Mini Cooper Used

Mini Cooper SD Clubman Hampton

Price: �23,185

Engine: 2.0-litre diesel

Top speed: 134 mph

Acceleration: 0-62 mph in 8.6 seconds

Combined cycle fuel consumption: 64.2 mpg

CO2 emissions: 115 g/km

Great news for anyone who thought that Mini had lost its way with the introduction of the bloated Countryman, a group that probably includes just about everyone who isn't in need of an urgent appointment at Specsavers – BMW has made some very worthwhile improvements to the core Mini range which increase its appeal quite a bit.

First, there is a new, lavishly equipped special edition called the Hampton. A lot of people worry that the Mini is becoming a German car that happens to be built in Britain, rather than a truly British product, but the introduction of the Hampton provides reassuring evidence that there is surely at least one person with a sense of humour at BMW's Munich headquarters, a person who understands the Mini's cheekily subversive British character and has a good working knowledge of Cockney rhyming slang. It really is all most encouraging. Once you get past the name, the Hampton package is a bit of a mixed bag. My test car, a Clubman estate, was fitted with some fantastic leather seats with contrasting piping, which were great to look at and great to sit on. Less succesful was a strange purpley tint that had been applied to much of the interior trim, and a maroon pinstripe pattern on the main dash panels. It's all a matter of taste, I suppose, but on the grounds that increased choice is almost always a good thing – the extension of the Mini range to include the Countryman being the obvious exception that proves the rule - I'd classify the introduction of the Hampton models as a plus.

The big news, though is the availability of an additional, more powerful diesel engine. The external appearance of the BMW Mini hasn't altered a great deal since it first saw the light of day ten years ago but the diesel versions have seen quite a bit of under-bonnet chopping and changing. Early models used a Toyota power unit, but this was later replaced by an engine from BMW's drive-train partner Peugeot, which in turn gave way to an in-house diesel with a capacity of 1.6 litres. Now the 1.6 is joined by a 2.0-litre engine, also BMW's own, which gives quite a bit more power.

Stuffing a big diesel engine under the bonnet may not seem like a very Mini thing to do but the car that results still achieves a very high Mini-ness rating, mainly because of its lively performance, which fully justifies BMW giving this new model not just a Cooper badge but an S - presumably for Sport or Sporty - to go alongside its D for diesel. With this much (refined) go, the 2.0 diesel Mini shows excellent levels of brand-typical nippiness and must therefore be judged a great success.

Cheapest Used 2010 MINI Cooper Hatchback Base's For Sale ...

The 2010 MINI Cooper Hatchback is a two-door subcompact hatchback.  It has a 1.6 liter, 4-cylinder engine that produces 118 horsepower.  It has 15-inch alloy wheels, front-wheel drive, and a 6-speed manual transmission with hill assist.  It is rated at 28 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway, and goes from zero to sixty in 8.5 seconds.

The Mini Cooper is equipped with a tilt-telescope steering wheel, a 6-way adjustable driver’s seat, cruise control, full-power accessories, standard air conditioning, keyless entry, leatherette upholstery, and multicolor ambient lighting.  The audio system has 6 speakers, AM/FM radio, a CD/MP3 player, and an audio jack.

The Mini Cooper also has front side airbags, side curtain airbags, stability control, traction control, and anti-lock brakes.  In government tests, it got scores of 4 stars out of 5 in front impact protection, 4 stars in rear passenger side impact, and 5 stars for front seat side impact.  It got a score of average from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in roof strength testing.

Conclusions and driver feedback:

The Mini has controls that are counter-intuitive to operate.  They look really cute, though.  The materials are very nice for its price range and the inside is visually pleasing.  The front seat has a surprising amount of headroom and legroom for such a small vehicle.  Once you are out of the front seats, though, your options diminish rather quickly.  There is almost no legroom in the rear seat, and there isn’t a lot of cargo space in the trunk, either, unless you count 6 cubic feet as “a lot.”

The Mini handles extremely well.  The steering and suspension are both very responsive, and the engine has a decent amount of power.  This is one of the most agile cars on the road.  The problem is that it feels like a go-kart if you are a passenger.  Anyone expecting BMW’s famous suspension that drives sporty and gives a luxury ride is going to be “sorely” disappointed.

We are impressed that the Mini did so well in crash tests, but drivers of cars this small are statistically more likely to be injured in crashes than drivers of bigger cars.  Also the  mileage isn’t really any better than that of many standard compacts that are being made in America and Asia right now.  If the mileage isn’t any better than a compact, why make a subcompact in the first place, especially when you are marketing it as a “green car?

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