MINI Cooper S Cabrio Review

We would lie if we were to say this is the most comfortable car we have ever driven. To put it simply, it's actually far from it. A badly paved road is probably the last thing on which you should drive the Mini Cooper S Cabrio, since the limited amount of suspension travel, the sports shocks and the fact that it's a pretty small car with a short wheelbase do everything to compress your spine.

The whole vehicle simply dances over every speed bump or pothole and at times it can actually make you think you're trying to ride a wild horse instead of driving a car. The run-flat tires don't help the ride comfort either. If it wasn't obvious enough, the go-kart handling does have its toll. You shouldn't imagine it's like a racing car though, as on decent roads the Mini does keep its composure well enough.

The seats are also a bit hard but they do provide a very good side support thanks to the ergonomic side bolsters. Plus, they were drenched in leather. Larger drivers should be wary though, as they're not exactly fit for a wrestler. As far as other comfort areas, the Mini we drove was actually doing quite well. The automatically retractable soft top has the switch all the way on top of the interior rear view mirror though. Not exactly a hard to reach spot, but the thing is you have to keep it pressed for the whole duration of the car's "unveiling".

Other than that, the automatic single-zone climate control does its fair job at keeping the bad weather out, so do the three-stage heated front seats, especially since Mini's marketing people are actually daring you to drive the car "always open". The petite wind deflector is also a nice addition, especially since its completely foldable and doesn't use much of the already small luggage compartment.

The 1.6-litter powerplant in the Mini Cooper S Cabrio sure doesn't impress with its displacement. What it does impress though is the amount of modern technology used on it and its efficiency. Unlike the Mark I BMW Mini, this one doesn't use a supercharger but a small twin-scroll turbocharger to pump out no less than 175 horsepower and 240 Nm (173 lb ft) of torque available on a gigantic rev band (from 1600 rpm to 5000 rpm).

Built in a join-venture between BMW and the PSA Group, the small four-cylinder also uses a direct injection system and fully variable valve timing, features which deliver more grunt, less fuel consumption and less emissions. All in one small package.

The newly-developed six-speed manual transmission is well cogged and has all (including the reverse) gears synchronized to provide quite a crisp and precise gear change. Also on the plus side, the soft top is fully automatized in standard meaning you only have to use a button for it to open or close in just 21 seconds. Those seconds do transform in about 24 if the engine is switched off though, for reasons we didn't exactly get.

On the whole, the Mini Cooper S Cabrio is one technologically capable car. Especially for a vehicle its size, there's not much more techy bits you could have in other models.

As far as the amount of gadgetry present on our test car, we couldn't have asked for more. Night time visibility was more than adequate thanks to the Xenon/HID headlights, aided by the light sensors. Windshield wipers were also aided by sensors. Unlike its hart top brother though, the Cooper S Cabrio doesn't have a rear wiper (how could it?) and visibility towards the rear during rain or when the window is dirty may be a little compromised.

We also had three-stage heated seats, a very capable single-zone climate control system and a pretty good in-dash CD-player with MP3 capabilities and an auxiliary port for your iPod. Another feature which we found useful was the fact that the rear side-windows can be fully opened or closed by a single button on the center console.

Also, the leather-wrapped three spoke steering wheel was fitted with pretty helpful button to control some functions of the on-board computer, the audio system and the fully active automatic speed regulator. Apart from that, our car was also fitted with keyless entry, which is nice most of time, unless you're a forgetful person and tend to lose keys.

Beside the... let's say average sound system, all of the features present on our test car usually belong on slightly larger, more upscale models. The only useful gadget missing from it was probably a satellite navigation system, which normally would have stayed inside the ginormous speedometer.

Of course, just by taking a short glance at a car that would look more appropriate in a child's bedroom and with a remote you're not exactly convinced it's actually safe. Well, according to some the international crash testing organizations it really is. Whether it has five stars out of five at the EuroNCAP or a "good" rating at the IIHS, the Mini is among the safest cars in its class.

Naturally, crash ratings aren't enough for some people, so we should also add that the Cooper S Cabrio we drove cam equipped with an anti-lock braking system, electronic stability control and cornering brake control. If there are still people who aren't convinced we should also add the standard dual-stage frontal airbags and the side airbags as well.

Yeah, but it's a convertible, what happens if you roll over, it doesn't even have a proper roll bar, you might ask? Well, it does have a proper roll bar, two of them actually. Both are connected and are sitting in expectation tucked in behind the rear seat. They will pop up as soon as the roll-over sensors detect there's an impetuous possibility for the car to turn with the shiny side down.

The best part about the Mini Cooper S Cabrio we drove has got to be its exceptional handling prowess. There is simply not a chance you will ever be the same after driving one through the twisties. Whenever driving on serpentine roads it's like having your own personal roller coaster, which you can control. Everything from the absolutely fantastic ride and the sharp steering ratio, to the wide track and the hair-rising exhaust sound can actually change your perception about how a small car should handle. In short, this is a grown man's boy toy.

As for the bad, we could only decide on the downside of having such good handling. The suspension setup is stiff, the shocks travel is short, the tires are hard run-flats... you get the point. The comfort is almost gone, as long as you don't drive on mirror-like roads on a daily basis. It simply isn't a car which you can live 24/7 or take for longer journeys for two reasons: its lack of suspension comfort over not-so-good roads and the fact that you can't fit too much luggage in it.

The ugly bit about the Cooper S Cabrio is probably the fact that its niche is too small. It's not exactly a car for daily driving (unless some conditions are met), which kind of only makes it fit as a second or even a third car. Its slogan is "always open", but it should probably be "open only during the weekend, since you're driving your other car during the rest of the week." If you're gunning for a special car to be used only for driving fun, this should be one of the top picks though.