2014 Mini Cooper / Cooper S Hardtop

More Mature, but Still Fun

The basic suspension configuration of struts up front and multilinks in back remains the same, although Mini has done some work to address one of the big complaints about the previous car: road noise. Redesigning the strut hats in front means less impact shock and road thrum make it into the body. In back, stiffer links are intended to reduce suspension flex and thus sharpen the steering response. Overall, the new UKL structure is rock rigid and vibration-free, which bodes well for the front-wheel-drive BMW models that will soon be using it.

At 14.2:1, the steering ratio remains unchanged and still has the hyperkinetic alertness for which Mini is famous, although it’s not quite the twitchy hunting dog the original new Mini was. Maturity means being able to stay within freeway lanes without having to put in continual corrections, but the Mini still veers toward an apex with more enthusiasm than most other new cars have.

All the suspension work is evident in the Cooper and the Cooper S as the cars bounced over Puerto Rico’s mottled pavement. A sharp bang was heard when the wheels fell into deep holes, especially in the S with its 16-inch wheels and 55-series tires, but making cellphone calls will definitely be easier in the new, quieter Mini. The S gets a $500 optional shock absorber that in Sport mode (it’s advertised on the center screen as giving the car “maximum go-kart feel”) takes suspension stiffness closer to the John Cooper Works setting. (And, yes, a JCW version of this car is coming.) In Mid mode, it relaxes some and becomes softest in the eco-minded Green mode, but the S’s ride never settles down completely.

The upgraded materials of the new interior, including more soft-touch panels on the dash and doors, take the tactical feel up a notch while dimming down the blinding design glare of the previous car. It’s the same feeling you get when somebody turns down a stereo just enough to make you realize your ears were hurting.

The giant center speedo is gone, the gauges moved over to the steering column and backed up by an optional head-up display that has a small screen motor out of the dash top on startup. Where the speedo used to be is a multicolor TFT screen—in a circle, natch—of 6.0 or 8.8 inches, depending on the trim level. The control joystick between the seats is gone because customers thought it was insubstantial. In its place is a large circular knob that twists, slides, and pushes to control the screen-based functions, including the newly available suite of driver-assistance systems.

The screen itself is ringed by jukeboxlike strip of LEDs that glow various shades of red, green, and yellow, depending on the car’s driving mode or what button you’re pushing. Refugees from the 1980s will recall Doctor Theopolis, the talking dinner plate from the old Buck Rogers TV show. Instead of a start button, there’s a toggle switch just below Dr. Theo that glows red when you push it.