We're not sure how we ended up on Mulholland Highway with the 2012 Fiat 500, but the little red hatchback is taking the abuse well. We chuck it into corner after corner, and it always takes a set (eventually) and then gathers itself up for the next challenge. As economy cars go, this Rosso Cinquecento is a gamer.

So is the 2011 Mini Cooper. There's no turbocharger or optional sport suspension on this base Cooper hardtop, but it doesn't matter. The Mini reacts to steering inputs like a good hitter who gets a fastball down the middle of the plate: It turns on them immediately and delivers us to the apex quicker than we expected.

Maybe we're missing the point of the Fiat 500 and Mini Cooper, hammering on them like this. These are already hip cars. They don't get more hip when you put a sweaty Inside Line editor in the cockpit.

Eventually, though, the puppy-dog cuteness will wear off, and you'll want to be left with a hatchback you actually like driving — rather than a tiresome pet car you wish you'd never brought home....

It's easy to look at 2012 Fiat 500 and 2011 Mini Cooper and think the Fiat never had a chance in this comparison test.