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2007 Mini Cooper - Comfort

Front Comfort
Tall drivers needn’t worry about space in the Mini. Even our tallest and bulkiest editors found plenty of room in the car’s diminutive interior. The multi-adjustable seat fit everyone, and the soft leather was a welcome organic touch in the otherwise plasticky interior. Controls fall readily to hand, there is plenty of leg and head room, and despite the array of levers and knobs it was easy to find a comfortable driving position.

Rear Comfort
The rear seat in the Mini is a joke. If the driver is taller than 5 feet 6 inches, forget about putting four people in the Mini. Even with the front seats moved all the way forward in their tracks, there is little leg room in the rear seat. Additionally, rear seat area trim is almost comically cheap; hard shiny plastic is everywhere, and if it weren’t for the leather covered seats it’d be hard to believe that BMW owns Mini at all. Our advice is to fold down the seat and use it only in dire passenger-hauling emergencies.

Interior Noise
This is where the party starts to wear thin. On one hand it’s fun to hear the squeal of the Mini’s tires, the wail of the engine, and the road rushing by as you hurry the Mini through its paces. But when you’re just trying to get home after a long day at work, the incessant wind roar, tire, road and engine noise are at best annoying, at worst fatiguing to the point of exhaustion. Know how annoying it is when your party animal friend wants to keep on going while you’re ready to call it a night? It’s something like that.

Visibility
The Mini is like driving a fishbowl, partly because you get a lot of attention, but also because it’s so easy to see out of. Pillars are thin and virtually disappear, the rear seat head restraints are tucked down next to the seatbacks, and the side windows and upright windshield pose no obstacles. The large outside mirrors are also handy, and knowing that the Mini has virtually no overhangs means that parking lot maneuvers are simple.