The Good: The Mini Cooper S is one of the best-handling compact cars we've tested. Acceleration is surprisingly good and steering is quick and direct, particularly with Sport mode activated. Wide arrays of technology and performance upgrades are available as options.
The Bad: Fully optioned, the Cooper S can get quite expensive. The ride is harsh and turbo lag is an issue. Cabin controls are scattered confusingly around the dashboard. Navigation is DVD-based and Bluetooth doesn't feature audio streaming or phonebook import.
The Bottom Line: The Mini Cooper S can be polarizing with its style over substance cabin and harsh, performance-oriented ride, but with a list of options longer than the car itself, it's easy to make the Cooper your own.
