Hi guys, help is needed please!

Im down grading from a very low mpg quick car (23mpg avg!!), to a smaller mini. Having looked at some over the weekend, ive fallen in love with them! However im not decided on which (if any) to buy..
I only do very low miles, work 3 miles away from home, and unless the odd further journey the miles will be limited.

Im trying to reduce insurance, fuel costs, etc so which Mini cooper would suit me best?
Shorlist;
S - However insurance saving is very small.
SD- However inital outlay would be higher, as fairly new.
D- Cheapest to insure, run etc, but imho doesnt look a patch on the above models.

Any helpful advice welcome.
Thanks

S

My reasoning is that lots of very short journeys will clog a diesel in short order. You can drive off the turbo for the commute and get mid 40s (my n.a. Cooper averages 50mpg for the 4 mile sub-40mph commute in granny mode) then let loose at the weekend.

I would say the mileage you are doing get a cooper or a cooper S (turbo). The S is quicker for sure but on the short journeys if you are in traffic a lot I would maybe go for a Cooper as they are still nippy and will return a better average mpg. Also earlier coopers will still get you around 40mpg and are cheaper to buy and run I think than the newer models. The supercharged S is a great car but if you are looking for cheaper fuel I would steer clear of these purely for that reason. My Cooper S around town will be around the 35mpg mark and about 40mpg on a run and is an R56 turbo.

I wouldn't bother with a diesel Mini or otherwise unless you are doing 20,000+ a year and they tend to be better for larger vehicles. With the difference in price of petrol and diesel and the running / purchasing costs of diesel the mpg cost saving is outweighed easily.

I would say the mileage you are doing get a cooper or a cooper S (turbo). The S is quicker for sure but on the short journeys if you are in traffic a lot I would maybe go for a Cooper as they are still nippy and will return a better average mpg. Also earlier coopers will still get you around 40mpg and are cheaper to buy and run I think than the newer models. The supercharged S is a great car but if you are looking for cheaper fuel I would steer clear of these purely for that reason. My Cooper S around town will be around the 35mpg mark and about 40mpg on a run and is an R56 turbo.

I wouldn't bother with a diesel Mini or otherwise unless you are doing 20,000+ a year and they tend to be better for larger vehicles. With the difference in price of petrol and diesel and the running / purchasing costs of diesel the mpg cost saving is outweighed easily.

yes I would agree 100%......good answer.

Iain

^^ +1