Category: Superminis 
Price Range: £12,220 to £12,345
Fine handling and visual flair now matched by a peppy engine.
Even this basic model doesn't come cheap.
Entry-level Mini no longer lags way behind the Coopers.
Minis don't come cheap, but there's huge demand for them on the used market, so it won't be difficult to get a healthy proportion of your money back when you sell it on, unless you've gone completely crazy with the options.
The One's engine is only slightly more economical than the Cooper's, indicating that it's working harder. But an official combined figure of 49.6mpg is perfectly OK, as is the carbon dioxide output of 138g/km.
The One is in insurance group 5E - three groups lower than the Cooper and Cooper D, and therefore more accessible to younger/poorer drivers.
Mini's '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 One
wrote on 24 03 2007
wrote on 28 08 2006