MINI Paceman Cooper S Review

MINI's Paceman is surprisingly comfortable for a coupe and not all that cozy if you see it as a crossover. Nevertheless, as a... car, the Paceman offers a decent level of comfort.

The interior is roomy enough both up front and in the back. When you're sitting in the later area, you appreciate the scalloped seat back in front of you, as well as the padded arm rests dug into the side panels.

The good all-round visibility adds up to this and creates an experience that allows one to enjoy the playful nature of the car.

Don't worry though, the MINI Paceman won't be winning any practicality championship anytime soon. Like we said, this is a coupe, so the rear passengers need a bit of time to access their seats.

We smile with superiority while placing our behinds in the front seats. However, before we get to enjoy the feeling that we don't have to climb into the back, we have a debt of our own to pay: reaching for those distant seatbelts.

The MINI Cooper S Paceman is set up like a hot hatch, which means that the car lets you feel the speed. That's nice when you want to play, but, for this chapter, it translates into a soundproofing that lets a bit too much wind noise come in at speed.

Nevertheless, spending some time inside the MINI Paceman will make you feel like you've visited a lounge and this pleasant feeling is something you'll remember.

Body and chassis

In terms of size, the only noticeable difference between the Mini Paceman and the Countryman is that the first is 1.7 inches (43 mm) lower. The length and width of the two are not the same, but the difference could just as well come from a few bugs splashed on the apron.

Even the wheelbase, as well as the front and rear tracks of the two are identical. When it comes to tipping the scales, the Paceman is indeed lighter, but by an amusing figure. At 3,098 LBS (1,405 KG), the Paceman only sheds 11 LBS (5 KG) compared to its five-door brother.

Powertrain

The turbocharged 1,598 cc petrol unit in the Cooper S delivers 184 hp at 5,500 rpm and a peak torque of 177 lb-ft (240 Nm) between 1,600 and 5,000 rpm. There's also an overboost function that takes the torque to 192 lb-ft (260 Nm) between 1,700 and 4,500 rpm.

The ALL4 versions feature a multi-plate wet clutch layout to split the power between the two axles. By default, the system only sends power to the front wheels, but the rear wheels can receive up to 50 percent of the power if this is required.

What's more, when the driving conditions become really difficult, the rear axle can receive 100 percent of the power. However, once you go past 87 mph (140 km/h) the vehicle becomes front-wheel drive-only, due to fuel efficiency reasons.

The front axle if gifted with an Electronic Differential Lock Control (EDLC). This mimics the action of a limited slip diff, applying braking pressure on the wheel that spins.

Road connection

MINI's Paceman borrows the Countryman's MacPherson strut front layout, as well as the multi-link rear axle. However, the Paceman uses the Countryman's optional sports suspension as standard. Thus, the three-door model rides 0.4 inches (10 mm) lower, offering a ground clearance of 5.31 inches (135 mm).

If you want a heftier ride height though, MINI allows you to order the standard suspension as a no-cost option, bringing you back to the level set by the Countryman.

Stopping Power

The Cooper S Paceman comes with slightly larger braking hardware up front, featuring 21.1-inch (307 mm) vented rotors. The solid rear discs are identical for all models, measuring 11 inches (280 mm) in diameter.

The MINI Paceman also comes with Brake Energy Regeneration, with the features storing electrical energy during deceleration in order to power the ancillary components. This feature is joined by the start-stop system, as well as the electric power steering and the Gear Shift Indicator (manual models) in the quest to increase efficiency.

Ten million combinations, this is what MINI is bragging about you when you're playing with the configurator. But let's see what are the best and the worst parts of building a Paceman.

We appreciate the little details you can choose for the exterior, ranging from the colors of the roof and the various stripe packages, as well as the black headlight housings.

Climbing aboard, you can choose between two types of seats, albeit in a single four-person configuration, as well as between a leather and a leather-cloth finish.

The center rail can come in a one- or two-piece layout and allows you to place various optional accessories over it, such as armrests, storage boxes and cup holders.

Another option that we particularly appreciated was the panoramic sunroof. This covers 60 percent of the roof and, together with the design of the greenhouse, create a sophisticated atmosphere inside the car.

Alas, the launch of the Countryman hasn't changed anything in terms of MINI's feature-related limitations. It's pretty hard to say the word "premium" out loud without being bothered by the absence of certain goodies here.

We're referring to items like power seats, front parking sensors, as well as a keyless system that actually fully... keyless and doesn't require you to place the fob inside the dash.

