Mini Cooper

The miles are racking up very quickly in our new mini Cooper, probably because it’s such a desirable car to drive in almost every situation. messrs Cropley and Hallett have both  taken it on long drives running into hundreds of miles each and have sung its praises when returning the keys.I have quickly racked up a couple of thousand miles myself during runs between bracknell and Norwich, my
home city and home of the football team I support. (before you ask, no I don’t know Delia and please try not to read the rest of these words with an Alan partridge voice in your head…)On the football pitch, Norwich got relegated last year to the Championship (which has 24 teams) from the premier League (20 teams), which means more games and more trips to Norwich for my mini and me. Four in the space of a fortnight in late August, in case you were wondering.

Once I’d reeled off the spec of our mini in my first report (3 September), there was only space for a brief single thumbs up on what it’s like to drive. I can now emphatically put the other thumb up; it’s early days, but this really is proving to be a lovely car to drive and live with.

the route between berkshire and Norfolk is a good one to show the mini’s depth of ability. there is a city at each end of the route, the m4, m25 and dual carriageways in the middle and the odd single-lane A-road with tractors to negotiate thrown in. this may be 2014, but until the widening of the A11 is finished in the winter, you still can’t drive from the capital to Norwich exclusively on dual carriageways… I digress. the mini shines on this route. the new three-cylinder engine is now nicely run in and displaying an excellent breadth of ability.

Smooth and quiet at a cruise, it also provides potent acceleration both off the line and in gear. A crackly exhaust note when coming off the throttle in Sport mode and one of the slickest six-speed manual gearboxes around are other big plus points. economy is creeping up, too; we’re at 46mpg now, with plenty of enthusiastic driving contributing to that figure.

that fun is replicated in the dynamics. the ride is firm but never uncomfortable, and I haven’t driven a car with such a pointy front end and willingness to be tucked into a corner since our old Suzuki Swift Sport.this mini may be bigger than ever, but it’s still a doddle to drive around the city. the weighting and intuitiveness of the major controls such as the steering, pedals and so on all make it an easy car to position, and all-round visibility is good, making it easy to park. that engine will also help you win most traffic light grands prix going.

As I mentioned briefly in my first report, the only real issue so far has been with tyre roar. A few of you with new minis have reported the same thing, the common theme being the michelin energy Saver tyres. those with minis shod in Dunlops report no such problems. I know what I’ll be opting for when new tyres are due.

Mini Cooper

Price £15,300
Price as tested £22,034
Economy 46.0mpg
Faults None
Expenses None
Last seen 3.9.14