The MINI was the first model to prove that small cars could be hugely desirable, and still holds plenty of appeal despite being such a familiar sight on our roads. If you want practicality, look elsewhere – most rivals eclipse its 160-litre boot size with the rear seats up, as well as its 680-litre maximum capacity, and the likes of the Ford Fiesta provide more rear seat space.
But if you view the MINI as a city car and don’t need to carry rear passengers often, it makes sense. The One D and Cooper D diesels promise 74.3mpg fuel consumption and 99g/km CO2 emissions, so are exempt from road tax, while the great-value tlc servicing package provides five years/50,000 miles of maintenance cover for £150. Plus, the MINI should still hold on to its price better than rivals.
Just don’t get carried away adding extras to boost the miserly standard spec. Bear in mind that safety kit could be more comprehensive, too, plus insurance group ratings are a bit high, especially if you go for one of the powerful and fun turbo petrol models.
For an alternative review of the latest MINI MINI Hatchback visit our sister site carbuyer.co.uk
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Getting rather old fashioned now and more recent models from this maker suggest its reeplacement could be a real horror stylistically.