MINI Cooper

Verdict: 2007 Mini Cooper

During our 20,000-plus-mile, 12-month run with the recently departed 2007 Cooper S, editors offered up all manner of opinions about the second-generation, slightly bigger Mini. There was much love for how the Cooper S handled at the track and over smooth stretches of twisty mountain road, yet much disdain for an around-town drive that loosened fillings and jolted spines over even minor road imperfections. Some pined for a manual transmission, while others warmed quickly to the six-speed automatic with paddle shifters and a sport mode designed to hold the revs longer.

Just about everyone launched a few broadsides in the direction of the Mini's cabin, which, much like that of the previous car, proved a borderline ergonomic disaster. But despite everything that annoyed us about it -- the awkward seat adjustment, difficult-to-use window switches, weak nav/entertainment-system controls, and balky armrest, to name a few -- the Mini's interior still scored some style points, thanks to retro cues and an attractive blend of materials.

New for the 2007 model year, the second-gen Mini's 1.6-liter, 172-horse/177-pound-foot turbocharged DOHC 16-valve I-4 proved stout and delivered an impressive power surge when needed -- enough, in fact, to propel it from 0 to 60 in a brisk 6.2 seconds. And while many wished for a manual gearbox, in the end we found the six-speed auto perfectly competent and adequate fun. With a 64/36 front bias, the Cooper S is never going to be completely devoid of torque steer, but our sport-suspended, Lightning Blue hatchback showed that front drive and fun-to-drive needn't be mutually exclusive.

Mini and road trip don't exactly go together like cake and ice cream, but our car scooted on two extended jaunts. One was a 1050-mile round trip photographer extraordinaire Brian Vance took up to Northern California on a family ski outing. Like everyone else in the office, when the going got twisty, Vance attacked the turns in the British runabout and had a blast. And he averaged about 27.5 mpg during the trek, an especially frugal number considering the hard driving. The Cooper S provided just enough room for photography gear and luggage as well as gifts for the family, but with the Mini being as mini as it is, there were issues. "Despite all the clever, distinctive interior design Mini gave this car," says Vance, "it has neglected to put much storage space within the driver's reach. There are a couple of hard-to-access cupholders below the center stack, a map pocket in the door, and a shallow U-shaped area under the handbrake. I had troubling stashing my phone, iPod, aux cord, and spare change."