2003 MINI Cooper S

True story. The other day we were driving this blue MINI Cooper S in traffic, when another motorist, a man around 40, motioned to us to roll down a window. This happens often when driving a MINI. Usually people want to ask how fast it is, or compliment the car's styling. "Cute" is the most common adjective you hear.

This guy wasn't the usual, however. He asked us if the MINI was electric.

"Electric?" we said. "No, it's powered by a supercharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder, rated at 161 hp."

He was shocked. No, confused. He just stared at us for a second, with a look of disbelief on his face.

"But it's so small," he said. "How much is it?"

"Twenty-thousand dollars," we said, thinking he'd be impressed at its affordability, like everyone else on planet Earth.

But he wasn't.

"Twenty thousand for such a small car," he shot back. "This car cost $20,000 and it's, like, twice the size."

He was driving a beige four-cylinder Camry with a beige interior.

Some people just don't get it.

For those of us who do get it, the MINI Cooper S is a fantastic drive at an almost unbeatable price. No, it's not the fastest car out there, and in colors like our robin egg blue test car, it can be cutesier than we'd like, but drive this little car hard, and it rewards the driver like few cars can.

Engineered by BMW, the MINI Cooper S has that tied-to-the-road feeling, and almost telepathic steering that so often makes the cars from Bavaria benchmarks for stability and feedback. Our blue tester wore the optional 17-inch wheels and run-flat tires, which actually slow the car's acceleration and take its already stiff highway ride and make it a real spine bender. If you buy a Cooper S, go with the standard 16-inch rubber.

Power delivery is linear, thanks to the supercharger, and the six-speed gearbox, while geared a bit tall, shifts beautifully and makes this little car a good long distance cruiser.

Inside, there's a surprising amount of room and the fit and finish are up to BMW standards. We'd prefer a more conventionally placed speedo than our testers softball-sized dial in the center of the dash (cars with the optional nav system get a speedo in front of the driver), but the tach is right where it should be, dead ahead of the driver, and the toggle switches that work the windows and traction control are just cool.

Sure, this very small car is on the plump side, weighing more than 2,700 pounds, but it's a true blast to drive hard. Plus, it has a hood scoop. And we like hood scoops.