MINI Cooper SD vs Audi TT TDI Autocar Review

New vs used | Mini Cooper SD vs Audi TT TDI

New vs Used

Mini Cooper SD vs Audi TT TDI

Striking oilers

Mini’s new Cooper SD aims to please at the pumps and on the open road, but does a used Audi TT already do just that, only better? Richard Webber finds out PHOTOGRAPHY DEAN SMITH

S

potting the words ‘sporty’ and ‘diesel’ in close proximity traditionally plunges driving enthusiasts into the depths of despair. For example, when Peugeot dropped petrol engines from its 407 Coupé range altogether a couple of years ago, it seemed a cynical (albeit commercially legitimate) move designed to prey on style-over-substance buyers, marginalising the rest of us in the process.

The tide is turning, however, and the accumulating burden that is the expense of running a petrol car is squeezing that margin towards the mainstream. Well, if it’s good enough for Steve Sutcliffe and his perfect driver’s car (Autocar, 18 May)…

With around £19k to spend, here we have two models that would claim to handle the entertainment/economy compromise better

than most. Both the fresh-out-of-the-box Mini Cooper SD and our three-year-old Audi TT TDI quattro are specced to match their petrol stablemates, so which is best at melding a capable, enjoyable, affordable donor car with an oil-burning engine?

The reassurance of German engineering, two-plus-two(ish) layouts, and 2.0-litre, four-cylinder diesels unite these cars, but, as we’ll see, much else separates them.

Turning to the sober business of the balance sheet first, the TT may have depreciated from luxury car territory to something more affordable during its tenure, but owners will always be saddled with bills commensurate with the car’s status and performance. Take insurance, road tax, fuel consumption and servicing into account and Average Joe can expect to pay around £750 more each year than he ◊

Not for the first time in our test, the TT follows where the Mini leads 22 JUNE 2011 WWW.AUTOCAR.co.uk

Mini Cooper SD vs Audi TT TDI | New vs used

Price £17,295

Lots of miles, but reasonable price.

Extras include 18in alloys, metallic black paint, leather and Bluetooth and iPod integration. A bargain if it’s been serviced to schedule.

Call Private sale, 07041 357705

Price £25,795

WWW.AUTOCAR.co.uk 22 JUNE 2011

Audi TT TDI S line (2010) Miles: 7900 Well priced late car with mid-level trim, including body kit, factorylowered suspension, 18in alloys, S line branding, chrome pipe finishers and xenon headlamps.

Call Lincoln Audi, 0844 844 3408

Price £32,995

Audi TT TDI quattro Black Edition (2011) Miles: 60 Unregistered special edition for £1455 above list, includes 19in alloys and upgraded multimedia system. A cancelled fleet order, so price could be negotiable.

Call Grimsby Audi, 0844 815 4734

Thrifty thrills

The Mini gives a more engaging B-road ride

Audi is let down by light, detached steering

Cooper SD All4 Countryman and you’ll not see much change from five grand.

Entertainment, however, is the name of the game here, and on that front it’s the Mini that shines. While its lesser output makes it seem relatively laboured during motorway acceleration, it’s just about right for tighter, snaking roads. Overlook the industrial timbre from the engine and you’ll find the ride dials in nicely and the steering’s feel instils enough confidence to get your teeth into the experience. There’s noticeable tautening of the steering under acceleration, but it’s not unentertaining to learn to mete out the power to the front wheels accordingly, and doesn’t detract too much from the engaging handling.

While the TT is lower, quicker, grippier and has a more endearing growl, the speedvariable electric steering lets it down. It’s far too light and feels detached when compared with the Mini’s set-up. The TT TDI weighs 110kg more than the equivalent TFSI model and 220kg more than the Mini, but the real issue isn’t an outright lack of agility; it’s the over-compensation in steering assistance.

There are fripperies to the Mini’s presentation that will vex driving purists, even beyond the cartoon styling. The Sport button increases throttle response and steering weight a little but is really a token

effort. The same is true of the stop-start facility; it’ll be an environment obsessive who leaves it enabled to endure successive noisy, jostling restarts when in town. The Audi does without both functions, and is better for it.

It’s ironic that the more purposefullooking TT comes off second best to the Mini on performance, but the Audi is simply better suited to cruising. Its four-wheel drive system is surplus to requirements in that environment and increases fuel bills. A less powerful, front-drive diesel TT with better steering might have been more rewarding, but as it is, there are countless saloons, some nearly as stylish, that match the Audi’s strengths with less compromise.

