MINI 5-door 2014 Review

Ask anyone at MINI to nominate rivals for the company's new five-door hatch and a far-away look will creep into the eyes as they cast the mind back in a vain attempt to recall a car of which someone once said: "That's just like a MINI."

Oddly, the new five-door hatch (F55) in the MINI range has even fewer direct competitors than its F56 three-door stablemate, in spite of moving closer to mainstream practicality with its two extra doors.

It's the unique nature of the latest 'long-wheelbase' MINI that should ensure its success in Australia. Much of the MINI essence – the boutique looks and driveability – is retained in the five-door hatch, but access is markedly easier for four occupants. MINI claims that the five-door hatch will accommodate five at a pinch, but 'pinch' is definitely the operative word.

If you like MINI's calculated chaos and the anti-ergonomic scattering of differing switchgear and instruments around the interior, you'll fall in love immediately with the five-door model.

Characteristic of MINI interior design, the fuel gauge is different, without actually being easier to comprehend at a glance.

A black plastic box with illuminated light bars that dim sequentially from top to bottom as fuel level drops, the 'gauge' is mounted to the right of the speedo, which is perched on the steering column with the tacho on the left. All three adjust in unit with the steering column, but it's hard to read the speedo in full unless the seat squab is reclined further back. The top of the speedo – showing open-road speed calibrations – is obscured by the steering wheel rim.

A toggle to start and stop the engine situated in the centre fascia is another example of the MINI's idiosyncratic design.

Seats in the mid-range Cooper D (diesel) lacked under-thigh support, but in the Cooper S the seats were much more in keeping with the flagship model's sporty nature and enhanced cornering power. However, they were fiddly to adjust for height and recline and frequently didn't lock into place correctly after adjustment. This resulted in an unnerving clunk and shift under the occupant as the seat 'settled' where it should be.

And with the seats raised to the right height there was less clearance to the cant rail over the doors, putting the driver at risk of a clout to the head on the way in.

Room in the driver's footwell is tight, with the clutch pedal adjoining the footrest, which was occasionally contacted by the left foot during changes.

With added wheelbase in the five-door there's 72mm more rear-seat legroom, but the accommodation remains cozy, even up against other light segment hatches. There is abundant headroom for adults in the rear, unless the MINI in question is fitted with a sunroof.

While there's little room to stretch out in the back of the five-door hatch, there is some room under the front seats to extend the toes. Adults won't appreciate the lack of vents for the rear occupants. Nor will kids, we suspect.

Also longer overall, the five-door MINI is rated at 278 litres of boot space, which the company claims to be 67 litres better than that of the three-door hatch. The volume the five-door model will hold – even with the parcel shelf in place – is quite impressive.

All in all, the five-door MINI's packaging is more than just a token gesture. But MINI buyers will be won over by the driving experience.

The five-door is sold in three levels of trim, each with its own drivetrain option. At entry level is the basic Cooper, with a 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine. In the mid-range is the Cooper D, with a 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo-diesel, and capping the range is the Cooper S, powered by a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder.

All three engines deliver a sophisticated combination of fuel efficiency and performance. In the case of the three-cylinder engines the performance is manifested in easy-driving torque.

Buyers can elect to order the five-door with a standard manual transmission or optional automatic. Both are six-speed units. During the launch I sampled the manual transmission with the diesel and the automatic with both petrol engines.

Torque steer was evident in the high-performance Cooper S, but principally at higher revs, with the engine on the boil. The four-cylinder engine in Cooper S was very refined, but with that archetypal Mini-like engine note. It would hold high gears with some load at speeds as low as 1500rpm without labouring, but would also stump up plenty of performance for overtaking, even on a light throttle.

As expected from a diesel, the Cooper D's engine was a slogger, running out of puff from 4000rpm. It would rev to 4500, but there was just no point, and acceleration was faster by changing up earlier.

The diesel three-cylinder sounded engaging and sporty, but dawdled away easily from standstill, even with the manual transmission. Shift quality could have been lighter, but lack of turbo lag meant it was possible to effect swift downshifts by double-declutching.

For those who spend a lot of time in traffic, however, the diesel and the $2350 automatic transmission option would be the obvious choice.

The 1.5-litre petrol three-cylinder sounded like a sporty six higher in the rev range, and was more than capable generating enough torque for four male adults and a boot full of luggage in Adelaide traffic. Vibration was well damped at low revs and, coupled to an automatic transmission, the engine simplified driving.

The automatic engine restart facility was practically seamless with this engine. During the drive program the trip computer posted fuel consumption figures of 5.9L/100km for the diesel and 7.7L/100km for the petrol three-cylinder.

As anyone would expect from a MINI, the five-door was a lot of fun in corners. In any form it would turn in responsively and provide solid feedback through the wheel. It was most noticeable in the Cooper S, which rode firmer and was more likely to change its line through a corner with power applied – simply because there was so much on tap from the turbo four-cylinder.

Yet even on 17-inch alloys the ride of the Cooper S was not especially punishing or loud. In fact, it felt more composed than a VW Polo Comfortline recently driven – also on optional 17s. The one thing to be said in defence of the VW is it's cheaper than the MINI, even optioned up with DSG and its own sport package.

But with the light segment VW you miss out on the charm, the cheekiness of the MINI. You also miss the higher level of performance and a better ride/handling balance. For many buyers, that's where any argument ends.

2014 MINI Cooper pricing and specifications:
Price: from $27,750 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 100kW/220Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual with six-speed automatic optional
Fuel: 4.9L/100km (manual), 5.0L/100km (auto) – ADR Combined
CO2: 114g/km (manual), 116g/km (auto) – ADR Combined

2014 MINI Cooper D pricing and specifications:
Price: from $32,900 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 85kW/270Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual or optional six-speed automatic
Fuel: 3.8L/100km (manual), 3.9L/100km (auto) – ADR Combined
CO2: 99g/km (manual), 104g/km (auto) – ADR Combined
Safety Rating: TBA