Cars.com's Bill Jackson takes a look at the 2010 Mini Cooper Mayfair Edition. It competes with the Nissan Cube and Scion xB.
Transcript
(upbeat instrumental music) <v Narrator>Cars.com Auto Reviews. (upbeat instrumental music) Hi. I'm Bill Jackson. With Cars.com And we're here with the 2010 Mini Cooper.
Now this is a Mayfair Edition, and it's something that Mini has done pretty much since they introduced the Cooper. Come out with special option packages of special colors to keep the lineup fresh. I think that's a good idea, but I think sometimes you can get so lost in those extra features that you can miss, that it's really just a fun car. Now as part of the Mayfair package, you get some exterior badges, and some finishes to the mirrors, but most of the changes happen on the inside. Now with the Mayfair package, like I said, you get a few more interior bits. One of the things is this finished here is the same as on the outside of the mirror, you also get this toffee colored leather, that's carried on through here. Sports seats and a Chrome line trim. I go into everything in the long form review, but this sort of gives you an idea of what the Mayfair package is. Now the option packages are nice, but for me, that's not what the mini's all about. And that is that it's basically a very fun car to drive. The steering is very direct and responsive. Just like you wanted if you're gonna drive fast. Also our test car came with a manual transmission, so you get immediate response from the engine. It just really goes when you want it to go. Also, the handling is good, and it really inspires confidence. Whether you're driving around in the city, or if you've been lucky enough to take it out on a race track, you just feel very secure, and very comfortable going fast. And that's a very good thing. Now there's a downside to all that responsive handling, and that is on long highway drives, the Minis ride isn't the best. It doesn't help that our Mayfair Edition has 17-inch wheels. Those are optional, but it's one of those things you're gonna want to check out when you test drive, make sure to have the wheels that you think you're gonna buy on the car, because the ride might be too rough for you, might turn you off on the whole car. Also, the Cooper's a hatchback, and the room's not so great, but again, it's a small car. You should expect that, and you can fold the seats over to get a little more room, but it's something you're also gonna want to check out if you're considering buying the Cooper. And so that's the thing about the Mini. There are trade-offs. I mean, it is a very fun car to drive. I can't overstate that, but the ride is rough, and you're gonna have to check that out, and make sure it's not too rough for you. Same way with the Mayfair package, it costs extra money. And you're gonna have to figure out whether it's worth the extra money. Especially since it gives you the 17-inch wheels, which don't really help the ride. Overall though, if fun is your criteria, and I think this is one you should at least test drive. And of course, for more information about the car as a whole, make sure to check out my full review at Cars.com (car revving) (upbeat instrumental music) <v Narrator>For more car related news, go to Cars.com or our blog, KickingTires.net
