The November 2004 issue of Road & Track has a blurb on their '03 Long-Term MCS. Some minor complaints about the low end (lack of) power and shifter vibrating oddly.

 

I had someone mention to me the other day that Consumer Reports gave the MINI ('03 model I think) great scores, but an overall predicted reliability rating of bad.

 

i get that vibrations as well sometimes, especially more evident in first 3 gears...

and yeah, driving a stock S nowadays you REALLY feel that zero power at the low end

and im not too surpsied at the lack of predictable reliability... so many of us are still plagued by yoyo and cold start!

 

What got both of us was the great scores in every area, till you got to the overall score. I haven't seen the report and I ain't paying Consumer Reports to see it online.

 

I already pay them... funny, the report looks good expect for the overall verdict... must be using that funny Florida math in their voting!


Tested model: 2002 Base 2-door hatchback, 1.6-liter Four, 5-speed manual
Tested tires: Continental ContiTouring Contact, size 175/65R15 84H

Highs: Handling agility, styling, fuel economy, turning circle.
Lows: Ride, engine power, tire grip, rear seat.

The Mini is a modern reincarnation of a classic icon. Agile handling makes it fun to drive, and the front accommodations are surprisingly generous. A choppy ride, tight rear, and the base model's modest acceleration are notable detriments.

THE DRIVING EXPERIENCE

The Mini rides firmly and damps most road bumps, but the body's nearly constant short pitches give the ride a choppy feel overall. Road noise intrudes a bit on coarse pavement. The Mini is a delight to drive. It corners crisply and eagerly, with quick and ideally-weighted steering. It has a tight, 36-foot turning circle. Tire grip is a little weak, though, meaning the standard 15-inch front tires slide rather easily when pushed hard through corners. It breezed forgivingly through our avoidance maneuver but would have made it through faster with grippier tires. Optional 16-inch wheels would be likely be a worthwhile addition. The 115-hp, 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine revs smoothly and cranked out an impressive 31 mpg (on premium fuel), but acceleration is a little poky. The five-speed manual shifts crisply. A continuously-variable automatic transmission (CVT) is also available. Braking was very good.

INSIDE THE CABIN

The interior is long on style, but fit and finish could be better. The driving position is superb. Even very tall or very short drivers can fit easily and see out through the short windshield pretty well. The firm front seats are comfortable. The rear seats are nearly unusable unless the front seats are slid forward a good deal, which compromises their comfort. The cabin has little storage space. And the car's styling touches don't always aid functionality. Tiny horn buttons are hard to find quickly. The chrome shifter can become burning hot when the car is parked in the sun on a hot day. The steering-wheel rim obscures the top of the tach for some drivers. The two sunroofs have netting shades, but only the front one tilts and slides. Two front cup holders, awkwardly located in front of the shifter, accept only short drink containers. There's one rear cup holder. The tiny trunk will hold just one big suitcase unless you fold down the rear seatbacks. A temporary spare stores beneath the vehicle.

SAFETY NOTES

Standard side air bags housed in the front seatbacks and standard head-protection bags in the headliner (that protect both front and rear occupants) supplement the front air bags and seatbelts. Front belts have adjustable anchors, pivot for improved fit, and are equipped with pretensioning and force limiting devices to reduce belt slack and force in the event of a crash. Both rear belts are three-point and have slots in the C-pillar for some movement, but do not adjust. Adjustable and locking head restraints in all four seats are tall enough, even when fully lowered, to limit rearward head travel. Driving with kids: Belt buckles anchored forward of the seat bights may prevent rear-facing seats from being securely tightened. Front- facing seats should be secure, and there are tether anchor attachment points for both seats on the seatbacks, though the cargo blind must be removed to access them. There are LATCH anchors (under covers) on both seats as well.

RELIABILITY

We expect reliability to be much worse than average, according to our latest subscriber survey.

( POOH ON THEM! Explain THIS then!! )

"Passion often outweighs practicality. Sports-car and sporty-car owners were most satisfied overall. Least enthused were owners of minivans, despite those vehicles’ user-friendly designs."

MOST SATISFYING

Small cars
Toyota Prius
Mini Cooper <------ Don't we know it!
Honda Civic Hybrid

Midsized/large cars
Honda Accord
Toyota Avalon

Upscale/luxury cars
Lexus LS430
BMW 3 Series

Coupes/convertibles
Infiniti G35 coupe
Lexus SC430

Sports/sporty cars
Chevrolet Corvette
Honda S2000
BMW Z4
Nissan 350Z
Mazda MX-5 Miata
Subaru Impreza WRX
BMW M3
Porsche Boxster
Minivans
Toyota Sienna
Honda Odyssey

Car-based SUVs
Lexus RX330
Honda Element
Nissan Murano
Honda Pilot
Volvo XC90
Toyota Highlander
Acura MDX
Infiniti FX
Subaru Forester

Conventional SUVs
Toyota 4Runner
(V8)
Lexus GX470
Hummer H2

Pickup trucks
Toyota Tundra
Chevrolet
Avalanche

LEAST SATISFYING

Small cars
Hyundai Accent
Nissan Sentra
Chevrolet Cavalier

Midsized cars
Chrysler Sebring sedan
Dodge Stratus sedan

Coupes
Chrysler Sebring
coupe
Dodge Stratus coupe
Chevrolet Cavalier
coupe
Pontiac Sunfire coupe

Sports/sporty cars
Mitsubishi Eclipse

Minivans
Dodge Caravan (4-cyl.)
Chevrolet Venture
(reg.)



Conventional SUVs
Suzuki Vitara
Suzuki Grand Vitara
Nissan Xterra
Jeep Grand
Cherokee (6-cyl.)
Mitsubishi Montero
Chevrolet Tracker
Land Rover Discovery
Mercedes-Benz
ML500
Chevrolet Blazer
Mitsubishi Montero
Sport
Isuzu Rodeo

Pickup trucks
Nissan Frontier
Dodge Dakota (V6)
GMC Sonoma S-15
(V6, 4WD)
Chevrolet S-10
(V6, WD)