Dial it up to S

What we like:

Great exhaust note when driven in Sport

still a great overall hot hatch package

What we dislike:

The Cooper can almost do it as well

The bar has already been set very high by the Cooper. To expect a completely better car in the Cooper S would be a tall order, and in this instance the step-up in performance of the S is not as clear-cut as before. While being quicker, the Cooper S feels like it has a less special engine. Fortunately, it has the wonderful exhaust note to make up for it.

The Cooper S also doesn’t ride as well, and its exterior and interior doesn’t feel differentiated enough from the Cooper. For the last word in handling precision though, the Cooper S does edge out the Cooper by a margin.

Our pick of the range would still be the Cooper, at least until we try the Mini One with an even smaller engine – this time qualifying for a Category A COE.

Credits: Story and photos by Wong C W