Usually when you purchase an automobile you get what you pay for, especially when it concerns prestige. Shell out 40 to 60 thousand clams and you get something big, a la an SUV or a whale of a luxury car. But how many of us really have that much green to part with, or garages to fit them in for that matter? Those of us who don?t are usually stuck with low-buck, low-flash and low-fun alternatives. Remember the Pinto and Yugo? Thankfully, those days of driving wheeled boxes-o?-death are behind us.

Enter the new 2003 Mini Cooper , a modern version of British race-car-builder John Cooper?s 1961 Mini. Like its ancestor, the new Cooper tackles the conundrum of packing performance into a compact package without breaking the bank.

Does the car perform? You bet, but not in the manner most people equate with performance.

The Mini Cooper?s straight-line acceleration won?t win any stoplight drag races. Its 1.6 liter, OHC 4-cylinder engine produces only 115hp and 110 ft/lbs of torque. Those output figures are good for 1/4 mile times in the high 16 second range and 0-60 times of around 9 seconds if using the standard 5-speed manual transmission. You will be using the manual to get this little car going, a lot. Things don?t get exciting under the hood until the revs reach 4000 rpm, which is where you really start to feel the engine make useable power. You?ll be rowing through the gears often to stay in the engine?s narrow powerband. But that shouldn?t be a problem for most, as banging through the gears on Midland Power Train?s manual tranny is a joy.

With very little effort required of the driver to operate the clutch, gear changes are quick and precise. Those who want the easy operation of an automatic with the occasional gear flicking fun of a manual transmission should opt for Mini?s 6-speed Steptronic CVT transmission. Performance generally suffers while using these types of transmissions when compared with manuals, but only by a smidge.

If all that gear banging gets you in a little trouble, say 100 mph worth, you can count on the Cooper?s stellar brakes to slow things down. The car?s vented front/solid rear ABS assisted disks exhibit very little fade during repeated hard stops and excellent pedal feedback.

Any lack of oomph on the part of the engine is easily made up for by the car?s handling characteristics and this is where the Mini Cooper really shines. The design team definitely did their homework, as the front-wheel-drive Cooper exhibits phenomenal handling prowess and very little understeer. This car loves to be tossed around corners and is as sure footed as a mountain goat traversing the Himalayas. Steering inputs are precise and quick, with the car?s nose immediately pointing in the direction it?s instructed to go. Feedback from the front wheels is quite good, despite the car?s use of power-assisted steering. Body lean during high-speed maneuvers is minimal, a credit to the car?s front MacPherson strut and multilink rear suspension arrangement.

The car also has very little in the form of front and rear overhang, as all four of the Cooper?s wheels are tucked close to the corners, a design feature that increases vehicle stability during rapid changes in lateral force. Tackling arcing freeway onramps at twice the posted speed limit or carving corners in an SCCA event is easily doable in the Mini Cooper, even on its standard 15″ rims and Dunlop 175/65 series all season tires.

Entry into the Mini Cooper is effortless, with the car?s two doors able to open in a wide 80 degree arc. Settle into the Cooper?s front seats and you?re in for a treat. The high-quality leatherette material they?re made of totally ensconces passengers and provides sufficient airflow to allow proper breathing. There?s nearly an infinite number of seating positions, all adjustable via three manual levers. The seats also feature exceptional lumbar support, which is a good thing, since many owners of the Cooper will no doubt take their cars out on vacation trips or long drives. Sadly, the seats? lateral support is a bit lacking though, an inexcusable oversight on the part of the manufacturer given the car?s handling prowess.

The things BMW and Rover (the two manufacturers who were responsible for the new Mini?s design) did pay special attention to must?ve been the instrument cluster and interior controls. Although they take a little getting used to, the Mini?s speedometer cluster, which sits in the middle of the dash and includes odometer, fuel and water temperature gauges, and steering column mounted tachometer are ringed with what looks like brushed aluminum. Very classy. They feature grey numerals upon a white face, a color combination that?s easily readable in direct sunlight. At night the gauges are set afire in a pleasing reddish/orange glow. An optional trip computer situated inside the tachometer is a nifty gadget some might enjoy. It?ll calculate just how low your gas mileage will be if you keep the pedal to the metal.

A six speaker sound system comes standard on the Mini Cooper, with the AM/FM CD audio deck situated below the speedometer cluster. For the most part, the sound system?s controls are intuitive and easy to operate. It did take about 15 minutes to figure out how to adjust the volume setting. Unlike the other controls, the volume control was unmarked and placed in the most inconspicuous spot on the stereo?s face, the upper left corner. BMW needs to rethink the Cooper?s volume control, as it?s the only rotary knob present on a stereo face populated by buttons. But other than that minor gripe, the car?s stereo is awesome.

The Cooper?s air conditioner is also top notch and will have no trouble keeping the most warm-blooded assengers cool. If Tim Taylor ever tinkered with an air conditioner, this is it because the fan is extremely powerful. It even circulates air better than the climate control systems found in up-scale Japanese imports.

Front legroom in the Mini is accommodating, though persons with larger than average feet may find the driver?s side a little confining. There?s also generous headroom, with the car makers taking into consideration front passengers taller than six feet.

The rear quarter of the Mini is where the car?s short length becomes painfully apparent, especially when taller-than-average front passengers enter the equation. With the front seats locked in the full back position, there?s no legroom whatsoever for rear passengers. Move a little further aft and below the hatchback and space becomes even sparser. There you?ll find a trunk with 5.3 cu. ft. of space, just enough room to accommodate a set of golf clubs. Fold down the backs of the 50/50 split rear seats and the Cooper?s maximum trunk storage increases to 23.7 cu. ft., or just enough room to hold the luggage of a vacationing couple.

Outward visibility in the Mini Cooper is adequate, with the best views coming from the front windshield when the car enters corners at speed. The short, steep rake of the car?s hood allows driver and passenger a relatively unobstructed view of the road, a must have when finding the right line through the next s-curve. Rear visibility doesn?t fair as well. Glance over your shoulder and you get an eyeful of the back seat?s large headrests.

Though a visual nuisance, the front and rear headrests are there to minimize whiplash injuries, should the car be struck from behind. Additionally, front and side impact airbags for front occupants are standard safety equipment. Mini?s Advanced Head Protection System II, side curtain airbags in laymen?s terms, also come standard.

With so many features listed as standard equipment on the Mini Cooper?s build sheet the car?s price must be stratospheric, especially considering it?s a British marquee under the guidance of a German automaker. If you think a feature packed mini-Bimmer with an intro MSRP less than $17k is too much, there?s a Yugo around the corner with your name on it. Who said driving prestige came at a price premium?