The narrow streets of London are being pushed to their limits, with hoard of school mums and dads driving 4x4s, SUVs and luxury SUVs, used to drop their precious cargos at various schools all over London.
Don’t get me wrong, those cloggers are comfortable, spacious and in some cases, are great to look at, however you know there is a “BUT” coming.
Your comfort, comes with a cost and you really should ask yourself, would you really use them as a city run around cars?
If the answer is a resounding yes, then I would stop reading this article, move on and thank you for getting this far, otherwise read on.
Small cars are still popular, and as the saying goes, all good things come in small packages, in some cases they are not wrong.
They are great at running around the narrow streets, they are practical and in recent years, manufacturers have started adding those little premium touches to entice us even more.
This article is the first part of many more articles that will cover small hatchbacks.
1- Mini Hatchback
It’s not spacious, let’s agree on that. However Mini counters back by just being stylish, beautifully built and sporty.
Inside there is not much room, especially for people sitting at the back, and putting a child car seat, is simply just out of the question.
The boot is tight (211-ltr) and those big brakelights make the opening a little narrow. The cleverly designed boot, allows you to adjust the flooring and with seats folded back, provides enough space for most things.
It is worth mentioning, Mini option packages are on the expensive side, however it’s worth forking out the extra cash upgrading to the optional infotainment system (£1800) that has a delightful 8.8-inch screen, 3D mapping system and a 20GB hard-drive.
If safety is top priority, then for a measly £440, you can add automatic Emergency braking as part of Driving Assistant pack.
All that aside, once you are behind the wheel and you hit the road, all those little inconvenience melts away, and you are left with a joyful and fun ride.
The best engine is the three cylinder 1.5-Litre Petrol, which is quick and rather cheap to run.
The best thing about driving a mini, is the way it makes you feel when you are on the driving seat. It still has loads of 60s heritage which makes even to most unfashionable person, well fashionable and cool.