Despite offering superior economy, the Mini’s theoretical range is around 20 per cent less than the TT’s due to a 20-litre fuel tank deficit, and we’ve established it’s the less comfortable of the two on the straight stuff. Comparing practicality is more difficult because with these two it comes down to personal requirements more than definitive assessment. No one, though, chooses a diesel without keeping an eye on the pennies, and in that respect the Mini has the advantage, as it does when it’s time to exploit your sporty diesel’s dynamic talents.

These factors make it the clear victor here. L

Price now Price new Predicted value Insurance group Servicing costs 0-62mph Top speed Economy CO2 emissions Kerb weight

£18,750 £18,750 £9125 (3yrs, 30,000 miles) 22 £400 (3yrs, 30,000 miles) 8.1sec 134mph 65.7mpg (combined) 114g/km 1150kg

Audi TT 2.0 TDI Quattro £18,300 £26,300 £9950 (3yrs, 30,000 miles) 32 £693 (3yrs, 30,000 miles) 7.5sec 140mph 53.3mpg (combined) 139g/km 1370kg

Engine layout Installation Power Torque Power to weight Specific output Gearbox

4 cyls, 1995cc, turbodiesel Front, transverse, FWD 141bhp at 4000rpm 225lb ft at 1750-2700rpm 123bhp per tonne 71bhp per litre 6-spd manual

4 cyls, 1968cc, turbodiesel Front, transverse, 4WD 168bhp at 4200rpm 258lb ft at 1750-2500rpm 123bhp per tonne 85bhp per litre 6-spd manual

Length Width Height Wheelbase Fuel tank

3729mm 1913mm 1407mm 2467mm 40 litres

4178mm 1842mm 1352mm 2468mm 60 litres

Mini Cooper SD

Vitals

‘It’s ironic that the more purposefullooking Audi TT comes off second best to the Mini on performance’

All-wheel-drive TT has the edge in slippery conditions over FWD Mini

Audi TT TDI quattro (2008) Miles: 67,500

engine

The Mini’s interior is a lot more shouty and some plastics are inferior

Others we found Top TTs from the small ads

with a long, easily accessible boot that’ll even accommodate a mountain bike. At 700 litres, it’s little bigger than the Mini’s maximum cargo space, but the latter’s boot offers a better shape for upright loads, albeit via a more constraining aperture.

The Audi driven here belongs to Richard Grinnell, a classic case of petrolheadturned-dieselkopf. A history of howling V6 ownership, including an Alfa Romeo GTV, ended when fuel prices forced him to look elsewhere to satisfy his employer’s mileage allowance. He bought the car just four months ago and is clearly delighted with it.

However, almost all of Richard’s miles are munched on the motorway. In that environment the TT is excellent, giving impressive comfort and bags of torque.

Having guided a TT TDI from a blizzardravaged Rallye d’Alsace to Bavaria’s autobahns in an afternoon, I can vouch for the car’s impressive ability in snow, which almost matches its cruising prowess.

The same can’t be said of the Mini. Its ride is firm to the point where sudden bumps on the motorway can create an almost alarming skip. Skinnier tyres than the TT’s allow decent traction at the front, but while the Cooper won’t flounder on snow like a rear-drive BMW 1-series, it’d be no match for the four-wheel-drive TT. Upgrade to the

dimensions

Audi cabin’s top-quality materials give it a more sophisticated feel

∆ would for the Mini. Road tax makes up £85 of that, while insurance, fuel and servicing are all higher by roughly equal amounts. Commit to an Audi servicing deal and you could avoid the extra expense of paying for MOTs, but that hardly balances things up, even with the TT’s slightly shallower depreciation curve.

Aesthetically, the TT’s aggressive yet sleek exterior and subtle, understated cabin are initially upstaged by the Mini’s nosehonking, flower-squirting, caricatured design. Both are of generally high quality, but note the stick-on vinyl squares on our Mini’s roof and the abundance of hollow-sounding and brittle secondary interior plastics and you’ll soon appreciate that the Audi’s finish is a cut above, even in standard trim.

In terms of practicality, it’s a game of two halves. Up front, the Mini has an open, airy feel and, of the two cars, it’s the one where adults might have an outside shot at pouring themselves into the back seats. The TT’s cabin is comfortable but much more compact, and the rear pews are a no-go for grown-ups. With a six-footer at the wheel, there’s barely an inch of legroom behind, not to mention a low roofline that can only be obliged via a guillotine.

Fold those rear seats, though, and the TT becomes a shooting brake of sorts,

Front suspension MacPherson struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar Rear suspension Z-arm axle, coil springs, anti-roll bar 6.5Jx16in Wheels 195/55 R16 Tyres

MacPherson struts with lower wishbones, coil springs, anti-roll bar Four-link, coil springs, anti-roll bar 7.5Jx16in 225/55 R16

22 JUNE 2011 WWW.AUTOCAR.co.uk