Is The 2022 Mini Cooper JCW Convertible Worth $45,000???

The 2022 #Mini #JCW #Convertible is the most powerful drop-top version of the legendary #Cooper model, with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder delivering 228 horsepower. However, with an as-tested price of over $45,000, there are far better options if you want a hot hatchback driving experience or a sporty convertible. In this video, we talk about some of those better options.
Read more: carbuzz.com/cars/mini/john-co...
0:00 - Introduction
0:45 - Driving Impressions
7:47 - Interior Overview
12:11 - Exterior Styling
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[@jeffgilliam1837]

Not sure what you were noticing regarding the 'structural rigidity', as the F57 is widely regarded in the industry as one of the more rigid cabrio platforms? This is further helped by a relatively short wheelbase and some trick engineering from BMW by strengthening corner to corner. What you are ACTUALLY demonstrating in the video (in your rear view mirror) is something called 'nose-lift'- which raises the front and therefore drops the car's tail on hard acceleration due to damper/spring settings. This 'rocking-horse' effect has been in existence since the original suspension combo on the R52 JCW Minis, and all adds to the 'track focussed feel' the John Cooper Works team wanted to instill into the original overhaul of the stock car. Scuttle-shake, from removing the roof, is entirely different - mainly flexing through the A-pillars/around the windscreen or a noticeable twisting throughout the floor pan. It is almost impossible to detect *in a straight line* on anything made after about 1980, so is only really noticeable on a modern cabrio by stressing the body through cornering or uneven surfaces (- or wose still, both!). BMW managed to reduce scuttle-shake to an almost un-noticeable level on the F57 Minis - as is widely reported and unanimously agreed by most 'professional' reviewers. You're welcome.

[@RATBONES8]

So biased, missing the positives of this car. Reminds me of old consumer reports that disregard customer usage. They would rate a Grand Caravan as better than a Viper based on fuel economy and luggage space. 😂 I think either people get Mini or they don’t, but there is not any question that the fit and finish is great, and the sense of speed due to how connected this is to the road is better than many.

[@michaelburke2335]

I have a 13 JCW roadster!!! This car is iconic!!! I don't think this guy likes Mini very much!!! I love mine!!!

[@paulsingleton3839]

This is the most unnecessarily spiteful car review I have ever seen on KZbin and probably says more about the reviewer than the car. If you want a Mini JCW convertible and have the necessary skill to park without the aid of an all ‘round camera, then do bear in mind this is just one person’s view which, given his self proclaimed fondness for the Miata (nice car BTW but try getting your mates in the back) was evidently biased from the outset. Have a drive and make your own mind up

[@myvonbiernoth6336]

Bought my JCW Convertible 2021 manual new at 34k during Corona Pandemic. And I love it 😊

[@RT-jr9en]

No need to go up to the iconic trim to get the features you mention. Signature trim is the sweet spot. I've got a '19 JCW in Signature trim which I picked up lightly used and love. The bangs and pops from the exhaust make me giggle. Had intended to order a Cooper S signature trim new until I found the used JCW. Fully optioned out like your tester it is indeed a questionable value. Why did I choose it over the Miata? I don't fit in a Miata at 6'6, while the Mini is "bigger on the inside". Of fun to drive convertibles that actually fit tall folks the Mini was the best choice for me. Most surprising thing to me is that it will haul a full to the brim Costco cart no problem when I had expected we would need our other vehicle for that.

[@alvaronavarro4885]

If you start comparing this car with a Toyota Corolla we are done. I think its all about how the car makes you feel while driving rather than the price. Mini is special and people who buy one could buy another car for that price, but it's all about the sensations.

[@bigmacdaddy1234]

Folks, this guy has no idea what he is talking about. 3:20 He complains about not having limited slip and that the front wheel 'skips around'. Um, no they do not skip around. The car handles like a go-cart and can handle anything that you throw at it. 4:04 He says the chassis is flimsy. Um, no this is not true. The chassis is solid and extremely well made. 4:30 he says the convertible is badly designed. Um, no. It is one of the best designed convertible tops in the market. It can be a sunroof or full convertible. 6:23 he says the entire back end is shaking. Um, no it's not. It looks well planted. 15:05 he says the practicality is 'slightly better' that a Miata. Um no, it 10X better. It has four seats, trunk space, center console for storage and a real glove box. 11:33 he complains and says the tailgate is weird. Um no. It's not weird. It's a clever design to allow you to fit a lot of things in the back because you can also lift up the convertible top to store more items easily. The Mini is the only small car on the market that offers four seats, plenty of storage, excellent build quality and go cart handling. Nothing else even comes close.

