LAST year Mini broke with tradition and introduced a five-door hatch. In theory, the boot is a door, but still, four doors is a big change for Mini, which was traditionally a two-door car.
I got to test-drive this five-door model last week and as my regular passenger was my 28 year-old daughter, I’m sure many pedestrians and fellow motorists were probably saying things like:
“Wouldn’t you think that auld fella would let his daughter drive?
?
No problem by me, but BMW might not be happy as my girl would not be insured.
BMW rescued the Mini range 21 years ago and has done some exciting things with the brand by introducing many new variants along the way. Now for an extra
?¬710 you can get two extra doors. That’s reasonable, but as you will see later the extras can really push the price up.
I drove a black model with a white roof and with two white lines on the bonnet it certainly looked very attractive. And for the first time ever the alloys were also white. Hard to keep them clean in rainy Ireland, but eye-catching all the same.
Inside, the first thing that struck me was that the big speedometer has changed. It still dominates the dash, but it doesn’t tell you the speed you are travelling at anymore. It now carries a range of information, like the list of radio stations, which I appreciated. There are still plenty of toggle switches on the dash which always gives me the impression that you are piloting an aircraft.
The real speedometer is now tucked away behind the steering wheel. You certainly need to keep your eye on the speedometer as the 2.0-litre engine had plenty of power and you can get from zero to 100km/h in just over seven seconds.
After a week in the passenger seat, my daughter said she wasn’t overly impressed. She reckons that practicality is sometimes more important than style where cars are involved.
I found that the car was fine for city driving – and you do get that go-kart feeling – but it’s not really comfortable on a long journey. You are seated very low and if you have to drive over bad surfaces, you will feel every bump on the road. There is room for two people in the back, three at a squeeze, but thanks to the extra doors neither the driver nor front seat passenger has to get out to let the back seat passengers in or out.
There is decent space in the boot; no spare wheel, but then all BMW cars have run-flat tyres. However, they will cost you
?¬232 extra. The Mini is a gorgeous car and if you take proper care of it, you are guaranteed good re-sale value.
Prices for the 5-door start at
?¬22,210 for the Mini One. Then the prices gradually increase as you move up the range to Mini One D, Cooper D, Cooper S and the 2.0-litre top of the range Cooper SD, which I drove, will cost you
?¬29,104. After that there are still plenty of extras available, but how many you go for may depend on your own financial situation. If you want to opt for a PCP offer you can get a new Mini for
?¬299 per month.
I enjoyed my time in the five-door Mini and it brought back memories of carefree days of youth. But in truth I’m probably too old for a Mini at this stage of my life.