2016 Mini John Cooper Works Hardtop Review

2016 Mini John Cooper Works Hardtop Review - When BMW returned Mini to our shores for the 2002 design year, having lastly ignored Sir Alec Issigonis's initial design after way too many years in manufacturing, the outcome, frankly, was revelatory. Our beloved Volkswagen GTI was looking at an uncomfortable stage, while the Honda Civic Si dealt with sporadic availability and also wasn't quite as impressive as it had actually been in years past-- actually, Ford's SVT Concentration won a contrast among the trio.

As we noted at the time, we would certainly have consisted of the Cooper S in our test, had Mini been able to make one offered. In knowledge, we think it would've got on admirably, in spite of being a size-class less than those various other devices. Since then, the hot-hatch market has actually warmed up in earnest, with Ford and VW at the top of their online games. Meanwhile, the Mini we often recommend most is the bog-standard, three-cylinder Cooper Hardtop, not the more effective but less-pleasant S. Might the even zestier John Cooper Works design overcome our aversion and power its method into our hearts?


In a word, no. True, it has 228 horse power and also runs to 60 miles per hour in 6.0 seconds. At least one manual-equipped GTI we tested did the act in 5.8, in spite of weighing 241 pounds a lot more as well as suffering an 8-hp deficit. That particular VW likewise returned 1 mpg much better energy economic climate. And also, as tested, set you back $12,745 less than the JCW. That price difference is big enough that if you dug 70 dollars from the sofa, you can purchase the Volkswagen and after that a Nissan Versa sedan. (We're not exactly sure exactly what you would certainly do with the Nissan, but we picture you might discover a function for it. A wonderful planter, perhaps?) If we make the contrast on base prices, the 2016 GTI just undercuts the JCW by $5635. That would certainly snatch you a used Suzuki Hayabusa-- an additional vehicle that posts better numbers than the Mini.

2016 Mini John Cooper Works Hardtop Review

To provide the JCW its due, it does kip down nicely as well as handled to post 0.92 g on the skidpad, which ever before so a little edges the GTI by.01 and places it on the same level with the very best number we've pulled from the excellent Ford Carnival ST. The Ford could be 1.0 2nd slower to 60 than the Mini, yet the tiny bit of ST is one of the most effective cars in terms of ride-and-handling equilibrium available at any kind of rate. The JCW, alternatively, tends to crash its means with bumps, its actions evocative of a brick on casters.



Certain, its solid framework as well as tight suspension telegraph the road to you, however the noise-to-signal proportion is extremely high on the sound end. We can only envision that it would certainly be much more of a severe world inside the JCW's cutesy log cabin with the optional 18-inch rolling stock. The shorter sidewalls likely would intensify the squeaks and also shakes that appear to be endemic to the contemporary Minis. We won't say it's always even worse because regard than the Cooper S, however the even more gently sprung base 2016 Mini John Cooper Works Hardtop is the just one of the 3 existing Hardtops that saw us return smooth from a travel around our local handling loop.

2016 Mini John Cooper Works Hardtop Review

Not that we're ethically opposed to being shaken up, mind you. It's merely that the JCW leaves you feeling like you paid way too much for the privilege.

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