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The diesel-powered MINI Cooper D is a mileage-minded enthusiast’s dream car. With slot car handling and truly remarkable fuel mileage figures, it’s hard not to drool over the little gem. While MINI Cooper gas mileage is good, the MINI D’s numbers are insanely great.
After months of anticipation, I had the chance that few have had here in America. I spent the better part of a day with a sweet six-speed…MINI D.
Looking at the specs, it’s clear to see why this is the high-MPG king of the hot hatches. The six-speed manual transmission-equipped MINI Cooper D is rated at…roughly 50 city / 67 highway here in the States.
Alas, MINI hasn’t brought their diesel coupe to America. And there’s no official word on when, where, or if it might happen. But I knew that one had recently arrived here in the States, as part of Bosch’s in-house Euro Diesel fleet.My long awaited day in the sun with the MINI D took place while attending the Alternative Fuels and Vehicles conference in Las Vegas. I had to pinch myself when the good folks at Bosch handed me the keys.
Read the road test. He certainly had a great deal of fun driving the car – pretty much a given with the Mini Cooper platform.
The opportunity to do that whilst not consuming a boatload of fuel is a bonus that many of us are looking forward to.
But will diesel ever truly catch on in the states. Also isn’t it more of a pollutant then gasoline? Someone please correct me if I am wrong.
Very nice!! Unfortunately, I do need a trunk. However, it’s nice to see that some of these options are coming online quickly. Here’s one soon to come from Honda, not as impressive mileage, but in a mid-size car.
A Honda on a Diesel Diet
#1 – the answer,
You were right, past tense. They’ve done a lot to clean up diesel. And, since it packs more energy in less mass and the engines are far more efficient, it is far better on GHGs than gasoline now.
2,
You could always add a locking aerodynamic roof pod for the days you have four passengers with luggage. Even then the milage will be better than a larger car.
It’s nice to see a small efficient car design that doesn’t look like a rolling egg.
Since Diesel is now running about 25% more than traditional gasoline, the effective MPG to be used for mileage comparisons would be around 49–making it competitive with, but not better than, something like the Prius.
Also, a stick shift car is necessarily going to sales impaired in the US. I would be curious what the mileage is for the automatic version.
#1, I was just discussing that issue with a Cummins mechanic yesterday. He says that in smoggy cities, the air that new diesel engines (in trucks) burning low-sulfur fuel expel cleaner air than they take in.
For diesels to become popular in the US, they first must become available. The only manufacturer selling a diesel that I am aware of is Mercedes Benz, and only at prices starting north of $50K. Part of the problem is the tight emission standards in states like California. Luckily, with the new low sulfur diesel fuel out now, manufacturers can make cars that meet these standards. Currently, I got a deposit on a 2009 Volkswagon Jetta TDI, making around 45 mpg. Hopefully it’ll be here in a month or so.
#4 – smartalix,
Good point for most people. However, in my case, I live in Manhattan and do not have storage in my apartment for my inflatable canoe outside of my trunk and end up using it many of the times I drive anyway.
I know it’s bad practice to have the extra weight in the car. However, it’s better than the wind resistance of a roof rack or pod. I still get significantly better mileage than the EPA for my ’92 camry (rated 21/27; actual 27/32) so am doing OK even with the boat in the trunk.
I’m hoping for another couple of years, at least, from my camry. Then I’ll see what’s available on the market. I hope the choices will be better than today. If I had to buy tomorrow, it’d be a tough choice between the Prius and hybrid Civic.
4,
I live in Brooklyn, we should have a drink one day.
Alix
Diesel Jettas have been available* in the US for quite a while. I drove one around PA this spring, and it easily achieved 55 mpg. Lots of power and a decent-sized car. Honestly, I didn’t know it was a diesel unto the owner told me.
*they’re hard to find
I wonder if the author bothers to point out that the diesel sold in Europe is different than the diesel sold in the US. The US diesel is dirtier. So you can’t just import a Euro spec motor and expect the same results on this side of the pond.
#5, Don’t confuse the issue. MPG is MPG. There’s no “effective MPG.” If you want to compare cost/mile to drive, fine. Once you factor in the increased cost of the hybrid drivetrain, you’ll find that even with the increased cost of diesel the Mini will likely cost you less to drive over the life of the vehicle.
I would bet anyone a case of beer that I can get better mileage out of this car than ANY prius on the road, on a consistent basis. (of course, you have to provide both cars! :^)
#10, Diesel Jettas have not been available in the US since 2006, and there hasn’t been a 50 state legal version since around 2003-2004. Califonia, New York and a few New England states have tight emissions standards for particulates that many diesels can’t meet. The new 2009’s do meet these standards and are slowly making their way dealerships as we speak.
#11, Low sulfur diesel has been mandated in the US since 2007. Emission standards between the US and Europe are just different. It depends what you are intent about getting rid of in your exhaust system. Europe doesn’t seem to be as concerned about alot of particulates as in the US, so the equipment for scrubbing the emissions is different.
