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The best value MINI you can buy in SA
WHAT'S A MINI ONE?
The MINI One is the cheapest way for you to jump into a brand new MINI in 2020. It's an important car for the manufacturer, as it's one of the best-selling MINIs around the world. As a fleet or pool car, or as a runaround for congested European cities, the MINI One has done well, winning sales in a shrinking market for hatchbacks. In South Africa, it's been well-received too, however, more Cooper S models find homes in SA, testimony to our need for speed.
Nevertheless, our three-door MINI One came with the BMW Group's 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol three-cylinder engine that serves up 75kW of power and 190Nm of torque in this guise.
SHOULD YOU BUY IT?
It depends. If you enjoy driving, but you don't really want to pay double the price for a JCW or a Cooper S, you can still have your MINI fun in the One. It's large enough for a pair of adults to comfortably road trip in, and it can even work as a runaround for moms and dads, as long as you get the child seats to fit.
The car's automatic gearbox is a gem in traffic, and it's relatively high torque from as low as 1350rpm gives it a "large-engined" feel. It also helps that the engine gives off this wonderful thrum, not intrusive like most three-cylinder cars, but soothing and actually quite grunty sounding when you rev it out.
There's a sense of character in the car that's cool, that's chilled and that doesn't coax you into turning into a robot racer, which happens to be the case every time there's a Cooper S or JCW in the driveway.
MINI claim that the ONE with an automatic gearbox sips unleaded at a rate of 5.3l/100km in a combined cycle. I ended the test cycle in the high 8l/100km range, mostly because I went for a proper burn through the Cradle of Humankind, a route we normally use for testing more powerful vehicles, and it was so much fun.
This is the sensible person's MINI. A MINI that is just quirky enough to feel special inside and out.
If it came as a five-door, it would be a no-brainer, as the best possible Mini you can buy without stressing about repayments and high insurance rates.
Put this car on your shortlist for your post lockdown test drives and you'll see what I'm banging on about.
www.iol.co.za
WHAT'S A MINI ONE?
The MINI One is the cheapest way for you to jump into a brand new MINI in 2020. It's an important car for the manufacturer, as it's one of the best-selling MINIs around the world. As a fleet or pool car, or as a runaround for congested European cities, the MINI One has done well, winning sales in a shrinking market for hatchbacks. In South Africa, it's been well-received too, however, more Cooper S models find homes in SA, testimony to our need for speed.
Nevertheless, our three-door MINI One came with the BMW Group's 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol three-cylinder engine that serves up 75kW of power and 190Nm of torque in this guise.
SHOULD YOU BUY IT?
It depends. If you enjoy driving, but you don't really want to pay double the price for a JCW or a Cooper S, you can still have your MINI fun in the One. It's large enough for a pair of adults to comfortably road trip in, and it can even work as a runaround for moms and dads, as long as you get the child seats to fit.
The car's automatic gearbox is a gem in traffic, and it's relatively high torque from as low as 1350rpm gives it a "large-engined" feel. It also helps that the engine gives off this wonderful thrum, not intrusive like most three-cylinder cars, but soothing and actually quite grunty sounding when you rev it out.
There's a sense of character in the car that's cool, that's chilled and that doesn't coax you into turning into a robot racer, which happens to be the case every time there's a Cooper S or JCW in the driveway.
MINI claim that the ONE with an automatic gearbox sips unleaded at a rate of 5.3l/100km in a combined cycle. I ended the test cycle in the high 8l/100km range, mostly because I went for a proper burn through the Cradle of Humankind, a route we normally use for testing more powerful vehicles, and it was so much fun.
This is the sensible person's MINI. A MINI that is just quirky enough to feel special inside and out.
If it came as a five-door, it would be a no-brainer, as the best possible Mini you can buy without stressing about repayments and high insurance rates.
Put this car on your shortlist for your post lockdown test drives and you'll see what I'm banging on about.
The best value MINI you can buy in SA
While the JCW models come packed with driving fun and technology, it's the entry-level MINI One that offers the best bang for buck.
