricky equation.



   
   
   
Author
Discussion

illmonkey

Original Poster:

18,097 posts

197 months

Tuesday 1st February 2011
quotequote all
On a budget?!

The missus picked up a 3litre Z3 for £6k!

You don't need to spend much to be able to have the wind blowing through your hair and out do most cars at the lights too.

Riggers

1,859 posts

177 months

Tuesday 1st February 2011
quotequote all
illmonkey said:
On a budget?!

The missus picked up a 3litre Z3 for £6k!

You don't need to spend much to be able to have the wind blowing through your hair and out do most cars at the lights too.
You make a fair point - perhaps i'll change the line to 'brand-new' cabrios on a budget smile

MiniMadMike

780 posts

197 months

Tuesday 1st February 2011
quotequote all
I've got a Cooper D Convertible at the moment. I think its a great little car, good fun to drive and surprisingly pokey.


tomv1to

144 posts

166 months

Tuesday 1st February 2011
quotequote all
According to the Arnold Clark website they actually have a sale on at the moment where you can get the 133bhp wind for just £12,495 in their sale. They are quite nice looking cars and the boots in them are massive.

Dracoro

8,655 posts

244 months

Tuesday 1st February 2011
quotequote all
Wouldn't you poke your eye out on that thing?!!

Look a the top of the windscreen and the headrest, there's a gap barely enough to get your head through biggrin

Garlick

40,601 posts

239 months

Tuesday 1st February 2011
quotequote all
Wish I earned as much as Riggers.....

sleep envy

62,260 posts

248 months

Tuesday 1st February 2011
quotequote all
Garlick said:
Wish I earned as much as Riggers.....
laugh

phone

cookie1600

2,087 posts

160 months

Tuesday 1st February 2011
quotequote all
'the 12-second hood operation means easy access to top-down driving'

Well almost. I've driven saloons with a bigger sunshine roof than this particular rollerskate!

kambites

67,442 posts

220 months

Tuesday 1st February 2011
quotequote all
rofl at the idea of spending nearly 20k on either of those. Still I guess people must, or they wouldn't be out there.

mister.t

3,006 posts

195 months

Tuesday 1st February 2011
quotequote all
I think it is only the hatchback Cooper D that reaches 99g CO2 limit, I believe that the Clubby and Cabrio are just over?


Riggers

1,859 posts

177 months

Tuesday 1st February 2011
quotequote all
sleep envy said:
Garlick said:
Wish I earned as much as Riggers.....
laugh

phone
You'll notice I din't say what the budget was... wink

GTIR

24,741 posts

265 months

Tuesday 1st February 2011
quotequote all
MiniMadMike said:
I've got a Cooper D Convertible at the moment. I think its a great little car, good fun to drive and surprisingly pokey.

You'd have to be mad to own one of them yes



scratchchin


Oh, right.... getmecoat

Riggers

1,859 posts

177 months

Tuesday 1st February 2011
quotequote all
mister.t said:
I think it is only the hatchback Cooper D that reaches 99g CO2 limit, I believe that the Clubby and Cabrio are just over?
Oooh - right you are. Darn it. Will change the article. Damn those fabric hoods and their extra weight/aerodynamic inefficiency... wink

MiniMadMike

780 posts

197 months

Tuesday 1st February 2011
quotequote all
GTIR said:
MiniMadMike said:
I've got a Cooper D Convertible at the moment. I think its a great little car, good fun to drive and surprisingly pokey.

You'd have to be mad to own one of them yes



scratchchin


Oh, right.... getmecoat
Yup, clues in the name hehe

In all seriousness, i'm not quite that mad...it's a lease car thumbup

gforceg

3,523 posts

178 months

Tuesday 1st February 2011
quotequote all
The Renault reminds me a bit of the mini marcos of late 60s vintage. Anyone care to back me up here or am I seeing things?

They also missed a trick because the reggie looks like it really ought to be mid-engined.

cookie1600

2,087 posts

160 months

Tuesday 1st February 2011
quotequote all
gforceg said:
The Renault reminds me a bit of the mini marcos of late 60s vintage. Anyone care to back me up here or am I seeing things?
I'm seeing early 21st century myself



RemainAllHoof

76,213 posts

281 months

Tuesday 1st February 2011
quotequote all
The Renault screams kitcar.

dandarez

13,233 posts

282 months

Tuesday 1st February 2011
quotequote all
RemainAllHoof said:
The Renault screams kitcar.
Midas?



The MINI D Convert is a very well screwed together motor. My son has just got a new 60 reg one, all black, black interior.
With all options it's superb. Those better less-in-your-face chrome hoops, shoot up in case of roll over. Good car, even better made now.

Handles extremely well and it's quick for a diesel.

Won't catch my JCW though! biggrin

AyBee

10,521 posts

201 months

Tuesday 1st February 2011
quotequote all
Should definitely read brand new - otherwise my money's going on a Z4M Roadster rather than a diesel Mini tongue out

Crunchy Nutter

246 posts

193 months

Tuesday 1st February 2011
quotequote all
I do reckon that when most PHers think 'on a budget' and 'fun cars', they head to the classifieds. Outside of a Twingo Renaultsport, there just aren't any really entertaining cheap cars any more. Unless you make the fun yourself, of course. It's all on the used market. I wonder what you could get for, say, £5k less than these two on the used market that would cost more to run, but be a damn sight more fun. That 5k could pay for a lot of motoring over a couple of years.

Alright, the finance options on new cars can make them technically more affordable than significantly cheaper used cars, but less debt is a good thing.

Edited by Crunchy Nutter on Tuesday 1st February 13:21