Five-Point Inspection: 2013 MINI Roadster Cooper S
Definitively unique, and plenty of fun to drive, is the MINI Roadster too quirky for its own good, or for that matter, too sporty? Starting at $29,250, is the MINI Roadster worth it?
Equipped with the turbocharged 1.6-liter 4-cylinder, our Cooper S tester makes an impressive 181 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque, enabling a 0-60 time of 6.7 seconds.
But the MINI’s engine is less about speed and more about fun. Low in the gears and high in the revs and it’ll spin the tires with ease. But even at a relaxing pace, just let your foot turn to lead. You’ll feel the boost build, the car pick up speed and just before it’s about to catapult you forward, let off to hear the exhaust popping away behind you.
Do it with little guilt too, as the manual transmission Cooper S gets a 27 mpg city and 35 mpg highway rating.
It may be as much a part of the MINI brand as retro looks and go-kart handling, but that doesn’t mean the interior ergonomics of each and every MINI aren’t loathsome at best, and enraging at worst.
Not one to stand out, the new Roadster is another example of how the interior designers at MINI have the folks over in ergonomics in a chokehold.
Apart from the usually terrible toggle switches and the window controls being on the center console instead of on the doors, the audio system controls are equally as backwards. The buttons are miniscule, the knob is tiny and despite the fact that MINI designed its infotainment system to work exclusively with iPhones, it could never establish a Bluetooth connection with mine.
Add to that a too-large shift knob attached to a too-long stick, plus the fact that the seatback adjuster is on the right side (in an unreachable location under the arm rest), and the Roadster, like every other MINI, will have you craving the ultra-dull, yet entirely functional cabin of a Corolla.
While most drop-tops lack chassis rigidity and you can feel the body flex and sway like a poorly constructed bridge in a hurricane, the MINI has the opposite problem.
It’s underpinnings are a rigid as they come. Sure that helps deliver much of the brand’s trademark go-kart handling, but it also means the ride quality feels like there’s no rubber on the rims at all.
Perhaps there is such a thing as feeling “too connected” to the road.
MINI markets itself as a premium brand, and they price their cars to match. Even a basic Cooper model with just 122 hp retails for $25,550, almost $2,000 than the more potent Miata. The MINI you want, with the fun engine, starts at $28,550 and comes equipped as you’d like for closer to $33k. While you can’t get any other European convertible for anywhere near that price, there certainly are a lot of drop-tops from elsewhere in the world for less.
Oh wait, there is another drop-top European sporty car. In fact, it’s also a MINI. And the MINI Convertible is a couple hundred dollars less.
To some it says urban cool. To others it says cute. And to others it says, please, stop trying so hard (see above).
All the previous points are moot depending on what side of the fence your aesthetic preferences land. And really, aside from the high price, stiff drive and those toggle switches that make you want to hit the dash with a sledgehammer, it’s the MINIs style that for most folks will keep you away, or have you rushing to your nearest dealership.
Still want to know more about the 2013 MINI Roadster? Visit the AutoGuide new car shopping section here to get full details and specs, plus you can even compare the Roadster against other models and build your own.
Shop for your MINI Roadster here.
Plus, be sure to read our MINI Roadster and the Mazda MX-5 Miata shootout here.
With AutoGuide from its launch, Colum previously acted as Editor-in-Chief of Modified Luxury & Exotics magazine where he became a certifiable car snob driving supercars like the Koenigsegg CCX and racing down the autobahn in anything over 500 hp. He has won numerous automotive journalism awards including the Best Video Journalism Award in 2014 and 2015 from the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Colum founded Geared Content Studios, VerticalScope's in-house branded content division and works to find ways to integrate brands organically into content.
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