Mini One road tests and consumer car reviews

Mini One 2002

Fantastic car, reliable, great to drive. No problems ever. I’ve swapped it now for a little larger car for the kids. Looking forward to the kids leaving home, counting the days down. Mini days will be back.

Mini One Hatch 2003

Great car in almost every department-steering, handling, body control, equipment, shape, usability and more. Disappointments: Could use a few more inches in length, some annoying rattles letting down the general build quality but worst of all the cvt transmission is controlled by a horrible clunky lever and when cold or manoevering it’s quite embarrassingly jerky. Ignoring that it’s fun to drive, economical and not thirsty. I would love to add a reversing camera and head up speed and gear display.

Mini One One diesel 2005

Firstly, under the county heading why is there no Merseyside or do you think we can not afford BMW’s up here? Right, here goes with the review. We have owned the uprated diesel varient from new, Oct 2005, and will start with the type of MPG you can expect around town 50+ mpg is the average my wife gets with any effort when driven more frugally 55 can be achieved and on a run well over 60 is easilly capable. Good bits: Great to drive, feels solid with excellent handling light and airy inside with the large sunshine roof, extra cost option and most important the wife absolutely loves it still, even after four years. The bad bits: According to my wife, there aren’t that many...I disagree...Build quality is poor some parts of the interior look solid and well built others look and feels shamefully cheap and nasty. have had THREE rear washers replaced.....BMW say no problem it is the washer fluid I use gumming up and there is not an issue, I disagree as I don’t use washer solution only plain water I think it a bad design which rusts and blocks the jet. The sunroof, dashboard and just about anything not nailed down rattles while driving. Paint quality is poor and stone chips appear too easily and touch up paint is never the correct shade. The wipers sound like chalk on a blackboard, I suspect due to the upright design of the windscreen. The BMW dealer experience was poor compared to my experience with Mercedes and Ford and on the last visit to thelocal dealer they damaged the car and took them almost 2 months to rectify with barely an apology. BMW no better when filling the customer satifaction survey a question was asked if I would like some contact from BMW re problems at last visit, well 5 months on and I’m still waiting for them to contact me. All that said My wife still adores the car, I still love driving the thing. Would I buy another? Probably not.......but then never say never. The good bits probably out weigh the bad bits..but only just.

Mini One 1969

If it’s called Mini one and is a car made by Germans - is it a Mini or a BMW? The only Minis in the world that deserve the name Mini are the classic Minis; the rest are BMW’s. Real Mini drivers don’t acknowledge BMW as a Mini, so if you have problems with your BMW call a German dealer.

Responses to this review

Minis are made in the UK not Germany, probably by Poles. Remember if you have an original Mini, don’t call a German dealer as they will only laugh at you. Phone a British Leyland dealer instead - Andy Parsons from Durham

Mini One 2005

Top notch little motor. Got one for my wife but I love driving it. I am 6 feet 4, but fit into it without a problem. Sticks to the road like glue and performance is great . Needs revving hard to get the best out of it. Superb fun and has held its value quite well.

Mini One 2008

Hi - anyone know how to turn off the Ambient lighting please - reply to hilsalter@yahoo.co.uk Thanks

Mini One 1.6 One 2007

The drive is brilliant, handles nicely and copes with rough road surfaces. Quiet purring engine. A joy to drive, it may be small but it is perfectly made. Only downside is that part are not cheap.

Mini One

Great run around, roomy inside, park in the smallest of space. Great responsive handling. However parts are expensive to replace.