Breathe deep: this open-top popper is perfect for city cruising
Elliot Alder
2022 Mini John Cooper Works ConvertiblePhoto by Elliot Alder
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I love driving Minis. Flawed as they may be, the Cooper models stand apart as some of the most vibrant and enjoyable runabouts on the market today. Wheeling about with charming styling, solid interiors, and tight-wheelbase cornering thrills, the Coopers bring smiles even to folks who dont care about cars. And after a lot of time spent in big trucks lately, it felt good to loosen up with this little popper.
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BMW markets the Mini as a premium urban compact, placing fun front-and-centre. Idealized form and function necessitate their share of compromises, but the finished product is something that makes darting around urban centres enjoyable in ways that no mass-market runabout can touch.
The Cooper is comfortable (up front, that is), zippy, and characterful. It borders on kitschy, but the Minis sundry gimmicks are so well-executed that only a determined cynic could take serious issue.
Bring all of this together, and it becomes pretty obvious why Mini has such a devout and vocal cult following. BMW was unable to share market research data, but experience points to distinct brand loyalty and relatively low interest in cross-shopping among buyers a following perhaps matched only by the Jeep Wrangler. On the new market, Mini people seem to want a Mini, full-stop; from there, its just a matter of flavour.
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When it comes to flavours, its hard not to salivate over this 2022 John Cooper Works Convertible. The JCW package is Minis high-end enthusiast spec, bested only by the hardcore GP. Named for the race-car builder who developed the original performance-oriented Austin Mini Cooper, the John Cooper Works applies racy cosmetic enhancements and gets a bigger four-cylinder turbocharged 2.0-litre engine. This is routed through the 8-speed ZF transmission common to the rest of the BMW lineup, and everything is balanced on an adaptive chassis with active damping.
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My tester arrived with the $7,300 Premier+ package, along with Dynamic Damper Control ($500, stiffens suspension in sport mode); Driver Assistance ($2,250, parking sensors and adaptive cruise control); and a handful of standalone cosmetic options, totalling $1,140 ($350 for black badging!). All-in, options lift this Mini JCWs $43,640 base price up to a startling $56,530 before freight and fees.
Theres a lot that all of this adds to the experience, but the highlight is the JCWs exhaust, which pops and thrrrrps around with glee. Its a delightfully addictive crowd-pleaser of a sound, though probably best reined in with Green mode at night.
LED headlamps and Union Jack taillamps are now standard across the range, with the option to upgrade to adaptive high beams which automatically dim in zones where other drivers are detected and can illuminate the direction of steering. Further safety standards include front seat-side and knee-protection airbags, along with seatbelt pre-tensioners.
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- Car Review: 2022 Mini Cooper S
- SUV Review: 2021 Mini Cooper S Countryman
The Mini isnt a car built for the straights, but rather for weaving through as many kinks as a driver can find. It isnt fast like modern sports cars, but the way a driver experiences the on-paper numbers is so effectively amplified by the chassis handling characteristics that you wont notice unless you break out a stopwatch. With horsepower and torque figures both around the 230 mark, the JCW exits corners enjoyably and nails the usability-thrill balance.
Inside, the Cooper is a nicer place to be than most market offerings. Mini has one of the slickest instrument cluster designs in the game, along with an optional low-key, folding head-up display. Digital and dial readouts are integrated seamlessly within a small, matte-faced pod mounted atop the steering column. Its a clean, simple, and striking unit thats a pleasure to read from.
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Reaching around, switches have a nice dampened feel, and cabin materials are pleasant to the touch. The JCWs badging is somewhat excessive, but the suede-inlaid sport seats are a worthwhile tradeoff. Mini offers a variety of decorative dash trim panels, and the etched aluminum in this car contrasts well.
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Front passenger space feels larger than it looks from outside, but latched compartment space is limited to a small glovebox and an armrest with room for one phone. Rear legroom is tight but adult-usable in a pinch, and the buckets themselves remain pleasant to sink into. Front seats may need to slide uncomfortably forward to accommodate, however.
The convertible trim was an exciting bonus, and despite the weeks wet forecast, I was committed to as much topless time as I could possibly manage. If you see rain on the horizon and reach for the roof button, youd be forgiven for looking back to see whether it was working. Operable in traffic at speeds of up to 30 km/h, the Mini Convertibles top opens and closes almost silently. It brings itself up and forward, latching to the tops of the A-pillars while retaining a partially-open sunroof functionality until the button is pressed once more.
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Still, convertibles come with their share of compromises most glaringly, in the boot. When retracted, that roof crowds into the cars trunk, reducing already-limited cargo space. The absence of a full-height hatch also limits vertical space for cargo loading. The Cooper Convertibles answer to this is a pair of Easy Load levers that allow drivers to unlatch and fold the bottom of the roof forward slightly, though the levers length and swing radius can prevent their return and closure once the boot is loaded.
