2004 BMW Mini Cooper S review from North America

Auto-up feature on driver's window not working.

Various creaks from instrument panel.

This car is a great deal of fun. The handling is brilliant. Steering is very quick and perfectly weighted.

The performance is good. Acceleration is lively and pick up at highway speeds impressive, even in 6th gear. I find there is plenty of torque, even below 4000rpm. The engine is smooth and very refined. The supercharger whine is audible, but not intrusive, it adds great character.

The ride is too harsh with the standard 16" run flat tires. Road ridges and rail crossings transmit serious jolts to the passenger cabin resulting in creaks and some rattles. I am surprised that the ride is harder than my previous BMW Z3.

I personally find there is too much lumbar support in the standard sport front seats. This feature should be adjustable or otherwise made less extreme. The rear seats are comfortable, but leg room is minimal.

The details in this car are superb. The fit and finish is great, initial quality impressions are good. Paintwork is faultless. The black plastic cladding attracts dust due to static though.

The operation of the tailgate lock/latch is irritating. There is no audible unlock sound leading to uncertainty that the tailgate is indeed unlocked. The outside latch "button" requires too much effort and needs accurate placement of the the finger operating it to actuate.

Night time illumination of the instrument panel is impressive as is the power of the Xenon headlamps.

The "base" audio system is adequate. Power is acceptable, but the clarity of sound is just average. Base response is good though with no vibration of trim panels surrounding the speakers.

In summary a really fun car offering great handling and detail design, but with room for improvement.