MINI Cooper SD

fuel

So what mpg did you get in your test? I bet it wasn't anywhere near 65.7. Isn't it about time there was some sort of real world mpg figure for the poor punter to base any decision on, rather than the mythical official figure?

By fleabane on 26 April, 2011, 9:16am

You just can't help yourselves

Why oh why can't you just stick to the facts, instead of saying 'you drove one of the first examples'?

I've owned mine for 4 weeks, if you really wanted to drive one of the first examples you could have gone to a dealer a couple of months ago instead of going on the presser day with all other journo's.

Other than that, not a bad write up on the car itself, but we don't need the added crap.

By rakey7 on 26 April, 2011, 9:19am

Yes all great but......

On the face of it, the Mini SD looks like an outstanding car, relatively nippy and frugality which is class leading for the CC of the engine, and if i had the cash i would get one, but that's exactly where the problem lies.

Once you spec'd it up, Chilli pack, Media pack and a few other bits (sport pack a necesity in my view), your looking at a £24k price tag!!

If you had the media pack thrown in for the £18.5k base model it wouldn't be such a sting and wouldn't feel too hard done by but £24k for a supermini doesn't sit well.

I'd rather save £3k and get a couple of year old Golf GTD. More space, refinement and almost as fun to drive.

By drewbagz on 26 April, 2011, 9:41am

MINI OR MAXI?

Got to be the biggest contradiction... a car called Mini, yet for choice of engine, they give it a Maxi 2.0 litre diesel, just when every other manufacturer makes do with 1.4 - 1.6 litre diesels. I won't be surprised if they offer a hotter version with +170bhp in the future. As for economy, the figures quoted are because of the extra high top gear that a diesel affords a car due to its maximum torque peaking at 2,000rpm.

By CyprusYid on 26 April, 2011, 9:48am

Excellent diesel S

My wife is currently running a Cooper SD, whilst I own a petrol S.
Whilst the power delivery is different, obviously, the SD is an excellent diesel.

To respond to the comments made: My previous car was a BMW 123d Msport, I managed to get exactly the listed figures whilst driving, boring doing it, but possible. We've not done an economy run in the SD, but I'm sure it's capable of what MINI have stated.
Options-wise, I would spec a Chilli pack, but the rest is up to you. Yes MINI's are not cheap, but they have the best residual values and are the best built small car available.
Gold GTD, yes you'll have a bigger boot, but the MINI engine is far more refined than a VAG unit (it's based on the award winning BMW unit), and considerably better at handling.
If you do the milage for a diesel and need a nippy fun car, there's nothing to beat it.

By FactoryWorks on 26 April, 2011, 11:32am

Fabia vRS

The Skoda Fabia vRS was putting out 130bhp in 2003 for £12k.

Oh and a note to journalists... You can't compare the torque of petrols and diesels! Diesels have taller gearing so the torque at the wheels is less than a petrol with the same flywheel torque.

By LarryH on 26 April, 2011, 11:44am

They get you coming or going, don't they ?

Never give a sucker a break. I had always thought that possibly my next car would be a diesel. 65mpg sounds out of this world, but then they manage to get any savings out of you up front. Typical, there must be politicians involved within the inner workings of car companies.

By jgvpc on 26 April, 2011, 1:26pm

Just missed the point

I bought a Mini Cooper Diesel in March, 99g/Km, so zero tax and I can offset the purchase price 100% against my tax in the first year.

The MCS diesel is 112g/Km that's outside the 110g/Km limit so no offset on tax, I can't see it offers much more than the Cooper D . Also the Cooper D is only 15Kgs heavier than the petrol Cooper most people would not even feel any difference in the handling.

By andyl999 on 26 April, 2011, 5:00pm

Just missed the point

I bought a Mini Cooper Diesel in March, 99g/Km, so zero tax and I can offset the purchase price 100% against my tax in the first year.

The MCS diesel is 112g/Km that's outside the 110g/Km limit so no offset on tax, I can't see it offers much more than the Cooper D . Also the Cooper D is only 15Kgs heavier than the petrol Cooper most people would not even feel any difference in the handling.

