In addition to the severe torque steer noted above, the Mini had one other notable character flaw: its interior is a funhouse nightmare. The Mini's designers were apparently given free rein to ply their creativity without concern for owners who would live and drive in this cabin years after the initial showroom delight had worn thin. Ergonomically speaking, the Mini is a mess of silly switchgear, hard-to-fathom labels, and misplaced controls. The logbook showed no mercy. Executive editor Joe DeMatio called the center stack "what you'd expect in a car designed for the Ringling Brothers circus."
"Reflections off the transparent cover of the dinner-plate-sized speedometer danced in my peripheral vision, driving me crazy," reported copy editor Rusty Blackwell. "On one long drive, I finally stuck a sheet of paper over the dial." Cammisa added, "I accidentally changed the station frequency for the hundredth time when I reached for a volume adjustment - I wouldn't be surprised if someone sticks a fist through the speedometer in a fit of rage. Thankfully, you can select a digital velocity reading in the tach dial; attempting to use the main speedometer is like scanning a majestic panorama from the front row in an Imax movie theater: nearly impossible."
Dialing in the right sound-system or climate-control setting at the right moment felt like solving a Rubik's Cube. Over the long haul, we grew tired of playing the Mini's PG-13 games and pined for a sport coupe with a full commitment to driving. VW's GTI was frequently cited as the less flamboyant but more enjoyable alternative.
Other Mini irritations included a stick-shift pattern where reverse was too easily confused with first, a ragged edge on the shift lever's chrome bezel, rattles that erupted as the car accumulated miles, a buzzy stereo speaker, and wind leaks at the top rear corners of the frameless door glass. The cantilevered center armrest creaked under an elbow's weight.
On the plus side, this car's reliability was impeccable. Only one stop for service was needed in 22,638 miles, and the cost of that maintenance was covered under warranty. And besides that, the Mini proved that it could be flat-out fun to drive. After an hour's entertainment in a snow-covered parking lot (running on Bridgestone Blizzak winter tires), associate editor Sam Smith exclaimed, "The bootlegger turns, lift-throttle drifts, and ability to spin around with the handbrake in one car length are fantastic." ...next page >>