2009 MINI Cooper Hardtop John Cooper Works

Pros

Spirited performance with excellent fuel economy

Cons

Only available with summer sport tires

Purchased As New

This is my second MINI. The first was a 2003 Cooper S, which I recently traded in on a 2009 JCW. I spent thousands of dollars in performace modifications to get the 2003 up to 190 HP. The new JCW comes out of the box with 208 HP and is a joy to drive. It has blinding acceleration off the line, with just a bit more torque steer than the 2003. The turbo lag is hardly noticable compared to the supercharged engine in the 2003 car. Handling is nible, but the supension is tuned with a bit more understeer than my liking, so I think the only modification I will do, is an upgrade to a 19MM sway bar in the rear. Gas economy is terrific, even though it requires premium grade fuel. I was able to clock 33.4 average miles per gallon on a recent trip, which included some city driving. My only wish is that the car comes from the factory with an option for high performance all season radial tires. The only tires available are high performace summer tires, which will require a set of snow shoes for the winter if you live up north.