MINI ONE 2015 Review

The folks at MINI would like us to see their new entry-level MINI ONE model not just as the cheapest-ever version of the little retro hatchback, but also as a relatively affordable way of entering the premium segment.

At $24,500 (plus on-road costs) the new MINI undercuts the previous price-leader, the second-generation 1.6-litre MINI RAY that was introduced locally in mid-2011 for a drive-away price of $28,800.

The MINI ONE brings to the table a bit more driveability, in addition to normal third-generation benefits including increased interior space and a more refined dynamic experience.

But while it’s impossible to walk into a showroom and buy a cheaper MINI, a prospective buyer should first check out what else, from the same stable, is on offer.

There’s a caveat attached to that statement: This is far from being a suggested criticism of a car that becomes more endearing as more time is spent living with it. However, in terms of outright value for money, it appears there might be better places to go, within the current model lineup, than the new MINI ONE.

Our calculations have the new model somewhat at odds with the slightly more expensive Cooper variant that comes with at least $3000 worth of extra gear, as well as more power and better economy/emissions figures, yet is priced only $2150, before on-road costs, above the MINI ONE.

The big difference is in the money that can potentially be spent on a basic Cooper: As the company has prided itself on the degree of personalisation available within the MINI range, the sky’s the limit on how far you can go with the Cooper options list.

That’s not the case with the MINI ONE. Our calculations tell us that you’ll come to a stop short of the $5000 mark (excluding the $3055 six-speed auto option) even if you go for broke ticking the boxes.

Extra-cost items available with the Cooper, such as sat-nav, climate-control, sports suspension, 18-inch alloy wheels, a glass sunroof, LED headlights, heated seats or even a reversing camera are simply not listed on the MINI ONE options sheet.

It’s all pretty bare-bones, even if it does come with a trip computer and Bluetooth connectivity – but then again you expect those even in your average $15,000 light car.

There’s a simple two-spoke steering wheel (minus audio and cruise controls), cloth seats, basic instruments and a stripped-down exterior with 15-inch steel wheels and black bars in the standard MINI grille.

The seats are fine, and the functionality, in terms of usable passenger and luggage space, is identical to other MINIs with a 211-litre boot and the possibility of expanding the total capacity to 731 litres by folding down the back seats.

That’s the context within the MINI range. Where the new standard MINI asserts itself is within the context of the cars it competes with.

Certainly there are better-packaged, better-performing small-car contenders out there, and even some that could arguably claim something like premium status. But there’s still nothing that has quite the emotional pull of a MINI.

The upshot is that the MINI ONE, even if it’s not the value package you might expect, is one of those cars you don’t really want to part with. During a week living with a manual-transmission MINI ONE we came to love it for its simple charm, its driveability and its all-pervading sense of quality.

The cabin might lack some of the glitter of other models, but there’s plenty of evidence that this is a premium interior, from the quality of the materials to the function of the controls, including the oversize central information display, the speedo/tacho directly ahead of the driver and the toggle switches for engine startup and raising or lowering of the windows.

And despite not having an awful lot of rubber on the road (175/65-series) the MINI ONE steers and grips in the time-honoured tradition. About the only aberration in our test car was a slight reluctance to maintain a steady line when cruising in the straight-ahead position – possibly a character flaw of the electrically-assisted steering – and the 11.0m turning circle always felt a bit more than you’d expect of a car measuring not much more than 3800mm long.

We loved the down-sized version of the 100kW all-alloy 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo that powers the Cooper: With smaller bore and stroke dimensions, the 1.2-litre remains, like the 1.5-litre, a long-stroker and still outputs a useful 75kW/180Nm despite the lack of BMW’s Valvetronic valve-lift technology (although it does get double Vanos ignition timing).

Like the bigger (1.5 litres is big?) Cooper powerplant, the 1.2-litre has an endearing three-cylinder beat and emits a crisp little exhaust bark at start-up. With its maximum torque arriving from as low as 1400rpm, it is responsive and flexible enough to deal adequately with the wide-spaced ratios of the six-speed gearbox, although undoubtedly it would begin to feel some strain if fully loaded.

Under normal circumstances, with less than 1100kg to haul along, the basic MINI isn’t overstressed and is reasonably quick with a (just) sub 10-second zero to 100km/h capability.

Not atypically, we didn’t match the official fuel consumption figure of 4.9L/100km on test. In fact despite the engine’s list of economy-focussed technologies – such as idle stop-start – we didn’t get anywhere near it with an average 6.4 recorded during our week-long test in a wide variety of driving conditions.

What is intriguing about the fuel consumption is that the bigger, more powerful 1.5-litre three-cylinder claims better fuel and emissions figures – although on our most recent (manual transmission) Cooper test we recorded the same real-world 6.4L/100km as the MINI ONE.

Is the new entry-level MINI good value?

That’s a question not just customers, but also the people at MINI should be asking.