Mini Cooper S five-door road test review

What's it about?

If you were spit-balling a small hatch today you'd be brave not to at least consider a five-door version. Buyers might like fun but sales figures suggest pragmatism wins out on the showroom floor more often.

Which brings us to Mini. Its Cooper was reborn in the image of an iconic 1960s three-door and has remained true to the concept for though two generations now. Meanwhile, other premium light hatches have arrived wielding five-door get-outs for buyers with more pressing practical needs.

What's a niche brand to do? Well, in Mini's case you say 'stuff it' and introduce a new five-door model of your third-generation Cooper anyway.

What do you get?

The five-door deal is much the same as the three-door deal, the only difference being that the entry-level 'One' model is absent. In five-door land the Cooper takes the entry-level status below the diesel-powered Cooper D and sporty Cooper S.

The premium for a five-door is $1100 regardless of which Cooper you choose, pushing starting prices up to $27,750, $32,900 and $38,050 respectively.

The cheapest version of the new Mini, though, still costs nearly $4000 less than the cheapest second-gen three-door used to.

And it is more car. It's a slightly longer and taller than the three-door, with a longer wheelbase, roomier back seat and bigger boot on top of the usual additional doors.

The five-door's specification and safety hard points are the same as the three-door's regardless of body style. In the case of the Cooper S sampled here, that means the gruntiest engine (a 141kW turbo petrol) and biggest rolling stock in the standard-fit catalogue (17-inch alloys), as well as overtly sporty exterior/cabin presentation, switchable drive modes (normal, sport and 'green') and toys like dual-zone climate control, sat nav, rear parking sensors and a thoroughly up-to-date infotainment system (with 6.5-inch monitor and mouse-style operation). For a six-speed automatic with paddle shifters on the steering wheel rather than the standard six-speed manual add $2350.

Despite the $40k-odd price, though, the S doesn't get the reversing camera that is now almost ubiquitous in the mainstream. For that you must turn to the extensive options list.

What's inside?

The Cooper five-door is 161mm longer, 11mm taller and rides on a 72mm longer wheelbase than the three-door.

The incremental size jump brings incremental packaging advancements; a 72mm increase in back-seat foot/leg space, 61mm more width, 15mm more head space and 67 litres more boot space, up to 278 litres.

In practice, the five-door is still no practical benchmarks. Short rear doors and restrictive door jambs make entry to the back seat difficult for big-hoofed occupants. The extra back-seat space is welcome but doesn't significantly change the status quo – the Cooper is still distinctly snug for taller adults and a child-carting/short-haul proposition at most.

It does, though, round off some of the three-door's edges. Not having to exit the driver's seat to accommodate back-seat riders is an obvious attraction. The boot, while hardly a light-hatch benchmark and bereft of the flat-folding trickery some makers manage, at least occupies the meaty middle of the pack (it's bigger than a Mazda2's).

And there's no real downside up front. Traditional framed doors change the entry vibe (and clutter the exterior) but the five-door otherwise feels and is exactly the same as the three door. It has same sense of style and quality, the same generally user-friendly controls and instruments, and – in the S – the same comfortable, hip-hugging seating in surprisingly spacious, airy environs.

Under the bonnet

The five-door Cooper S has exactly the same 141kW 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine as the three-door but is just a little bit beefier (1240kg versus 1185kg in auto form) and just a little bit slower (6.8 versus 6.7 seconds for the 0-100km/h sprint, again in auto form).

It also uses fragmentally more fuel. Not enough to bump up the combined economy rating (it's the same 5.5L/100km as the three-door in auto form) but it does post marginally higher urban/extra-urban economy figures and CO2-emissions results.

Does any of this kill the fun on the road? Er, no. The S's free-spinning zeal makes it a blast during red-mist moments yet its muscular response, flexibility and the smooth six-speed auto's uncanny ability to be in the right gear at the right time allow it to effortlessly segue into day-to-day urban and open-road driving. It's not the heaviest hitter in its class but it's a sweet, keen engine with genuine dual-purpose abilities.

