Mini hatchback long-term test

The Mini hatchback is consistently among the UK's best-selling small cars, but is a recent update enough to help it challenge the class leaders? We've got four months to find out...

Published08 January 2019

The car Mini 3dr Cooper Classic
Run by Darren Moss, deputy editor
Why it’s here To see if a recent facelift is enough to elevate the Mini to small car class honours
Needs to Make urban commuting a joy, while also being comfortable and practical enough for longer motorway trips

Price £18,210 Price as tested £24,820 Miles covered 4506 Official fuel economy 54.3mpg Test economy 36.5mpg Options Navigation Plus Pack (£2000), Comfort Plus Pack (£1600), automatic gearbox (£1400), 17in Cosmos alloy wheels (£1000), darkened rear glass (£250), Mini driving modes (£200), piano black interior trim (£160)

19 December 2018 – Should I buy one?

I'm getting along with my Mini hatchback very well indeed. So well, in fact, that I've started looking to ways I could one day put one on my driveway. This new version would cost about £16,532 if I bought the car through What Car? New Car Buying, and that's a substantial saving, but could I spend even less by buying nearly new instead?

Well, here's a prime candidate from the What Car? Classifieds – a three-door Cooper automatic with just 3800 miles on the clock and going for £14,445. It doesn't have much in the way of extras, but as a baseline, it seems to fit the bill.

Or, if I want a more sprightly option, there's a Cooper S version instead. Sure, it's got a bit more mileage – around 7500 – but at £15,887 for a 2017 car with plenty of extras, it looks an absolute bargain. Plus it retains the automatic gearbox I'm looking for. Now that’s very tempting indeed.

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