In high school we had two minis in the lot and two nearly identical Morris Minor Travelers. My car was one of the latter. I cozied up to the girl who drove/owned the green Mini and got to drive it once or twice. Wow. Even back then (1966) Wow.

Mini was always in the back of my mind as a cool car, but alas I was swept away by German cars coming ashore; big ones, little ones, funky ones, fast ones and a crazy fast one that I held a few track time records with...

So imagine my excitement when my significant other of these past twenty-four years said she'd like to test drive a Mini Cooper. She quickly saw the wisdom in going 'S' over standard Mini and she saw right through me when I lobbied for the JCW upgrade. We got a 2013 Clubman S.

Today she said she'd like to get a 2015 hardtop. She went back to the dealership and drove the 3 cylinder Mini. She thought it was powerful enough for her. She seems to forget that I notice how fast she's going when I do a ride-along with her. To her credit she doesn't use the 'Sport' button, so I guess she's fast not quick?

My gut says skip the first year of a car that makes drastic power train changes. I haven't driven it yet. My inclination is to lobby for at least the 'S' with its four cylinder (even if it isn't dramatically more powerful this model year)

I've read the Mini press blather about the smaller engine profile (safer in a crash) lighter engine overall (better mileage) and their efforts at taming the vibration issues inheirant with this odd number of cylinders.

Where else can I get objective view points and driver impressions? Any one?

Thanks