Section: Awards
Dec 24th, 2008
BusinessWeek seems to think so, via Yahoo! Finance.
But there are some good deals out there in this recession; cars that are worth the price and will hold their value. And in spite of our exasperation, we don’t advise buyers to to ignore the American brands. Our outlook is more nuanced than that, although unfortunately for the Wee Three’s sake, it’s still not the story they want to read. Here’s the breakdown, and the logic behind it.
There are a few cars that actually made the list like the Honda CR-V and BMW 328i. Oh yea, and the MINI.
The Mini makes this list because it gets very good fuel economy (28/37), has a huge following (Mini dealers have pretty much failed to create a sustainable certified-used program because Mini owners are so reluctant to sell their cars), and Kelley Blue Book rates the residual value of the Mini the highest on its list for the past five years.
[ Recession Proof Cars ] finance.yahoo.com
Nov 27th, 2008
Dan Neil, staff writer for the LA Times, has come up with a list of cars from this years LA Auto Show that he thinks are turkeys. I would have to agree with him on some of them like the Honda FC Sport Concept and the Toyota Venza. He also Included the Ferrari California which is ok because it looks odd.
It would appear that the MINI E wasn’t a favorite either.
This is like digging into a luscious Thanksgiving bird to discover it’s stuffed with floor sweepings and sawdust. The electric Mini is, in fact, a crude and rude retrofit of the existing British bumblebee, with a 28-kWh battery lump stuffed into the space where the back seat used to be.
Have a great Thanksgiving everyone! And thanks to all of you that sent this one in.
[ MINI E Concept ] LAtimes.com
Advertisement
Nov 19th, 2008
MINI Release: The MINI Cooper family of products has been awarded top honors in the compact car category of the 2009 Best Resale Value Awards presented by Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com, a leading provider of new- and used-vehicle information. Additionally, the MINI Cooper has been named to the Top 10 models list, which recognizes best resale values across all vehicle segments.
These latest honors from Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com mark the sixth year in a row that the MINI Cooper has won in either the compact car, hatchback or convertible categories, and also the sixth time it has earned a spot in the overall list of Top 10 models. continued →
Oct 29th, 2008
More from the Dept. of Obviousness. As we already know, the MINI gets great gas mileage. Confirmed yet again by the EPA here in the US, which has ranked the MINI Cooper as the highest mileage car in the minicompact category.
Not only is it the highest in it’s own category, the MINI also fairs well with the rest of the list, boasting the 2nd highest highway mileage of any gasoline powered car right behind the Smart, 3rd highest in the city. Of course, at the top of the list are the Toyota Prius Hybrid, Honda Civic Hybrid and the Volkswagon Diesel powered Jettas.
Have some fun with the bottom of that list too. Instead of being full of SUVs like it has been in the past, it’s full of Lambos, Bentleys, Aston Martins and Ferraris. Really, if you can afford any of those, do you care that you are only pulling down 8/13 MPG?
Should be interesting to see how a diesel-powered MINI does against the rest of the high-mileage cars. But we’ll have to wait for R60 -D to see that.
Advertisement
Oct 29th, 2008
So it was in the UK using the Imperial Gallon, but still an impressive feat AutoExpress was able to pull off.
That’s not the only trick up the John Cooper Works MINI’s sleeve, though. Despite packing enough punch to cover 0-60mph in only 6.5 seconds, the supermini can now add wallet-friendly 50mpg-plus fuel economy to its impressive list of credentials. That’s 25 per cent more than the maker’s claimed 40.9mpg combined figure. But only if you know how to handle this hot hatch…
Sure the price of gasoline in the US is dropping, but I know there have to be a few of you out there that don’t have your foot in it all the time. What kind of MPG are you getting from your JCW or GP?
[ 50MPG in fastest ever MINI ] Autoexpress.co.uk
Oct 24th, 2008
Auto Express has assembled a list of what they think the top-20 performance cars of 2008 are. And there, right between the Porsche Cayman S and the BMW M3 Coupe is the JCW MINI Cooper S in third place.
In the end, the MINI’s feisty character is all part of its appeal – it’s a car you grab by the scruff of the neck, hold on and enjoy! And it’s even more fun on the public road. When you’re not pushing so hard, the front wheels scrabble for grip less often and the car’s agility really comes into its own. Only the sheer brilliance of the top two models prevents the JCW from taking the crown.
They even have video and it starts when you open the page. Consider yourself warned.
[ Performance Car of the Year - JCW MINI ] Autoexpress.co.uk
Advertisement
Oct 21st, 2008
In a recent issue of Motor Trend they have a great comparison/competition trying to find the best handling car in the US. They are using sensors, gauges and computers with a few different drivers on Laguna Seca to get the results. Follow the links at the bottom for all of the geekery, including video.
Mixed in with the Audi R8, Dodge Viper, Nissan GT-R and BMW M3 (among others) was a 2008 MINI Cooper S. And, considering the crowd it was running it, it did pretty well, scoring 8th overall.
