2015 MINI Cooper S 5-door Automatic Review
Vehicle Style: Five-door light sports hatch
Price: $40,700 (plus on-roads), $48,470 as-tested
Engine/trans: 141kW/280Nm 2.0 petrol 4cyl | 6sp automatic
Fuel Economy claimed: 5.5 l/100km | tested: 6.5 l/100km
OVERVIEW
A MINI Cooper hatch with five doors? Surely such heresy is enough to have Alec Issigonis, inventor of the original Mini, turning over in his compact, space-efficient grave.
But, as luck and smart design would have it, the new Cooper five-door isn’t a bad rig.
For a premium of $1100 you get everything there is to love about the MINI but with two extra doors, not to mention an appreciable increase in interior space.
It’s an intermediate step between the small and perky three-door hatch and the larger, less lively Countryman micro-SUV, and it’s perfect for those who find the three-door too small.
This scribbler spent a couple of weeks behind the wheel of the performance-focused Cooper S version and found it well-suited to his suburban DINK lifestyle.
For the majority of trips, there was just one passenger for company, but the extra utility of properly usable rear seats and doors definitely came in handy on more than one occasion.
Giving a lift to a friend or two is certainly less of a chore when they don’t have to contort themselves past the front seats getting in and out.
In Cooper S form it’s got just enough (but certainly not too much) space along with plenty of zip for the occasional mountain blat.
The cost, however, is a little eye-watering for such a tiny five-door.
THE INTERIOR | RATING: 3.5/5
Standard features: Keyless ignition, climate control, reverse parking sensors, foglamps, trip computer, sat-nav, 6.5 inch colour display with remote controller, sports seats
Infotainment: AM/FM tuner with USB input and on-board music storage, Bluetooth audio and phone connectivity.
Options fitted: Dynamic suspension, head-up display, reversing camera, driver assistance package, active cruise control, LED headlamps, Dark Cottonwood trim, digital radio tuner, Navigation System Professional.