Mini Paceman Cooper S 3dr Car Review - January 2013

The 1.6 litre S petrol engine offers around 184hp which gives the Paceman a willing attitude, especially above 1500rpm. The Paceman’s ride is similarly firm to the Countryman though it does feel improved in parts. Body control is impressive but the steering feels vague and a little on the light side. The driving position is nice and high so you get a good view of the road and you can adjust the driver’s seat and steering wheel adequately to secure a comfortable driving position.

The Paceman Cooper S can reach 62mph in just over 7 seconds, and it has a top speed of 135mph. Unfortunately the Paceman can get a little rowdy; both engine and wind noise intrudes at higher speeds.

The Paceman’s looks probably won’t appeal to everyone, especially if you are a traditionalist when it comes to Minis and prefer the retro look. The Paceman gives off a footballers SUV vibe, whilst maintaining the trademark Mini look, and we think it has worked well. It was designed to appeal to those who prefer the looks of the sportier hatch model, whilst desiring the practicality of the larger Countryman model.

All Mini Paceman models come with a good level of standard equipment which includes, front electric windows, Bluetooth, air-conditioning, rear parking sensors, a digital radio and USB connectivity. With the Mini Paceman Cooper S you get a bunch of other options.

Whilst the purpose of the Paceman is to have a healthy compromise between style and practicality, it is not as practical, or as spacious as the Countryman which was never the most practical of vehicles in the first place anyway. So whilst the Mini is more practical than other Mini model’s, it is far from the top of its class, with both the Audi A3 and the VW Scirocco offering more in this area.

As far as safety is concerned there shouldn’t be any issues, its Countryman brother scored five stars in the Euro NCAP crash tests and given the strong amount of safety equipment that is standard in the Paceman, we expect that it will be just as safe. Reliability should be of a similarly high standard.

The Paceman Cooper S is pretty costly at £22,355 pounds and you feel that the extra pounds are spent on cosmetics rather than any real improvements with regards to the similar Countryman. As with most Minis however, the residual values will be good should you want to sell it down the road.

The 1.6 petrol S engine is reasonably economical and does around 46mpg, though it might be worth looking at some different derivatives if fuel economy is high on your list of priorities.