MINI One

If the MINI has achieved one thing during its time with us so far, it's been the near complete conversion of big-car lovers. Even those who fear driving on a motorway without at least two metres of metal in front of them have fallen for the MINI's charms, while fellow staffers with kids and all the associated junk that goes with them have found themselves making excuses to borrow it.

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By Lesley Harris

July 2003

If the MINI has achieved one thing during its time with us so far, it's been the near complete conversion of big-car lovers. Even those who fear driving on a motorway without at least two metres of metal in front of them have fallen for the MINI's charms, while fellow staffers with kids and all the associated junk that goes with them have found themselves making excuses to borrow it.
Shortly after the last report, I booked RJ52 BOU in for its first service at Holland Park BMW in west London. Now, the last time I took a Mini in for a service it was an old-shape Cooper - a vehicle that was far and away the most unreliable motor I've ever owned. To compound this, it was looked after by a garage that appeared to have absolutely no interest in cars. Suffice to say, I was expecting a little more this time around.
Given that we devote a lot of column inches to slack dealers and woeful customer service, I'm pleased to report that the whole experience was a pleasure. The first thing that struck me was how slick the operation is. All MINIs (and current BMWs) hold their essential data in a chip embedded in the ignition key, which is updated every time you start the car. All the service manager had to do was put our key into a computer terminal and look at the screen. Amazingly, up popped all the mileage information along with details relating to the car's colour and even the options fitted. Not only did this let the service guys know exactly what they were dealing with, but it also saved me 10 minutes of form filling. Result.
Three hours later, it was ready to collect. Thankfully, the garage had fixed the faulty electric windows that would drop without warning when locked, and even took the time to explain why they had gone wrong - it's to do with a faulty anti-trap sensor and is a quick warranty fix. The car was also spotlessly clean inside and out and, best of all, there was nothing to pay - the big ad-vantage of taking out MINI's brilliant 'tlc' package.
Two weeks later, I received a phone call from Holland Park asking me to score all aspects of its service out of five. I wasn't keen as I was pushing a trolley around my local supermarket at the time, but I figured that without feedback from customers, we can't really expect dealers to improve their service. So if you saw a mad woman walking around Cobham Sainsbury's shouting the words four and five at random, it was me.
In general, life with our MINI One has been near perfect. Sure, the iffy packaging and cosy boot have caused the occasional headache, but overall there's really nothing to beat it for fun. For a small car with less than 100bhp on tap, the MINI is remarkably adept at long-haul stuff - it has frequently been borrowed for holiday jaunts to the coast, and I've racked up thousands of miles whizzing around the country. As you'd expect from a car built by BMW, the interior is impeccably screwed together and has stood the test of time with little more than the odd scuff. The rumbling noise that seemed to be coming from the rear wheels has, curiously, become less noticeable as the miles have racked up.
Complaints? The door pockets are a bit on the narrow side, while the electric power-steering still wakes the neighbours with its cat-like whine, but that's it. Ultimately, the MINI is a car with character - something lacking in so many modern motors - and I reckon that's why there's always a queue for the keys every night.