#9 – smartalix,
D.B.A. is probably half way between us.
The only “main stream” manufacturer in the US to offer diesel cars in any numbers has bean Volks Wagon. Even those are priced on the premium end of the price spectrum. In 2004 when I was last looking for a sedan, the Jetta TDI was priced $10,000 more than the Hyundai Sonata I ended up buying. The Diesel can not make up that kind of price premium over it’s life.
I can’t believe that Toyota has not teamed up with VW to come out with a Diesel Hybrid here in the states yet. Could you imagine the WOW factor of 70+ MPG?
Oh well. One can only dream for now.
Don
email me@yahoo.com
Number 7
Your joking right? tight emissions standards in the US. I would like to hear what you consider to be a tight emission standard.
#12 – moondawg,
#5, Don’t confuse the issue. MPG is MPG. There’s no “effective MPG.” If you want to compare cost/mile to drive, fine. Once you factor in the increased cost of the hybrid drivetrain, you’ll find that even with the increased cost of diesel the Mini will likely cost you less to drive over the life of the vehicle.
100% correct.
I would bet anyone a case of beer that I can get better mileage out of this car than ANY prius on the road, on a consistent basis. (of course, you have to provide both cars! :^)
That’s likely true, but not really an apples to apples comparison.
Prius is a midsized car with comfortable (I hear) seating for 5 and plenty of cargo space. The Prius numbers on leg room, head room, etc are very similar to Camry. I think the only significant size difference in the interior is that the prius is narrower. So, the three adults in the back would probably be best off not having particularly large butts.
problem with most of these small cars, they are too low to the ground..
used to have a saturn sl1, went to a vue much easier to get in an out of, especially for driving mom around as he is near 90 now. The mini-van and crossovers will be around for a long time, as older americans want the ease of getting in and out of their vehicle.
#17, Ummm, yeah, if a car passes emissions testing in one place, but doesn’t in another, it is generally regarded that that place has ‘tighter’ standards. California in particular, has some of the toughest emissions standards in the world. Don’t confuse emissions with MPG (mileage). Part of the reason that cars get lackluster improvements (or even lower) mileage estimates than even 10 years ago is because of more emission controls that block the exhaust and makes the engine run poorly, and safety equipment that add weight to the car. Also contributing is the air conditioner and other creature comforts that come standard on most cars nowadays.
#17. At least for Medium and Heavy-Duty diesel regulations (I’m not sure about passenger vehicles) US emissions regulations are the tightest in the world.
EPA2010 is .2 grams of NOx/horsepower-hour and .01 grams of particulate/horsepower-hour.
Euro V goes into effect in 2009 and is ~1.6 grams/hp-hr of NOx and .015g of particulate.
Current EPA07 is 1.2g and .01g.
Current Euro IV is 2.6g and .015g.
Euro VI doesn’t catch up to EPA10 until 2012.
Yes, the EPA has the tightest emissions controls in the world, at least in that segment.
#12 Moondawg, the Prius can only be “beat” in the MPG arena at speeds in excess of 70 MPH with a manual 5 or 6 speed transmission car.
The Mini is heavy too. 2496 lb (1132 kg)
Prius = 1254.2 kg (2765 lb)
The diesel adds 77 lb to the 2496. *yuck*
Just like a manual 5 or 6 speed can double the MPG of the *Same* car running with an automatic transmission.
The BMW Mini has a high resell value, like the Prius, making both cars excellent commuter choices.
However, both are in the same price range.
The Prius is twice as roomy, and has the same safety rating as the Mini, if not better.
(I’ve researched it)
So a family with two kids, both in car seats, will be comfortable in a Prius, even lugging around a the diaper bag, cooler, stroller, spare clothing.
Impossible with a Mini.
For a “hot” bachelor looking to impress, with his daily commute and clubbing, the Prius even outclasses the Mini !
http://dcsportbikes.com/forums/t/99522.aspx
#17 Moon, also to consider, the Prius is PZEV.
The BMW Diesel Mini isn’t T2BIN5 (yet?).
Anyhow, Tier 2 Bin 5 standards, to be met, reduces the MPG of that car.
That effectively squashes the “extra MPG” due to Diesel having 20% more energy in the same volume.
So it’s either cleaner diesel, or a cleaner burning diesel motor / exhaust system.
Honda’s spanking new Clean Diesel, with near PZEV emissions like the Prius, hasn’t made US/Can appearance.
Probably due to the fact that US/Can demand for diesel is too low, which results in petrol being cheaper than diesel.
I also recommend, for nearly the same $$$, the Camry Hybrid, for the 50+/Boomers age crowd.
My Father-in-law prefered the Hyundai V6 Sonata, being half the price. If he keeps in eight years, paid for in 5 years, because of gas prices, he will have :
– paid more $$$ in TCO
– have less $$$ in buy-back value
– Camry Hybrid -vs- V6 Sonata, 15k miles/year
The Sonata is beautiful, joy to drive. His MPG is absolutely horrible, so he drives much less.
