Category: Superminis 
Price Range: £13,715 to £17,660
Strong image, excellent TLC service package, good drive, impressive diesel.
Limited practicality, not exactly quick, pricey.
Not as impressive as the original 'new' Mini, but still a strong choice.
Fuel consumption on the new 1.6-litre petrol engine is a vast improvement over the old Chrysler-sourced engine, with the Cooper now returning 48.7mpg instead of 40.9mpg on the combined cycle. The Cooper D's new engine, developed with the vastly experienced diesel team at Peugeot-Citroen, is even better: 64.2mpg on the combined cycle.
The Cooper is a relatively cheap car to run. So long as you keep your head when you visit the options list - the Salt, Pepper and Chili packs are a good bet - you should get a good return if and when you come to sell. The 'tlc' servicing deal gives you five years/50,000 miles worth of servicing for £150, and a further three years/30,000 miles for an extra £380. That's a fantastic bargain.
Latest Readers' Drives About the MINI Mini
wrote on 12 08 2007