MINI Cooper Review

2008 MINI Cooper Price Range: $18,050 - $21,950

Cost
The destination charge is a standard charge for transporting the vehicle from its point of origin to the dealer. It costs roughly the same to get the Cooper to the dealership as the typical compact hatchback. When it comes to fuel economy, the MINI Cooper and the typical compact hatchback don't differ much. There honestly isn't much of a difference in gas mileage here, but if you must know, the MINI Cooper is a little more economical than the average compact hatchback. Producing an exact fuel economy evaluation is so difficult that some think not even the federal government can do it, but it looks as though both the typical compact hatchback and the typical compact hatchback perform approximately similarly regarding fuel economy. Regarding MSRP, the typical compact hatchback costs quite a bit less than the MINI Cooper. When it comes to final cost, the typical compact hatchback costs markedly less than the MINI Cooper.

Utility
The typical compact hatchback is a better choice than the MINI Cooper with respect to hauling capacity, especially if you frequently need to carry a lot of luggage or sizeable pets. Neither the MINI Cooper nor the typical compact hatchback has a marked advantage when it comes to seating capacity.

Convenience
You quite certainly won't have to visit your friendly gas station more often with the MINI Cooper than with the typical compact hatchback, because both offer comparable mileage ranges. You'll likely take the Cooper for a fill-up approximately as often as the average compact hatchback. The MINI Cooper's fuel tank will need to be replenished a little more often than the unit in the typical compact hatchback.

Comfort
While the front cabin in the typical compact hatchback offers a bit more head room than the Cooper, there honestly isn't much of a difference. The typical compact hatchback provides more head- and leg-room to your passengers than the Cooper does.

Dimensions
The MINI Cooper is a bit more ponderous than the typical compact hatchback. The MINI Cooper's tank is approximately the same size as the typical compact hatchback's, though the typical compact hatchback's is slightly bigger. The MINI Cooper fits in smaller parking spaces than the average compact hatchback.

Performance
Both the MINI Cooper and the typical compact hatchback are likely to feel a little slow because of their high horsepower-to-weight ratio.

Handling
Really small tires, like the ones on the Cooper, may improve gas mileage but can also look a little odd. With their comparable turning radiuses, the average compact hatchback and the MINI Cooper quite certainly handle approximately the same into and out of tight spots.

Drivetrain
The Cooper's engine is markedly smaller than the typical compact hatchback's. Remember that a smaller engine usually has to work a little harder; however, smaller engines typically get better gas mileage. Torque equals pickup, and the typical compact hatchback will have picked up and gone by the time the MINI Cooper finally gets moving. Torque is roughly equivalent to acceleration, and in this respect, the average compact hatchback is substantially more powerful than the MINI Cooper.

Overview
Although the basic warranty that comes with the MINI Cooper is a little longer than the typical compact hatchback's, the difference isn't too significant.