[@erniegato]

mac daddy, your review, of this Car Buzz review, is a far better Mini JCW critique then what presented in this video. In 2016 I bought a new JCW convertible for my wife, and I also drove it and liked it. Over the years I have had a C-6 Corvette, a Ford Focus RS, a VW GTI, a Mx5 Mazda Miata, a Porsche Boxster GTS, and a Mach1 Mustang. They were all nice cars and each had its own pluses and minuses. Even though I could afford to get any one of those cars again, I just bought a 2023 Mini JCW Convertible for myself, and overall (and that is a key point) I enjoy it the most. I question what negative pre-bias this reviewer might have had toward Mini's, because I found his review to be very inaccurate.

[@bigmacdaddy1234]

@@erniegato What a coincidence! I just traded in my 2019 Mini 'S' convertible and bought a 2023 JCW convertible as well. Mine is Rebel Green with Chesterfield Malt (tan) interior. It looks and drives amazing. The negative reviewer is not taking into consideration there is no other car on the market that offers what the JCW does. Furthermore, it actually shorter than the Miata yet seats four. That is amazing.

[@goranmekota7540]

Well, yes and no IMHO. New models without mechanical LSD, even with eLSD, do get torque steer. Go-cart handling is a marketing gimmick. It has solid handling, but nothing resembling a gocart, nor can that be done in a street car. And there are better handling hot-hatches this days too. Engine placement and balance, weight-to-power ratio, general lightness and using driver's weight to balance the car somewhat like a motorcycle, extremely low center of gravity - no car has that, no car can have that, and neither does MINI, it is a gimmick. It has a short wheelbase, solid balance, stretched wheels to the corners as much as possible, probably a bit unnecessarily stiff suspension to add to the subjective feeling and handles great for what it is, but it is still a typical hot hatch in design even if being a bit more playfully and prioritising that above rational and practical aspects (unlike something like Golf GTI/R). Not bashing it, if I could get one with seats I like (maybe the so cold "lounge" ones, did not have the opportunity to try them) it might be my first hot hatch choice just for the fun factor. But a go cart with sidewalls and a roof it is not, that is a bit nonsensical and I am not sure why is it so often pushed in their marketing strategy. Chassis being flimsy is a strange comment, I agree. I have not driven a convertible, but actually other reviewers, even those otherwise liking MINI cars, have had complains about visibility whan down etc. I'd say rear seats are of limited use at best in the hatch, so probably not much better in the convertible, and I would assume with the roof mechanism one can't create a lot of trunk space by taking them down? Though practicality is never the reason people buy convertibles anyway.

[@maximilianrodenbach4490]

Pretty hate and bias loaded review… almost like you get kick-backs for making a high quality car look poor… not really objective review. sad review.

[@carbuzzcom]

How would we get a kickback from making it look bad? Who would be paying it? We just genuinely didn't like the car for the price. There are other options we prefer for much less.

[@peterr1024]

Hard to take a paid basher seriously.

[@adamlucas6090]

Firstly I’m not a Mini fanboy. This review is not balanced at all. In fact the reviewers constant niggling rhetoric is so tiresome that I switched off after 6 minutes. There are so many other balanced reviews on the internet with better content - In my opinion. Will I subscribe - Absolutely not. I give this review 2/10.

[@casperskestrel]

Mistake testing the convertible. Should've tested the 2 door hardtop.

[@carbuzzcom]

Yeah, the hardtop is less money, and we'd probably enjoy it just as much

[@goranmekota7540]

