MINI One D Review

MINI One D

Safety and Security

The MINI One D is fitted with front and side airbags and benefits from ABS (Anti Lock Brakes), CBC (Cornering Brake Control) and ASC+T (Automatic Stability Control and Traction).

You get front and side airbags - curtain / head bags are an additional £200 and in our opinion should be standard. Curtain airbags are located in the roof lining and in the case of a severe impact inflate from the A-pillar back to the rear C-pillar to protect the occupant’s heads.

Comfort and Refinement

It is hard to believe but air conditioning is a £630 option - ouch - I think you should expect air conditioning to be standard these days, especially on a premium car.

The four seater MINI's cabin is deceptively spacious with more than adequate head and leg room in the front. Rear leg room is adequate but more suited to pre-teenage children rather than adults. The standard seats are firm but comfortable but ultimately lack good lateral support

We did not like the fact that the drivers seat recline is control by a lever rather than a rotary dial - which makes it hard to adjust.

All models are fitted with electro-hydraulic power-assisted steering (EHPAS) which only needs to be turned 2.5 times lock to lock - making light work of parking.

How It Looks - Exterior

So obviously a homage to the original classic MINI, the new MINI has already established itself as a classic design. The MINI One D stands out from the petrol version of the MINI One as it has taken the side sills from the Cooper S and there is a new front panel with large air intakes for the turbo's intercooler. If you want to identify a MINI One D from the rear, apart from the model designation on the rear, you cannot see the exhaust pipe which is hidden behind the bumper/rear skirt. Our test car was fitted with optional 15" 7-Hole alloy wheels and at £ 310, I think this is a worthwhile upgrade over the standard steel wheels.