MINI COOPER Hatchback 2006 on

Yes I believe the Mini Diesel is the new Golf Gti. A classless car that always evokes admiration, not envy, and can be equally enjoyed by male or female, young or old.

While the small boot and hard ride can appear to be a compromise in every other respect the Mini is so easy to live with. Build quality and equipment is as good as any manufacturer and that wonderful engine qualifies for £nil road tax, offers near 60mpg yet is never short on power. You will be amazed how much fun, and how uncompromised 114bhp feels. Even if you dont buy one you simply must try one, and having done that it is very likely you too will be converted.

I won't end my review by saying 'the best car I have owned' - that is meaningless if the authors dont explain the others they are comparing against. I will say I have owned Jaguar, Lotus, Aston Martin and more BMWs than I can count, and have been hugely impressed by the Mini Cooper D. I plan to buy another in the future.

My wife has had her first Mini One since 2004, and I was a bit sniffy about it. My daughter got her 1.4 in May an 07 model having done less than 13,000 miles. She had it for a couple of weeks, and then we had the "Dad there is a light come on the dash board..." The pump for the brake system had failed, cost of replacement was going to be £1,500. We went to see the local dealer and I was hugely impressed with the way they got BMW to agree to pay for the part, in less than 24 hours. (we paid the labour, fair enough) What impressed me was driving it back from the garage I began to think this was nice! I had been driving a Renault Scenic, which was starting to cost me a lot in repairs, and I mean a lot. My wife has had only one significant problem with her Mini in 8 years when the power steering packed up, a well documented and now fixed problem. So here I am driving my Cooper that I love to bits, it is huge fun to drive, it has the chilli pack and the stop/start thing which takes a bit of getting used to. Had to replace a run flat tyre that picked up a nail (didn't know you can't repair them!) It has put the fun back into driving. Use it every day, and look for excuses to potter around in it. The Scenic is a distant and bitter memory, tho' the storage capacity and the keyless entry system is the only thing I might admit to missing. With three of their Minis parked in it BMW could use our drive for advertising purposes!

great fun, a lovely car to cruise on the motorway with loads of power when you need it, brakes are excellent and handles like it is on rails, cheap tax and very fuel efficient

The mini was purchased for my wife after years of sterling service from a focus. A very cute car in chilli red with panoramic roof. The drive is very good with go cart like handling. The 1.6 engine is very punchy giving the car good acceleration. It also returns 45 mpg overall. We find we use it all the time now unless we take people out. I think the newer shape is just as nice as the mark 1 and the new shape interior much nicer. Mood lighting very attractive at night. Drive enthusiastically along a country lane and you appreciate what an excellent chassis set up these cars have, watch for potholes though! Rear legroom and small boot space only real negatives. Highly recommended.

I have owned my car for just over a year now and from day one i have hated the thing! Thinking that it would be good on the fuel and reliable, was wrong. I had a Mazda Mx5 before and that car was better to drive cheaper to run (Tax was £185) compared to Mini's £90 quid! The mazda did better MPG so does my dads 14 Year old Z3. Just getting about 33MPG when driving like a grangdad! In the mid 20's in town! The drive of the the Mini is back breaking and the boot is no bigger than a shoe box. Stuipd little things like CD player breaking and the rear boot lid release system crumpled in my hand (Im not kidding you) the parts are very expencive Quoted over £600 for a full break pads and disc replaced. runflat tyres are rubbish but I can't change to normal tyres due to no space for a spare and I travel to Yorkshire so if i had a puncher in normal tyres then i would be snookered! The paint is see threw. Even a little stone chip will go to bear metal! It was the worsed car i have ever owned and im desperate to get rid. People will dissagree with me because of the huge numbers on the road, but if you ask these people for a honest assesment of these faults then they would agree. I know because im in a Mini club... Not for long with a bit of luck!

I love my mini, I can see myself.....when the time comes.....renewing with a newer model as there isn't another car on the market which I would prefer to drive.

It's nippy and I can update and restyle it whenever I like. The interior is different to other cars and a bit funky. Fair enough it's not got the biggest of boots and it's only a four seater but I can drop down the back seats if I need additional space and if there's more than 3 passengers then hey someone else will have to take their car as well!

I can honestly say this is the first car I have ever owned which I actually can't wait to get in and drive. Normally I've just thought of a car as a means to get somewhere but with the mini I'll find any excuse to go out and drive it!

I use my car daily to and from work, which is only a 5-10 minute drive, and never before have I actually wished I worked further away!

It runs well on fuel, I only have to fill up every 3rd week :-)

And finally, I'm a girl......a car is just a car to me, or always has been until I met my mini...now I actually care about where it is parked and check that it hasn't been marked, I even wash it every month which before could have been twice a year......mouse is now officially part of the family!!!

This car is so easy to drive, its comfortable, practical, spacious (considering how small it is) it handles well in the rain & snow. Cheap to run, affordable, nice looking car, interior is smart - seats are comfortable. Easy to park in car parks or spaces.

mini cooper 1.6 diesel - what a fantastic fun car to drive. not ideal as a family car but it's just the two of us and we love it. excellent performance and handling and over 60mpg - if you are looking for a small car thats big on performance then look no further - i would definitely get another mini again - maybe the cooper s next time?

Now just over a year old and 20k on the clock this car is great.... looks good with bigger wheels. MPG is out of this world and performance is acceptable as this little car will grt you out of trouble when needed. Just fitted snow tyres (buy from your local dealer as they come with steel wheels £450) This has made a significant difference in icy weather and have already tried in the snow with no problem at all. On the practicle side the Mini does not have enough room to get a wardrobe in and there is no room in the back for giants but it is ideal for travelling to & from work. I would definetly reccomend this model to anyone!

Love my Mini Cooper, fun, fast, driving and looks fantastic with a gorgeously styled interior and cool and timeless design. It handles superbly, and has a solid, safe feel. Whilst it is a little more noisy and bumpy than other cars (I think this this has a fair amount to do with the run flat tyres) it's worth it for the fun factor!

Whilst it wouldn't be particularly practical if you have lots of passengers or kids, for me it suits perfectly as 95% of the time I'm the only one in it, and ocassionally have a single passenger.

They do seem expensive at first inspection, however hold their price well.

If you're thinking about it, and don't have loads of kids, passengers or shopping to load in .... go for it - you won't regret it.