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Is this MINI one-dimensional? Image by Trevor Nicosia.

Is this MINI one-dimensional?
The diesel MINI first came out in the summer of 2003 and somehow passed us by. Reading reports in other magazines suggested we hadn't missed much...

   



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The diesel MINI first came out in the summer of 2003 and somehow passed us by. Reading reports in other magazines suggested we hadn't missed much; almost everyone complained that it was interminably slow. So you can imagine how apathetic I was to be assigned the MINI One D for review...

Luckily for me, BMW took those early comments to heart, and the MINI One D tested here is much revised. The 1364cc all-aluminium diesel engine (of Toyota origin, but further developed by BMW specifically for the MINI) now produces 20% more power than the original, with power up to 88bhp, just 2bhp short of the petrol MINI One. Torque is much improved over the petrol version with 140lb.ft available between 1800 and 3000rpm. At first glance you might expect the MINI One D to be on a par performance wise with the petrol version, if not slightly quicker, but the claimed figures suggest 0-62mph in 11.9 seconds (against 10.9) and a 109mph maximum speed (against 112). The difference is best explained by weight - the MINI One D is around 50kg heavier than its petrol-engined counterpart; in a car this small that has a large effect on performance. In real world driving however, things are different; the MINI One D doesn't feel like the slow relation.

The MINI One D is blessed with a modern diesel engine, and it shows. I found the petrol engine in the One rough and unwilling to rev; the diesel engine is actually the smoother of the two, and although maximum power is output at just 3800rpm, it's surprisingly more willing to rev to its 5000rpm red line than the petrol engine is. It's possibly the quieter of the two engines as well. Add in the typical diesel low-down punchy torque and the MINI One D is much the better drive - so long as the revs are kept above 1500 rpm, by which time 89lb.ft of torque is already available. Below this, the MINI will pull from as low as 1000rpm, but it's best not to be in any hurry. On the whole though, it's easier to make progress in the MINI One D than in the MINI One, and the diesel-engined version is the more refined of the two cars.

A real advantage with the diesel engine is of course economy. We reckoned on about 45mpg when we tested the MINI One recently, but in our tenure the MINI One D averaged over 60mpg. It was noticeable that using too much acceleration would greatly affect the consumption figure, suggesting that using more restraint than the average road tester would pay dividends; we estimate that 65mpg would be quite achievable, which is pretty well in line with the claimed extra urban economy figure of 65.7mpg. With a 50-litre tank (approximately 11 UK gallons), this translates into a range of nearly 700 miles. Amazing!

The added weight of the MINI One D is mostly down to the engine, but somewhat surprisingly another 50kg concentrated at the front of the car has not blunted the handling. Having put a lot of miles on the MINI One just two weeks earlier, it was still fresh in my mind when we took delivery of the One D. With both cars sitting on the same size wheels and tyres, I could not really tell any disparity between the two in terms of handling, or indeed ride. The only noticeable differences were road noise (the petrol car had been commendably quiet in this department and a relaxed motorway cruiser, where as the MINI One D seemed to generate a lot more road noise to the point that it was the dominant sound when travelling quickly) and the steering weight. The One D's arrangement has a heavier weight to the steering, but not so heavy as to be a problem.

Externally, the MINI One D can be differentiated from its petrol-powered brethren chiefly by the large intake in the front bumper, the seven-hole alloy wheels rather than five-spoke (they are optional, but has anyone ever seen a MINI on steel wheels?), and of course the "D" badging on the bootlid. Less obvious are the same sills as used on the MINI Cooper S and a covered tailpipe.

The MINI One D starts at £12,225 on the road, an increase of £1,230 over the petrol car. Our test car again was fitted with the Pepper Pack (although strangely this entailed a different pattern 15-inch alloy wheel), front sports seats (although in cloth rather than half cloth/half leather), a six CD changer and manual air conditioning, bringing our car's price up to £14,025. That's verging on expensive, and to buy the diesel car just for the economy would require a high mileage just to break even; financially it doesn't make such good sense. Better to buy a MINI One D because it's a better drive than the MINI One; in the real world it is quicker, it is more refined and as a bonus it is a lot cheaper to run once the purchase price has been met.

So, engine aside, pretty well all comments I made back in the test of the MINI One apply to the MINI One D. It's still cute and stylish a number of years after launch; it's a bit girly for my liking, but not so much that a man should feel embarrassed driving it. After all, the girls will love him for it!

Something I neglected to mention when I reviewed the petrol car was the servicing deals available. An optional service package, which applies to all MINIs, is available to covers all scheduled servicing for 5 years (or 50,000 miles) for just £150, which is probably the cost of a single service for much of the competition.
MINI UK hatchback range overview

- MINI One: £10,995
- MINI One D: £12,220
- MINI One Seven: £12,565
- MINI Cooper: £12,395
- MINI Cooper Park Lane: £15,260
- MINI Cooper S: £15,520
- MINI Cooper S Checkmate: £17,660

Trevor Nicosia - 16 May 2006



  www.mini.co.uk    - MINI road tests
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2005 MINI One D specifications:
Price: £12,220 on-the-road (test car was fitted with optional extras).
0-62mph: 11.9 seconds
Top speed: 109mph
Combined economy: 58.9mpg
Emissions: 129g/km
Kerb weight: 1190kg

2006 MINI One D. Image by Trevor Nicosia.2006 MINI One D. Image by Trevor Nicosia.2006 MINI One D. Image by Trevor Nicosia.2006 MINI One D. Image by Trevor Nicosia.2006 MINI One D. Image by Trevor Nicosia.

2006 MINI One D. Image by Trevor Nicosia.2006 MINI One D. Image by Trevor Nicosia.2006 MINI One D. Image by Trevor Nicosia.2006 MINI One D. Image by Trevor Nicosia.2006 MINI One D. Image by Trevor Nicosia.



2006 MINI One D. Image by Trevor Nicosia.
 

2006 MINI One D. Image by Trevor Nicosia.
 

2006 MINI One D. Image by Trevor Nicosia.
 

2006 MINI One D. Image by Trevor Nicosia.
 

2006 MINI One D. Image by Trevor Nicosia.
 

2006 MINI One D. Image by Trevor Nicosia.
 

2006 MINI One D. Image by Trevor Nicosia.
 






 

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