Everythings about Thailand: Car Injustice

MINI COOPER S VS VW SCIROCCO

Car Injustice

The amount of things the Scirocco does better than the Cooper S is something worth pondering because its virtues basically provide clues to its rival's flaws.

Published: 23/04/2010 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: Motoring

Mini is such an amazing brand in Thailand. Even when slapped with the highest rate of import duty, BMW's fashionable icon is the best-selling import. The 400 units or so it sold last year was barely any different than in 2008 - achieved during difficult times.

Buyers apparently loved Mini for its looks and individuality, even though it has become such a common sight on local roads. It is a brand many Thais want to own, despite its uncomfortable ride and high prices.

To put it another way, other makers have become envious of Mini for managing to keep prices high and yet people still going for it. Healthy margins mean happy shareholders; that's business.

For some enthusiasts though, Mini is more about fun-driving manners than just cat-walking down Siam Paragon. And that's why Motoring once pitted a Subaru Impreza WRX against the Mini to see which of them was the better driver's car.

Unfortunately, the Scooby couldn't match, despite its rallying pedigree. The WRX proved too subtle and numb on the move, as well as lacking in aesthetic flair.

This is why we're back to find whether there is a Mini-slayer lurking out there in the market. This time, we're pitching it with the Volkswagen Scirocco, which also has a heritage to boast.

You may want to argue that the Scirocco's history is not as well-known as the Mini's when it comes to the average Thai car punter, but it must be said that the following the VW has in this country, no matter how less or small, is solid and intact.

And like the WRX, the Scirocco looks a great deal of a car on paper against the Mini Cooper S. In terms of size, the Scirocco is a C-segment hatchback over the Mini's B-sized variation.

Rear seats in the Mini, at left, are cramped to sit in due to a relatively smaller package

Delve into the technical specification and the Scirocco continues to shine, just like in the WRX. The 200hp 2.0-litre turbo performance looks far better than the Cooper S's 175hp 1.6-litre turbo one.

But what really makes the Scirocco a better deal than the WRX - and against the Cooper S - is the price. The VW has all kinds of value-added features to not only outwit the Subaru but also the Mini.

And the best part of the Scirocco is the B2.48m sticker price. It's just a fraction more than the B2.42m WRX but a good B300k less than the B2.8m Cooper S.

That difference may not sound much for a well-off car enthusiast, but it goes on to show how ambitious Mini is with pricing its products in Thailand.

Having said that, the Scirocco sounds like a Mini-slayer. It even looks cruel, as if it is bent on leading the Mini to the slaughter house by driving it to smithereens.

adults can sit comfortably in the Scirocco’s rear. Just.

But for the Scirocco to properly win this shootout here this week against the Cooper S, it has to prove its mettle on the move. So here we go.

The first thing you'll notice about the Scirocco when driving it around on Thai roads is the intense curiosity generated by passer-bys. You try to read their minds and it's probably going to be: "Hey, that's a good-looking car. What is it?"

Its low and sloping roofline, accentuated waistline and aggressive snout effectively make the Scirocco a handsome hatch. Yes, the crowd is right about its appearance.

Then you hop into the Mini and drive for some while before beginning to notice all over the place: "Look, there goes my dream car again. When will I be able to buy one?"

The Mini will always be a Mini. It's the appearance that helps make the car sell. And you can truly feel it, even if you're inside the car.

Mini has a very playful interior, so it’s not perfect in ergonomic terms.

And because of this, the Mini, particularly in Cooper S guise with bespoke details, is a car with special looks. So when it comes to design, either car would do the tricks.

It's slightly more delicate inside the cars. Whereas the Scirocco's cabin seems to be tailored by a fussy engineer, the Mini's feels as if a painter was commissioned to do the job.

It's utterly straight-forward in the Scirocco, and mostly lacking fun. But the way things are put together is impeccable, the choice of materials is avant-garde and the usage is undeniably easy.

The Mini, by contrast, feels very playful inside and helps add up to the car's character. But you'll be able to spot some tacky plastics with rough edges, despite a sea of fine materials. Moreover, the dashboard is simply not as user-friendly as in the Scirocco.

Scirocco has a more restrained appearance, but everything’s easy to use.

Despite the superior power and torque figures on paper, there really isn't much in performance terms to distinctly set the two cars apart because the Mini's smaller body helps plug the power deficit.

Thanks to the use of turbochargers, there is plenty of action in both the Scirocco and Cooper S. Drive around gently and both go effortlessly. Floor the gas and you'll be rewarded with the proper thrills essential in hot hatches like these.

However, there's more aural entertainment in the Cooper S which, to many enthusiasts, is a good thing. It sounds more refined in the Scirocco. But what helps compensate for some lack of excitement is the way the six-speed twin-clutch automatic sounds when it upshifts.

The fact that the Cooper S comes with the same amount of forward ratios but via a more conventional torque convertor automatic doesn't necessarily mean it's always inferior to the Scirocco's gearbox.

Boot only takes small baggage

It still shifts neatly in the Mini, although not utterly fast as in the Scirocco. And if there's the desire to increase responsiveness, both cars have sport mode markedly different from the normal variation.

Ever since the Mini came onto the market, it redefined the way front-wheel cars should handle. The chassis is tuned so well that you'll hardly note any understeer; the handling balance feels virtually neutral.

Push the Cooper S in corners and it's like driving a go-kart. Any sudden interruption in power delivery, or even a slight jab on the brakes, is good enough to loosen its composure.

That certainly sounds like very sharp and precise handling, but not all people are going to like it because of that need to exercise extra concentration when driving the Mini harder than usual. And for all its handling marvels, the chassis is plain stiff and uncomfortable on Thai roads.

Ride is mostly choppy

This is where the Scirocco shines. Just because it's a bigger car than the Mini doesn't mean it handles with less agility. The steering, in fact, has a nice blend of precision and weight for driving in normal conditions.

Get enthusiastic and the Scirocco still conceals its front-wheel drive nature well, thanks to an electronic diff located on the front axle to help minimise the run-wide effect.

And what makes the Scirocco a splendid car to drive is when you really push it to the limits. The steering and chassis feel lively and responsive like in the Mini, but it's not as restless and there's a better sense of driving security that doesn't take away much of the driving fun.

And to round off the dynamics contest, the Scirocco is a substantially more comfortable car to drive and ride in.

Cooper S is an expensive import.

And we haven't taken into account about the three-level suspension mode, which is something the Mini doesn't offer at all.

In the end, the amount of things the Scirocco does better than the Cooper S is something worth pondering because its virtues basically provide clues to its rival's flaws.

It might be easier to round up this shootout by saying the Cooper S is ultimately the better car to drive, while the Scirocco is the more pampering type.

But truth be told: the Mini is not as comfortable as the VW, but the VW is nearly as intoxicating to drive as the Mini. It's called more balanced driving manners, and the Scirocco has lots of it over the Cooper S.

Then consider the fact that the Scirocco has more space and metal, yet is priced significantly lower than the Cooper, and it is the natural winner here, by TKO not KO.

So to settle the issue once and for all, there is a car out there that doesn't have to be a Mini to be as good, even if enthusiasts would swear that a Mini will always be a Mini.