So what’s an ideal San Francisco car? You’ll think 1.expensive, 2.European, 3.maybe four-wheel drive. And most days, you’d be right.

But today I’ll tell you why BMW’s new Mini-Cooper is the perfect car for our city. It’s European, but it’s not four-wheel drive and it definitely isn’t expensive (high teens to mid-20s). I’ve had one for over a year, and more than 10,000 miles, so this is our family’s long-term experience. It’s our favorite car for many reasons, centered on its versatility and driving characteristics.

The first things you notice when you drive a Mini are the smiles and thumbs-up gestures from onlookers. Then you encounter another new Mini – the owner waves and you wave back. It’s like you’ve joined a secret club, reminiscent of the 50s when the first buyers of MG’s and VW’s shared their little secret.

When you sit behind the wheel, you’ll see an interior that looks like no other car. It’s cartoon-like, but you soon discover that it’s absolutely serious and functional.

The Mini was designed by an American named Frank Stephenson, to be a thoroughly modern car in the spirit of the original, which first appeared in 1959. Most observers would say he succeeded. The new one is bigger, but still the shortest car sold in America by a big margin. It’s a two-door, four-seater, but the rear seating is a tad tight. It’s also a hatchback, with a fold-down rear seat, so it functions as a mini wagon. So far, a great multi-purpose city car.

Highway performance? Outstanding, especially if you like crisp, agile small cars. Mine is a five-speed, un-supercharged, and acceleration is plenty brisk. On the highway it’s very happy between 80-90 mph, and has a maximum of 125! The ride is firm but comfortable, the seat’s superb, and the steering (power) is the sharpest, best, I’ve ever experienced.

For the Mill Valley to Stinson Beach run it’s as much fun as a car could be – safe and secure, too. This remember, is our experience with the non-supercharged car. The Cooper S adds 48 horsepower (over the standard 115), increases the top speed to 135, reduces acceleration times, and comes with a stiffer suspension. I chose the standard car because I thought its power was adequate and I liked the moderate firmness of the suspension. The standard car might even make your driver’s license last longer!

Reliability? I haven’t had a single thing go wrong. A J.D. Power survey released a few weeks ago suggested the Mini had more problems than average. I submit to you that the average quality of cars today is so high, driven by those J.D. Power surveys, that there’s no such thing as a troublesome car in the old sense. So you can reasonably ignore the rankings and buy what you truly like.

The quick steering and short wheelbase make those "hero" U-turns to get the empty parking space very easy to execute. And the short overall length makes parking itself a non-chore.
In its August 2003 issue, the outspoken British magazine CAR listed their best-cars-to-drive. Their number one pick: Porsche 911 Turbo. Number two: Mini Cooper S. Number three: Ferrari Enzo. Other interesting rankings: Mercedes SL55 AMG #8; Porsche Boxster S #15; BMW M-3 #18; Subaru WRX STi #21; Lamborghini Murcielago #22; Mini Cooper (non S) #30; Ferrari 456 #31; BMW Z4 #37. And so on, up to #100, a Land Rover Freelander Diesel.

This extraordinary rating clearly shows that the Mini Cooper "punches above its weight." It’s destined for a long production life, and is already attracting a loyal cadre of owners. More models will soon be available, the first of which will be a convertible in a year or so.

It’s not even offered in some U.S. cities yet, but here it’s already well known and popular. So as usual, we San Franciscans are ahead of the pack, and keeping marketing experts on their toes.

Martin Swig is a former San Francisco new-car dealer who now presents the internationally-celebrated California Mille and other historic car events. When not organizing historic car tours or competing in historic car racing, he lives in Sausalito with his wife, Esta, and their two children. Call him at 415-479-9950.