MINI Cooper

The Mini Cooper in red. (via Mini Cooper website)

"You drove all the way here in that?!"

That's the response I got when I casually mentioned that my wife and I had driven from New York City to Nashville in a MINI Cooper sedan.

What's more, I had a great time all 1,800 miles or so of the roundtrip ride along freeways through hills and valleys cloaked in forests resplendent in their multi-hued autumnal finery.

But enough with the poetry.

The point is that the car performs. As the MINI Cooper ads used to invite, this vehicle makes you want to jump in and start motoring someplace.

("But didn't you feel nervous alongside the big rigs on the highways," asked my sister? Not really. I don't think a midsize sedan or even an SUV would perform any better in a big rig collision than the MINI Cooper, which happens to have 5-star safety ratings for rollovers and side crashes involving front seat passengers.)

So what makes the MINI Cooper worthy of consideration by Green drivers?

For starters, the EPA ranks the MINI as having the best MPG in its class of minicompact cars. My automatic sedan was rated for 25 mpg in the city and 34 in the highway. In hilly terrain with light traffic most of the way, I managed to attain low to mid-30s mpg for much of the journey.

Like the Smart car I reviewed recently, I think that MINI should also get some eco points purely on its small size. It seems logical that making a small car would require fewer raw materials than a large car and MINI has taken the concept a bit further with a minimalist philosophy that includes the use of lightweight and recyclable materials.

From a driving standpoint, the MINI is both comfortable and fun. The sport seats on my test vehicle ($250 extra) were nicely firm and supportive in all the right places. The suspension ate up most of the bumps in the road without so much as a hiccup. The MINI's low, wide stance gave the car stability and traction to spare. I didn't even feel nervous taking the curves at 70 mph in dense morning fog on the hills outside of Charleston, West Virginia.

The view other drivers will see when getting passed by the Mini. (via Mini Cooper website)

From a design standpoint, MINI had me from the moment my hand touched the old-fashioned metal door handle. The doors close with a satisfying thunk and there's something neat going on with the way that the windows automatically seal themselves a fraction tighter once the door is closed and you're ready to roll.

Basically, the MINI just has that premium car feel. There are nifty little touches such as color adjustable mood lights that pop on at night or in cloudy conditions on the roof in front of the rear-view mirror. And I liked the way that the circular gas gauge consisted of little petals arranged in circular formation. Heck, I even liked the way MINI dinged to remind me that the parking brake was on or that I needed to fasten my seatbelt. (You know you're in a fancy car when the ding sounds harmonious.)

Want more evidence that the MINI has little luxe touches? How about the Cold Weather package that included heated mirrors, heated seats and power-folding side mirrors for tight squeezes.

That being said, MINI isn't perfect. What are the drawbacks?

• Being low to the ground may be good for stability and handling, but it means that getting in and out of the car could be hassle for some people. Entering and exiting the Toyota Yaris, for example, was much more of a breeze.

• Acceleration was puzzling. Sometimes the MINI was responsive and agile. Other times - especially on long uphill stretches - I struggled to maintain speed without flooring the accelerator and sending the engine racing. This racing engine issue - which once sent the tachometer soaring toward the red zone - even appeared a couple of times while I was testing the MINI's cruise control, prompting me to turn off the cruise function and rely on manual controls.
  
  

  

  A speedometer so big that the driver behind you may be able to read it. (via Mini Cooper website)

• Sometimes the MINI's design just felt too cute or clever by half. The saucer-sized spedometer in the center of the car never won me over. I would have preferred a smaller and simpler spedometer behind the steering wheel. Even after a week behind the wheel, I sometimes still reached down to roll down the window and forgot that the controls were on the central panel. I would have preferred that the car automatically lock its doors when reaching a certain speed (i.e. 5 mph) as many cars do rather than requiring me to remember to lock the doors manually (again from the central console). I constantly ended up changing the station when I wanted to change the volume on the radio. These are all small quibbles, but it just felt like the designers could have made the car's internal systems - audio, climate, windows - much easier to control. Oh and while the low roofline may make the car aerodynamic and add to its curb appeal, it also makes it a little tough to see stoplights if you're the first car in line without leaning forward and craning your neck upward.

• The MINI is really comfortable for the driver and front-seat passenger, but I tried sitting in the back seat once and I'm convinced that the only passengers who can comfortably use that rear seat would be infants, pets or people who have no legs. I wasn't able to take a photo showing the paucity of rear-seat leg room, but take my word that there were only a few inches between the back of the drivers seat (in my driving position) and the front of the rear-seat cushion. Anyone forced to sit there for long would be at serious risk of deep-vein thrombosis and or claustrophobic breakdown. Now with the back seats folded down, the MINI has quite a decent amount of cargo space, but advertising the car as providing realistic transportation for four adults just seems misleading to me. I almost wish that MINI had just made this a two-seater with a large cargo bay, but I suppose it is nice for parents with young children to have the option of securing car-seated toddlers in the back.