I believe that countryman and clubman besides awd also get a mechanical LSD. I believe the argument for not having electric seats is in saving weight, not that uncommon in sportish cars. Also the "rocking motion" on a straight line is probably not realy related to structural rigidity, I would assume rigidity to increase it if anything (but not an expert, might be wrong there). In any case sport car drivers tend to deal with it by adjusting suspension, tires, weight balance, mounting parts (for the engine and gearbox) etc, not by increasing rigidity (unless in cornering). It is a fact that performance wise hot-hatch competition has surpassed MINI. People buy them for other reasons, much like one would buy an iconic oldtimer even with less performance. The stile/aesthetic plays a part, but also handling that is intentionally set to be "fun", not necessarily the most practical (like Golf GTI/R) or best performing for the price (like Hyundai N). It is a stylistic choice and for road use all of them have more than enough, so I have no personal opinion on that. What i dislike in the car - no blind spot monitor (though probably more of an issue in the convertible?), cruise contro that is camera only without a radar, seats are not comfortable enough for me and the "badge surcharge" in the price is a bit much. If the car comes with run flat tires, which BMW insists on in many of their models even if most users unanimously hate them, that is also diminishing the experience by making the ride harsher and potentially even that "rocking" on acceleration more pronounced. The suspension is probably too rigid for what power it can actually put down with relatively narrow tires (usually topping at 205 width even in the strongest models), again more to make it feel sportier than it is rather than being actually needed. Might be wrong but don't feel that engine/tyre combo needs can make use of the setup. I would assume there has to be a lot of modding to use the full potential, but then again that would probably include a coilover anyway. In that sense, for people chasing serious performance, factory JWC adjustments might be a bit lukewarm and more geared towards creating a certain feeling than track performance.

[@anniebo2345]

Love mine!

[@jdub_vdub]

Awful review.

[@doriangray2347]

Worth is not a factor for people with money for cars. Is it cool? Is it quality? Is it cooler than other small cars?

[@honestreviewer3283]

Some of these criticisms are fair and overall I think you've produced a good review, but the base Porsche 911 has manual seats and that car's over $100K. Many people prefer manual seats because they're lighter and faster to adjust. As for the cowl shake/flexibility "test" you did, I'm not sure about your methods. MINIs are known for their stiff chassis, even the convertibles (which get additional bracing to compensate). I'd be interested in seeing more research into this, because I haven't seen any other reviewers bring it up.

[@fincherelli73]

2022 has the electronic lsd not sure what this dude is talking about. Jcw clubman has a mechanical lsd . Maybe this one must not have it tho

[@kaw7513]

People buy mini because it’s a mini… you either hate it or love it…

[@anniebo2345]

Why are you driving it?

[@lobster5256]

One problem the Camaro isn’t sold in Europe

[@carbuzzcom]

Ah, then get the Mustang. Or the GTI. Or the i30 N.

[@maximilianrodenbach4490]

… leaving aside the fact that the quality of Camaro is superbly BELOW any European engineered car…

[@davcuts2897]

What a negative review of a great car. Tells me all I need to know about car buzz.

[@mikejames8031]

Veloster is a shit car. It's a Hyundai.

[@jasonsteuer2237]

This is what happens when a cheap guy reviews cars wants everything without paying for it LOL

[@TreesOnTheBeach]

Wow, this is the worst review I've seen on KZbin about the MINI.

[@carbuzzcom]

We offered reasons why we didn't like it.

[@TreesOnTheBeach]

@@carbuzzcom Maybe I was a bit harsh with my comment. It did make some good points.

[@carbuzzcom]

@@TreesOnTheBeach All good. We do say the Convertible is fine, but we'd recommend the base or S model to save money because the JCW is too expensive for what you get.

[@TreesOnTheBeach]

​@@carbuzzcom Wait, I went back and watched it, and I think we both (me included) misinterpreted what I meant. Maybe it was poorly worded. I noticed I'd also given you a "thumbs up." I am pretty certain I meant, "This is the worst review of a MINI that I have seen." I didn't mean your review itself was bad. I meant that I haven't seen many negative reviews of the MINI, but this is one of them. Crazy

[@goranmekota7540]

@@carbuzzcom I would agree even in the hardtop. Specially if used as to make it a competitive hot hatch or even a racing car takes modifications either way, so the price difference is probably better used on modifications to begin with. Though if racing is someone's goal not sure it is the best platform to start building on anyway. However if buying new and wishing to keep the warranty, and want to have a sportier ride even if not the best at using the basic chassis potential, JCW gives you and option.

[@iqsuperkid7523]

Lol hp dose not mean the car is faster

[@carbuzzcom]

If it's the more powerful version of the same car, it does

[@anniebo2345]

Negative

[@kevinantoniomorrison2415]

Not worth it for a convertables. Other make cars convertables are cheaper. Anybody wants to steal that convertable, all they have to do is take a knife and cut the canvas and enter the car. Hard top is better

[@carbuzzcom]

It's a pretty thick roof, but yes, we prefer the hardtop for the cost alone.

[@funzel72able]

What horrible review!