The 2012 Mini Cooper Coupe has a distinctive style that offers an agile and fast ride to its passengers. The goal with the Coupe is to provide buyers with an alternative to the Porsche Cayman, Audi TT Coupe, and the Mercedes-Benz SLK Class. This sporty vehicle sits two passengers and provides enough horsepower to go from zero to 60 in under nine seconds, under seven with the turbocharged engine. The Coupe fits in most budgets and will also save you money with its excellent fuel economy. This is the fastest and quickest model to come out from the Mini platform yet. If you step it up with the John Cooper Works style, you will have one styling sports car.
Key Features
The Coupe has a 1.6 liter four cylinder engine that offers 121hp at 6,000 rpm. Driving in the city will get you 29 mpg where highway driving offers 37 mpg. It is available in either automatic or manual transmission options. Remote keyless entry, antilock disc brakes, Dynamic Stability Control, on-board computer, and satellite radio come standard in this vehicle.
Changes for 2012
The makers of the Mini Cooper Coupe promise 10 different body styles within the next 10 years, and the 2012 model is the first of this lineup.
What We Like
The sport bottom increases the steering effort and hastens the throttle response with just the touch of a finger. For the turbocharged models, if offers a little pop to the exhaust, and has a more aggressive shifting mode. The Dynamic Traction Control offers extra stability which is a nice feature.
What Concerns Us
The roof of the 2012 Mini Cooper Coupe is sort of unsightly, but if you are looking for a two seat car that offers some good pickup, the roof can be overlooked.
Available Models
The Coupe comes in the base, Cooper S, and John Cooper Works similar to the other Mini Cooper models. The Cooper S offers 181hp where the John Cooper Works offers 208hp due to its turbocharged engine. The Coupe and Cooper S have an optional paddle-shift six speed Steptronic automatic for those who do not want the manual option.
Major Recalls
There are no recalls for the 2012 Mini Cooper Coupe.
Common Issues
Common complaints among consumers include limited views to the rear and sides, vehicle is too small overall, poor resale value, and it does not have all-wheel drive.
