We’ve owned many MINIs, too many MINIs, since our first in 2002. This time, however, we’re going to share our experiences of “real life” MINI ownership every 1,000 miles on MINI2.

On the 29th November 2006 I took our Son Alfie to Wollaston MINI in Northampton to collect our new MINI Cooper S. This is our fourth MINI Cooper S, and if all goes to plan (and we keep saying this), this one will be a long term MINI! Our last Cooper S, a 2006 model with no options other than a Limited Slip Differential and a storage pack, was probably the best Cooper S we’ve owned, and one of the best we’ve ever driven alongside a very bare spec John Cooper Works model and the MINI GP. Best in terms of grin factor, and that’s really what driving a MINI is all about to us, smiles per mile.

So, the last MINI we had was sparse in the extreme in terms of options and accessories, not so much this time around. We previously had a Cooper S with as many bells and whistles as we could afford, and between the comfort of that car, and the stripped out grin machine that was the red S, we made our choices a little better informed. Of course, this is our first, one of the first 2nd generation MINIs, so some things we ordered pretty much blind, despite my own test drive experiences. The main things we spent our hard earned pennies on were stereo upgrades (MINI Hi-Fi Speaker Upgrade and DAB Radio), but we also added “sensible” resale options such as the Chili Pack, which includes things such as 17″ wheels, half leather seats, Xenon Lights and Air Con. The colour we plumbed for was Laser Blue with White, and the interior trim in “Ray Carbon Black” (with very smart pin stripe seats) and brushed alloy dash option.

The service from Wollaston MINI in Northampton was excellent as usual, and collection was as painless as it should have been (apart from, of course, payment time). Being probably more familiar with the car than the sales team I had a very brief guided tour and, after a swap of car seats for my little passenger, we set back down the M1.

The difference between this car and the old that immediately grabbed me was the noise levels are so much better, I could have decent conversations (as decent as you can hold with a three year old anyway) even at higher motorway speeds, when I was straining to hear what Alfie was saying to me most of the way to the dealership. That said, there was a lot of noise from the rear of the car compared to the test cars I’d previously driven. Not a big deal, add it to the snag list.

The first days of ownership were not very eventful, mostly because I had a MINI Cooper S, and then a MINI Cooper from MINI UK to review for the website. The Cooper S had impressed a lot, apart from trim coming off on our regular country lane jaunts, and the Cooper was nice, but actually felt a bit of a low budget let down compared to the S we’d grown accustomed to. However, a couple of days had been enough for me to spot a few little niggles to add to our “snag list”. The car had been heavily delayed (allegedly) due to work being carried out at the plant to retrofit a steering lock system that wasn’t prone to break, but we noticed that turning the steering wheel gave a strange creaking noise, a bit like a coiled spring being wound/unwound. Also, more annoyingly, the not so cheap MINI Hi-Fi upgrade, while streets ahead of the pretty dismal “Radio Boost” system, was suffering from quite severe distortion from the front passenger side, most likely the tweeter in the additional a-pillar “pod”.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. In fact most of it’s positive. The changes made to the car inside have made it, overall, better to live with. Simple little things like the seat fold mechanism and the soft seat backs made for a much easier time when loading things like Christmas trees and three year old boys into the back of the car. The adjustable rake and reach on the steering column is still a luxury, as a MINI owner since 2002, I’m taking some time getting used to. I feel spoilt. The simple fact that I can sit in the passenger seat without smacking my head on the grab handle which now folds out of harms way is just wonderful. There are so many things about the new MINI that just make life in the new car better than life in the old car.

Little cosmetic modifications began almost right away, we ordered some SIlvatec clear indicator lenses from New MINI Stuff, and they made a heck of difference to the look of the car. At the same time I ordered some halogen sidelights from Mikey at New MINI Stuff, as I’ve had experience of these previously, and they’re brighter, and match better the illumination of the Xenon headlights than the standard sidelights fitted by MINI. While the opportunity presented itself I grabbed some quick side by side shots of our own Cooper S next to the Mellow Yellow test car, and also took a series of snaps next to a 2002 Electric Blue Cooper S for first and second generation comparison purposes.

While on the subject of lighting, being the deep dark winter months it’s been an ideal time to test the new bi-xenon headlight configuration of the new MINI, and I have to say it’s been excellent. The difference over the early MINI Xenon bulbs, and the later Halogen set up (the only direct comparisons we’ve been able to make) is obvious (he says, trying to avoid a “night and day cliche”). The light produced is crisp and clear, and full beam, where you’d expect to see the biggest difference, is excellent. Great for our daily trips deepest darkest Bedfordshire.