In the Mini Cooper S (8th place), again we see an adeptly tuned, midpriced front-driver. Though slowest in lane-change responsiveness and step-steer reaction time, the Mini produced a tightly grouped figure-eight tracing and finished midpack in ride quality. Pobst loved its handling balance, noting that the tail will wag helpfully but controllably in turns. “Confidence-inspiring,” was Pobst’s summation.
continued →
Aug 22nd, 2008
The Truth About Cars has compiled a list of what they think are the 10 best cars of 2008. Among the Nissans, Mazdas and the Audi R8 is, of course, the MINI.
If cars were ice cream, the MINI Cooper S would be fat-free Häagen-Dazs: all the deliciousness you want with none of the guilt. The MINI manages to pack performance, handling and style into a pint-sized container for just a bit more than plain vanilla costs.
High praise for the Mazada MX-5 as well, but not quite as high as the MINI.
Advertisement
Aug 18th, 2008
The UK Press Associate has named the main car chase in the original Italian Job as the best ever.
In a survey of more than 3,000 people at cinema website www.pearlanddean.com, The Italian Job was named as having the best car chase of all time with a massive 25% of the vote. continued →
Jun 20th, 2008
MINI UK Press Release: MINI has won the City Car/Supermini category of this year’s highly influential British Insurance Car Security Awards – yet another accolade for MINI’s trophy cabinet.
Awarded on the basis of its New Vehicle Security Ratings (a scoring system measuring ‘theft of’ and ‘theft from’), MINI beat its rivals to secure first place in the award that has become a leading indicator of all that is best in vehicle security. continued →
May 23rd, 2008
2 different lists hit our radar this week. First was the ‘07 list from Kelly Blue Book, who choose the R56 MINI Cooper.
Even though the redesigned 2007 MINI Cooper is both larger and more powerful than its predecessor, highway fuel economy has actually increased from 35 to 40 mpg. Combined with a newly improved highway ride, the latest MINI Cooper makes a pleasant companion on straight stretches, in twisty canyons and at thieving gas pumps.
Over at CNN Money, they revised the list for ‘08 and choose the MINI Cooper Clubman.
The standard-length Mini Cooper made Kelley Blue Book’s list last year. But while the Mini has always been fun to drive, and it’s easy on gas, it lacked a place to put more than a night’s worth of luggage.
The Clubman answers that need with about 8 inches of extra storage space behind the back seats, accessed through a barn-door style tailgate.
I can tell you that a MINI Cooper (R50) is a great road trip car. I can only imagine the Clubman being equally good, if not slightly better.
Thanks everyone for sending this in!
[ Best Road Trip Cars - 2007 ] Kbb.com
[ 10 top road-trip cars - 2008 ] CNNMoney.com
May 22nd, 2008
CNNMoney.com has put together an interesting list of cars they think would be good replacement for the gas-guzzling SUV found in many driveways across the country. As expected, the Ford Escape Hybrid, Saturn Vue Green Line and Mazada 5 are on the list.
So is the MINI Cooper Clubman.
Meanwhile, the Clubman offers a handy extension on the regular Mini Cooper. It’s about 10 inches longer than the regular Mini, and most of that goes into usable storage space behind the back seats. It also gets an additional door that opens backward on the passenger side.
It’s still a Mini - and the barn-door-style tailgate can be an annoying hassle to use - but it makes the fun-to-drive Clubman a viable utility player.
Thanks Frank for sending this in!
[ 8 fuel-sipping SUV alternatives - MINI Cooper Clubman ] CNNMoney.com
May 9th, 2008
Official BMW Press Release: Munich / Stuttgart. With six awards for five engines gained at this year’s “International Engine of the Year Awards”, BMW has successfully defended its position as the world’s leading manufacturer of efficient high-performance power units. For the second time in succession, the 3-litre straight six engine with Twin Turbo and High Precision Injection has won the overall ranking in this most significant international engine competition. The 225 kW/306 bhp engine employed in the BMW 3 Series, the BMW 1 Series Coupe and Convertible, as well as in the new BMW X6, also has repeated last year’s victory in the 2.5 to 3-litre engine category. continued →
Apr 22nd, 2008
CNNMoney and Intellichoice have put together a list of Top 5 Cars that will get you the most bang for the buck. Of course, the MINI Made the list.
It boasts cool design, easy handling, the ability to park in even the tiniest spaces and the lowest maintenance cost in its class (maintenance is covered for three years or 36,000 miles).
Maybe that’s why its resale value is nothing short of phenomenal: 77% after five years.
Nothing we didn’t already know, but it’s always nice to see it on other sites. And, 77% is pretty strong, but I doubt I’d get that with my ‘03 with almost 190K miles on the clock.
[ The Best Cars for Your Money ] Finance.yahoo.com
Apr 21st, 2008
Last year the R56 made the Top 10 at CNet for best tech. Yahoo has taken the time to put the list together, based on affordability.
Good-looking and one of the most fun cars on the road, the 2007 Mini Cooper S is well-engineered throughout. While we were impressed by the audio and handling, these can be made even better with an optional premium speaker system and a limited slip differential.
Check out the full list below. Feel free to snicker at the Dodge Caravan for making the list.
[ Best Affordable Tech Cars ] Autos.yahoo.com
Browse Pages:
Next Page »
