Why do you drive? Do you drive for work? Or do you drive for fun? You know – you’re the kind of driver who relaxes with a nice long trip. Any long weekend or work vacation means that you’re going somewhere. You look for that driving experience and you need driving to be fun. If this description is a perfect match for you, then you need to take a serious look at the 2009 Mini Cooper. The 2009 Mini Cooper model year has been completely redesigned, leading to a high performance model with a turbocharged engine, better brakes and fresher styling. Overall, these features all add up to a fun driving experience.

Now, this isn’t to say that this is a car for everyone. Say you need to carry your friends or family members around in the back seat all the time. If this is the case, get another car – unless you’re carpooling with the Lollipop Guild from Munchkin Land. Don’t get it? Let me make it clearer – the backseat is cramped. If you need to haul people or cargo, you need to look elsewhere. There are also some road noise issues and the level of luxury – while not bad, per se – is exceeded by other offerings.

On the plus side, this car has a positive personality that will appeal to a wide range of drivers. And by that, I mean drivers who seek out a driving experience. The base Mini Cooper has a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that will give the driver 118 horsepower and 114 pound-feet of torque to play with. Now, if you want to step up to the John Cooper Works, you’ll find it equipped with a redone version of a turbocharged motor that puts out 208 hp and 192 lb-ft of torque.

With these specs, the Cooper S has been timed at 6.5 seconds from zero to 60. But consider the base coupe for a moment. Mini says that it’ll do the 0-60 in 8.5 seconds, which is really good when you consider the other draw of the car – its remarkable fuel economy, which will give you 28 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway. These are the figures that come with the manual transmission. If you go to the Cooper S or the John Cooper Works, you’ll get 26 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway. Add that to the performance and you’ll see why this really is a fun car.

Of course, a small, powerful car that gets good fuel economy means something else – a light car, which usually means a less safe car. Not here. Granted, this is no tank, and there won’t be any serious demolition derby competitors out there choosing the Mini. But there’s nothing wrong with a safety rating of four stars out of a possible five for frontal crash protection. The Mini’s side-impact tests turned in a perfect five stars for front side protection and four stars for rear occupants, making it a great choice for fun-loving singles or for small, growing families everywhere.