Jack Cooper

Yes, at the grand age of 25 with zero (0) kids, no partner, a work commute of three miles three times a week, and an average mileage of around 7,000 miles a year (most of which is leisure), I can officially call myself one of those twats that has two cars to his name.  

Does it make any sense in any way whatsoever? Almost certainly not -- this doubles the road tax bill, the insurance, the MOT tests, and the general maintenance required to keep a car running. #YOLO was about the only thing that kept this dream alive.

Why?

I've not bothered telling most people about my new acquisition, because, correctly, it's batshit crazy. Nevertheless, there was and is a reason.

I currently daily drive a lovely 2011 Mini Cooper S, which I adore more than I care to admit. I have to actively monitor myself to make sure it doesn't become 80 percent of my entire personality. It drives like - wait for it - a go-kart, and with its cheeky styling and all-around decent quality, it's something that always puts a huge grin on my face, especially around the slalom of Milton Keynes' roundabouts. 

However, said Mini isn't perfect at everything. It's a small car in case you hadn't noticed, which means even a basic food shop just for myself won't all fit in the boot. And when the time comes to pack up and move out of my current apartment shared with two dear pals of mine, forget it. Also, you can't sit anybody behind me, it's a bit thirsty with petrol at times, and it's not exactly a comfortable cruiser (though not as bad as I originally anticipated). 

What I wanted was the antidote to the Mini. Something soft, large, and economical. Something cheap, too, that I wouldn't worry about if it got dinged in the car park, or even just shoving it off to the scrapper if it hits the fan and only losing a few hundred quid. Bangernomics, albeit 2023 bangernomics where you can't get a decent car for less than £1,000. 

I may be contemptible with two cars, but I'm not a satanist, so SUVs were instantly out of the question. I was naturally drawn to a nice, comfy estate car, and ultimately landed on the mighty Skoda Octavia. The Octavia seems to be a car that ticks all the boxes: it's well-built, well-priced, well-designed, and features parts from the Volkswagen Group -- a company famed (conditionally) for robust, Germanic tools. Plus, I'm starting a new role in Skoda's UK headquarters in March, so it's fate, isn't it?

Meet Gustav, my 2006, 200,000-mile, beige beauty 

Gustav also features the legendary 1.9 PD TDI engine from Volkswagen, which is often cited as one of the best consumer diesel engines ever made. I specifically sought out this engine over the technically superior 2.0 TDI, because the idea of having an engine that will outlive cockroaches is immensely satisfying, and it reduces the risk of things going wrong. Plus, on a more superficial level, it's cool owning a piece of history that'll never be recreated again in a world of strict emissions rules and general distaste of the black pump.

The engine is wonderfully characterful, which is to say it's loud, grumbly, and quite old-fashioned. But it pulls super strong from 1500rpm, will easily return over 60mpg on a run, and, like I say, there's essentially nothing on it to go wrong.

Are there issues? Oh, certainly. In no particular order, we have:

• A faulty throttle pedal position sensor (now fixed with a new throttle pedal)
• Slow puncture on the left front tyre
• Weirdly discoloured driver wing mirror glass
• A rattling left rear speaker
• No air con (hard to tell in the winter but I don't think it blows cold)
• Missing locking wheel nut

Image: lllparts.co.uk

Instead, the Harman Kardon system adds two extra speakers on top of the standard system. Along the A-pillars, you get two small tweeters that deliver high-frequency sound. The idea of having separate speakers for this job allows there to be better audio separation, where each speaker can focus more clearly on its dedicated sound range.

Each door has two speakers. The higher speaker along the armrest specialises in the midrange, whereas the lower speaker delivers bass. Behind the front seats, there are two large speakers on either side that also deliver a more bass-heavy sound. In total, there are eight speakers in the Mini's Harman Kardon sound system, over the standard six.

Sound quality

Overall for such a small car, the sound quality is excellent - as it should be for a premium optional extra setup. The speakers make music a pleasure to listen to with excellent separation between the lows, mids and highs, and don't distort even at unreasonably loud volumes.

I noticed in my previous car (a Vauxhall with a standard system), when I turned the bass up, it became boomy where it needn't be. For example, when listening to the radio, the music will be acceptably bassy, but then when the DJ came on after a song, his or her voice would be way, way too bass-heavy. In the Mini's Harman Kardon setup, though, the bass rumbles when it needs to, but behaves itself when it doesn't. There is seemingly little compromise that needs to be made if you enjoy more of a thump to your tunes.

I wouldn't get too hyperbolic about the system, though. You often see in reviews of luxury cars about their sound system giving a 'concert hall' feeling with the sound giving the journalists what can only be described as an out-of-body experience. The Harman Kardon system here isn't quite that. Its sound pleases you - you may even utter a "nice" under your breath - but it doesn't blow your mind or make your jaw drop. It is, however, leaps and bounds ahead of the average sound system you typically find in superminis.

Image: minimania.com

Any downsides?

We've established that the system is great, which should come as no surprise as something that's a premium option over standard speakers. So, are there any downsides that need to be considered before narrowing your search to just Minis with Harman Kardon?

Firstly, consider that the second-generation Mini still isn't amazing with the build quality. It's without a doubt better than the original BMW Mini, but squeaks and rattles do still remain. Add in the Harman Kardon system with its exceptionally bassy punch, and you find that the speakers can annoyingly rattle the trim when you have the volume up. There's basically nothing you can do about it, either - it's just how they're built. You can turn the bass down to stop things vibrating, but then that does somewhat defeat the point of having premium audio.

I find that the midrange doesn't sparkle quite as much as it could, either. The bass is what impresses you over standard setups, but the mids just sort of exist. They're not bad by any stretch of the imagination, but nor are they obviously better than a half-decent speaker setup in a standard setup. You occasionally see the cliche of sound systems making it feel like you're right there with the band playing, but I wouldn't quite say that's applicable to the Harman Kardon system here.

Final thoughts

Overall, though, the system is awesome. It makes music enjoyable and helps to drown out the admittedly loud road noise from the second-gen Minis. So long as you don't go expecting miracles from an eight-speaker setup in a small car, then the Harman Kardon system will no doubt impress.

Second-generation Minis are getting so cheap these days that there's barely any cost premium over cars kitted out versus basic ones. With that in mind, you'd almost be silly not to try and seek out a Mini with the Harman Kardon setup.

Bear in mind that this was a wholly unscientific review, and that people's sound preferences can differ. But if you were wondering if it is quite simply an upgrade over a standard system, rest assured it definitely is.