In one year of MINI ownership I racked up 21K+ miles and $2.5K+ in fuel costs on my 2011 MCS. I also think that I put slighly less miles on the car than I will over the coming year. I averaged 31.8 mpg.

Before buying my MINI I explored the diesel option by looking at the VW Golf TDi. Better mpg but less fun to drive and less fun to look at, still a likable car though.

With fuel prices continuing to increase, I am thinking about the diesel alternative more seriously but do not want to give up the MINI vehicle characteristics. My wish is for MINI to come out with a diesel option for the US in 2013.

Anyone else think this way?

 

yep , would like the diesel option as well

 

Another alternative would be a Justa Cooper, up to 40 mpg reported regularly here......or drive below 65 mpg, my S gets way better mileage if I slow down.

Don't hold your breath for a diesel in '13....maybe in the next gen cars, but even then not right away.

 

Yeah, I get way better gas mileage if I slow down, just hard to do. In any case, I would be more interested in the longevity of diesel engines compared to gas. I believe people get much longer life from them. Am I correct in thinking this?

 

I was thinking about both MPG and motor longevity. I've tried to drive slower, I just don't have the will power. I usually do low seventies on the highway so I am not tearing it up. I do punt her around on the secondary roads though which hurts me.

I think I will test drive a Cooper though for comparison.

 

I just came from an '08 Chevy Silverado with a 5.3L and it averaged around 18mpg (low 20's on the highway) so getting 31.5mpg in my JCW even with spirited driving is heavenly. I understand why a diesel would be attractive to some but I'll stick with the performance of turbo-ed petrol.

 

I would rock a diesel mini! My buddy just bought a VW Cup edition jetta TDI and he loves it. Im sure the golf would be fun to drive as well

 

i would have bought the countryman sd all4 if it was offered in the US

 

Probably the only diesel MINI I'd buy. THAT... would be an awesome car! I love diesels.

 

I would love to know what I am doing wrong that I only get 29-30 MPG MAX in my S.

I drive like an old lady and that's the best I can do, with about a 50/50 split of my driving being highway/city.

Never taken it on a long trip, so maybe I can eek out 35, but not in normal mixed driving.

 

..doubtful that diesel MINI would be avail in the states. However, you could always import one from across the pond..be the first one on your block..

My MCS has averaged 28-29 mpg since I got her in '07. Yes, there are some folks who can get hyper-mile 40+ but, like anything else, YMMV depending upon how, where, why you drive it. Justas are better imo specifically for mpg, lower maintenance issues, etc..

 

I am so glad I got an S! No way I could drive around in a car that only goes 40 mph!!!

 

+1 - me as well. I love my Countryman - but boy do I wish I could have purchased it in a diesel.

Of course my other car is a 47 year old diesel - so yeah I'm a BIG fan.



.

 

If the MINI diesel is anything like the VW TDI, some basic tweaks will have that powerplant making some serious power. It doesn't cost much to get an ALH TDI to hang with a VR6 of the same chassis. Injector nozzles and a tune will surpass the factory turbos. And still have superior efficiency, longevity, and depreciation resistance.

 

I'd rock a MINI D if it were available here. Hardtop would be just fine!

 

What's the difference in how a diesel drives, versus a regular gas engine?

 

For the additional up-front cost of a diesel, you can buy a lot of gas, at least in the truck world. I have an 06 Dodge that is my DD (when I'm not riding the motorcycle) and I believe the diesel option was $4500 when I bought it. I do pull a trailer, though, and wouldn't go back to a gasser truck. The one thing that sucks is service...this thing takes 12 quarts of oil and that's almost $35 per change not counting the filter.

All that said, I think a diesel Mini here would rock. All this "green" nonsense needs to stop. A diesel Jetta will still eat pretty much anything else out there alive, mileage-wise, while still offering more room and remaining more fun to drive. And it will retain its value.

 

The diesel will not have the same power delivery as the gas motor. The diesel will feel a little lazier, less RPM's. Both have some turbo lag. The diesel will be quieter, the gas motor will have a sweeter sound.

 

I try to drive mostly backroads, that being said, I'll average between 34-37.3 mpgs. I did reach up to 40 on a highway trip, once. Once I installed a 15% pulley, and a CAI, I noticed a definite increase in my mpgs if I wasn't mashing the pedal down. I now drive a little over 500 miles a week for my commute.

 

The main difference is that they tend to make peak torque at very low RPM. Going back to the ALH TDI versus the VW 1.8T (because I've owned one of each), the TDI makes almost the same torque as the 180hp TDI stock, but does it at something like 1,900 rpm. Of course power is linear, and drops off before 5,000. So the entire driving experience is different. If you like to wind through the gears (like most MINI owners probably do), it's not going to be as much fun. At least until you adjust to it.

 

You know, I think there is very little difference between a turbo diesel and a turbo gas motor these days, they both make a ton of torque at very low RPMs and they both get very good mileage, and yes the diesel is a little better. But for overall driving I'll take the gas motor. if I were towing a trailer in the mountains then yes, I'd want a diesel truck. But for tooling down the hiway in a car, gas is just fine TYVM.

I'd bet for the majority of drivers, they would not know the difference if you didn't tell them.

As to longevity, a diesel doesn't last any longer than a gas engine if you don't maintain it- likewise, proper maintenance of a gas engine will make it last far longer than 99% of people keep their cars.

To me, there is no real advantage to a diesel in a normal passenger car.

 

HAHA, agreed, 98% of people just get in their car and go, clueless to anything and everything, only taking note of things when they are broken down on the side of the road.

Sorry for generalizing, but the things I have seen folks do lately really make me wonder.

 

I do not care for diesel engines in cars, trucks yes.

 

Drewbrese, Blackbomber, MINIdave - Thanks for the info on diesel vs. gas differences.

 

I had a '10 Jetta TDI and loved it. It out-pulled my MINI (feel-wise) through 2nd gear. Lately though (I've stopped keeping track of the cost of diesel), it seemed like the cost of diesel was significantly higher than premium (~$0.30/gal), thus killing any benefits of increased mpgs...