Mini Cooper
A Comparison of 3 of the newest Hatchbacks around
Today it appears that even the economy driver is much more discerning than ever before with regards to value for money.
As an example of how performance and specification demanding we have now become, we compare three of today’s smaller hatchbacks.
The cars we are going to look at are the Mini Cooper S, the Renault Clio 2L Renaultsport 197 and the new Vauxhall Corsa VXR.
It would appear from initial investigation that the new Vauxhall has finer design features and an overall impression that it is way and above earlier models.
Developing 188bhp from a 1.6 L turbocharged diesel engine perhaps this is the first Vauxhall for some time to start actually marrying up power with good looks.
It is up again serious competition however. Perhaps this is a selling off how important the market is.
The Clio develops 194bhp from a 2 L engine that takes a little to get it going but once you do, boy does it fly.
Producing 173bhp from a 1.6 L engine that is turbocharged, the Mini Cooper S. has more than enough grunt.
From a drivers perspective the Mini has stunning performance and lightning reactions. With regards to the Renault, it does appear to perform better the faster you go. Finally the Vauxhall has loads of performance and handles extremely well.
As with all things the interior of the cars there is always an element of compromise with the poor plastics of Mini set against the brilliant driving position. It was difficult to get comfortable in the Renault despite the quality of the interior and lastly though the design of the Vauxhall inside was great this somehow compromised the visibility.
At the end of the day everybody’s looking for something that will provide value for money. Initially the Vauxhall being the cheapest and potentially best equipped looked good but this was offset by quite steep running costs. The downside of the red was the fact that despite big discounts on purchase the fairly heavy depreciation did weigh heavily in most people’s minds. He the Mini held up quite well in terms of strong second hand value giving rise to quite good ownership prospects.
Looked at objectively all three of the cars are actually quite good value for money but probably the Mini Cooper S. comes out on top the handling speed and overall performance of the Mini means that it has quite the strong support to place despite the amazing fact that the inside looks cheap but hardly any boot in the rear seats are extremely small. Certainly one of the aspects of the Mini is that the extras are surprisingly expensive.
After the Mini Cooper the Vauxhall comes in second and has the overall aura of a good all round car. It is quite sad that the visibility is compromised because this is quite a substantial blemish on what is a very good performing in handling car.
The Renault Clio comes in last of the bunch which is quite sad when you consider the power and performance of the car. You have to wind it up to get it going and when she do you won’t be disappointed but it was the depreciation and the lack of residual value that was against it.
Stephen Stewart
View all articles by Stephen Stewart
|
|
Cubette Mini Ice Cube Trays $2.99 Get ready to “chill-out” with these cute mini ice cube trays ! The 1/2 inch cubettes are great for crunching and can be used in place of crushed ice for mixed drinks and bottled water. The little cubes chill drinks faster and more evenly because of exposure to more cooling surface area. Because of their small size, they also freeze faster. Just “rinse and twist”* over a wide container and the 90… |
|
|
Coopers Brewery DIY Beer Kit $109.99 The new and improved Coopers DIY Beer Kit includes everything needed to make 6 gallons of great tasting beer- a new patented fermenter that makes brewing even easier and quicker, an easy to read plastic hydrometer specifically made for beer, plus an Instructional DVD-ROM to answer all your brewing questions. This kit comes with everything you need to get started including the fermenter, lid, Krau… |
|
|
Revere Copper Clad Bottom 1-Quart Saucepan $10.67 1033394 Features: -Saucepan.-Copper bottom for quick and even heat distribution.-Capacity: 1 Quart. Construction: -Stainless steel construction. Dimensions: -Overall dimensions: 11.25” H x 2.75” W x 5.75” D…. |
|
|
Fidel [VHS] $1.45 … |
|
|
Mini Cooper (Full Throttle) Two teams. Two classic cars with some re-assembly required. Twenty hours to go until a winner-take-all race. Welcome to FULL THROTTLE. Hosted by the “Turbo Twins,” Marc and Eric Kozeluh–legendary street-racers and owners of California’s Twins Turbo Motorsport Engineering–each episode goes under the hood, into the past, and onto the street with a storied vehicle. Even after a radical remake, the … |
|
|
Gettysburg (Widescreen Edition) $3.22 Three days in the summer of 1863, at a place called Gettysburg. Although it received a theatrical release, this four-hour depiction of the bloody Civil War battle was shot as a made-for-television film. But no taint of cheapness or shortcuts should stick to this magnificent picture (well, except maybe for those phony-looking mustaches). Based on Michael Shaara’s book The Killer Angels, this film t… |
|
|
Lonesome Dove (2-Disc Collector’s Edition) [Blu-ray] $11.23 Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones star as Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call, aging cowboys and former Texas rangers and who organize a 2,500 mile cattle drive for one last great adventure in this excellent 1989 miniseries adaptation of Larry McMurtry’s novel. The best friends, who steal the herd from a gang of Mexican cattle rustlers, drive their herd from Texas to Montana, battling horse thieves, angry… |
|
|
Broken Trail (Two-disc) $6.00 The lives of two stoic cowboys and five abused Chinese women become intertwined in Walter Hill’s sprawling miniseries Broken Trail. Print Ritter (Academy Award winner Robert Duvall) and his nephew Tom Harte (Thomas Haden Church, Sideways) agree to deliver a herd of 500 horses from Oregon to Wyoming. Along the way, they rescue the young women–most of them still just girls–who’re being transported… |
|
|
All Purpose First Aid Kit – 17 Piece – FAO-106 – A12672 01 $1.49 All Purpose First Aid Kit -17 Piece – FAO-106… |
|
|
Battery (6V) – Mini Cooper Battery, Mini Cooper, 6V Dimension: 7.0″ x 4.5″ x 2.0″ Weight: 2 lbs Sku#: SIL0008… |