Home » Car Reviews » Mini Cooper » MINI COOPER » 2005 Mini Cooper and Cooper S Compact Convertible
2005 Mini Cooper and Cooper S Compact Convertible
…Continued
Performance
Minis are a ton of fun to drive because they have great engines, are very light weight, and their suspensions are awesome. A wise person once said, "it is more fun to drive a slow car, fast than a fast car, slow." Minis are not big horsepower cars, but they are fast through turns, and that is what makes driving fun.
There are two engine options for the 2005 Mini Cooper convertible. The standard model comes with a 1.6-liter, inline, four-cylinder engine that generates 115 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 111 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,500 rpm. The Cooper S is supercharged and comes with an engine that generates 168-horsepower at 6,000 rpm, and 162 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,000 rpm.
"You can never have too much horsepower, or to much brakes," we always say. So, we recommend that everyone buy the Cooper S. This version provides power for fun, and for getting away from trouble if something happens on the road. And the Cooper S has the performance to make you feel like you are out to win the Monte Carlo Rally.
Power is sent to the front wheels through one of three transmission options. Standard on the 2005 Mini Cooper Convertible is a 5-speed manual. Mini's Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) replaces the conventional automatic transmission. It is an option. The 2005 Mini Cooper S convertible is available only with 6-speed, manual gear-box.
The manual transmission shifts smoothly and precisely. It is one of the best available on any car. The CVT delivers the optimum power no matter what speed the engine is operating at. The only thing that could make the S better, would be if it were available with the Sequential Manual Gearbox(SMG) offered in BMW's M3.
Ride and Handling
Few cars are as thrilling to drive as the Mini, unless they cost tens of thousands of dollars more. With a convertible top, the Mini is even more fun to own and drive.
The tires on the Mini Cooper convertible are pushed to the very outer corners of the chassis. The car also has a very low center of gravity, making it a very stable platform. The electro-hydraulic, power-assisted steering is quick and precise. The Mini goes exactly where you aim it. Instead of being driven by a belt on the engine, Mini's steering system is operated by a small electric motor. The system produces power-assist only when the steering wheel is turned. This increases performance, while at the same time reducing fuel consumption. The car goes around corners like it is painted to the road.
Run-flat tires are optional on the 2005 Mini Cooper convertible, and standard on the S version. Run-flat tires provide a sense of security for the driver. With them, the car can be driven for up to 50 miles, at speeds nearing 90 mph. But because the tires' side walls are thicker than a normal tire (and a lot thicker than radials) to support the car's weight when a tire deflates, the ride of a car with run-flat tires is rougher. For some drivers run-flat tires provide too harsh a ride for daily use. In that case, opt for the regular tires, which have thinner sidewalls that act like springs allowing the car to float on a softer cushion.
Safety
Despite it's compact size, the Mini convertible is probably the safest car in the compact class. Mini draws on the expertise of it parent company, BMW. And BMW makes some of the safest cars on the road.
The Mini Cooper convertible's ultra-stiff chassis contributes to the car's great handling. It also helps the car take a hit in the event of a collision. The floor and side sills are reinforced. The doors have high-strength beams inside them. The B pillar has been lowered to further protect the occupants in the event of a collision. And there are chrome-finished roll-over bars behind the rear passengers.
Mini Cooper convertibles come standard with two front, and two side impact airbags protecting the driver and front passenger. An anti-lock braking system is standard as are brake force distribution, and cornering brake control. Dynamic Stability Control is optional.
A tire pressure monitoring system is standard on the 2005 Mini Cooper convertible.
In Conclusion
What a great car. The 2005 Mini Cooper convertible is great looking, great driving, and just great fun. Mini is more than just a car. It is truly a lifestyle -- something Mini obviously takes seriously, or they wouldn't put new owners under contract to leave their tops down.
Acceleration is excellent, and few cars take corners as well as a Mini. And, the car is lean on gasoline use.
Mini seems to be unduly worried about the gender split between female, and male, Mini owners. Mini claims that its U.S. owner base is 62 percent male, and 38 percent female. They anticipate roughly the same division for sales for the convertible. But that doesn't make sense as women are consistently the largest purchasers of convertble. It is likely that the Mini will be no different. And according to Art Spinella, Vice President of CNW Marketig, men represent just 51 percent of primary drivers of Mini cars in the United States.” He adds,” Many men buy Minis for their wives or daughters."
Many automakers and automotive industry pundits, not just Mini, maintain the unsubstantiated belief that men won't buy cars that they think gals are interested in. According to Todd Turner, president of Car Concepts, a consulting firm in Thousand Oaks, California, "If men see a lot of women driving a sports car, then it can't be a sports car, and they abandon it... It's Sexism 101. Men are particularly afraid to be associated with a chick car."
