Category: Hot Hatchbacks 
Price Range: £13,025 to £17,660
Untouchable image, brilliant design, good fit and finish, strong residual values, great to drive.
A bit sluggish, cramped in the back, expensive options, cheap seat-folding mechanism, poor ride, especially with sports suspension.
Has its downsides, but still excellent.
Few cars have had as big an impact on society as the original Mini. Penned by Alec Issigonis, the iconic car opened up motoring to a whole new audience, and set trends in small-car vehicle design, which are still being followed today. It was a basic, affordable and remarkably packaged small car first; and became a classless style icon and fashion accessory virtually by coincidence.
There's no coincidence in the fashion credentials of the replacement Mini. Designed from the start (by Rover and BMW designers and engineers) as a car of desire, it's as much a fashion accessory as a piece of transport. Of course, it is a serious car as well, because BMW meant to make the Mini a true baby-BMW, which means top-notch quality, refinement, driving and safety characteristics.
As such, this reborn Mini has been hugely successful, far out-selling BMW's most optimistic predictions. Mk2 versions of the Cooper and Cooper S will be launched September 2006, but these Mk1s are still selling well: watch out for good-value special edition versions in the run-up to the arrival of the new range. Entry-level Mini One models (reviewed separately) will continue on sale until spring 2007, and Cabriolet versions (also reviewed separately) will remain in production for a few years yet.
Latest Readers' Drives About the MINI Mini
wrote on 12 08 2007