We review the Mini Cooper D (2007) from price to economy and all its features
MY bum cheeks really hurt. I have got a big bruise on my coccyx and I have got friction burns all down my spine.
No, I havent been making whoopee in a carpet shop. I spent yesterday afternoon go-karting on an outdoor circuit in the pouring rain.
Fun? Karting has to be some of the most fun you can have fully clothed. But, my God, does it leave you battered and bruised the next day.
Of course, you dont feel it at the time, thanks to the adrenalin which carried me through three heats, a semi-final and final. If I hadn't spent so much time battling with my brother, trying to ram each other into the tyre wall, I would have seen less black flags (for being naughty) and been first past the chequered flag.
So I didn't get to fly home on the wings of victory. But I did fly home in the new Mini Cooper D, (prices start at £14,175 up to £17,190 fully loafed) a member of the second generation and the first Cooper to wear the diesel badge. It gets a 1.6-litre turbo-diesel engine, developed in association with PSA Peugeot and Citroën.
And its a little corker. I dont even like diesels — the sound makes me want to rip my ears off. But this one doesnt give you a headache.
It sounds a bit like a babys fart when you first start it up (instead of a key, its got a circular disc) but when its bouncing off the rev-limiter it growls like a tiger with bronchitis.
The Mini Cooper D is a brilliant little pocket rocket. And it really was like driving a go-kart, as in all the good things about karting and none of the bad. Its got the low centre of gravity, long wheelbase and wheel-at-each-corner design, which means its grippy and you can just throw it about with gay abandon.
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You insert yourself into the Mini Cooper D like you do into a kart and its got the same driving position — your feet stick straight ahead on the pedals. And like a kart, you drive by the seat of your pants — you feel what is going to happen before it happens.
But if you get a little too carried away (like I did taking a corner too fast for my skill levels), unlike a go-kart, which will spit you out into the wall, the second-generation Mini comes with a handful of electronic controls (ABS, EBD and CBC — Cornering Brake Control) as standard.
The 1.6-litre turbodiesel produces 110bhp and powers from 0 to 62mph in 9.9secs, topping out at 121mph.
And get this. The Mini Cooper D is environmentally friendly. Seriously, it is the BMW groups cleanest ever car and emits just 118g/km of carbon dioxide. I had forgotten quite how much fun Minis are to drive — and if you block your ears its not that different from a standard Cooper, which is saying something.
Those prats at Foxtons estate agents put me right off the Mini but, after spending time with the Mini Cooper D, I fell back in love.
The interior still drives me mad and makes me want to commit random acts of violence but I will forgive it anything for driving like it does.
Personally, I would still go for a petrol version but if you are looking for a hot hatch that delivers awesome fun and want value for money and a clean conscience, then the Mini Cooper D is a no-brainer.
What to look out for when buying a used Mini Hatchback Mk2
Despite its premium status, the Mini can suffer from a variety of ailments, such as weak starter motors, failed speakers, cracked windscreens and paintwork that is chipped all too easily.
Listen for rattles from the engine bay that signify the dual-mass flywheel is about to fall apart; if the electrics conk out, it’s probably nothing more than the battery’s earthing strap failing.
There have been three recalls for the Mini, because of the spectre of the rear anti-roll bar coming adrift, overheating brakes and an electrical short circuit. In each case only certain Mini derivatives were affected.