Filed under: Green, Hatchbacks, MINI
AutoblogGreen drives the MINI Cooper D, at 47 mpg who cares about fuel prices!
click on the MINI Cooper D for a high-res gallery
Back in the 70s, the first great oil shock threatened to obliterate the fun in driving. This time around, that's not the case. Modern electronic management systems and highly efficient engines are allowing engineers to create drivetrains that provide outstanding fuel economy and performance. Combine those two elements with a great chassis and you can have a blast behind the wheel -- without draining your wallet or your conscience. Such was the case with AutoblogGreen, which had the opportunity to spend a few days thrashing some European unobtanium, courtesy of Bosch Automotive Systems. The MINI Cooper D (as in diesel power) combines 177 lb.-ft. of torque with the already competent MINI chassis, and delivers driving thrills while returning a massive 47 mpg! Head over to AutoblogGreen for the full review.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Kitko 8:05PM (7/22/2008)
Yep, that Peugeot-Citroen (PSA) diesel is working nicely in that BMW :-)
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Dazza 10:49PM (7/22/2008)
Just as the first-gen BMW Mini's diesel was lifted straight from the Toyota Yaris, and that worked fine too!
Torrent 8:11PM (7/22/2008)
Wow I was just thinking about this car literally as I typed in "Autoblog.com"
I dunno. I'd still take a MiTo over this. The Interior is the biggest hurdle.
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Steve 8:37PM (7/22/2008)
You type www.autoblog.com??
I see you comment here so frequently I think Autoblog is your homepage or at the very list in your bookmarks and history tab.
Dave 8:32PM (7/22/2008)
For comparison:
47 mpg equals 9.4 miles per dollar if diesel is $5 per gallon.
This is equivalent to 37.6 mpg in a car that uses regular unleaded at $4 per gallon.
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Dave 8:38PM (7/22/2008)
Let me correct myself. Avg reg gas price is currently $4.06 and avg diesel is $4.80.
So 47 mpg diesel is equivalent to 39.75 mpg reg unleaded.
pmiddle5 8:45PM (7/22/2008)
Thank you for posting those before everyone came and hated. To bad they wont pay attention and completely ignore this anyway. OI
tenfifteen 8:54PM (7/22/2008)
Yup, and we get ~38mpg in the wife's Cooper S on the freeway, 32-34 in mixed driving, depending on how much bumper to bumper we see. I suspect the base 'justacooper' does slightly better.
If you're talking Jetta TDI versus SMART, that's one thing... you're getting a trunk, seating for four, and a "real" car at the same relative fuel costs. Not a contest.
But here, you've got all the same pros and cons as the standard non-S MINI Cooper, you can just go further between fillups (albeit much, much slower). Whee.
Oh, and Autoblog... please don't quote autobloggreen's sexy number (177 lb-ft of torque) to the exclusion of the ugly ones (108hp, 0-60 in "just under ten seconds"). "Driving thrills," my arse.
Dave 8:58PM (7/22/2008)
PS -
My Miata gets 30 mpg.
At those fuel prices, the fuel cost difference between my Miata and a diesel Mini is $3321 over 100,000 miles.
I'm betting that the optional diesel engine costs at least that much, especially considering that you pay sales tax, property tax, and finance charge on the higher purchase price.
dac 11:26PM (7/22/2008)
But if you live where I do (Central Coast California), gas costs $4.65 and diesel $5.15. Makes this seem like the better option.
icu812ru469 8:39PM (7/22/2008)
Hate to burst anyone's bubble, but if you're buying diesel to save money, it's not happening. Buy it to save fossil fuel, yes, but not money. 47 mpg, if you have a 38 mpg vehicle let's say, the savings is not even $100 over 15,000 miles (one year mileage), figuring unleaded regular at $3.99/gal and diesel at $4.69/gal where I live. This only comes to $78 save per year. Darn it, when you factor in math !!!!
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Farris 8:59PM (7/22/2008)
...and how many 38 mpg gasoline cars are there out where YOU live?
Tyler 9:35PM (7/22/2008)
Please list all the cars sold in America that get 38mpg, I might have to look into this. My two cars on average get mid to upper 20s.
tankd0g 10:33PM (7/22/2008)
Umm, drive a Mini Cooper to 60 in about 10 seconds consistently and you'll get at least 38mpg, trust me.
Bryan 11:30PM (7/22/2008)
I drove past a ford dealer and they wrote 39mpg on the Ford Focus.......I know, I laughed to. And wondered, is that even legal to lie like that?
pmiddle5 3:10AM (7/23/2008)
^^^^ I saw an Astra with "36mpg!" on huge letters on it as well. Think they are rated for 31?
I mean maybe 36mpg at 55mph with windows up, no a/c, a very small person driving, 45psi in the tires, 0 weight oil, and a tailwind
Bah 11:32AM (7/23/2008)
pmiddle: an Astra will blow away 36mpg under those conditions. My V6 sedan gets around that at 55mph with no wind. Drop the speed to 40-45mph and the computer consistently tells me mid 40's. Considering that the Astra has a smaller engine, is 16 years newer and has lower drag I would expect much more from it. Steady cruising at sub-interstate speeds really is great for economy if you can avoid stop and go traffic.
RITmusic2k 12:23PM (7/23/2008)
Tyler,
I can get over 40mpg in my Saab 9-3, which is rated at 28 highway.
I could also get under 15mpg in a Prius, as our friends on Top Gear have shown us.
The point is, there are plenty of cars out there that can return great mileage if you muster up the willpower to drive them efficiently.
But are you asking for a list of cars that can let you drive like an asshat and return great mileage? That's a pretty tall order, and an unnecessary one at that.
John 8:46PM (7/22/2008)
It would be nice to see a lot more diesel choices for consumers.
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Dave 9:01PM (7/22/2008)
That would only lead to higher diesel prices. And higher heating oil prices.