Ride and Handling
Okay, I’ll go against every instinct I have and throw suspense out the window and tell you right off that the Mini is the clear-cut choice in the ride and handling department.
  2014 Mini Cooper S vs 2014 Ford Fiesta ST. Click image to enlarge |
First, however, we should note that the Fiesta ST is great in its own right. Driving it for a couple of days before getting into the Mini, I was perfectly happy. It is firm and solid, definitely bouncy over rough roads as any small car would be and also occasionally jarring. Whatever, that rough ride means excellent cornering characteristics and is fully worth it.
But the longer you drive it, and the more we drove the Mini, the more we noted the downside of its stiff suspension. Jacob had this to offer: “The suspension feels more crash, the bump stops are right there and make a horrible sound over potholes. Even small ones. The ultra-low profile of the tires doesn’t help.”
The steering in the ST is both brilliant and a touch nerve-wracking. It is so quick it can be unsettling if you start to drift off in a commuter daze, and a small tug at the wheel will return a very anxious response, enough to be called twitchy. It’s not necessarily a relaxing highway cruiser.
That’s just fine with us. Find a corner or a turn and the ST darts into it. Play it right, lift the throttle a touch and the tail wiggles out, but the steering is alive and throttle response immediate enough that it never feels dangerous or out of control, just playful. Jacob seemed conflicted about its perkiness in corners: “The ST is sketchy on turn-in – more fun, because it’s looser, but sketchier, so more fun.”
  2014 Ford Fiesta ST. Click image to enlarge |
But let’s get back to the Mini. It turns in just as quickly (if not quicker), and while it also shares a bit of dartiness with the ST, the more refined engine is quieter and smoother, as is the cabin for an overall more relaxing highway experience. However, the electric steering also has a lot of the noise dialed out, so it’s a more even and neutral feel, but less lively; Jeff, too, found the ST “more raw” than the Cooper. Some might like the old-fashioned squirminess of the Fiesta, but we’d wager that enthusiasts would be plenty happy with the Mini’s responsiveness and laser-sharp accuracy and quickly forget the rest.
And the Cooper’s ride is a revelation. Yes, it will also get tossed over rough patches and is a busy ride over imperfect pavement, but it absorbs bumps with a muted, composed whump – none of the crashiness of the Fiesta that makes it feel cheap. Just as the doors close with a reassuring thunk, the entire car exudes composure and confidence.
Jeff Wilson was impressed. “The Mini has grown up – not so much in its physical size – but its maturity. The ride is vastly better than it was on the last Cooper S I drove and overall, there’s just such an air of refinement to it. Incredibly Mini has lowered the price, yet made it a much more expensive-feeling car.”
