Todays Boston Globe automotive section reviews the MINI Cooper S under the headline "Supercharged import runs with hot crowd"

Boston Globe Automotive

Their biggest gripe - hood latch is on the British side - And they don't know why!

 

if they ever read the MINI site, it tells you that they kept it their pretty much for the spirit of the car - they are originally right hand drives and they can't change EVERYTHING for us Yanks :smile:

 

I can't believe how many people complain about the latch being on the right... are people honestly THAT lazy? You have to get out of the car to open the bonnet anyways, what's the extra couple steps gonna do to you, give you a heart attack? null

 

Consider the source...newspaper auto journalists are not writing for enthusiasts or "car people" (who might find certain automotive eccentricities interesting or charming). Rather, they're writing for the mass market...which wants their Taurus, Accord, SUV, etc. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying there's anything wrong with the mass market (whether you're in it or not is a matter of personal choice), but let's face it, the (new) MINI isn't a car for everyone. Admit it or not, that's one of reasons why we love it!

Let's just be happy that Royal actually liked the car and didn't complain that it would be squashed by one of his beloved SUVs.

 

Consumer Reports mentioned about the speedometer in the middle being not "ergonomic" : "But you must look off to the side to check the vehicles speed".

I don't know about the cars you've driven, but every single on of mine, I've had to take my eyes off the road to check my speed. Does the human eye really glance slightly downward that much faster than slightly to the side?

 

Of course, if you are really familiar with your car and in-touch with your driving, you can get a close enough handle on your speed by looking at the tach and knowing what gear you're in. I seldom actually look at the speedo on my MINI. But I wouldn't expect that to be within the scope of reasonable for Consumer Reports.

I wouldn't buy an air conditioner or a washing machine w/o consulting Consumer Reports...but I can do without most of their opinions on cars. (seems like there's been another thread on this recently...).