By andyl999 on 26 April, 2011, 5:11pm

Just missed the point

I bought a Mini Cooper Diesel in March, 99g/Km, so zero tax and I can offset the purchase price 100% against my tax in the first year.

The MCS diesel is 112g/Km that's outside the 110g/Km limit so no offset on tax, I can't see it offers much more than the Cooper D . Also the Cooper D is only 15Kgs heavier than the petrol Cooper most people would not even feel any difference in the handling.

By andyl999 on 26 April, 2011, 5:48pm

Very satisfied customer!

I've owned a Cooper SD for a month now, having eagerly upgraded from a 2008 model, PSA-engined Cooper D. Whilst I've never owned nor driven a current generation petrol Cooper S, and so cannot draw comparison to that particular car, I can say with conviction that the noticeable increase in performance between the two diesel cars is huge, and makes the SD seem utterly effortless in any gear. It is certainly rapid enough to feel like a genuine 'hot hatch' in my book.
I did have initial concerns that the car might feel a touch blunted and nose-heavy with the significantly larger engine up front, but thankfully it is every bit as nimble and darty as my older Cooper D, with more satisfying feeling steering when in 'sport' mode.

The icing on the cake for me is that, despite having only covered 1200 miles so far, with a combination of motorway trips, town use and some unrestrained blasts down country lanes, I am averaging about 50 MPG at the moment (I only used to get mid-50s from my Cooper D at its peak), and hopefully this should improve further with more miles! Definitely a 'best of both worlds' scenario as far as I'm concerned, and I couldn't be happier with my choice.

By Rich1981 on 26 April, 2011, 6:51pm

wake up bmw

When are BMW going to wake up that the british motoring public are not all stupid. A 12litre truck running full will do the same mpg as a 9 litre truck fully loaded because diesels work best under load.
So why put a 2litre in a medium sized car when several other manufacurers are using smaller capacity engines. And hen are BMW going to admit this is NOT a MINI but more like a MAXI.
Take the chartade 3 cyl turbo diesel many years ago was a great little car.
WAKE up BMW!!!

By del55 on 26 April, 2011, 8:12pm

How refreshing to read comments from real live owners, and real world experiences. There was a MAXI in the very original Mini and that was the fun. The Mini rang true with a tiny footprint, small price, and light weight. After the bones were picked up and the name started a BMW'ising course, the mini and maxi have swapped. You can no longer get 4 regular adults in a Mini, with a bigger footprint. Of course new engineering, modern manufacturing, safety systems, [much] bigger engines have all made the Mini better, but also MUCH heavier, and a MUCH dearer proposition to buy. The comment above.....24K for an optioned Mini.........for basically TWO seats makes you scratch. your head. Maybe a 1litre engine with twin turbo's would do the business.....more power, better economy, less pollution. BMW know lots about putting twin turbo's on diesels. [200bhp/400nM??] They always had this demented distraction with getting 100bhp/ltr naturally aspirated from a petrol engine. Anyone remember? Not much to do with a MCSD either :-(

By barina47 on 27 April, 2011, 11:20am

More comments

Initial road tax is Nil for a Cooper SD, then £30/year, excellent for the performance.

The Skoda Fabia was almost a second and a half - to 60 slower than the new Cooper SD.

The entire range of products by MINI have and continue to sell very well, the company is a British success story. I have fitted five rugby players in a MINI (I'm 6' 2"). As with all supermini cars, you just need to adjust the seats correctly. If you want a tiny MINI, wait for the Rocketman in a few years.