During our first 100 miles we also had the car treated with AGlaze surface sealant. This is usually arranged on collection, however we had ours applied after a few weeks (but very few miles) of ownership. The application took a few hours. The car, which had already been cleaned, was then washed panel by panel, then had AGlaze applied a couple of times all over the paintwork (and some of the plastic trim, on which it leaves no marks at all, unlike regular wax). The idea of AGlaze is that it seals the paintwork, like a very good waxing would do, but in a more sophisticated way. It’s maybe not ideal for someone who’s as particular about car washing as I can be, but we thought it would be very interesting to try out this product and report on it along with our 1000 mile updates about the car in general. I’ll be writing a full report on AGlaze so far in a separate article, but briefly I’ll say so far so good. No downsides, and it appears to “do exactly what it says in the marketing guff”. We’ve also had the white alloys treated with “Metalmate”, which is supposed to protect the wheels for up to six years and make them easier to clean.

During the build up to Christmas we drove the MINI more and more, despite the niggles overall we’ve been very happy indeed with the new car. Even though we’re still running in the car is very quick indeed, quicker than our previous very basic first generation S. I would have to say it doesn’t always feel as quick, there’s much less fuss, less noise, less excitement as the speed builds, but in like for like, same road, same conditions driving there’s no denying the new Cooper S can do it quicker and more confidently than the first generation could.

Living with the car has also enforced my view that the new heater and stereo controls are a step back from the previous car. They do look more modern, more “MINI”, but they’re just not user friendly. I have grown used to the stereo set up, and the DAB radio is worth it’s weight in gold (costs about the same too), and the Hi-Fi system, when working, is a great improvement over our old Boost CD systems. However the heater controls are a pain. I think the problem is that the only indicator of what temperature and speed you’re at is to look at the dial. With a traditional clockwise/counter clockwise dial you can feel you’re way around, but with a rolling wheel you really have to look to adjust it correctly. Definitely a weak point.

Our S is fitted with the now optional “Sport Suspension” and DSC, and these do make a difference with the handling of the car. The Cooper S we recently tested didn’t have Sports Suspension, and from our experience with that car I’d say that this firmer suspension upgrade isn’t NEEDED, but I would certainly say it’s a desirable upgrade. The way the new car handles the undulating lanes, the twists and turns is different to the outgoing model, but it’s very good, very grippy, and gives you plenty enough feedback through the steering wheel, despite the better dampened road noise and vibration. The traction control aspect of the DSC has also clearly been well fettled, like the system on our previous car with an LSD, and it’s far less meddlesome than the system on earlier MINIs. When driving on my own my first task was always to switch this off, now I don’t always bother. Now my first task is to switch the “Sport Button” on, as the improve steering and throttle response have made this part of my personal start up almost every time.

We managed to muster a few MINI owners together just before the Christmas break to go on a brief run around the Beds and Bucks countryside. This was great, not only to meet up with other MINI2ers, but to mix it up with old and new together. Despite what many see as the glaring differences between the generations, they all looked much of a muchness to the untrained eye, and leading in the new Cooper S I found it very easy to pull away from those behind, despite not having the full range available just yet due to the low mileage. The only unfortunate turn of events at the meeting was my snag list grew as we spotted bulging and badly fitted trim and badges in a couple of places.

This is where we take a little bit of a downturn in the tone of this article. During the same week we also first spotted what turned out to be a serious leak at the rear of the car. Water could literally pour in to the car, onto the parcel shelf and rear seat, between the roof and the tailgate. Also, during the regular commute to nursery school, the plastic trim on the wheel arch obviously got caught by the wheel and snapped off, exactly in the manner it did in our test Cooper S a few weeks earlier.

Anyway, the car was booked in to Wollaston, who after several false starts managed to resolve the gap at the back of the car that was leading to water leaking into the car, fixed the stereo, stuck on the rear MINI badge properly, and sorted a raised sill strip on the passenger side. Unfortunately the steering is still creaking so we’ll have to get it back in for that again. It’s a shame we’ve been without the car for almost two weeks due to these faults. Fixing the leak has also killed off the noise from the rear of the car, as we suspected it may.

Anyway, despite the teething troubles (the trim coming off again is a big concern), we’re overall so far delighted with the new car. Fuel economy is much improved over the previous S, the engine is punchy, powerful, and very usable (even if it does sound diesel like at times), and the interior is a pleasure to live with. To finish with a little “two fingers” to those lazy motoring writers who insist that the MINI boot is only good for a couple of shopping bags, here’s a picture of ours with a horse in it, and yes it closed, parcel shelf in situ.

Total Mileage: 1041 miles
Average MPG (trip computer): 30.5 mpg
Average Speed (trip computer): 30.1 mph
Full gallery of large images from first 100 miles