The Motor Forum

Martin · Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2009 2:17 pm Post subject: MINI One Graphite

On the basis that you can never have enough MINI test drive reports......

We had a MINI One for the day last week and when I got home I discovered it was a Graphite special edition. I'm obviously not a proper 'spotter', as I had to look it up......

The Graphite can be had as a One, Cooper or Cooper D and on top of the standard spec, you get Dark Silver paint (a Cooper S only colour), black bonnet stripes, white indicator lenses, piano black interior and 15" alloy wheels. The Cooper version adds 16" wheels and the choice of black or white bonnet stripes.

This particular car also had the (essential imo) Pepper pack (£830), which added leather steering wheel, air con, bluetooth with USB, floor mats, foglights, heated mirrors/washer jets, interior light pack, MF computer, passenger seat height adjustment and the storage pack.

That took the list price to £14k

So what was it like to drive? The simple answer is fantastic. The purity of the ride (15" wheels, not RFT) and the steering was totally uncorrupted as you'd expect with only 100lb ft torque (50% of the S). considering it only had 500 miles on the clock, it revved well and as long as you had 4,000+ rpm onthe dial, it felt pretty nippy. There wasn't a lot going on below 4,000rpm which would annoy on a daily basis, but it was a lot of fun for the 30 mins I drove it!! There is a pretty much unused twisty B road about a mile from where I live and zinging between the corners in 2nd was a lot of fun. It has the solid feel you get with a MINI that's missing in a lot of other small cars and it was certainly better to drive than the sports suspension / 17" wheel equipped Cooper I drove a few months ago.

The interior is obviously a love it or hate it place and even in this trim it felt a really nice place to be. The sports wheel, sports seats, chrome line interior and full leather of ours does make a big difference (all the difference for me), but the overall feeling of quality is still there.

However, I can't believe how much more space there is in the Clubman than the Hatch. My 3 year old wouldn't fit behind my wifes driving position but he fits comfortably behind me in our car. There was no chance of getting the pushchair in the boot and when my wife picked up a couple of things from tesco, the bags overspilled into the passenger seat!

If you don't want or need the performance of an S (the Cooper doesn't offer noticeably more), then I would highly recommend a MINI One. Just get the Clubman version if you want to transport anything other than 1 person on a day trip!!

Great little car though.

Apologies for the poor phone pictures, but here it is...

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Guitar Zero · Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2009 6:35 pm Post subject:

There is something quite appealing about a bog basic mini. All the quality and engineering without any of the tat.

I had a fiddle with the mini configurator a few weeks back and made my ultimate mini

I love the steelies and oxygen blue is free !!!. Comes with air con as standard so there is nothing else you need - if had a funny turn and wanted a small car - that is what I would have.
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Jasper · Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2009 2:47 pm Post subject:

Hmm, suits you GZ.

Nice write up Martin. What prompted the test drive? The Clubman is surely not due a service yet, is it?
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TimR · Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2009 3:19 pm Post subject:

Maybe it's been in for a recall

Martin · Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2009 4:24 pm Post subject:

Not a service or a recall, I was just not 100% happy with way the handbrake latched on. Mrs M could have waited, but she isn't a patient person.....
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Turbonutter · Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 11:47 pm Post subject: Re: MINI One Graphite

Frank Bullitt · Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 8:48 am Post subject: Re: MINI One Graphite

Gurney · Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 1:03 pm Post subject:

We treated our One as a two seater. The rear seat was more or less permanently folded. Suited us just fine though.

Not sat in a Clubman yet, as I pass Williams Mini every day think I will pop in.
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Martin · Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 6:52 pm Post subject: Re: MINI One Graphite

Grampa · Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 11:10 am Post subject:

I like GZ's spec - Oxygen blue is one of my favourite Mini colours - wasn't available when we got ours, but I love our sparkling silver all the same.
For me the pick of the range is Cooper Chilli as you get so much nicer interior - which I actually prefer to full leather. I'd have to disagree that the Cooper/One performance differential isn't worth it - it's just enough to take it into 'nippy' territory - it's the body add ons that spoil the S for me - to me the 'macho' bits are too much for the performance it offers, you have to go to a works to live up to the looks and even then it hasn't got the punch of my Astra.

But then I guess where the Mini loses out on providing good value for money (which to an extent is offset by the strong residuals) is that you can spec one to suit all tastes - except you can't have a standard Cooper bumpers and bonnet with Works oily bits - that'd be my ideal.
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Andrew L

Martin · Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 10:00 pm Post subject:

Wrong!

The Cooper S add ons really make the car (imo), I don't like the big chrome grille and plain front anywhere near as much. The S is plenty quick enough for some pumped up bumpers and a mesh grille!!

The lounge leather is lovely, std leather might not be worth much over part leather, but the Lounge leather is.
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Grampa · Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2009 12:40 pm Post subject:

That's the thing about Minis - you can spec them to suit all tastest - neither of us is wrong, just different Minis suit us!
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Andrew L

Martin · Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2009 7:39 pm Post subject:

Exactly!!!

That's why MINI have done so well, it means they appeal to a much wider market.
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Turbonutter · Posted: Fri Aug 21, 2009 2:43 pm Post subject: Re: MINI One Graphite