2005 MINI Cooper New Car Buyer's Guide

What's New for the 2005 MINI Cooper Convertible?
Wasting little of the enormous momentum generated by the Mini Cooper hatchback and its clever marketing campaign, cheeky English automaker Mini, which is owned by serious German automaker BMW, rolls out the 2005 Mini Cooper Convertible. It can be equipped with a standard 115-horsepower, 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, or a supercharged version of that motor developing 163 horsepower.

Advantages of the 2005 MINI Cooper Convertible:

• Fun to drive, own and be seen in
• Spirited handling, particularly with the Cooper S model
• Size and agility make it ideal for city driving conditions
• Convertible model just turned up the cute factor

Objections to the 2005 MINI Cooper Convertible:

• Base 115-horsepower engine could use more oomph, especially when paired with the optional continuously variable transmission
• Some interior trim pieces could use some refinement
• Rear seat not designed for adults

Editor's Advice:
Spirited, adorable, and reasonably priced, the Mini Cooper's appeal stems from more than its British heritage. Behind its retro-modern styling is a set of contemporary hardware designed and engineered by Mini's parent company, BMW. Select the standard Mini Cooper, or the supercharged S model, but be sure to learn how to drive a manual transmission because the continuously variable automatic that comes with the base motor makes for slooooooow going. Our favorite is the Mini Cooper S, which can charge down a twisting canyon road with surprising verve, with a rough city ride the primary drawback. We'd like to see improvements in the quality of some interior bits and pieces, but then BMW would need to price the Mini Cooper too high, so we'll live with the cheap plastic. Looking like nothing else on the road today, the Mini Cooper embodies the aspects that made the original so popular in the first place: it's stylish, affordable and a blast to drive.