2007 Mini Cooper S

Cute and fun to drive are a tantalizing combo, and thus executive editor Matt Stone has been unable to resist the allure of the Mini. "I loved our previous long-term Mini, and I think I like this one even more. As much as I'm a hard-core stick-and-clutch guy, this automatic is really good--you get standard drive, Sport drive, paddles, and a manumatic shift lever. Plus, automatics get along well with turbocharged engines if the shift-mapping and engine management is done right, which this one is."

It wasn't all smiles, though, for Stone. "Too bad there's so much torque steer. And the switchgear for the HVAC system is a case of function follows form -- it all looks trick, but the tiny, poorly lit rocker switches are made of slippery plastic and a pain to use, and the steering wheel obscures much of the top of the tach, whatever position the tilt is set at. Why?"