The little Mini is getting used to be used again after a few months of being started up and trundling round once a week to stop the clutch and brakes seizing up. In a month I have done nearly four hundred miles, and the average fuel economy has incrementally increased so that the average since the beginning of March is 42.9 mpg. This is not long journeys but a mix of five mile runs and fifteen miles each way before and after work. Really I cannot complain at that. After the Aygo, almost any more than ten year old car was going to be worse or much worse than the Toyota!
I am learning the engine's character. The gearbox is nicely spaced so that first to second [half the time on a one in five uphill] is easy without have to race a cold engine. Fifth is somewhat short legged compared to the Toyota, but it will hang on to fifth without digging into the throttle to maintain a steady fifty on a local hill that is worse than one in five. Not bad really. At that point, on my longer journeys home, I like to dig into the throttle to push the engine briefly into full torque. It will steadily gain speed up to about fifty five when there is a bend that requires slowing for. Not earth shattering, but fine. When I do eventually drive over to Norfolk it will cope with the A47 between Leicester and Peterborough admirably. The old Volvo never felt those hills and I suspect neither will the Mini.
I even managed to set the cruise control today, but what an alarming thing that is! It works very well keeping to either the chosen speed [fifty in this case] or one mile per hour less. I have not tried it downhill yet. But I tend to have a very subtle throttle foot, so the car keeping going, when I would let off a bit, is very strange. I tend to avoid the brake as far as possible, except for final hauling up at lights or junctions. I expect it would be very nice on the motorway ...
I am finding that there is no superfluous control input on the car and though ['many of] the controls are laid out without any seeming thought for ergonomics, in practice they do fall to [muscular memory] hand. I set the original [and very nice VHF/FM with CD player] radio up, and the essential controls are all doubled in the back of the steering wheel, which makes adjusting the volume and station a breeze. Lots of nice touches, and the most clever one is to unlock the hatch on the remote on the key. After twenty seconds it re-locks anyway, but as soon as you close the hatch again it instantly locks. Thus one can put any shopping in the back, without unlocking the doors, and you cannot leave the tailgate unlocked inadvertently.
It does have a full length glass roof, and a very neat sliding part on the front half. Unlike some, when open, it absolutely does not drum inside the car. Well developed for comfortable use.
Silly point. On the top of the engine BMW proudly advocates Castrol oils, and the manual and the Mini website recommend only the BMW oil as bought from the dealer. Strangely the Castrol oil for the engine is second most expensive after the BMW oil. I am sticking with Castrol. I used the old Castrol Magnatec 20/50 in the Volvo, and will use the recommended grade Castrol synthetic 5/30 when I change the oil later this month. Probably do the transmission oil at the same time. Easy job with a proper drain plug and a proper filler plug, which you fill level with the top plug. ...
Thanks be for some proper old fashioned ideas on the first generation Mini One. Even the light bulbs are easy to change.
Best wishes from George
PS: Crazy fact. All the recommended 5/30 oils for the Mini are in four litre bottles, and the capacity with filter change is four point seven litres! Two cans therefore being required. Fortunately my Honda lawn mover is more than royally served with synthetic 5/30 oil so that two cans of motor oil is not quite so crazy. Though it is certainly over-kill on a lawn mover ...