2009 MINI Cooper Hardtop User Reviews

Pros

Zippy, fuel-efficient, technology; maintenance; FUN.

Cons

Cheap sound system, interior materials

Purchased As New

PROS: 1) Fast, zippy ride. In the mean streets of L.A., you need a car with power and pick-up to get through traffic, and the S-model does the trick. It takes awhile to get the shifting down (manual trans.) because the acceleration is very responsive. 2) Before the MINI, I drove a bigger car with less horsepower. The MINI is surprisingly great on gas mileage given how powerful its engine is. The clever thing about this car is that once it hits "E" for fuel, it counts down how many miles you have left on the fuel you have. VERY handy, especially on road trips or in general forgetful moments in a busy life. 3) I really enjoy the integrated Bluetooth phone function and the USB port. I loaded all my music on an 8GB flash drive and leave it in its discreet port in the dash; no need to worry about the car getting broken into and getting your iPod stolen. 4) I have a 3-year lease, and with the 3-year/36k free maintenance schedule, it's a win-win situation for me. 5) I have fun driving this car. Some people may not like its bouncy handling, but I think it great because it reminds me how fast and fun it is. I look forward to driving to/from work, which is something I never thought I would say.

CONS: 1) If I had built my MINI, I would have paid for the upgraded sound system. (Unfortunately, the Hardon Karmans were not available for 2009, but will be back for 2010.) If listening to music is important for you like it is for me, you will be disappointed in the sound quality. I'm no expert, but I can say that the sound isn't as rich or deep with these speakers than in other cars. Listening to the radio is the worst- everything sounds "tinny". Quality improves when listening to a CD or music through the AUX/USB ports, but not by much. I am leasing my MINI, so I'm not sure at this point if it's worth the investment to put in better speakers. 2) I don't like the look or feel of the gray plastic knobs and trim on the center console.