Even though MINI has been in the States since 2002, I guess it's still somewhat of a phenomenon outside big urban areas. From the time I left the greater NYC area, I only noticed one other Mini on my side of the highway until I had practically reached Nashville, at which point a MINI Cooper S (the sportier version) passed me. As he went by, the driver gave a jaunty wave - just the sort of cheery camaraderie one might expect from one MINI driver to another.

Parking, as expected, is a snap in the MINI.

U-turns are a breeze.

After a couple of thousand miles and fighting my way through the gauntlet at the Holland Tunnel back into NYC, I was ready to give up the key to my MINI, but just a couple days later I found myself wishing I could be back behind the wheel. To me, that's a strong endorsement of the MINI's appeal.

Where to buy:

MINI is superbly customizable, although take note that snazzy options like checkered-flag side mirrors can end up costing a bundle if you go crazy with the bells and whistles.That said, you can build the MINI of your dreams online and then send that package to a dealer.

Or just go to a dealer directly and see what they've got in stock.

Note that all that MINI cuteness doesn't come cheap. My MINI Cooper sedan started at $18,550, but with the cold weather package (heated seats, heated mirrors, etc.), automatic transmission and a handful of other options plus destination charge, the total came to $22,800.

Other versions of the MINI have steeper (sometimes much steeper) base prices. The sportier MINI Cooper S starts at $22,300. The MINI Cooper convertible begins has a base price over $24,000. The top-of-the-line MINI John Cooper Works models begin at $28,800.

To put that in perspective, a 5-door automatic transmission Toyota Yaris starts at a shade over $12,000 and you can probably pick one up nicely equipped for less than $17,000.

The MINI has more of a premium feel and is more fun to drive, but on the other hand the Yaris offers better mpg and the actual ability to hold four (or even five) adult humans in relative comfort.

Bottom line -- If you want a fun car with good performance, good comfort, good looks and relatively Green specs - and you never need to transport more than two adults - the MINI could be your perfect fit.

PS - MINI is apparently in the process of field-testing an electric version MINI called (appropriately) the MINI-E, but there's no word yet on when (or if) the electric version will reach dealerships.

Disclosure - MINI loaned me a MINI Cooper sedan to test drive for this review. Unfortunately, I had to give it back when the test was complete.

Revenge Is... Organic and Recycled T-Shirts

This woman appears to be calmly plotting her eco-revenge...

What do you get when you mix eco-friendly organic cotton with recycled PET fiber spun from plastic bottles?

Thanks to Revenge Is...®, you get some seriously soft and comfy t-shirts for men ($32), women ($32) and tots ($21).

Buy a blank shirt to keep your vengeful eco cred undercover, or go for a bold graphic design like my fave, the Earth Day t-shirt.

Usually I would resist spending more than $30 on a t-shirt, but I have to say that the quality and softness of these shirts - plus their eco-friendly materials of course - makes them appealing. I also respect the fact that they are made in the USA and seem built to survive numerous trips through the wash-dry cycle.

For more info on the eco-friendly shipping and manufacturing steps that Revenge Is... has taken for its shirts, check out this page.

With all due respect to George Herbert, English clergyman, who apparently originated the expression "Living well is the best revenge," I think we need to update that sentiment to 21st Century standards and note that living Green may be an even better revenge.

Where to buy:

Get your revenge online via the Revenge Is... website.

Disclosure - Revenge Is... gave me a t-shirt to review.

Electrolux UltraSilencer Green

Electrolux UltraSilencer Green canister vacuum cleaner

In August 2008, I reviewed an energy-efficient Eureka vacuum cleaner called the envirovac.

At the time, I gave the envirovac a thumbs up for performance, design and value. The bagless washable canister and filter meant that the vacuum wouldn't have any obvious recurring costs beyond its ultra-reasonable $72.22 price (via Wal-Mart).

But not everyone likes an upright vacuum. You can be an upstanding citizen (or even a member of the Upright Citizens Brigade) and still prefer a canister vacuum for example. (Here's a webpage by one canister-lover.)

So I was happy to have the chance to test the new Electrolux UltraSilencer Green canister vacuum that debuted in the US just a couple of months ago.

Although it sounds like some sort of weapon that 007 would use to dispatch his enemies in secret, the UltraSilencer Green is actually just a really quiet vacuum (maximum 71 decibels). If other vacuums sound like garbage trucks, the UltraSilencer Green is like a well-tuned Mazda Miata.

