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Convertible
It doesn’t get much better than this - the great style and drive of the Mini, with the wind in your hair. The convertible is available in all the range's engine versions, and although the extra weight of the drop-top does dent performance, you won’t care on balmy days.
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The convertible has the same agility as the hatch. There’s more grip than power, but the detailed steering and the responsive chassis let you have fun on twisty roads. Slight body shake tells you the roof has been removed, a trait not helped by the firm ride. The folding fabric top is easy to use and all electric, so there’s no fiddly catches to mess with. Wind buffeting and road noise aren’t excessive with it down, but the price is rear passenger space and a smaller boot. It’s more of a 2+2 and can feel claustrophobic with the hood up.
Running Costs
The Mini has legendarily high second-hand values, and while this means it won't be cheap to buy, you won’t lose as much in depreciation compared to its rivals. You need to choose a car with the optional TLC service pack, which for a one-off fee of £150 allowed buyers five-years/50,000 miles of free servicing. While this doesn’t include wear-and-tear items, it’s fantastic value for money and is transferable when selling a car. A TLC XL option for eight years/80,000 miles costing £450 was introduced for later models. Fuel consumption and insurance aren’t excessive, with 39mpg and group six for the One, although costs increase with the more powerful engines. The only dark cloud is the launch of the latest Mini. However, the new cars look very similar to the older models, and the current convertible stays on sale until 2009.
Hatchback
BMW’s Mini is a drive-by-brain, front-wheel-drive masterpiece. The handling is entertaining, direct and adjustable, much like the go-kart style of the original Mini, yet there’s outstanding grip and no danger of it biting you if you make a mistake. Expect taut body control and a ride that’s firm but never harsh. The engines aren’t in the same league. Don’t get us wrong – they’re not bad, just mediocre. They can get boomy when you work them hard and aren’t the most refined, but they cruise quietly enough. Inside, it’s a retro-fest, with a big central speedo as on the original Mini, and toggle-style switchgear that can be confusing at first. Rear space is tight, and with a tall driver it becomes a three- rather than four-seater. The hatchback’s boot is okay for bags of shopping but not much more, and the convertible’s boot is tiny.
Running Costs
All Minis are very pricey to buy, but thereafter it shouldn’t be much of a drain. Servicing should be free. Yes, really. Most Minis were sold with an option called TLC, which gives free servicing for five years. When the car is resold, the TLC goes with it to the new owner (if the car doesn’t have TLC, don’t buy it). You can also extend the free servicing to eight years with the TLC XL option. The 1.4 turbodiesel’s near-60mpg is very impressive. The Mini One 1.6 should net you 40mpg and the two Coopers do early 30s to the gallon. Insurance ranges from group five for both Mini Ones to 15 for the Cooper S. The more extreme, rarer Cooper S Works is a hefty group 19.