Hi All,

I am in a bit of a dilemma, I currently own a Cooper S but I now have to travel 600 Miles a week. I am filling the Cooper S up every two days :( about 30mpg so it costing me a fortune to run. The journey is mostly motoraway driving and A roads, so I am looking at getting a One D or a Seat Ibiza Cupra TDI (160bhp) and I was looking for any advice.

What kind of mileage do you get out of a One D and what are they like driving down a motoraway and if you need to over take a lorry are they slow to accelerate

The Cupra seems more like a Cooper S and you still get good MPG

The figures for are below the cupra 0-60 is 7.6sec

Car Urban Extra Urban Combined
Ibiza Cupra 39.8 61.4 51.4
Mini One D 48.7 65.7 58.9

Many Thanks for any Help

M4, Berkshire, rush hour?

Whatever you get you'll still be stuck in the traffic flow.

OK, so the D won't match the Ibiza, but it does have a fantastic engine, and you will smile more when behind the wheel. I get 50mpg no matter how I drive.

Click the link on my signature and join us on The Ridgeway Meet in three weeks, then you'll get an idea of how the D performs.

Thanks Harpo can't make the run as it's my Mum's birthday. I travel from Bracknell to Southampton so I miss the tarffic so it's mostly a constant drive.

Do a project and answer many questions we have about what the MINI D would be like with the Diesel unit the chassis deserves.

Project = Buy MINI OneD, Take out 1.4 Toyota unit, Fit VAG 1.9 TDi 160bhp unit.

Let us know!:D

You will miss the power of the S if you get the MINI. The straight line speed in real life/road situations of the Diesel Seat will seem much more Pokey 'er than your Cooper S, but if you get the Seat you will miss driving a MINI (I think)

Do a project and answer many questions we have about what the MINI D would be like with the Diesel unit the chassis deserves.

Project = Buy MINI OneD, Take out 1.4 Toyota unit, Fit VAG 1.9 TDi 160bhp unit.

Let us know!:D

You will miss the power of the S if you get the MINI. The straight line speed in real life/road situations of the Diesel Seat will seem much more Pokey 'er than your Cooper S, but if you get the Seat you will miss driving a MINI (I think)

i agree:D

We test drove an Ibiza Cupra a while back. Lovely engine in a horrible car was our shared opinion.

We test drove an Ibiza Cupra a while back. Lovely engine in a horrible car was our shared opinion.

Thats exactly how I would imagine it to be!

I did find the back seat ride interesting. In as much as I could spend time working out where a couple of bits of lose trim in this brand new car should go?! :eek:

Ha ha, quality. You managed to get on the back seat whilst on a test drive, was the Salesperson Female, and was the trim dislodged by her feet whilst undertaking some serious ESP activating corner 'action'?:D

I just sat there while my wife took the wheel, the salesman didn't really want us going out alone. :rolleyes: The fact that meant leaving our Cooper S in their car park meant nothing apparently (who'd steal a Seat and leave an S?!?).

May be I should wait for the New Mini :) for the same price as the Ibiza I can get a MOD with loads of extra bits :) You can't even get a MFSW for the Cupra or Xeon's.

After having MC then a MCS Doing around 550 miles a week I traded the MCS in for a BMW320d and that was the biggest mistake I made. Though the fuel economy is around 44mpg and thats on A roads and motorways it's the depreciation of £10k in two years and 38K miles later that's a big loss in money. So next week I take delivary of a Hyper Blue one d . And why simply better mpg less deprecation and i think the seat will drop even more than my BM and more smiles per mile because once you have had a mini you will always comparing other cars to it!

As fast diesels go its a cracker. Apparently though the skoda with the same engine is better but its a skoda! Handling wise its not a mini so I don't think it likes corners very much understeer here we go. Also as its the same platform as a polo which I have driven, its best described as a box on wheels with a powerful engine. They have recently revised the seat ibiza range so handling may have improved slightly also would imagine there are good discounts on it. It a trade off if its worth buying a brand new one over a 1 year old model.

