Mini Cooper excels on handling, mileage, style

I still love driving a Mini Cooper, even the aging, but slightly updated Hardtop version.
This week’s test car was a blue-gray Mini with white roof and racing stripes on the hood. Nice look, even if the color is $500 extra.
The Minis are light on their tires but carry a wide stance and handle like a sports car.
The test car checked in at 2,535 pounds with 16-inch alloy wheels, part of a $1,250 sport package that also adds a tiny rear spoiler, more contoured sport seats, fog lights and traction control.
The wide stance brings stability in turns. Rack and pinion steering along with four-wheel independent suspension give the car a racy feel and handling not often found in small, modestly priced cars.
The six-speed gearbox shifts easily and smoothly, but the throws are pretty long for such a small car.
If you desire more power, opt for the Mini S. It carries a supercharged version of the same I4 and creates 181 horsepower. Move up to the John Cooper Works model and you’ll have a ferocious 208-horsepower version of the I4.
The underlying chassis remains the same and riding on a 97.1-inch wheelbase delivers a rather stiff and bumpy ride. Get on a smooth highway or stretch of suburban asphalt and you’ll feel like you’re riding in a luxury go-cart. Steering effort is moderate and you’ll zip around corners.
Braking is good from the four-wheel discs with ABS and that sport package adds traction control to make the car better on sloppy roads. Stability control is standard.
Inside, the Mini offers a mix of garish toy car fun and games, and comfortable seats and clever surroundings.
I like its styling, a mix of circles and ovals on the dash and doors. But the giant speedometer, which houses a digital radio readout mid-dash is a waste of space in a small cockpit.
The test car had a soft black textured dash with matte silver trim and a smooth black material on the dash’s lower side. Most controls are scattered about the dash and overhead.
Mini’s steering wheel is manually adjusted tilt/telescope with radio and cruise controls on the hub.
The radio and navigation system housed mid-dash are both frustrating and not so useful. The radio lists stations variously by frequency and call letters, and not always in order, say from lowest to highest frequency. Finding a station can be bothersome.
Navigation? Save the $1,750. Mini uses a slick map that looks attractive, but even on ¼-mile range you can’t read all the small side street names, making it next to useless. Also skip the $250 center armrest. I folded it up as it’s constantly in the way of your elbow when you shift.
The $750 cold weather package includes heated front seats, and heated mirrors along with power folding mirrors.
Gas mileage is a big plus. I got 34.1 mpg while the EPA rates this at 29 mpg city and 37 mpg highway. Mini requires 89 octane or better.
The base hardtop lists at $19,400 and adds $700 for delivery. The test car hit $24,600. If you’re willing to go that high, consider the S version at $23,000. A racy JCW model goes for $29,100.