Mini Cooper 1.6 16V Review

Overall Rating

Speed, Handling, looks, personal styling, cult status, build quality

Not same as classic, big for a

Well i'll first start by introducing my own car. I got my Mini Cooper from a used car trader for £10,500 Feb 2005. I follow the Mini Club status well and am a member of a few clubs. So my Mini's a bit special it's been superchipped, front strut brace fitted (improves handling), Air filter, and some other bits.

I must say when I first got my BMW mini I was over the moon with it. It was everything i wanted though I thought it wasn't as quick as I'd like it. I loved driving it and feeling a bit special in this car.

My models a early 2001 model and the only problem I have had is my seats do not move forward when I press the lever that is all. I must say when I paid 10k for my Mini I thought the stereo would have been better the tape player provided was terrible and the sound was very bad. I later bought a after market stereo to fix this.

The minis handling is said to be amazing. I drive my car to the limits and found that the Mini wasnt coping as well as i thought it would. The handling is superb but to really get the most out of your Mini handling I recommend a strut brace. With the strut brace my Mini handles like a dream.

The power of the standard Cooper is quite good the sport feel over the one though can not be told much unless driving on motorways. With a superchip and air filter however the Coopers speed rockets my car has kept up with a S before and I'm sure I save more fuel.

The inside of the car is another strong point of the mini. The controls are laid out well in a unique style that makes the Mini seem like a whole different car.

A lot of people have complained about the back seats. Now the minis back seats are not to bad to sit in but like stated there is not much room in the back at all. I'm 6ft 2in and no one can get behind my seat to sit. Which is unfortunate but its best to think of the Mini as a 3 seater more than a 4. The boot space is also very tiny which could be a problem for some. But with the back seats down room in the Mini is a lot lot bigger.

These cars are now dropping in price as the new models come out. I really recommend the BMW Mini Cooper and after owning one nearly a year im still loving every minute of it.