MINI Cooper 3-door Automatic test: driving fun guaranteed

Since early 2021 the current MINI range has been on sale, a car with plenty of charm that has managed to evolve and adapt while keeping its whole essence since it reached the market in 2014. Among its main features, it goes without saying that the first is the design, which is still the main reason buyers choose this model. It is also a car in which sensations and driving fun take priority over other considerations. And this is worth keeping firmly in mind.

The MINI range currently offers five body versions: the MINI 3-door, the MINI 5-door, the MINI Cabrio, the MINI Clubman and the MINI Countryman. In the first case you can choose a fully electric version, the MINI Cooper SE. With the more “adventurous” body there is an interesting plug-in hybrid available, the MINI Countryman PHEV.

On this occasion we are going to focus on the 3-door MINI in Cooper version equipped with an automatic gearbox, which for us is the best option in its range. And it is mainly for one reason: the small 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine with 136 CV delivers performance that far surpasses the MINI One, and means there is no need to make the jump to the 4-cylinder, 178 CV engine of the Cooper S, which costs almost 5,000 euros more.

Let us recall that in the latest range updates, the MINI received a new-design bumper with vertical air intakes where the fog lights used to be, which are now integrated into the main headlights. Other changes affected the design of the wheels and the wing mirrors. New body colours were also added to the range, while inside the most significant changes affected the instrumentation, the steering wheel design and the multimedia system.

The interior of the MINI Cooper 3-door

The new digital instrument display with a 5-inch screen fixed to the steering column is one of the main novelties of the interior of a MINI which, in terms of space, comfort or ergonomics, has changed very little over the years, always “limited” by its exterior size and by design concessions.

This instrumentation has more good points than bad. It gives the MINI a more sophisticated and technological touch, and the main information is easy to read, with two semicircles on either side which, curiously, give the same prominence to the fuel level as to the rev counter. The central area is the only configurable one, where you can choose what information to display. The least good thing about this instrumentation is that it is not very easy to see when it receives direct sunlight. On the other hand, when the steering wheel is adjusted, depending on your driving position the central part of the wheel may partly cover the lower area of the screen.

By the way, the steering wheel has dual adjustment, for height and reach, which is appreciated. It has a thick rim with very good feel; however, the new integrated controls use glossy black finished surfaces that do not improve the feel and handling of the previous ones.

The new multimedia system is based on an 8.8-inch touchscreen in landscape format that leaves free the upper and lower parts of the large circle situated in the centre of the dashboard, surrounded by a decorative LED ring. The emergency light button sits at the top, and the main radio controls at the bottom.

The screen is touch-sensitive, but it can also be operated through a rotary controller between the seats with direct-access buttons around it… as long as you have the armrest raised; if not, it is practically impossible. It stands out for the quality of its graphics, for easy and intuitive operation and for the incorporation of “Live Widgets”, which can be configured individually to display the desired menu options.

One aspect that has changed throughout the successive evolutions of the MINI is the finish and the quality it conveys. Nowadays it is hard to find materials that are not of a good standard. However, something that cannot change is the matter of interior space and the boot. Although the space in the rear seats is better than expected for the size of the car, access is difficult both getting in and getting out.

As for luggage space, the just over 200 litres of boot capacity do not go very far, although the MINI is not a car designed for travelling either. If you have to, and need to carry luggage with the rear seats unoccupied, the rear seat backs can be folded upright to gain a few extra litres of capacity, or folded down individually.

The best thing about the MINI Cooper, without doubt, comes when driving it. Especially when you set course for your favourite winding road. That said, in everyday use it also performs well as a car for urban or interurban journeys, especially thanks to its agility, its manoeuvrability and how easy it is to park. After all, it is less than 3.9 metres long. But there are other factors that help.

Behind the wheel of the MINI Cooper Automatic

The suspension is decidedly firm, but not so much as to make it one of those cars deserving of the label uncomfortable. The road’s imperfections and the passage over speed bumps are clearly felt; but comfort on well-surfaced roads even makes it possible to consider long journeys without more problems than the available space. And when it comes to linking bends, the MINI shows its character. It remains a tremendously agile car, but now without this being at the cost of nervous steering, although it is very direct. It always feels very light and responsive to inputs on the steering wheel, and helps with the rear to round the corner, without getting the driver into trouble, with electronic aids that step in precisely when they should, not before.

The 3-cylinder engine, which has no kind of hybridisation – it carries the C label – accompanies this equation where the aim is driving fun and sensations. In this sense, there will surely be those who find the 136 CV of the 1.5 turbo engine to be too little when they discover that the chassis can handle far more. Or perhaps those who are not quite convinced by the idle sound that gives away its three-cylinder nature. But once you get into it, the MINI Cooper is a fast car (210 km/h top speed and 8.1 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h) and the engine does not vibrate or make more noise than necessary. Many people would not even be able to tell that the engine under the bonnet has only three cylinders.

I find the dual-clutch automatic gearbox with seven speeds very worth recommending; I would not hesitate to invest the 2,000 euros it costs. What is more, I would choose the “small” engine with the automatic gearbox over the Cooper S with manual gearbox, and there would still be 1,700 euros left over for some indulgence from the options list. The only drawback I find is that it has no paddle shifters on the steering wheel, but it handles very well in sequential mode from the gear lever if you do not want it to do everything by itself.

A three-cylinder engine that does not seem like one

You can choose between three modes depending on whether you are going to be driving efficiently, normally or sportily. To do so you must use one of the switches in the row below the climate controls, the one furthest to the right, which is a little far away and not easy to operate because it gets in the way of the gear lever. I think a control of this kind should be closer to the steering wheel. When switching between modes you will not only notice that the way the instrumentation presents some information changes (such as the maximum speed) and the ring around the circle in which the multimedia screen is integrated. There is also a clear difference in throttle response and in the management of the automatic gearbox, as well as in the calibration of the adaptive damping, if this option is fitted.

In any case, the engine always pulls with competence even in “Green” mode, and it even shows its character if you choose the sport mode, allowing very agile driving. In the most efficient mode performance is not limited to the point where you would only use it occasionally, and you can drive without worrying too much about the throttle with average consumption figures of around 7 l/100 km. If you insist, and as long as conditions are favourable, you will even complete routes with consumption very close to 6 l/100 km. But in the city with dense traffic you will not go below 8.5 l/100 km, and if you use Sport mode you easily approach double-digit consumption figures.

The price of the MINI Cooper Automatic starts from 25,800 euros. If you go looking for alternatives at a similar price that, like the MINI, can boast a certain exclusivity, we find the Audi A1 Sportback, available from just over 26,000 euros in the 30 TFSI S tronic version, also with a three-cylinder petrol engine (in this case with 110 CV) and a dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

MINI Cooper image gallery