Used Mini Coupe 2011 - 2015 review

Pick a hole and the BMW Mini range probably has it covered. For a time the firm even turned its charming little hatchback into a three-box, two-door, two-seat coupe and, on paper at least, a most appealing thing it was too.

It’s quite appealing to the eye, for starters. The front windscreen is heavily raked and the roof dropped to abnormally low levels to create the Coupe’s distinctive look. Despite impressions to the contrary, it’s actually a hatchback. Under the bonnet you can find any one of three different versions of the 1.6-litre petrol engine and a 2.0-litre diesel. The basic 122bhp 1.6-litre is reasonably quick, while the top-of-the-range JCW version packs 211bhp and certainly earns the stripes that it wears as part of its sporty demeanour.

In the way it attacks corners the Coupe is brimming with agility and offers the driver a great deal of involvement, especially so in JCW trim. The payback for all this is a firm ride in the lower spec versions and a positively crashy one in the sportier trims.

Added to that, the Coupe is noisy, cramped and unrefined, as well as being severely impractical. The dashboard is also a mess of switches that are overly styled and poorly located. If you can put up with those flaws, what you’ll have is a lively, agile, fast and responsive driver’s car with a certain amount of the Mini charm thrown in for good measure.

Sales of the Coupe were never expected to be a huge proportion of total Mini sales, and the car was eventually dropped, without replacement, in 2015.

At the time of writing, around £6000 will buy you one of the early models, slightly less than this for a high mileage example, and slightly more for one with an average mileage for the year, bought from an independent dealer. Up the money to between £7000 and £9000 and you’ll pick up a 2014/15 car with the same criteria. You’ll need to spend between £10,000 and £12,000 to secure a sparkling 2015 car, from an independent or franchised dealer.

In terms of economy, the diesel-engined 2.0-litre Coupe achieves a claimed average consumption figure of 65.7mpg, whereas the best performing petrol unit is the basic 1.6-litre with a claimed 53.3mpg. The 1.6-litre in the S version manages 48.7mpg.

Insurance groups for the Coupe are slightly higher than for the regular hatch, but are still pretty competitive.

Comprehensive servicing plans are available for used cars, and can cover cars for up to three years and 36,000 miles. These are called Mini Inspection plans, with costs starting from £185.

The standard Cooper kicks off the range. It features the 122bhp, naturally aspirated 1.6-litre four cylinder engine which is perfectly adequate for most buyers. Its acceleration is adequate, too – 0-62mph in 9.0secs. The turbocharged four-pot engine in the Cooper S develops 181bhp, aiding a 0-62mph time of 6.9sec and a 143mph maximum. It’s a flexible and lively engine, and its nature suits the car, but it will be more expensive to run. The 211bhp 1.6 JCW is the performance pinnacle, with 0-62mph in just 6.4secs. The 2.0-litre diesel lacks the fizz of the petrol-engined cars, but competitive CO2 and fuel consumption figures allied to a 7.9sec 0-62mph time makes a great deal of sense.

Our favourite Mini Coupe: 1.6 Cooper

The VW Scirocco has distinctive styling, a great chassis and a hint of practicality. It grips well, handles securely and even rides well. The interior is cleverly thought out and it’s well screwed together. Used prices are still quite strong as demand for them is high, despite production having come to an end in 2014.

You could also consider the Peugeot RCZ a rival for the Mini Coupe. Like the Scirocco, it’s a four seater, rather than a two seater, but access to the rear is tight and the space when you get there suitable only for the smallest children. Its straight-line performance is pretty good, but it doesn’t ride and handle especially well, and nor does it really entertain a keen driver.

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