Is The 2014 Mini Cooper S Better Than The Ford Fiesta ST?

[Fiesta ST News]

[video=youtube;2QgY8PiW86g]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QgY8PiW86g[/video]
The Mini Cooper S is all-new for 2014. It's bigger, wider, taller, more powerful, but in terms of overall quality and value, probably better than ever. But can it trump the Ford Fiesta ST, the reigning champeen of small hot hatches?

That's the question our pal Alex Goy from XCAR poses in this video review of the new 189 horsepower, 2.0-liter turbo Cooper S. I'm jealous because he got to drive one with a stick while my tester had an autobox. He also has a diesel Cooper D, which was present on my press drive in right-hand drive form, but they didn't let any Americans behind the wheel. (And don't think I didn't try!)

So back to our original question: Fun as it is, is the new Cooper S as good as the Fiesta ST? I think it's certainly more premium-feeling and better equipped, but no, it's not as fun to drive. Alex thinks so too, saying the Fiesta ST is a superior hooligan-machine.

In the end, he says he'd prefer the Cooper S for making him smile more. Having driven both, I don't think you can go wrong with either.

 

[RyGuyFIST83]

You can keep that extra "character",the mini is just not for me,I never liked them and I don't like the interior setup as well. I'm not just saying this,I really just don't like it. Now it's turbocharged,weren't these things known for being supercharged? Sorry,I really don't know much about them,coulda sworn they used to be supercharged,and that was something I actually use liked about it.

-ry

 

[gojagz]

I looked at the Mini before buying my Speed3, and just didnt see it being worth the money. It was fun to drive and I liked the personalization possibilities, but a fully spec'd Cooper S rings in at like $34k. That is 370z money.

 

[rodmoe]

Yea the older Minis where SC

 

[airjor13]

My wife has an R56 its a full of stupid issues, given BMW/Mini "exceptional reliability" and cost of maintenance, nope nope

 

[CivicAssassin]

My wife has an R56 its a full of stupid issues, given BMW/Mini "exceptional reliability" and cost of maintenance, nope nope

I'm with you. The cost of maintenance is horrible. And the fact that my sister's spends more time in the shop than any other car I've ever personally seen.

 

[airjor13]

I'm with you. The cost of maintenance is horrible. And the fact that my sister's spends more time in the shop than any other car I've ever personally seen.

Haha, I guess the plus side is that I have driven every single Mini car in the line-up as a service loaner!

 

[Perry]

The Mini now looks dated from the outside, and to get it properly equipped requires several thousand more dollars than I spent on my Fiesta ST. And at the end of the day, the FiST is still more fun to drive, eh? Can we be done here?

 

[TheStig]

that extra "character" comes in the form of horrible electrics inside. That's a "trade in before warranty is gone" machine.

 

[shvkdv]

but the startled gold fish which stares back every time you step out... ugh...

 

[godofbiscuits]

I test drove the last generation Mini before I bought my FiST. The handling was very positive, but not as positive as the FiST. The FiST felt faster. Possibly the only real plus of the more upscale interior was that the shifter fell to hand a bit more readily. That being said, the FiST also shifted in a more rewarding fashion with a shorter throw. So for me (granted my FiST has all of the bells and whistles), was a shifter falling to hand really worth 2-5k more cash up front and BMW-esk maintenance? Not really. Also, not that I really care what I look like (I will be seen in an MX-5 without blinking an eye), but the Mini badge has become a very Starbucks, fixed gear bicycle, hipster sort of thing. My blue oval doesn't attract any attention unless people know what ST means, honestly, I want to talk to those people, and the baby Aston front end with that black grill doesn't look bad at all IMO. They are both great cars, but with only 3 FiSTs in dealer inventory within 100 miles when I bought mine, I just feel a bit more special, and I've got a bit more cash in the savings account afterwards.

 

[RyGuyFIST83]

I never got into them or even been in one. I seen a kid pass by me in a red one the other day with aftermarket wheels and it's looked really nice though,very go-cart'ish looking.

-ry