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Drivers will also experience significantly more wind and road noise, along with the anxiety that goes with parking anywhere that someone might poke a knife through the roof fabric. On the other hand, BMW-Mini has done a great job with cabin acoustics. I hadnt pegged this as an especially professional-friendly car, but the speakerphone isolates wind noise so well that people were amazed to learn that I was calling from a convertible, let alone at highway speeds with the roof and windows down. This JCWs upgraded Harman Kardon audio (a $750 option) impressed too, providing fantastic open-air sound quality at speed. It all works so well that it really does beg the question: who even needs a top?
On the road, the Cooper JCW presents an effectively split personality that can be harnessed at will. The wheelbase is long enough and the car heavy enough to feel planted at highway speeds, yet its sub-four-metre length and wheel placement at its extreme corners affords excellent urban manoeuvrability and parking ease. Green, Mid, and Sport driving modes adjust throttle sensitivity, soften and stiffen the chassis, and temper the exhaust note depending on a drivers whim, and the effects are noticeable.
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Selectable modes aside, there are two ways to drive this car: with the gentle foot of an eco-conscious compact buyer; or like a child. I split my time between the two, making my way down to an astonishing 6.0 L/100 km with a ginger foot in Green mode, and burning up to (and sometimes over) 10.6 when zooming about. It does the economical city stuff well, though even 6.0 L/100 km gets pricey in a car that demands 91-octane fuel. Put it in Sport mode, and those 40 litres of premium will disappear in a hurry I got as high as 13.6.
If youre game for such ruinous thirst, this accessible performer comes ready to run raw without prep. The narrow 205-section run-flat tires are adequately grippy, but require you to gradually feel out their limits. Minis are front-wheel-drive and have an unsurprising tendency to understeer, but switch the traction control all the way off and the tail can actually pop out. Get too rough and itll squeal, but handled correctly a JCW will impress on an autocross course even without a top. I recently had it on such a course, and though I didnt come close to harnessing its full ability, it stood out against the longer, rear-drive M440i that BMW had for comparison.
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This all sounds fabulous, but there are three main drawbacks: infotainment, ride, and cost of ownership.
Minis infotainment system looks smooth and pretty, but it stands out as one of the most frustrating Ive encountered. Menus and option panes are only half-intuitive, and finding what you need takes attentive searching where other systems make things quick and obvious. In a similar vein, skipping songs with the steering wheel is so cumbersome as to be pointless, requiring two buttons and a look down at the HUD to confirm.
Available wireless Apple CarPlay is nice, but I suffered frequent disconnection issues and had trouble reconnecting. Worse yet, BMW has somehow seen fit to omit Android Auto integration altogether.
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On rough roads, drivers may be surprised by the harshness and clatter of these soft-looking cars rides. In short, larger wheels on the Cooper S and JCW models mean less tire sidewall to absorb bumps. Couple this with a lowered ride height and the suspension stiffness of the ever-tempting Sport mode, and you may find yourself with clenched teeth and a shirt covered in coffee. Its still an excellent urban runabout, but expect to apply that nimble handling to some serious pothole dodging.
2022 Mini John Cooper Works ConvertiblePhoto by Elliot Alder
More importantly, shoppers should have a comfortable budget before diving into the Mini brand for the long haul.
The Mini seems a great, unassuming vehicle for a successful young professional. Unfortunately, small size doesnt mean small costs. As evidenced by this $56k tester (which more than doubles the base coupes $23,490 sticker), the enthusiast Minis are premium cars in proletarian clothing.
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Mini is a BMW brand, relying on many of the same parts and design principles as its German siblings. This can be a strength out of the gate, as buyers get a strong product packed with solid technologies. On the flip side, shoppers shouldnt be surprised by the BMW price tags on purchase, parts, service, and even lifestyle accessories.
More than this, those considering an outright purchase should be mindful of the brands reputation for quaky reliability and costly repairs that have doomed aging but otherwise-solid vehicles. Timing and valvetrain issues have proven to be common (and costly) themes over the years, and enthusiast forums emphasize the importance of regular check-ups. Short-term assessments suggest that the current F-generation cars are on a steadier path, but owners should be attentive to preventative maintenance to ensure their smiles and exhaust pops endurance.
Having said all this, I have thoroughly enjoyed every moment behind the wheel of every BMW Mini Ive driven over the years. The departure of the Fiat 500 Abarth leaves this something of a market outlier, but it handles the responsibility with competence. So grab some friends and get motoring, because a shopper who keeps mindful of this Minis peculiarities will be in for a proper treat.
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