When I drove the Cooper in Barcelona it was a more high spec model, this Cooper I had for the week was more basic, and it really, really felt that way.
Also, it's very different blasting around a carefully chosen test route in dramatic countryside, than it is living with a car, which is why I always like to do at least two reviews, from the launches, and from day to day driving of the car.
I still think the car is very good, and it does offer a more refined, and more powerful drive than the old Cooper. However between the old Cooper and the old S they both to me felt very different, the Cooper had to be driven a certain way to get the best out of and was very rewarding indeed. With the new generation, the Cooper felt more like a slow Cooper S, rather than having more of it's own unique character traits.
That's how it left me feeling anyway. |