By FactoryWorks on 28 April, 2011, 7:40am

mini v fabia vrs

my fabia vrs was chipped for 250 quid by angel tuning

By bluequake on 28 April, 2011, 9:08am

mini v fabia vrs

my fabia was tuned to 160 bhp and had a 0 to 60 of 7.5 seconds and 55 mpg at 75 mph on motorway
all for 11 500 and was 100 per cent reliable for 4.5 years
and when you saw off a gti or mini it left u grinning
Beaten by a skoda...you cant buy that with a mini sorry to say

By bluequake on 28 April, 2011, 9:13am

Shame

I loved the BMW mini when it was launched and promised myself I'd get one - but I never did for a number of reasons, mainly based on the price / lack of essential equipment at that high price and rumours of poor reliability despite the high perceived build quality.
Now the Cooper SD is here I'm tempted again, and a trip to the dealership to have a go almost won me over.
But the car is over 20K with what I regard as essential equipment for a car of that price - even trivial equipment such as front fog lamps are optional extras!
And why is only the 143 BHP engine being used? Maybe the cynical among us are expecting the announcement of a Cooper Works SD with closer 200BHP for over 20K (like the BMW 1 series already has)?
I think the biggest thing putting me off buying one is the realisation that I would have been suckered by the BMW marketing machine.

By gavsmit on 1 May, 2011, 6:37pm

Tight Fit

Quote: "I have fitted five rugby players in a MINI (I'm 6' 2"). As with all supermini cars, you just need to adjust the seats correctly."

FactoryWorks, either the other four rugby players must have been 2 hands higher than a banty hen or adjusting the seats correctly must have entailed removing them from the car. I sat in the back of a 1.6 Mini diesel on a week-long holiday tour with three others around my size (5'8", 10-12 stone I reckon) and after the first 50 miles, I and my fellow passenger in the back had virtually lost the use of our legs. And don't start me on where you are meant to put luggage.

We shared the driving and I have nothing but praise for the way it drove, even with the smaller diesel engine.

But to suggest it is a viable compromise choice for a family is pushing it.

By FloatingVoter on 2 May, 2011, 8:56am

yes, it looks trendy like all minis do but come on 20k + for a reasonable spec its only a mini,sorry (small BMW). and im yet to find they hold onto there value when you part/ex at a dealer,dealers just sell used ones very highly priced.

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By djalkj on 3 May, 2011, 9:30am

We're discussing the default car, not modding/chipping options. Skoda's can be chipped to 160 BHP, great, the BMW 118D engine is normally chipped to 171 BHP, if you want to do that. The VRS was (just) faster around a track than an original MINI Cooper, not the S or JCW's. The new turbo engines cars are even faster still (the new S is as fast as the previous JCW - most new petrol S's dyno default at 200BHP+).

Back onto the topic: I think if they'd used the twin-turbo 200 BHP, high torque engine from the 123D (my previous car) they'd have had something with massive performance. I suspect the torque-steer would have been horrible though and softening the suspension to deal with that would impact the fun handling.

LOL @ the rugby player comment. :) We did only do a few miles. I'd not want to do 50 miles with 'the lads' in the back! MINI hatches are never going to be family size cars - I'd want a Countryman or 5 series for that, but it is surprising what you can fit in them (main thing to change is the seat height which compromises rear comfort.

Looking at the pricing, you're right in looking at the residual values. BMW/MINI are always going to be at the top end of their markets. The performance diesel 1-series I had was the best part of £30K+ when new, but worth every penny.

By FactoryWorks on 4 May, 2011, 3:29pm

vRS

i dont know where your getting a standard fabia vrs 0 - 60 in 9.6 seconds...mines is running 138hp standard! and recorded 0-60 in 7.6. 200 quid gets you a remap to around 175- 185 hp. and the great feeling of winning in a skoda!

By vRSgordon on 15 September, 2011, 3:28pm

vRS

oh and only reason the skoda just beat a normal mini is because jeremy clarkson was redlining a diesel????? change at 3800rpm and its a totally different story. the PD130 engine was waaaaaay ahead of its time and is still a better enigne with less faults than modern ones.

By vRSgordon on 15 September, 2011, 3:30pm

Love it

Chopped in my petrol Cooper S Clubman for ab SD hatch a week ago and love it. Only a tiny fraction down on performance but is returning 55mpg :o)

By fastpep1 on 10 October, 2011, 7:33pm