Two things that 2005 Mini Cooper Convertible owners need to know about are the rear window and rear visibility. The Mini has both, though one's a bit limited.

The backlight is glass with a standard defogger - a good thing, especially for heartier souls in cold weather climates who plan on running their cars year 'round because it helps improve visibility. But, Mini wraps a pair of aluminum roll bars around the rear seat headrests, and the wide tube bars and solid head rests create two completely blind zones of visibility. Plus, when raised, the Mini Cooper's convertible top has a substantial C-pillar that blocks sightlines.

With the 2005 Mini Cooper Convertible, when driven top down, the stack is low enough to only slightly hinder the rear view, and looking around the rear roll bars/headrests is a simple matter. Top up, it's a narrow field of view to the rear, with a huge blind spot on the passenger side rear quarter.

Rear visibility issues in convertibles are nothing new, of course, and drivers learn to use their mirrors and take a trust-but-verify approach to lane changes. Thankfully, Mini has added one feature to the Cooper Convertible that simplifies life in the big city. Park Distance Control monitors the distance between you and whatever you're backing towards, alerting with beeps as you get closer.

Photography: © Dan Lyons 2004