~My Story~

Ever since the new model of the Minis have been available on the market, I have always dreamed of having one. Luckily, in March this year I was lucky enough to have got one. I am 20 years old, and have been driving nearly 3 years. My first car was a Citroen Saxo, and my second was a new shape Renault Clio. I saw a Mini One D (2005 plate) for sale in a local garage for a brilliant price of £5995 and instantly knew it was the car for me. I traded my Clio in for £3500 and had the remaining money on finance. From new, the Mini One/Cooper varies in price from £11,100 to £24,490.


~Economic?~

The Mini I own does 63mpg which is really economic in the current petrol/diesel climate, due to it being a Diesel. I travel long distances every week during University term time, so this is a big advantage for me. The year tax on the Mini is also only a small price of £60, so this also means the car runs very cheaply.


~The Drive~

Everything from the outside to the inside interior is attractive about this little car. It's a stunning car and looks good when on the road. It also drives beautifully and is fun to drive. The handling of the car is superb as it corners well and grips the road round tight bends and roundabouts due to it's stiff suspension.


~The Interior~

Inside the car there is a lot of plastic around the dashboard which could make the car look cheap, but I believe that knowing the car has been built fantastically and the badge being Mini (BMW) this doesn't even come into mind when being inside the car. The visibility of outside when driving the Mini is large, and this means that reversing etc is safe and easy. The best part of the inside interior of the car has to be the round centrally mounted speedometer - This is shown in the middle of the dashboard above the radio etc.

The boot space in the Mini is very very small, and could fit one suitcase in and nothing else. This can be a disadvantage for some people (such as large families), but because I am currently a student I do not need large boot space. I am usually the only person in the car, so any extra room I need, I also use the back seats for storage space.


~Comfortability~

The comfort-ability of the Mini for driver and passengers is firm and supportive with head-rests doing their full job of protecting the neck. Headroom inside the car is amazing...with so much room above my head I don't feel so crammed into a small space. The only small problem is that leg room in the back of the car is limited and tight.


~Safety~

The Mini has 4 airbags, anti-lock braking and brake force distribution. I have to say with my Mini the brakes are fantastic and react so quickly. When driving in the wet weather conditions, the Mini also reacts well to any skidding on the road surface.


~Should you buy a Mini?~

I would recommend a Mini to anyone who doesn't have more than 2 children, as this could make it difficult when concerning space inside the car. It is also perfect for someone like me, who is commuting back and for University and needs a car which is cheap to run, and doesn't need boot space.