2007 Mini Cooper S: High-Performance Hypermiler

That sign is pretty funny.

what did you use to get such an exact reading of the gas used?

Josh used his receipt?

To measure 1.612 gallons of gas?
Wouldn't that require that both times the car was filled the pump stopped with precisely the same amount of gas in the tank?
If the pump turned off the second time .2 gallons earlier because of a different nozzle or gas sloshing in the tank that would drop the mpg to 33.6.

My point in asking was when calculating mpg with such a small amount of gas used your results can vary drastically with very small changes in the amount of gas that fits in the tank. If you use 14 gallons and the pump stops a bit early or late it won't be that noticeable. But it doesn't take much variance to throw off the results of test like this.

I thought maybe they had some high tech device hooked up that was measuring it.

Whatever happened to the update we were supposed to get about the Mini's first scheduled maintenance checkup? The last blog entry about the Mini said that there were about 800 miles left until maintenance was due. I know you guys must have driven way more than 800 miles since then :-P

37.5mpg and 0-60<7secs is mighty impressive but in deference to the recent Tundra post, how fast will she go?

tmanz -

Right on. Sounds like you may have technical background.

tmanz,

Interesting points, and generally I think you're right. In this case, though, I'm quite sure the tank was filled to the same point both times. I used our customary filling technique (fill till the pump clicks off, remove the nozzle, reinsert it and fill till it clicks off again), and each time the result was that a little gas actually seeped out into the area where the gas cap screws on. In other words, I overfilled by the same amount on both occasions. So give or take a thimbleful, it was a pretty fair test.

LOL! Your real name is showing, SnakeDoc!

I hear what you're saying, tmanz. :o)

Let's see what Josh (sadbuttrue) has to say.

Sorry folks, that was me writing under the name "Registered User" above. Didn't have my screen name working yet.

Excellent for a base Mini, incredible for a turbo.

A vette will hit 60 in under 5 seconds and get mid 20's on the freeway...

In the words of Simpons lunch lady Doris:

"More testicles means more IRON."

Actually I can do the same thing in the Lexus RX400h. But then again it's a hybrid. Advantage Mini?

"A vette will hit 60 in under 5 seconds and get mid 20's on the freeway..."

My Subaru will get 30 mpg on the hwy and doesn't get stuck in the snow... who cares?

Neither one will get 37.5 mpg.

Neither one is a cool as a Mini either.

That is pretty cool. It's all about weight, I s'pose.

roomwithaview,

I don't think the RX400h is doing no-rollout 0-60 runs in the mid-sixes. Our numbers on that car are closer to mid-sevens.

Also, my experience with our long-term RX400h has been that if I drive it enthusiastically (a questionable idea in the first place), its mileage really dips, whereas the Mini seemingly refuses to get less than 25 mpg no matter how hard I flog it.

-Sadlier

I believe your comparison is flawed because you did not use an accurate means of measuring the fuel. In addition, you did not subject the Focus to the same conditions. I am confident that if you ran a Focus under the same conditions it would beat the Mini in fuel efficiency. The Mini may be sporty, but until it gets a trunk it is about as practical as a beetle.

Just filled up my 07 Cooper S today - I average 30.3 MPG on the last tank. :)

I drive it hard and love it... probably gonna replace it with a Clubman S in December. My wife is saying to do so earlier as resale is so good on my Cooper S we're wondering if we should take advantage of the gas hysteria.

The mini is now on my list. The good list, that is.

the mpg's are not surprising. the MINI is, well, mini!
It is tiny inside and out. It's basically a 2 seater w/ barely enough room for anything else.
That's cool, I like the design but it's no surprise about mpg's.

The Beetle comment is way off. The VW Beetle is HUGE in comparison and much more practical than a MINI or even a MINI Clubman.
I think the Beetle is even in a larger vehicle classification.

I was serious about the MINI Clubman but a few key factors kept me away;
-shoddy, playschool plastic interior and horrid ergonomics

-electric soleniod door locks rendered unoperable if the battery dies (found this out totally by chance at a test drive). Serious safety issue since my wife would be driving

-interior is simply too small to be practical compared to others

-it is vastly expensive for what you get. (or a sportscar bargain- depending on your perspective)

Obviously, the focus of the MINI is on sport and style and maybe I'm just more focused on "the whole package, willing to sacrifice some style"

If I were single, the Clubman would be a serious contender though. Since the wife is a big factor, her opinion matters greatly.

