Test drives usually take place over a couple of days, maybe a week at the most. During such short periods of time you get to see how the car handles and how it feels but rarely you can predict how it would be to actually own it for a long time.
We had the chance to test the MINI Cooper S Paceman a while back and we were impressed by it, especially due to its rather generous size and small engine that made a better duo than expected.
Emma Butcher, from What Car? had the chance to drive a similar car for 9 months, during which she covered almost 10,000 miles (16,000 kilometers) and got a better idea as to whether the Paceman is worth your money. In conclusion: it depends.
Over this period of time, she didn’t experience any breakdowns or even an engine light in the dash, all she invested in it being the fuel and some washer fluid (excluding the usual oil changes, of course). It’s a solid built car that won’t let you down, BMW engines being just as reliable as ever.
However, there were other issues with it. At speeds over 50 mph (80 km/h) the cabin tends to get a bit noisy and you’d have to raise the volume of your audio system. That brings forth another issue: smartphone compatibility.
With the GSM market advancing so fast, it’s hard for manufacturers to keep up. The MINI offers plenty of support for iPhones but up to the 4S model, iPhone 5 not being supported. Furthermore, at the moment you can’t really get an adapter for it.
Inside the city, the car’s bulky size is noticeable and could make parking and even driving it a bit of a headache. The Cooper S model is also sportier than expected at first and comes with a harsh suspension that will rock you up and down getting a bit tiresome after a while.
There are other things to point out, listen to Emma talking about them in the video below.
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