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Walk Around

The second-generation of the modern Mini Cooper is still unmistakably a Mini. Even while updating the car for safety, mechanical, and manufacturing considerations, BMW designers were reluctant to risk messing with a successful formula. Anyone who is not already a Mini owner will have difficulty distinguishing the current Mini from the previous-generation (pre-2007) version unless the two are parked side by side. Nevertheless, not a single exterior panel is common between the two cars.

The front of the Mini had to be restyled to conform to more rigid European restrictions on exterior panel shapes for pedestrian safety. Then the remainder of the car was restyled as well to blend with the new front end.

Park two examples side by side and you'll see immediately that the headlights of the second generation (2007 and later) model are rounder, the hood flatter, the grille more prominent than those of the first generation. Turn signals are now integrated into the headlight clusters, and bigger foglights (when ordered) are set into a simplified bumper where the turn signals used to be. Around back, wider taillights and a wider trim strip on the hatch echo the changes up front. The beltline rises faster, too, giving the rear end a more tapered look. In general, the latest Mini seems broader-shouldered and more aggressive than the last, and so departs even further from the narrow and square original. It is a little larger, too, measuring 2.36 inches longer. But we doubt most modern Mini buyers will mind or even notice.

In any case, close inspection of the exterior shows that in almost all areas, design and execution is upgraded from the first generation. One notable example is how the headlamp clusters are now firmly attached the front fenders, fitting through openings in the hood; where in the previous model the headlamps were built into the hood itself.

The convertible comes with a power canvas roof that opens at the touch of a button in just 15 seconds when the car is parked or traveling at up to 18 mph. There are no latches to operate. The convertible top has a heated glass rear window and a sliding roof function that opens just the portion over the front seats. It acts as a sunroof and can be opened at speeds up to 75 mph.

The soft-top maintains the same basic silhouette as the hardtop, though the rear window is tilted farther forward. The rear side windows are about a third of the size of those on the hardtop because the cloth top wraps further around the sides of the car. Behind the rear seat, the convertible has a concealed Active Rollover Protection Bar that pops up in case of a rollover. When the convertible top is down, it rests at the back of the car and sticks up a bit, sort of like a makeshift spoiler. The look is fine, but it blocks the driver's lower line of sight to the rear.

Interior

2009 Mini Cooper

The redesign of the Mini Cooper hardtop for 2007 and convertible for 2009 brought more visible change inside the car than outside. The interior still has a sporty feeling, though it is now a bit less extreme.

Like the last generation and the original, an enlarged round speedometer is mounted in the center of the dash. The tachometer is mounted on the tilt/telescoping steering column, moving with it as you adjust it up and down. The convertible also has a unique Openometer next to the tach. It's a meter that measures the number of hours you drive with the top down. Think of it as a measure of your enthusiasm for an open cockpit.

Audio controls have been moved from the center stack into the bottom half of the speedometer dial, and the heating and air conditioning controls have been compressed below it. These changes reduce the width of the center stack, which increases knee and leg room in the foot wells, answering a common complaint against the previous model.

For a car that has the smallest exterior of any four-passenger vehicle on the road, the Mini is surprisingly spacious inside. Even a six-foot, five-inch driver will be comfortable in the front seat; and the three manual levers, controlling height, rake, and front-rear position, allow both the driver and front passenger to find a comfortable position.

We found the seats comfortable for long-distance driving, with good support from the bolsters. The driving position is excellent.

Vision to the rear is quite good in the hardtop, but the convertible has a couple of issues. As mentioned earlier, the lower portion of the driver's line of sight to the rear is blocked by the convertible top when it's down. With the top up, the top blocks vision to the rear sides. Backing out of a parking spot is a hope and a prayer.

Upholstery and trim is very nice and there is a wide range of options. At one extreme, by electing sport seats with leather and contrasting cloth trim, along with metal accents and ambient lighting, the buyer can create a trendy, fast-and-furious cabin. At the other extreme, by opting for very-English leather seats with contrasting piping, trim panels matching the piping color, and real wood accents, an upscale British luxury car.

The heating and air conditioning controls in the base model are straightforward. The available automatic climate control system, which maintains a constant temperature dialed in by the occupants, is cleverly configured in the shape of the winged Mini logo.

The audio controls built into the speedometer dial are a bit too clever for their own good, in our opinion, sacrificing ease of use for design symmetry. For example, though the tuning knob is in the audio cluster, the volume knob is placed below the speedometer in the center stack, closer to the HVAC controls than to the audio controls. A similar knob in the speedometer is used to switch between radio presets. It can be confusing which knob does which. MP3 players can be connected to the audio system. A specific adapter for an Apple iPod is available. However, the integrated design of the audio controls in the speedometer dial will make it nearly impossible to fit any aftermarket sound system. Cosmetically, the audio and HVAC controls could be better. Made obviously of plastic, with a matte-gray in finish, the controls could be described as refugees from a Buzz Lightyear remote control system. With their prominent positioning, they detract from the otherwise high-quality interior appointments.

A navigation system is optional, and if selected, replaces the central speedometer with a round screen of the same size, which has a central rectangular display screen surrounded by a digitally generated needle indicating vehicle speed around the perimeter.

Chrome toggle switches that look like something out of an airplane or racecar cockpit are positioned at the base of the center stack to control the windows, auxiliary lights, and DSC system. They are duplicated by a second panel of toggle switches above the center of the windshield to control interior lights, the available sunroof, and in the case of the convertible, the power top.

The toggle switches and the stalk switches for the headlights and turn signals are pleasing to look at and offer a satisfying feel in use, clearly benefiting from the BMW touch.

The rear seat of the hardtop is suitable for adults only for short rides and access to it anything but convenient. The convertible has considerably less rear leg room, 28.1 inches compared to 29.9 inches, so adults or even children won't fit back there unless the front seats are moved far forward. So it's best to think of the Mini Cooper as a two-seater with emergency provisions for extra passengers.

With its large rear hatch and separate folding rear seatbacks, the Mini hardtop is quite flexible in configuration, though its overall size limits luggage space with the rear seats up to an airline roll-aboard and a brief case. With the rear seats down, there's 24 cubic feet of cargo space, more than enough for two passengers on a two-week trip, something we proved last summer.

The convertible has quite a bit less cargo space. It has a small trunk with only 6.0 cubic feet of space that isn't affected by the position of the convertible top. We couldn't even fit our roll-aboard suitcase back there because the opening was too short. The rear seats still fold down, though, and Mini claims that opens up 23.3 cubic feet of space. The opening is still short, though, so larger items won't fit but groceries will.

One of the great things about the Mini is that the hardtop has useful cargo space. It is also possible to put four people in it. The convertible, however, almost completely lacks cargo space and has a rear seat that is really only useful as a parcel shelf. If it weren't just so darn fun to drive, the convertible would be almost useless.

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