Mini diesels, well handles like a dream as all mini's do and they have increase the horsepower of the engine so I think it compares with a mini 1 in 0-60 but downside is slightly heavier engine. But then its got the better fuel consumption of a diesel. Its a hard choice, I would keep the S and gets some shares in shell instead!;)

I had a MCS for 2 years until it was written off (not my fault!). I now have a MOD and whilst occasionally missing the straight line acceleration I don't miss filling it up. I get 52mpg without trying and have recently returned from holiday fully loaded when I got an average of 58mpg - again without really trying too hard and still using the automatic ac.
It has load of toys and still drives like a mini, the torque at low revs is great and will leave a lot of cars standing. As for overtaking as long as you use the gearbox and get the right gear, overtaking is not a problem. You could always get the ecu remapped if you're not too worried about warranty

Hope this helps

RE the comment about the skoda - I test drove a Fabia VRS 130bhp which went like a rocket. It didn't quite handle like a mini but nonetheless was great fun - after all most of the components are audi/vw sourced so the smart money ignores the badge - new skodas are nothing like their precdecessors. Did you see the 5th gear shoot out between the skoda and a MC? The skoda won hands down. (Its available for download from the 5th gear website)

I used to own a MCS but sold it about 6 months ago for a Golf GT TDI 130 (same engine as the vRS Skoda). The torque of my golf is very nice and it really flies when the turbo spools up. I sold my MINI for a few reasons, one of them being the cost of running it. In my golf tax is a fraction of the cost of my S, insurance is cheaper and I get 50-55 mpg every tank. It was a great swap which I don't regret for a second. However, as a fun machine my MCS was in a different league. My golf is far more comfortable on the motorway but go down a country lane and it mellows around corners and feels a bit numb. Dont get me wrong, its pretty quick but it doesn't have the feedback or ability of my MCS by far in a twisty environment.

If you do alot of motorway driving then the ability to overtake effortlessly using just the torque makes for very easy driving. Also, the cupra may handle more positively than my Golf, but dont be mistaken - no diesel will drive like a MCS. The lack of revs, engine breaking and feedback will always hinder the sporty experience.

I used to own a MCS but sold it about 6 months ago for a Golf GT TDI 130 (same engine as the vRS Skoda). The torque of my golf is very nice and it really flies when the turbo spools up. I sold my MINI for a few reasons, one of them being the cost of running it. In my golf tax is a fraction of the cost of my S, insurance is cheaper and I get 50-55 mpg every tank. It was a great swap which I don't regret for a second. However, as a fun machine my MCS was in a different league. My golf is far more comfortable on the motorway but go down a country lane and it mellows around corners and feels a bit numb. Dont get me wrong, its pretty quick but it doesn't have the feedback or ability of my MCS by far in a twisty environment.

i've just been through a similar decision concerning the three cars mentioned here - the mini, the golf and the seat leon. while every bit of common sense screams get the the golf, i just couldn't bring myself to do it. it's an OK drive (not as nice as the mini One D but not bad, certainly for a diesel) but i just couldn't face the interior - it looks like something Ford were throwing out 10 years ago - how to make a car with a lot of kit look cheap and low end.

the seat is a nice car and crosses the style/practicality boundary well - if you want to carry more than two people or more than a couple of bags for any distance the mini is obviously very limited - but in the end i punted for the mini. even as a diesel it's the most fun i've had in a car since i was 18 (and then it was parked and i was in the back), it looks better and the economy and emissions are better.

all that said i'm lucky in that my wife drives a RAV4 so we already have a "sensible" car and i can afford to make a heart over head decision. if you need any level of practicality (e.g. you have a family and don't have another practical car) i might have to say the seat or gold would be a better choice.

It is a dilema but the general opinion, and mine, seems to be get the One D.
I bought mine 18 months ago, swapped a Cooper for it, and have done 55,000 miles in it already (I am a driving instructor). It has never put a foot wrong in all that time, and is still on it's first tyres !!!
I do all the mini run's and still have loads of fun, and still get 50 mpg however I drive it.

Around christmas time I did consider swapping it. I have two kids and had to sell our Galaxy so I envisaged problems with space etc.
I looked at Astra SRi diesel (good looks, space, but it's a Vauxhall), Golf TDi (great engine it is, but I would fall asleep driving it).
I could not find a single car that could tempt me out of my One D (except a Works S that I borrowed for four hours).
A friend of mine swapped his modified Mini One for the Skoda VRS and even though it is a quick car, it is the biggest mistake of his life so far.

So go for the Mini, get it chipped if you want a little more power. But you won't regret it.
I haven't.

i would get a golf GT TDI they are 150bhp standard and if chipped they kick out more torque than an evo! that is some serious overtaking power!

Something else to think about but there is now a 170BHP Diesel Golf (GT) and Leon (Cupra FR). They are going to cost a lot more than a MINI One D though (and even a Cooper S)!

An interesting post. I am in just the same position. I have had both a Cooper and a MCS. I got rid of my MCS about 6 months ago after it becoming too expensive to run on a 2,000 mile a month commute, and believe after selling it the residuals you read about in the press aren't quite so good in real life. I've been driving around in my sisters old car for the last few months and am finally going to swap and after driving the Seat will probably buy one, on the basis of real life (i.e. overtaking on A/B roads) being better than the MCS. Whilst its not a MINI it does seem a decent compromise, of course MINI have lost a trick by failing to put a larger size diesel in with some real poke.

