Alistair Weaver for
Edmunds Inside Line concludes, after his first drive:
The Roadster is a logical extension of the Mini brand, but is hardly the last word in originality. The big challenge for the Mini types in Munich is to conjure something more imaginative without offending its more traditional fans. The handsome, innovative Rocketman looked like the way forward, but has now been cancelled.
We have no doubt the Roadster will find a willing army of fans who must have the latest Mini. It is fun to drive and, to our eyes, better-looking than the Coupe, but the ride quality is still questionable and the roof is crude. For $28,000, we expected more.
After considerable seat time in the 2012 Mini Roadster Cooper S, we couldn't help but think that we still find the original Mini (the modern one) the best of the breed. The constant tinkering over the years has brought about some different looks, yet the dynamics of that first hatch were spot-on from the start. The Roadster's funky styling scores it some points, but it's not enough to make up for its other notable shortcomings.
