Road Test: Mini Cooper SD

Price as tested: €31,080

+ Cool, cute, torquey, fun
– Not economical enough to make any sense
= Lots of fun but Cooper S petrol is superior


I’ve always had a bit of a thing for diesels. Most of my motoring writing colleagues will tell you that there’s nothing to beat the thrill of chasing the redline with a spine-tingling petrol straight six, or listening to the bassy woofle and rumble of a proper Mopar V8. And they’re right. But there is more to life...

And that more is better known as torque. Torque, far more than power, is what makes driving worth doing. It’s what gives you overtaking oomph, out-of-junction propulsion and that sublime kick in the small of the back on a quick take-off. Petrol engines can provide torque, of course, but usually they need the assistance of either a big turbocharger or a large swept capacity. Both of which tend to lead to big fuel bills, and if there’s one thing I like in motoring, it’s something that’s useful in the real world.

So diesel, with the price only of a bit of clatter and rattle, can give you big torque but without the nasty surprise on your credit card statement. And that’s why I was so delighted to have a go in the Mini Cooper SD.

As BMW itself says, a few years ago, it would have been unthinkable for a Cooper S badge to be glued on to anything other than a highly-tuned petrol engine. But times change, Co2 takes over as mankind’s primary worry, and technology improves. And suddenly a diesel-swilling Cooper S seems like perfect common sense.

The SD’s 2.0-litre engine isn’t actually related (at least not directly) to the 2.0-litre 188bhp engine found in the 520d and so many others. Rather, it’s a development of the 110bhp 1.6 diesel found in the Mini Cooper D, and as such was much easier to package within the Mini’s tight engine compartment.

143bhp doesn’t sound like much when you compare it to the petrol Cooper S’s 184bhp but then the petrol’s 240Nm of torque pales in comparison to the SD’s 305Nm. That’s good enough to twist the front tyres all the way to a 0-100kmh time of 8.1secs. Now, that’s just over a second and a half behind the petrol Cooper S, and that is where the SD’s case starts to unravel just a touch.

You see, were the petrol Cooper S some high-revving headache of a car, one that needs to be driven on the limit to give of its best, then the effortless torque of the SD would be the ideal counterpoint, making for a more relaxing drive and more accessible performance. But that’s just not the case. Because the Cooper S uses a turbocharged engine, its performance characteristics are closer to those of a diesel than of a traditional high-revving petrol engine. Just, it’s 65Nm down on the SD, but I guarantee you that, if you drive a Cooper S, you won’t come away thinking “Hmmm, that could have done with a bit more low down shove.”

So perhaps then, the SD can muller the thirsty, profligate Cooper S when it comes to fuel economy. Ummm, nope, not that either.

In terms of official quoted figures, there is a significant difference, with the Cooper S returning 5.8-litres per 100km and the SD a mere 4.3-litres per 100km. But it’s not that simple. Official figures are always at best a work of utter fiction and in my hands, the Cooper SD only managed to average around 6.0-litres per 100km, and that’s with the full battery of fuel-saving MINIMALISM systems, including stop-start and an intelligent alternator fitted. True enough, that means a Cooper S will be worse again than its own official figure, but I don’t recall having driven one and felt that it was exactly hoovering my wallets. And in terms of Co2, there’s nothing to choose, really. The Cooper SD’s Band A rating means you’ll pay €104 a year road tax, while the Cooper S’s 136g/km means you’ll pay a whopping... er... actually quite similar €156.

In terms of the way they drive, there is almost nothing separating the two S models. Ever since the Mini introduced electric power steering in its 2007 facelift, the old feel and feedback of the 2001 Mini has gone, replaced by heft and accuracy, but a distinctly artificial taste to the helm. The ride, as it has always been, is firm to the point of being jiggly on poor surfaces, but actually, I reckon that recent tweaks to the Mini have improved things. Certainly, the SD felt noticeably more comfortable on poor surfaces than previous Minis, even if it’s still no Rolls-Royce in that respect.

And once you tip it into a sequence of corners, all sins are forgiven anyway. It may be so much bigger and heavier than the original Issigonis Mini, but the balance, grip and infectious sense of fun are still are there in abundance. The SD is an utter riot to punt down a twisty road, and with all that torque, it does mean that you can keep gear changes down to a minimum.

Inside, the cabin is still a bit of a retro-mess in terms of ergonomics, but it is also still beguiling and charming with that big (and mostly useless) dinner-plate-sized speedo slapped in the middle of the dash and the row of neat toggle switches underneath. Space in the back is still essentially useless but the front seats are spacious and comfy, even if they are chronically awkward to adjust.

I honestly thought that the Cooper SD was going to be, for me, the ultimate Mini. I thought that it would combine the addictive hit of high performance that you get from the petrol Cooper S but with the fuel-sipping nature that grants you the warm feeling of a four-figure touring range. But it doesn’t. It’s still a damned good car, with an excellent engine and a terrific chassis, but all of that is also true of the Cooper S, which just happens to be €400 cheaper. I still have a thing for diesels. Just not this one.

Facts & Figures

Mini Cooper SD
Price as tested: €31,080
Price range: €17,250 to €37,150
Capacity: 1,995cc
Power: 143bhp
Torque: 305Nm
Top speed: 215kmh
0-100kmh: 8.1sec
Economy: 4.3l-100km (65.6mpg)
CO2 emissions: 114g/km
Road Tax Band: A €104
Euro NCAP rating: 5-star adult, 3-star child, 2-star pedestrian