New F55 Mini - Opinions

[Olivera]

Off to look at new Minis at the weekend.

Anyone here owned or tried the the 1.5 turbocharged 3 cylinder (Cooper) unit? Curious if it has adequate performance and decent mpg? Also going to look at the 7 speed DCT box.

Any must have options?

[Challo]

Olivera said:

Off to look at new Minis at the weekend.

Anyone here owned or tried the the 1.5 turbocharged 3 cylinder (Cooper) unit? Curious if it has adequate performance and decent mpg? Also going to look at the 7 speed DCT box.

Any must have options?

When they first came out I had a F55 1.5 auto and really liked it. Unit is good on fuel, and quick when it needs to be. Auto box was good, and if I remember correctly they reckon the auto is more economical then the manual.

They have recently changed the models so you can choose from Classic, Sport or Exclusive. Unsure what you get as basic on these but like most things you need to order additional packs. Worth taking your time to check whats in them and what you value. Also if you choose a certain pack you might not be able to choose a certain option etc.

Play around with the online configuration tool. Really easy and at least you get a good idea of what you want before going to see the dealer.

Keep an eye out for the pre-registered cars at the dealers. These are normal under a year old and less than 8k miles. They are BMW/Mini staff cars and tend to be good spec's and could get a good deal.

[Alfa Pete]

I have an F54 Clubman SD.
Before I bought my car I tried a Clubman with the 1.5 petrol for a 48hour test drive and found it to be a nice drive.
In terms of performance it was OK in the heavier Clubman but I’d imagine it to be reasonably sprightly in the Hatch.
Economy was high 30s but that was in a Clubman and based on mainly short journeys.
I think you’d average around 40 in normal use.

[Trfcok]

We bought an 18 month old F55 in late Feb not long before lockdown etc. So whilst we haven't used it as much as we had anticipated it's definitely so far so good! The engine is a cracker! Makes a nice rasping noise and goes really well with 0-60 in around 8 seconds. It's smooth and has plenty of urge at most revs. Apparently it's the same engine as the i8 but obviously less the batteries. The previous owner had ticked almost every option box and the car is kitted out very similarly to my 335D X-drive in terms of I-drive and sat nav etc. The driving modes are also similar and the car has plenty of nice touches in terms of lighting and displaying the mini logo on the ground at night. Ours does drive quite firmly - no doubt partly down to RFTs and 17 inch alloys but then we do like a firm ride anyway. Seems to be doing early 40s in terms of mpg which isn't as much as I'd hoped but the go-cart like manner of its handling and the sports seats encourages a push-on style of driving. Ours is 6sp manual and has a nice gear change. Only slight disappointment is that despite its low miles, there are a few small chips on the bonnet and the paint seems quite thin and susceptible to further damage. Overall we are really pleased. It's a fun car. Hope your test drive went well.

Edited by Trfcok on Monday 6th July 08:18

Edited by Trfcok on Monday 6th July 08:19