The UltraSilencer is not only compact and nicely designed, it's also lightweight and easy to transport around the house. The Electrolux website says the vac tips the scales at approximately 12 lbs. For comparison, Wal-Mart lists the shipping weight of the envirovac as nearly 20 lbs., though the comparison is obviously not apples-to-apples since packaging can certainly add to the shipping weight.

And while Eureka had packaged the envirovac in a recycled box, Electrolux goes one step further by reportedly using 55% recycled materials in the construction of the UltraSilencer Green, while making the vacuum itself 90% recyclable. I love the cradle-to-cradle design philosophy at work here, and Electrolux says that using the recycled materials in building the UltraSilencer Green saves 2 liters of crude oil and 80 liters of water per vacuum cleaner. ((Note that there are various UltraSilencers made by Electrolux. I presume that only the Green one has the recycled/recyclable characteristics.)

From a performance standpoint, I have to admit that I probably like the feel of upright vacuums a bit better, but I did appreciate the light weight and flexibility of the UltraSilencer Green's long hose. With enough use, I'd probably get used to manuevering the UltraSilencer Green around the apartment. Suction was certainly more than adequate enough to pick up small debris from hardwood floors and low-pile carpet. (In fact, the suction was strong enough to lift entire unsecured carpet tiles right into the air!)

I only really have one major gripe about the UltraSilencer Green. Although the Electrolux UltraSilencer Green is advertised as being 1/3 greener than comparable vacuums (presumably canister vacs), its 1250-watt maximum power usage is still significantly higher than the 960-watt needs of the 2008 envirovac. Since I like to that that efficiency marches hand in hand with progress into the future, it would have been nice if the UltraSilencer Green had used fewer than 960 watts, but perhaps canister vacs just have higher power needs (and better suction?) than upright vacs...

Where to buy:

You can buy the Electrolux UltraSilencer Green online through Bed Bath & Beyond for $299.

Disclosure - Electrolux lent me an UltraSilencer Green vacuum to review.

Ivee Bamboo Clothing

Sydney Bamboo Terry Pants in Grey available at IveeStyle.com

Why do I like bamboo?

According to multiple sources (1,2,3), bamboo is -

• Ultrarenewable, one of the fastest-growing plants in the world
• Good at preventing soil erosion
• Easily dyed, with minimal water requirements
• Very hardy, able to survive both drought and flood conditions
• Able to grow with little water
• 100% biodegradable
• Naturally antibacterial

But while much bamboo clothing may be eco-friendly, it's not automatically stylish.

Fortunately, Ivee clothing has used those soft, comfy, body-flattering bamboo threads in its hip, sexy yoga designs to create some mighty appealing pants, tunics, tees and hoodies.

One word of advice for shoppers - these clothes really do hug your curves!

My wife didn't mind the snugness on her pair of Sydney Bamboo Pants ($110). In fact, she found them so comfortable that they moved into regular rotation as one of her favorite pants to wear for lounging around the house. She reported that quality was top-notch and the pants made it through a couple of washes in our industrial-strength apartment building washers and dryers looking good as new.

Kayla bamboo/cotton/spandex tunic available at IveeStyle.com

Meanwhile, I didn't get a chance to check out the Kayla Tunic ($110) or Trinity Terry Hoodie ($112) in person, but the photos look like they'll give anyone some sweet Matrix / Blade Runner ultramodern style.

Our only qualms - The price tags might make it hard to build an entire Ivee wardrobe. I understand that high-priced items sometimes seem intrinsically more desirable, but couldn't Ivee have made its separates a little more affordable, particularly given the fact that they're made in China (a country not exactly known for its exorbitant labor costs).

Where to Buy:

You can order items from Ivee's bamboo clothing line directly through the IveeStyle.com website.

Offline, you can find Ivee clothes at selected retailers including the Sports Club LA (Boston, NYC, San Francisco), Salon Magrit (Palm Beach, FL), O2 Aspen, Dailey Method (West Coast) and Pacific Athletic Club (San Francisco and San Diego).

Disclosure - Ivee gave me a pair of pants to review.

Smart fortwo Passion Cabriolet

Lowering the top on the smart fortwo cabriolet is a breeze

Parking a smart fortwo should be at the top of the list of Easiest Things in the World.

Even if the parking space is lilliputian, even if you have approached it from an odd angle, even if the cars on either side of you are gargantuan trucks, you should be able to squeeze into the space with room to spare.

I must confess that I was a little nervous to test driving the smart fortwo. Yes, I requested a loan of the car. After years of decrying the practice of individual people commuting in massive trucks, I decided it was time to squeeze myself into what is surely the tiniest car on the market today.

