A 2009 Mini Cooper convertible with a 6-speed manual transmission will get 28 mpg city/36 mpg highway, while getting 6-speed Aisin automatic will drop you to 25/34. Rated at 26/34, the quickest of the drop tops (at least until the John Cooper Works gets here), the manual-shift Cooper S, is actually more efficient than the base automatic convertible (which is the slowest). An automatic-equipped 2009 Mini Cooper S is not slow, but at 23/32, it's the least efficient.
Notably, these ratings are nearly identical to the regular Mini Cooper hatchbacks, even though the convertibles weigh 200 pounds more apiece.
European versions of the 2009 Mini convertible get an idle-stop feature and regenerative braking (a specialized generator rejuices the 12-volt battery during deceleration for a claimed 4-6 percent mileage improvement). Mini officials will not say what the combined efficiency benefit of these measures is -- only that U.S. models will not have them at launch.
moparbad says:
08:12 AM, 01/27/09
Mini D has much higher mpg.
eriches says:
03:19 PM, 01/27/09
True. But I'm told there are no plans for a Cooper D convertible at present (nor a Mini One drop top). A factory JCW version is coming, though.