Regards

Christopher

Easy one, keep the Cooper S , best car and to change the car is going to cost you unless it's a straight swap. You will end up like Aston buying a diesel after your S, missing it then buying another S.You know it makes sense.

The Cupra seems more like a Cooper S and you still get good MPG



I had two Ibiza 130 TDi - they are comparable performance with the MCS (I had a dilemma between the two when I first bought one).

I have had the Cupra 160 for an extended test drive, it's not greatly faster than the 130. You can get an FR 130 for £11.5k (just revised model), they do depreciate a fair bit though.

The Mini D is just too slow, I think the lack of performance will drive you mad after having the 'S.

How long are you going to do lots of miles? It may just be worth keeing the 'S, you lose a fortune every time you change.

Thanks for all the input, I still have the MCS and doing 120 miles a day!. I have am going to wait for the new MINI Diesel to come out. So fingers crossed it a good one.

Thanks for all the input, I still have the MCS and doing 120 miles a day!. I have am going to wait for the new MINI Diesel to come out. So fingers crossed it a good one.
Aye, I don't think it will disapoint :)

Theres only one answer........... buy another MINI!!!!

problem solved!

Aye, I don't think it will disapoint :)

Any ideas on the spec of the next gen MINI oil burner? Have any details been released yet?

I bought a 2 year old Ibiza 19.TDI 130BHP after my Cooper due to all the miles I was doing. I had it's ECU remapped for £300 (Angel Tuning, in Warwick). Gave me 65mpg on normal commuting miles, 280nm torque, and 0-60 of 7 seconds. Being two years old I didnt get hit too badly by depreciation. I dont think I would buy one new though.

It went well, had few problems, has lots of space (Fitted 3 mountain bikes and a passenger inside, plus all the mountain bike kit). It also surprised every Ibiza Cupra, as it was quicker. Insurance group 7 was very cheap too. I had thought about a Diesel MINI, but decided they were too slow.

I missed my Coopers handling and style, so after 18 months I switched back and now have a MCS JCW. Helped that I switched jobs to one much closer.

Any ideas on the spec of the next gen MINI oil burner? Have any details been released yet?
Got a feeling it will be the 1.6 HDi engine that they use in many of the French oil burners like the new 207, not an amazing power output as my friend only managed to get 100mph out of hers (but it only had 500 miles on the clock!) but with a bit of remapping should be seeing some nice Torque delivery :D

I bought a 2 year old Ibiza 19.TDI 130BHP after my Cooper due to all the miles I was doing. I had it's ECU remapped for £300 (Angel Tuning, in Warwick). Gave me 65mpg on normal commuting miles, 280nm torque, and 0-60 of 7 seconds. Being two years old I didnt get hit too badly by depreciation. I dont think I would buy one new though.


Bhozar, what was it like afterwards? I'm getting my 130 Golf remapped next month for £425. They claim it will achieve between 181-194 bhp and 310-320 lb ft (420-435 nm), and still achieve 55 mpg. Just curious to know your experience on this :nice:

Bhozar, what was it like afterwards? I'm getting my 130 Golf remapped next month for £425. They claim it will achieve between 181-194 bhp and 310-320 lb ft (420-435 nm), and still achieve 55 mpg. Just curious to know your experience on this :nice:

I spent a month choosing the engine I wanted, then deciding which car I wanted it in. I did consider Golf's, but they were too big and heavy.

That sounds like a bit of a high remap. All the ones I looked at from reputable tuners put the 1.9 PD 130bhp engine upto 180. I would wonder why they think you might get more. 2nd gear in my Ibiza was a handfull comming off roundabouts at full throttle. Gave me the grin factor like my MCS JCW gives me in every gear. On a private road I hit 142mph (Road Angel says so) and it would leave any standard MCS standing. Overtaking is where it really comes into its own, as with all the torque, it pulls well through the gears. Not that you really need to change them as the car was good at 40mph in 6th at 1000rpm. My MPG went up, not down after the remap. My best ever was a jorney I did at 40mph, in 6th gear, without having to touch the brakes for 10 miles. I got 91.1MPG then.

It was a good car, and if I was still driving my 60+ mile a day commute I would have kept it or swapped it for a Ibiza Cupra TDi, and had that remapped too.

Best thing, was after the remap it was a lot smoother to drive. All over a massive improvement in drivability, in my opinion.

I would recomend Angel Tuning from Warwick to do the job. He's just remapped my dads Fiat camper van. My dad doesnt have to change gear so much, it goes up hill without slowing down and it out drags normal cars from the traffic lights.