The five-door is also quite frugal, returning an excellent 6.6L/100km average on our urban/highway test. That's better than we managed in a three-door S manual a while back (6.8L/100km), even if the more favourable result can be attributed largely to their different gearboxes (all auto Ss rate better than manuals).

On the road

More height and weight obviously isn't going to make the five-door better than the three-door to drive but – as with the drivetrain – any difference is hard to quantify on the road.

The five-door S is, quite simply, a hoot, combining pin-sharp agility, real poise and meaty, precise steering with the surefooted, unflappable balance that marks all versions of the current third-generation version of the franchise.

Its robust dynamic qualities are backed up by a surprising dose of comfort. There's an underlying sportiness to the suspensions reactions, especially at lower speeds, but its faithful reading of the road surface is more gentle lullaby than town cry. It's respectably easy on the senses, even if road noise can be intrusive on coarse-chip.

Verdict

The Cooper S five-door brings small but worthy practical gains over the three-door without noticeably detracting from its good-time qualities. Perhaps this respondent is just getting old but – even with its premium and even in a domain where practicality isn't crucial – it would have to be the logical pick of the pair.

It's fair to say, too, that the S five-door stacks very favourably in the wider hot-hatch sense. It's much too good to be dismissed without serious consideration, though the presence of tempting, no-less talented alternatives in its class (Renault Clio RS 200) and beyond (VW Golf GTI) means some buyers at this budget will justifiably end up doing just that.

Mini Cooper S five-door pricing and specifications

How much? From $38,050

Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder. 141kW/280Nm

Fuel use: 5.5L/100km

Emissions: 129g CO2/km

WHAT'S IT GOT

Six airbags

Stability control

Rear parking sensors

Dual-zone climate control

Cruise control

Trip computer

Keyless start

Auto headlights/wipers

Satellite navigation

CD/MP3 stereo

Bluetooth

17-inch alloys

For: Looks, feels and drives like a Cooper S three-door but is easier to live with

Against: Still no practical benchmark, value up for debate against more mainstream alternatives

Our score: 4 stars

Audi A1 Sport

How much? From $39,900

Engine: 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder. 136kW/250Nm

Fuel use/Emissions: 5.9L/100km and 139g CO2/km

Safety: Five-star ANCAP rating. Six airbags, stability control, rear parking sensors

What's it got? Climate control, cruise control, trip computer, auto headlights/wipers, CD/MP3 stereo, Bluetooth, 17-inch alloys

For: Zesty engine, capable handling, well-built interior

Against: Big price premium over mechanically similar VW Polo GTI, firm ride, dual-clutch gearbox can be baulky at low speeds, not enough toys

Our score: 3 stars

Renault Clio RS 200 Cup Premium

How much? From $37,290

Engine: 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder. 147kW/240Nm

Fuel use/Emissions: 6.3L/100km and 144g CO2/km

Safety: Five-star ANCAP rating. Four airbags, stability control, rear parking sensors

What's it got? Climate control, cruise control, trip computer, heated front seats, auto headlights/wipers, keyless entry/start, satellite navigation, MP3 stereo, Bluetooth, 18-inch alloys

For: Sharp handling, youthful yet classy cabin, practical and easy to live with

Against: Not as engaging as previous models, dual-clutch auto is clunky at low speeds, no rear curtain airbags

Our score: 4 stars

Volkswagen Golf GTI

How much? From $41,990

Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged three-cylinder. 162kW/350Nm

Fuel use/Emissions: 6.2L/100km and 144g CO2/km

Safety: Five-star ANCAP rating. Seven airbags, stability control, parking sensors, reversing camera

What's it got? Dual-zone climate control, cruise control, trip computer, auto headlights/wipers, satellite navigation, CD/MP3 stereo, Bluetooth, 18-inch alloys

For: Serious squirt, chassis blends serious handling with good comfort, practical and upmarket cabin, plenty of kit

Against: DSG auto's low-speed niggles

Our score: 4.5 stars