Less road trips, can’t afford to gas it.
So here’s a message to John Dvorak, test drive a Camry Hybrid and let us know about it.
(make sure to drive it normally like any car)
Thanks for picking up my Mini D piece!
I’m test driving a US-spec gasoline engine Mini Cooper Clubman this week … getting lots of double-takes in the “stretch Mini” …
The Clubman is available with the wonderful diesel engine overseas. My hope is that Mini will bring them over just as soon as they get the emissions work done. I have faith it will happen. These are fantastic cars.
It’s tough to compare a Mini to a Prius … the Mini’s slot-car handling has to be experienced first hand. These cars are an absolute blast to drive, no matter the fuel. There aren’t many small (affordable) cars that I would rate above the Mini when it comes to the pure fun of driving.
I’m not dissing the Prius, whatsoever … these are just very different cars. The future of the Prius is in the 100 MPG plug-in … and we don’t have to wait for them … they’re here right now (if you’re willing to have your car modded).
#23 – Mark,
The Camry hybrid is nice. My father-in-law has one. He gets about 35-36 with it. The trunk is missing a lot of space from the extra battery, unfortunately. Otherwise, it’s very comfortable and way too big for my taste. The really odd thing for me is trying to figure out why the hybrid Camry needs a 2.4L engine while my 1992 Camry (first of the too big years) only needs a 2.2L with no hybrid.
Further, my 1987 Camry (best of the small years, IMHO, probably due to still being built in Japan) had a 2.0L engine, was lighter, and got 40MPG on the highway.
#20 – cjohnson,
It’s not the stricter emissions standards between 1986 and today that are responsible for our dramatically lower MPG. It’s that we the idiots fell hook-line-and-sinker for the marketing of bigger faster cars. Now, all of our cars seem capable of going 0-60 in 4 seconds up the side of a mountain. Doesn’t help much with getting to the grocery store though. Our cars get craptastic mileage because we buy craptastic cars.
I drive for gas mileage and still beat most people off the line with my 4 cyl ’92 Camry. People think they need V12 Mercedes and Lincoln Naggravators, Humpers, Land Bruisers and the rest. That’s why we get shit mileage. We buy crappy cars that we don’t need. Now, we’re paying the price, or at least a little bit of it.
Wait for the real costs to kick in.
#25, You may have a point in some cases, but no, not everybody takes the marketing line for bigger faster cars. A few years ago, my aunt wanted to retire her old ~1990 Mazda 626 that had all of the basic features that she liked. She wanted to get a new 2002 626 configured exactly like her old car, minus the 200,000 miles on the engine. She got the same size engine (4 cylinder), with mostly the same features, but the mileage was just slightly worse. She did buy this car, since she like the one she had before, but was just a little disappointed that mileage got worse after 12 years of advancements. And in truth, the engine was that much better, but the car also came with airbags that were standard equipment, a stricter catalytic converter to have cleaner exhaust, and probably a million other gizmo’s that while made the safer and pollution free, made the car less fuel efficient.
#26 – cjohnson,
Cool. That’s unusual though. Pick most cars for the same model for 1990 and 2002 and you’ll see that the 2002 is larger, heavier, has a larger engine and worse gas mileage. I think the 626 may be the only car I’ve heard of for which the same model existed for both years and that is not true.
No more HEAT ENGINES !!! It just prolongs and delays the conversion to Electric Drive !!! See, Edison was right !!! Just say NO TO PETROLEUM !!!
The diesel burns a calorific quantity of fuel at around 50% higher pressure than a gasoline engine. This pressure lends to diesel’s high thermal efficiency. The technology, is to make it cleaner, quieter and more responsive to the driver. Yes, modern diesels are clean, but they are all made by the French, and need low sulphur diesel. Toyota, Ford, BMW, Land Rover and Jaguar, in Europe supply cars with engines designed and in most cases built by the Peugeot group.
Diesel engines are lean-burn engines (more air than stoichiometric requirement). Most of our cars are rich-burn (just rich of stoichiometric) which allows the catalytic converter to oxidize the CO, unburned hydrocarbons, other stuff and reduce NOx to ‘harmless’ gasses. In a lean-burn engine you can only oxidize the exhaust components using a typical catalytic element or diesel particulate filter. In order to reduce NOx levels to current emission requirements you need either an SCR (selective catalytic reduction) system or NOx trap. Both of these solutions are relatively expensive and SCR requires you to carry a reducing agent such as urea or ammonia. I think the new VWs are using a NOx trap with some type of regeneration cycle and honda has an SCR system in their new diesels (don’t quote me on that though). All of them use oxidizing DPFs to handle the CO, hydrocarbons, particulate matter, etc but they have needed redesigns to accommodate these expensive NOx reduction systems. Anyway that is a major reason why the new diesels have been slow to hit the market.