When it comes to infotainment, MINI offers an optional Harman Kardon system that packs some serious audio punch, as part of the various packages that are used for delivering the optional features.

MINI has made sure that it can become your iPhone's best friend. Its integration means that you can use the center console display and controller to play with a multitude of apps.

MINI Connected communicates with the ECU and gives you two special aps. The first is Driving Excitement, which offers features such as a Force Meter and other performance parameters. You are also invited to earn points by driving in a sporty manner.

While this play may become less interesting after a while, we liked the way in which the app turns the engine and the ECU into characters that talk to you, as well as to each other, using the car's speakers. Push the Sport button and you'll understand.

At the other end of the driving behavior scale, we find the MINIMALISM analyzer, which gives you advice for eco driving. Of course, a point-awarding system is also offered here.

If you are determined enough, you'll also be able to compare your scores online with others who keep track of MINI's points. Who knows, maybe your girlfriend is giggling because she beat you at this game and you haven't noticed yet. Or perhaps she's just extra ticklish today.

Apart from this, there are loads of social media and music streaming apps, with the most recent one belonging to the latter category. We are talking about music-on-demand specialist Deezer, which promises to flood the cabin of your MINI with 25 million tracks.

When it comes to this chapter, MINI’s Paceman offers a decent package, but it doesn’t impress. Speaking from the driver’s seat, you have to grab the wheel with confidence if you’re in a hurry, as the front-wheel drive versions, which are pretty popular among buyers, show plenty of torque steer.

Fortunately, the chassis is well balanced, so the bends are tackled with ease. In addition, the hot hatch-like setup of the car means that you’re constantly aware of your speed, as well as of what’s going on around you, which means that your attention is always plugged in.

The Paceman hasn’t met any official crash test barrier so far, but since it’s not all that different from the MINI Countryman, we can rely on the latter’s Euro NCAP rating for passive safety information.

The MINI Countryman received a five-star rating, with the following protection scores: 84 percent for adult occupant, 83 percent for child occupant, 63 percent for pedestrian and 71 percent for safety assist.

The passenger cell kept its shape well during the frontal crash, but the vehicle only provided marginal protection for the knees and femurs of front seat occupants, while the chest protection for the driver was just adequate - the rest of the areas received a good protection rating.

While the Countryman passed the side impact test with flying colors, the vehicle only showed marginal chest protection on the more serious pole test.

In terms of child protection, the only problem was that the tested vehicle was not fitted with the optional switch for disabling the passenger airbag to allow a rearward facing child seat to be installed.

As for pedestrian protection, the bumper scored maximum points, but the front edge of the bonnet’s rating were split among poor and marginal. The bonnet itself offered good protection in the areas where a child’s head could strike, but the when it came to adults, the protection was mainly poor.

Nobody said there's a need for a new member of the MINI family, but now that this cute cub is here, it's welcome.

The MINI Paceman is basically a Countryman that has been configured as sporty as possible and then has seen the designers draw a few new lines for it.

The final package makes sense, of course in the emotional way makes people buy MINIs.

The Countryman may bring proper practicality to the MINI line-up, but when you're out there doing your morning running, it fails to deliver the expected sensations.

Well, the Paceman does away with this problem, despite not entirely matching the performance level of a hot hatch.

The best part of MINI's Paceman are its styling cues - rarely does a new haircut and a bit of makeup transform a vehicle to such an extent. You just look the MINI Paceman in the headlights and it's telling you "Let's play!"

Get inside the car and you can be tricked into believing you've landed into some sort of a club, albeit one that's missing a one or two features that should've been there.

As for the worst part of the car, this is the price - there's a bit too much spice for a starter-sized car like this. In addition, at $27,500, the MINI Cooper S Paceman is also $1,200 more expensive than a corresponding Countryman. Keep in mind that the optional ALL4 all-wheel drive is a bit of a necessity even on the road, so the car actually starts at $29,200. In Europe, the MINI Cooper S Countryman comes with a starting price of EUR27,600.

The removal of the rear doors does bring the usual coupe limitations, but the overall experience isn't all that affected. And in case you're asking whether the Paceman is better than the Countryman, we'll tell you that there's no such a thing as a yes/no answer. Each is the best choice in its own way.

However, the Paceman is a more pleasant proposal than the rest of the MINI derivatives, such as the Coupe or the Roadster.

Much more than being a premium or a hot compact, MINI's Paceman is a recreational vehicle. Look at the car this way and you'll have fun in it.