I’m noticing that the Cooper D doesn’t review quite as well as it’s other R56 brethren. This review is no exception.

>The noise of the diesel is the problem. There’s either not enough insulation or the 1.6 diesel under the bonnet runs on coal and razor blades. It can actually be very intrusive on the motorway, while at higher revs and lower speed – when you want a bit of noise – it’s slightly too burbly to sound aggressive.

I’ve ridden in this MINI and didn’t think it was any louder (on the inside) than a Cooper with an aftermarket intake and exhaust system.

It’s not like they hated it though. The review does end on a high note. Kind of.

>Thankfully, all round the new diesel Mini is ten times better than the old D, which just felt like BMW had just chucked in a tar burner because they felt they had to. This one does at least feel like it was made to be a diesel, and it’s been deliberately crafted to be sporty. While it can’t compete with the petrol ones it is significantly better than all the Citroen, Peugeot, Ford, Hyundai, Kia and Vauxhall superminis that fall in to the same trap as the old Mini D – none of them feel right.

[ MINI Cooper D Review ] Pocket-link.co.uk