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2019 Mini Cooper Oxford Edition Drivers' Notes Review | Lots of fun for a select few

The 2019 Mini Cooper Oxford Edition is an interesting little model. It's available in both 2- and 4-door Hardtop configurations and aimed at and specifically for college students, recent grads, those in law or medical school as well as active duty or recently discharged or retired members of the military. No one else qualifies to buy one, which is a bummer, because the Oxford Edition is one smoking deal.  Not only does it undercut the price of a bare-bones Cooper, it packs in nearly $7,000 worth of features at no additional cost. That includes stuff like heated seats, a panoramic moonroof, parking sensors and 17-inch wheels. Power still comes from a turbo inline-three, and while an automatic transmission is standard, a six-speed manual is a no-cost option. While the standard Cooper has questionable value given the small size and relatively high price tag, the Oxford Edition is a far more compelling offering. Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder: This is such a joyful car to drive. It's quick, spritely and engaging. It feels great rowing through the gears, especially the way the car comes to life as you release the clutch in third gear. The car feels peppy in the low-to-mid rev range, but loses some steam as you climb to the top. The shifter is a little light, though, and it needs a firmer gate to keep you from accidentally shifting into reverse instead of first. There needs to be a more distinct feel from gear to gear in general. The clutch travel is long, but I don't mind it, and the high take-up point feels natural. The less-hot Minis of today feel much more refined than those of yore, while scorchers like the JCW remind me of the older, rawer Minis in their road-going manner, though with more contemporary design, tech and amenities. If I were to buy a Mini myself, it'd be a Hardtop like this — I don't need a lot of power to have fun, day to day, and this one is comfy. I wouldn't be eligible for the Oxford deal, which is a shame, because I really like this configuration, especially for the price. Associate Editor Joel Stocksdale: I almost completely agree with John, the regular Mini Cooper is exemplary of good, simple fun. It makes less than 140 horsepower and pound-feet of torque. That's not a lot of power, but it's enough that you can confidently floor it anywhere in public without breaking the law. And it feels nearly as eager and darty as the JCW, so you can keep your speed up as you rip it around corners.

Thanks to smaller engines, vehicle dependability falls for first time in 16 years

As automakers have made engines smaller and smaller to improve fuel economy, problems in those vehicles have gotten bigger and bigger. That's the synopsis of a J.D. Power vehicle-dependability study, which found that dependability dropped for the first time in 16 years, largely because the proliferation of four-cylinder engines is causing the vehicles to be less reliable. Specifically, the number of problems per 100 vehicles (or what J.D. Power calls PP100) during the past 12 months for 2011 model-year vehicles rose six percent from the year-earlier figures for 2010 model-year cars. Singling out four-cylinder vehicles revealed about a 10-percent increase in problems during the past year. This issues largely related to engine hesitation, rough transmission shifting and lack of power, signaling the inability of vehicle makers to iron out some of the problems in their smaller engines as they strove for better fuel economy. Six- and five-cylinder engines proved far more reliable. Among car brands, BMW's Mini sub-brand came out as least reliable, with 185 problems per 100 vehicles during the past year. Toyota's Lexus badge was easily the most reliable, with just 68 problems per 100 vehicles. Coming in second place was Mercedes-Benz. The overall average was 133. Check out J.D. Power's press release below. J.D. Power Reports: Increased Engine and Transmission Problems Contribute to Decline in Vehicle Dependability for The First Time in More Than 15 Years General Motors Company Receives Eight Segment Awards, While Toyota Motor Corporation Garners Seven and Honda Motor Company Earns Six WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.: o Owners of 3-year-old vehicles (2011 model year) report more problems than did owners of 3-year-old vehicles last year, according to the J.D. Power 2014 U.S. Vehicle Dependability StudySM (VDS) released today. The study, now in its 25th year, examines problems experienced during the past 12 months by original owners of 2011 model-year vehicles. Overall dependability is determined by the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100), with a lower score reflecting higher quality. The study finds that overall vehicle dependability averages 133 PP100, a 6 percent increase in problems from 126 PP100 in 2013. This marks the first time since the 1998 study that the average number of problems has increased. "Until this year, we have seen a continual improvement in vehicle dependability," said David Sargent, vice president of global automotive at J.D.

Junkyard Gem: 2011 MINI Cooper Clubman

The original BMC Mini changed the automotive world forever in 1959, staying in production in essentially the same form all the way through 2000. Its innovative transverse-mounted engine and front-wheel-drive transaxle became the layout for most cars built in the world today, and its cheap price tag put millions of new drivers on wheels for the first time. Like the Volkswagen Beetle and Fiat 500, it was inevitable that the shape of such an iconic machine would be applied to a modern platform for the retro-ization craze of the late 1990s and early 2000s, and that's just what happened when BMW ended up owning the Rover Group. The BMW-built MINI Hardtop first appeared on our shores for the 2002 model year, and used-up examples of these cars are now extremely plentiful in self-service wrecking yards across the continent. The Cooper Clubman, which debuted here for the 2008 model year, has been a rare sight during my junkyard travels, and so I documented this one in Denver a few weeks ago. The Clubman wasn't quite as nimble and easy to park as the regular Cooper, but its increased cargo capacity and split rear doors made it a lot more useful for trips to the big-box store. It also offered more space for rear-seat passengers, and the right-side suicide rear door made it much easier to get into the back seat (on that side). The new MINI started out much larger than the clown-car-tiny old Mini, anyway. The added usefulness and more recent release of the Clubman have made it an uncommon sight in American car graveyards. This one was uncrashed and still had the original manuals inside, which suggests that some owners of first-generation (2008-2014) Clubmen are no longer willing to pay for major mechanical repairs when needed. We'll see how this sorts out during the next few years. As the owner of a 2000s wagon with a manual transmission, I applaud the original purchaser of this wagon for the choice of three-pedal setup. The interior looks to have been fairly tidy before junkyard shoppers tore it apart. The Colorado toll-road transponder suggests that this machine was a well-cared-for commuter for its decade on the road, but proved to be not worth repairing when some major component failed. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The future will look exactly like the MINI CLUBMANIA human-scale pinball machine. This content is hosted by a third party.