I really laugh when people say the Mini is too small. I grew up with lots of Austin Mini's around. The new Mini looks huge next to the original. How big a car do you need? I'm 6'2" and fit fine in the front of a new Mini (or old) and OK in the back.

The Beetle is bigger everywhere but the interior (which is all that matters really).

The Mini is small inside, the backseat is really just for show unless you have some tiny people upfront.

very cool, i love this car.

for comparison, my '08 4-door GTI got 34.5 MPG on a recent (very)extended highway trip. not too shabby either i'd say.

"The VW Beetle is HUGE in comparison and much more practical than a MINI or even a MINI Clubman."

The Beetle is terribly unpractical - it has basically no space in the trunk or backseat. The MINI has fold flat back seats, which give you quite a spacious cargo area. MINI > Beetle any day of the week.

"shoddy, playschool plastic interior and horrid ergonomics"

While some may call the interior 'playschool', the plastics are high quality (this is BMW after all) and the ergonomics are quite normal, except perhaps for the seatback angle adjustment level position.

I have a 08 Cooper, and I have recorded 42mpg on highway driving. Love the car.

dougtheeng & other mini owners.

Dont take this wrong. But some of you really need to stop being so militant in the defense of the mini.

I read posts over at namotoring, and just let it go. I'd go futher, and say open your minds to the fact that the mini is not perfect.

While the interior is attractive to some, its also a HUGE turn off to others.

flip it around, would the mini loss much, if that stupid speedo wasn't their, radio controls made normal, and some of the buttons moved to more usable locations?

You could have both style AND functionality. Yet in alot of cases, the mini scarifices funtionality, in the name of style (and some of the style is questionable at best).

Futhermore, the Mini brand, is not that reliable, and while the JD Power IQS, aren't the end all and be all of quality. The fact mini is at the bottom of the list, is not a badge of honor.

'Militant', lol. I re-read my post, and I don't find anything militant about it, but thats ok.

"While the interior is attractive to some, its also a HUGE turn off to others."

I admitted it was playschool to some, what more do you want?

Regarding the downsizing of a speedo/different controls, etc, all the MINI would lose is some character. I agree that its not the most intuative layout.

I sorta feel like 1487 here, but I really don't think anything in my previous post was out in left field, yet opfreak you replied with some scathing attacks. Obviously MINI drivers know their car isn't perfect, no car is. By posting a comment saying I like my car, and it gets good gas mileage and has nice plastics, I'm not sure how that qualifies me for your rant telling me to "open my mind", etc, etc.

edit: (freaking lack of edit).

Also, I don't really try to defend the MINI, per say, I mainly wanted to point out that its much more useful than the Beetle imo.

It doesn't matter to me whatsoever if people don't like it. In fact, I like that there are such small numbers of MINIs on the road. To me, that was a real selling point. If everyone had one, MINI culture would die.

I think this increidible combination of handling, speed and economy is what will keep Mini at the top of many buyer's list given the cost of gas these days. As others have commented, the only other competition is the GTI and the Mazdaspeed3 mainly because they offer more comfort for 4 passangers and only slightly less sharp handling. I am curious to see what gets written about the Cobalt SS which in recent reviews seems to be an outstanding performer in speed handling and economy for about $20K. Be nice if it got added to the long term fleet to see what the reliability and long term satesfaction factor is.

I'm gonna have to go with cruiserhead. I really like the Mini, have since they came out. But as my fiance always points out, my next car will have to be able to fit a rear facing child seat in the back with her in the passenger seat or behind me in the back. So I don't think the Mini makes the cut. Two or three years ago, year. A couple years down the road, maybe. But not any time soon. The WAF is too low.

I think my rant was more at the others, then you specifically. But alot of Mini Owners have a very militant attitude.

Theres a review of the mini and the reviewer points out the 'playskool' interior, and these mini owners posts just rip that person a new one.

Questioning their knowledge of cars, make statemtns like 'thats what makes a mini a mini'. bla bla bla.

and thats great and all, I'm glad you LOVE your car, but honestly, sometimes, take a step back, no car is perfect.

"A vette will hit 60 in under 5 seconds and get mid 20's on the freeway..."

Mid 20's is for the 505hp Z06 - the base model gets high 20's on the highway.

My '02 Z06 got 28 MPG on the highway and pulled 4.0 seconds 0-60 when it was stock. Now it gets 32 MPG highway and pulls 3.9 seconds 0-60 with just bolt-on mods (intake, headers, cat-back, and tuning).

