Mini Cooper Hatchback full 9 point review

  • Performance

    4 out of 5 stars

    Review-OnRoad The 120bhp 1.6 in the Cooper is lively, smooth and responsive. The 108bhp Cooper Diesel is flexible, but nowhere near as much fun to thrash as the petrol. The Cooper S's turbocharged 1.6 gives 181bhp for hot-hatch performance, but the SD, with a 141bhp 2.0-litre diesel, is neither fast nor flexible enough. The John Cooper Works version ups the ante to a blistering 208bhp, and it's sensationally quick.

  • Ride & Handling

    4 out of 5 stars

    Review-OnRoad Whichever version you go for, the Mini is a hoot to drive. It's great fun on twisty roads thanks to go-kart handling and well weighted, informative steering. It's also easy to drive around town, and although there's a firm edge to the ride, it's never choppy or uncomfortable.

  • Refinement

    3 out of 5 stars

    Review-OnRoad The petrol engines are smooth and cultured, even when worked hard, but the diesels, particularly the SD, sound a bit gruff. The Mini also lets in too much road noise at anything above walking pace, and there’s quite a bit of wind noise on the motorway. The gearshift is slick, although it’s too easy to select reverse when you really want first.

  • Buying & Owning

    5 out of 5 stars

    Review-Ownership It's not cheap, and you can forget about discounts, yet the Mini still makes great financial sense. Few cars in this class hold their value as well, and fuel, contract hire and company car tax bills are all extremely low. For a nominal one-off fee, you can also have Mini's TLC package, which covers all routine servicing costs for five years or 50,000 miles.

  • Quality & Reliability

    4 out of 5 stars

    Review-Ownership The Mini has a premium image, but although much of the cabin trim looks the part, some of the materials and switchgear are disappointingly plasticky. The Mini has always scored well in the JD Power Customer Satisfaction Survey (finishing a creditable second in class in 2011) and in our own reliability surveys, so it should prove to be dependable.

  • Safety & Security

    4 out of 5 stars

    Review-Ownership The Mini has a five-star Euro NCAP crash-test rating and all models have front, side and cabin-length head airbags. You also get ISOFIX child seat mountings, and importantly, stability control is standard throughout the range. The Mini has most of the security parts that make BMWs so hard to steal.

  • Behind The Wheel

    3 out of 5 stars

    Review-Cabin The driver's seat is comfy and there's a wide range of adjustment for both that and the steering wheel, but the dash is far too fussy. The huge central speedo is hard to miss, but the stereo and heater controls are difficult to read and awkwardly placed. The retro toggle switches put style above ease of use.

  • Space & Practicality

    3 out of 5 stars

    Review-Cabin The Mini has lots of head- and legroom for those in front and reasonable space for two rear passengers. However, getting in and out of the rear seats requires a fair degree of dexterity, because the door opening is low and narrow. The boot is small, with room for just a couple of holdalls, although the 50/50 split rear-seat back folds for more space.

  • Equipment

    3 out of 5 stars

    Review-Cabin The Cooper gets air-conditioning, electric windows and mirrors, remote central locking, alloy wheels and a CD player as standard. The Cooper S adds a range of sporty design touches to the bodywork, along with sports seats and a Sport button. You can also add several option packs, such as the Media and Sport Packs.

Cooper rivals

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