MotoringFile's 2014 MINI Cooper & Cooper S review

[olliebates]

Ordered my Cooper 3 days ago... Really excited! The next 6-8 week wait is going to be painful though!

[fjtuig]

i wish i could hear the whole review over the ratteling. :( but from the little bit i did hear, im a super excited to drive one of these.  i drive an 03 Cooper S and love it to pieces!! just had to replace the clutch though at 141000 miles. but it has treated me pretty well over they years i gotta say. he is the most mischivious little thing, just dosnt quit.

[ddk]

As a current MINI owner, I want to know 3 things:  1)   Did they fix the issue with the timing chain tensioner with the F56?  2)  Is the water pump and thermostat now made of aluminum instead of plastic?  3)  Why is the armrest still a $250 option (sigh)?  I guess only time will tell regarding questions 1 and 2.  

I have to admit though, the new car looks absolutely amazing.  I sat in one last week, and the interior materials and the ergonomics are a vast improvement over the R56, which is to be expected.  

[kace]

I love my Mini S. I was watching the video and I just realize the video was filmed in Dorado, Puerto Rico!🇵🇷 Cool ✌🏻️😊

[Philippe]

Did MINI/BMW give the motoring press any reassurance that the new motors have addressed in a positive way the carbon build-up issue or the cold start chain 'death-rattle?'

[vdmlouis]

Is it worth taking the JCW exterior kit for the 2014 cooper s?

[The.Sky.Driver]

My 2013 R56 (non-S), affectionately named Dr. Watson, has been the most excellent car to own. I commute with it 5 days a week, and go on spirited runs once a week... While i understand the economic decisions of BMW, the features they've introduced just strike me as distracting "eye-candy". I'm sure that some (possibly less than some, given feedback I've received thus far) current previous-generation owners might appreciate the change of pace with the familiar flavor, if you will. But I don't think you can compare the F56 with the R50-56's absolute sense of connection to the car, and the road. That's what Mini is... was* about. "Not Normal". the F is intensely normal. And it's sad to see that. Alas, people new to Mini likely won't get that sensation, and the interpretation of what Mini is will change.

[ChKid]

MF, I got quick question regarding F56.

What is the wheel bolt pattern for F56? F56 MCS have the same brakes as R56 MCS?    

[UnapologeticGeek]

What's better - Cooper S Auto or Golf GTI DSG ?

[sapurvis]

I've owned an R50 and an R56, both gens with numerous issues, so sadly left the MINI brand in 2011 when I obtained an '11 VW GTI. That car along with my new '13 Golf R have much better interior quality, and both have been trouble free. If MINI ever introduces an F56 with AWD then I may have to look back at MINI.  Oh, and the front bumper facia on the Cooper S is absolutely horrid.  My 2 cents, but the F56 looks like a step up for the brand.  Cheers!

[LifeMinimalistaStyle]

wow...who is this guy??  HANDSOME!!!    The Techno beat in the back just makes the   

[neraide]

cara tão pequeno e tão completo como pode

[MrSilus]

Is he in the Cooper S talking about the base model, or is he actually testing both cars?  It sounds like he's talking about the base model without having driven it.  Confused.

[petervandebeek]

You're testing the Mini cooper 136pk, not the S....

[thorjourdan]

Just bought one, I jope itll be worth it

[adamdonovan]

The "gap" between the R platform and the F platform is a function of economies of scale-i.e. BMW had to transition the MINI to the F platform to make it more profitable, share the platform with the 1 series BMW. But no one who is a "driving enthusiast", no one who loves the visceral feel of the R platform can be pleased about these changes. The car IS updated nicely, the interior IS full of high quality materials, there IS more room inside. And none of that matters to the genuine MINI enthusiast b/c none of that is what MINI is about, or used to be about. To call this car "fantastic" is journalistic euphemism; the car looks bloated, generic and anonymous, from the outside and on the inside. The interior is particularly anonymous. If you want lots of flashing lights and digital graphics, get yourself an iPhone. If you want driving excitement, get an older MINI. The one thing this is NOT is "The New Original". Economics sometimes kills great products. This is one of those sad instances. Nobody's "fault". Just a series of sad choices from BMW.