 2005 Mini Cooper; photo by Russell Purcell. Click image to enlarge |
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By Chris Chase
The return of the Mini brand in 2002 was part of a larger trend toward retro-mobiles that included the Volkswagen New Beetle, Chrysler PT Cruiser and later, Ford’s vaunted Mustang. But while the new Mini kept the same name as its British-born forebear, it had a German automaker, BMW, to thank for its existence.
Other things the new car had in common with the original were its small size (though the new one was significantly larger than the original) and its amazing handling and road-holding attributes.
The new Mini came in two flavours: the base Cooper and up-level Cooper S. Both used a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine, naturally aspirated in the Cooper making 115 horsepower, and supercharged in the Cooper S producing 163 horsepower (168 horses in 2005 and 2006 cars). The more basic Cooper got a five-speed manual transmission, while the Cooper S used a six-speed stick.
 2005 Mini Cooper; photo by Russell Purcell. Click image to enlarge |
In earlier cars, if you wanted an automatic, your only option was a continuously variable transmission, and that was only offered in the non-supercharged Cooper. In 2006, a six-speed automatic became available for the supercharged cars. In 2004, a de-contented (and less-expensive) Cooper Classic model was added, and a convertible joined the line-up in 2005.
As one would expect of a small car, fuel consumption is fairly low, regardless of which engine is under the hood. The most economical set-up, according to Natural Resources Canada, is the Mini Cooper with a five-speed manual transmission, whose consumption works out to about 8.5 L/100 km (city) and 6 L/100 km (highway).
You’ll use a little more gas in the Cooper S – its ratings are 9.5 L/100 km (city) and 6.5 L/100 km (highway) – which, in the real world, probably has as much to do with its increased power output as how that extra punch affects your right foot. Either engine is less efficient with an automatic transmission, but the difference in NRCan numbers is more apparent in city driving. Keep in mind that while the Mini has a 50-litre fuel tank, premium fuel is required regardless of engine choice.
 2005 Mini Cooper convertible; photo by Michael LaFave. Click image to enlarge |
A 2004 Mini Cooper S tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) earned four stars apiece for driver and front passenger protection in frontal impacts, and four stars for front-seat occupant protection in side impacts. Rear-seat side impact protection wasn’t tested, as the rear seat was deemed too small.
In Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) testing, the Mini Cooper got a “good” rating in the organization’s frontal offset crash test, and an “average” rating in its side impact test. That result, as well as the NHTSA’s side impact test result, was achieved by a car with front seat-mounted side airbags, which were optional in Canadian Minis up to 2004; they became standard across the line in 2005. Also, the IIHS notes that 2006 models built after December 2005 got revised door hinges and more padding in the body designed to better protect rear-seat occupants in side impacts. The car the IIHS tested was one of these revised models.
 2005 Mini Cooper convertible; photo by Michael LaFave. Click image to enlarge |
Sadly, it appears these early new Minis have not enjoyed a strong reliability record, with many trouble spots having been noted on NorthAmericanMotoring.com, a Mini-related Internet forum.
The five-speed manual transmission used in the base Cooper up to the 2004 model year is basically garbage. It’s the source of many, many complaints regarding the bearings on the gearbox’s input/output shafts, which essentially shred and shed metal into the gears themselves, causing them to break. This is more of a problem if the car has been driven hard and/or in a competition environment (autocross or track day events, for example), but the consensus in Mini forums is that even more gently-driven cars are prone to transmission trouble.
Note that this only affects the non-supercharged model, as the Cooper S always used a six-speed Getrag transmission; Mini specified 2005 and 2006 base Coopers with a more robust five-speed Getrag gearbox.