The two-passenger smart car's dimensions tell the story. Its total length is less than 9 feet - more than 3 feet shorter than the already compact Mini Cooper. The relative tinyness of the smart fortwo has an interesting effect on interactions with other drivers. You must drive defensively because some drivers will act as if they simply don't see you because it's impossible anything as small as a smart fortwo is actually on the road. On the other hand, there are also drivers who are also so charmed by the smart fortwo's cuteness that they will wave you along and give you some special deference, much as a tiger might refrain from chasing a canary.

Does the smart fortwo feel cramped inside? Not particularly. I stand over 6-feet tall and I had plenty of headroom, enough elbow room and just enough leg room.

Of course, you can't take long road trips in the smart fortwo - unless you put your luggage into a compacting machine first. If you want to see out the (small) rear window, don't count on holding more than your smallest suitcase and a couple of bags of groceries. That's all we managed to fit in the Smart's 7.8 cubic feet of cargo space (up to the belt line).

The smart fortwo coupe. Cute? You betcha.

How about the smart fortwo's design? Cute as a button - and about the same size! :) People will stare. They may start conversations or ask to trade the smart fortwo for whatever gas-guzzler they're driving. Almost every time I parked the smart fortwo, I turned to marvel at how compact and fun it looked next to whatever staid minivan or sedan was parked next to it.

I thought the fit and finish of the inside components was generally pretty good. I liked the bold red accents on the dashboard and control panels.

I was also very impressed with the performance of the Cabriolet roof that opened and closed at the push of a button by sliding along a track at the top of the vehicle.

On the other hand, I would have exchanged the Passion Cabriolet's complicated audio system in a heartbeat for an interval windshield wiper system or cruise control.

So from a looks, design and fit standpoint, I was pretty pleased with the smart fortwo. Then I started driving it.

I had been a little trepidatious based on my advance read of several blogs including Edmunds and The Truth About Cars that excoriated the smart fortwo's transmission, acceleration and handling.

Basically, I wholeheartedly endorse their conclusions. I drove the Smart in urban traffic (Brooklyn, Manhattan), suburban (Long Island) and rural (Hudson Valley). If your commute involves very smooth, straight roads at moderate speeds of 40-50 mph, the smart fortwo could be a good car for you. But if your route involves winding roads, hills, highways where good acceleration is a must or the traffic flows around 70 mph, I would say that the smart fortwo could very well make for a scary ride.

I'm not refering to its size or safety characteristics. Smart has created a great website (SafeandSmart.com) with compelling personal anecdotes about the strength of the car's "safety cell" structure. I fully sort of believe that the safety cage would protect me in a crash, but I'd prefer to avoid getting in a crash in the first place and I had several occasions (off ramps, on ramps, hard turns, occasions that called for acceleration) where I felt that I was lucky to avoid collisions with other vehicles or the landscape in my smart fortwo.

And then there's the small matter of bumps in the road. Both my passenger and I actually had back pain after driving for several hours in the smart fortwo down admittedly very potholed and uneven highways in the NYC metro area. Yes, I blame the highways, but I've ridden electric bicycles that offered a smoother ride at 20 mph on New York's streets.

I could go on to talk about how the 'automated manual transmission' drove me crazy in both full automatic and semi-manual modes. Or about how the vibration and engine noise are exhausting even at low speeds, but you probably get the picture.

It's all a shame since the smart fortwo really is an attractive car from an eco-friendly standpoint. In mostly highway driving, I managed to get around 40 mpg, which is very impressive for a non-hybrid car.

Not only that, but the smart production process is pretty eco-friendly too, including the use of prefabricated modules at the French factory where smarts are produced, plus water-soluble paints, recyclable body panels and a power-coating of the safety cell that eliminates the need for solvents.

Heck, the car even has 'flax-based components' in its dashboard! How cool is that!

The car itself is classified as an Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV). Smart's press materials trumpet the clever design of an electric pump that "blows fresh air into the exhaust port when the engine is cold to almost completely oxidize the carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbons (HC) and render them harmless." Sounds good to me.

Truth be told, I would have a hard time recommending the current generation of the smart fortwo. As this blog attests, I'm pretty passionate about protecting the environment, but I also have minimum comfort and handling thresholds when it comes to assessing a car and smart fortwo didn't meet them.

On the other hand, I'm still excited about the news that smart is planning an electric version of the fortwo, expected to arrive in the US (via pilot programs) in late 2010. With any luck, the electric car will have better and smoother acceleration. If so - and if smart can improve handling and shock absorption - the electric smart car could be a very smart choice indeed.

Where to buy -

Purchase a smart fortwo at a Dealer near you.

The smart fortwo Passion Cabriolet starts at $16,990, but a few options (like power steering) and destination charge brought the model I tested up to just $17,980.

According to the smart website, there is a base Pure Coupe that lists for under $12,000, but expect to pay extra for options such as air conditioning and radio.

Disclosure - Smart USA lent me a smart fortwo Passion Cabriolet to review.