The MINI is in the dealer today having some sports stripes (!!) fitted. The courtesy car is a 5 door diesel Cooper S with a manual gearbox. It’s been a while since I’ve actually driven a diesel...the Merc was the last one I bought, and hire cars over the last couple of years have all been petrol. To all intents and purposes the performance of the diesel and petrol Cooper Ss is the same, but the diesel one has noticeably more torque. Too much in fact, on today’s damp roads the ‘18 plate car would try and speed its wheels far too easily. And the noise! Not unrefined, but lacking the smoothnesss and rortyness (is that a word?) of the petrol unit. Certainly swift, and being a 5 door hatch a bit smaller than the Clubman. Ride was okay, and I fact makes me wonder whether the £500 on adaptive suspension was really necessary... But, the biggest throwback was when I had to chuck a tenners worth of diesel into it. The smell, and the slightly greasy pump. I’d forgotten about that, so hadn’t put a plastic glove on...schoolboy error. Despite washing my hands I can still smell it!
Other thoughts? I’m not really a fan of the looks of the 5 door MINI; I like the 3 door one, and I like the Clubman. And while the 5 door is usefully cheaper than the Clubman, it also has lower equipment levels. Somewhat surprising the courtesy car, in ‘Seven’ trim was lacking any form of nav, heated seats, comfort access, folding mirrors etc etc that the equivalent Clubman would have. Lapisluxury blue is a few hundred pounds more than a standard metallic, but it really is a dull colour. The sliver roof and mirrors lifted it, though paying for a silver roof then having a panoramic sunroof as well did rather defeat the point I thought. Not much roof left after that! Me? I’d stick to a petrol 3 door Cooper S I reckon, and live with forty something to the gallon average rather than 60 something!
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MINI - MINI Cooper SD 
MINI - MINI Cooper SD 