"The MINI has fold flat back seats, which give you quite a spacious cargo area"

--So does the Beetle. It has split fold rear seats, A LOT more rear seat room, MUCH easier access, MUCH taller roof which equals much more usable space than either MINI.
That is not a dig at the MINI, it is stating a simple fact.

It also posesses an ergonomic dashboard design where the controls are simple and intuitive. The MINI is just a mess.

Now, they are completely different. I would not buy a Beetle for myself (but my wife loves her Beetle). I might a MINI CLubman but for the same price I would definitely skip it and get the much better VW GTI.

The GTI has all the practicality that a "econobox" should have, nice tight dimensions, and the sporty character. It also posesses an interior that looks & feels better than $35K cars. It also gets great mpgs along with the sweet DSG transmission... all for the same price as a Clubman. Frankly, it makes the GTI seem like a bargain.

Granted, the MINI has the unique looks and tiny, sporty look which is definitely worth something. However, the interior design is a big drawback.
The interior capacity is also a drawback- but that is personal, not a dig at MINI.

The safety issues, (which no one ever seems to respond to) is probably the single issue that immediately cut the MINI from consideration.

Also, I don't mind the giant speedo. It would be better if it were angled slightly to the driver. The other controls are horrid and undecipherable.
I thought it was tolerable but the wife was appauled when she got in. "What is this?!" was her response.
The cheap spray painted logo/buttons, the tiny switches, odd shapes, sizes and materials (all looking cheap) randomly peppering the center stack... it just looks like a kid's toy.

I'm all for retro. Just make it look cool and function... or at least make it look like you spent $25K for it instead of alse 12 at Toys-R-Us

I have been driving my '07 MINI Cooper S provided by www.Minimania.com for the last 12 months and have been totally surprised by the gas mileage. According to the on board computer I am averaging 33MPG in the city.

Cruiser, I drove the GTI hard. five minutes later I drove a Cooper S hard on the same road. Quite simply, the GTI can't keep up. I dig the GTI but it's not as hard-edged and frankly the gas mileage is much lower (25 mpg combined in real experience) and resale isn't nearly as good.

The GTI has great space, a smooth engine and is fun. The Mini Cooper S is cramped, louder, has knocky engine but it handles great, gets 30 mpg (combined, real experience), low ownership costs prior to 36k and has insane resale.

When I sell my Cooper S in 5-6 months i will walk away with maybe a 3-4k loss. This simply isn't possible with a GTI.

I'm still torn on the GTI for 09 but the poor mileage and the car's less-than-grin-producing drive have me leaning toward the Clubman. For a couple k more I get a fully usable trunk and perfect access to the rear seat where my baby boy will go.

As for the safety aspect...I have no idea what the crash ratings are on the mini. And don't care. Ditto all the ratings on reliability. Only my 2003 Protege ES has been better (perfect car). My Mini has had 1 problem in 15 months of very hard ownership. Even if it had 10 problems so far, it wouldn't keep me from buying another Mini.

Finally, the look of the interior. Don't care. I care that the stickshift falls to hand, the seats are comfy, the tach is front and center (with speed in the middle of the tach). The rest...um, I care that my next one will have comfort access (no key to open doors/start it - but you can use the mechanical key in the fob to open the doors if needed). I'm also happy for 2008 they added auto-up to the window toggles.

I do wish the windows were framed and the AC had some power. Beyond that, RWD would be nice. As for the rest of the interior, it doesn't matter to me. I have too much fun driving it to care about the pizza dish for-show-speedo or the stereo (never use it in any car anymore).

I guess what it comes down to - the Mini - Cooper or Clubman - is just fun. And if I'm gonna blow money on a car, I want to have fun. I can't think of another new car right now that is just plain fun and under 50k. Should BMW offer a 4 door 1 series, I'll change my tune...

Actually, I like all current versions of the mini that are on the market. Like some of my friends, their quirkieness is what gives them character.

They are a little to small for my family of 4, so it'll be a while before I can get into one... this is the only thing holding me back right now.

And with all the people who say "They're just too small" I'm a little surprised with all the negative comments about the up-coming Crossman:

http://blogs.edmunds.com/straightline/2008/05/mini-crossman-suv.html

Sure, it'll be bigger and priced higher than the competition, but the current mini is priced well above it's competition once you get all the goodies added on.

When the Crossman comes out I'll be the first in line to see if it's Mini-worthy, and if so, then I'll be paying a premium to haul my family around in a maxi-mini. :)