Which engine?
There are three 1.6-litre petrols available; the Cooper with 120bhp, the Cooper S with 181bhp and the John Cooper Works (JCW) with a feisty 208bhp. The Cooper SD completes the range with a 141bhp 2.0-litre diesel.
So far, we’ve driven the SD and the JCW versions, and the latter is definitely our favourite. It’s not cheap at £23,795, but the engine sounds great and gives blistering performance.
The diesel engine isn’t as strong as you expect, so the SD feels disappointingly lacklustre. The steering isn’t as good as the JCW’s, either, and that makes the SD’s handling a lot clumsier. The diesel costs £3285 less than the JCW, and it’s much cheaper to run, but it’s nowhere near as fun.
We haven't driven the Cooper and Cooper S yet, but we reckon that one of these could well be the pick of the range. Both of the engines are sensational in other Minis, and there’s no reason to assume they won’t be in the Coupe. Also, both will be a fair bit cheaper than the versions we’ve already driven. The Cooper S costs £19,775, £735 less than the diesel, while the Cooper looks like even more of a bargain at £16,640.
Which trim?
Mini has saved you the bother of having to choose between trims, because each version is distinguished by pretty much its engine alone.
The are a few differences between the versions, though; the Cooper comes with alloys, air-con, DAB radio, rear parking sensors, an alarm, four airbags and stability control, while Cooper S and SD versions add sports seats and cruise control. The JCW gets a bodykit, and not much more.
As with all Minis, though, the Coupe comes with a seemingly endless choice of optional extras to personalise your car. There’s some impressive luxury equipment on offer, too.
Which options should I add?
Metallic paint: it’s all about the style, so you might as well spend £340 on a funky colour.
Bluetooth: it’s not cheap at £295, but it’s still well worth adding this important safety feature.
Automatic air-conditioning: upgrading you air-con to full climate control costs just £235 - that’s pretty reasonable.
Automatic lights and wipers: make your life easier and safer for a mere £90.
CHILI Pack: most Mini buyers add this, because it provides lots of extras for a reasonable price, and helps protect your car’s resale value. Among other things, it provides part-leather upholstery, automatic air-conditioning, Bluetooth, front foglamps, a multifunction steering wheel, sports seats and a storage pack. It’ll cost £1845 on the Cooper, £1865 on the Cooper S and SD (but it also includes xenon headlamps) and £1505 on the JCW.
TLC Servicing Pack: if you specify nothing else, make sure you tick this box. TLC covers all your major servicing for five years/50,000miles in return for a one-off, inflation-proof payment of just £249 – which is great value. It’s fully transferrable, too, which will boost your resale values even more.
Which options should I avoid?
Big wheels: we know from past experience that the bigger the wheels on your Mini, the worse the ride and handling is. There are lots of optional alloys available, but resist the urge to enlarge and stick with your standard rims.
Six-speed automatic gearbox: you’ll pay £1145 (£1085 on the Cooper, not available on the JCW) just to make your car less enjoyable. You’ll find it more difficult to sell an auto, too.
Sports suspension: it’ll ruin the ride and it won’t add much to the already sweet handling. We say, save yourself £150.
Front centre armrest: it costs £120 – for an armrest! How tired can your arm be?
How much should I pay?
Mini dealers are notorious for denying discounts. Sadly, that is unlikely to change with the Coupe – especially when it’s so new.
You won’t do much better if you buy from an online broker, either. That means you’ll probably pay the full list price, but console yourself with the knowledge that you’ll get a sizeable slice of your money back when you sell it on.
