2002 BMW Mini One review from UK and Ireland

Off side front side repeater falling out (retaining catch broken).

Interior mirror vibrating badly.

Brake shoes wearing unevenly.

Clutch replaced at 29,711 miles.

Clutch replaced at 40,648 miles.

Clutch replaced at 45,412 miles.

We run a driving school and have dozens of cars of various makes. We were pleased to take possession of what was intended to be our first Mini One and looked forward to a long and fruitful association with such a "sexy" machine.

I couldn't believe that the clutch needed replacing after less than 30,000 miles, but was told by the dealer that this was quite normal for this vehicle - something to do with the small size of the clutch plate.

I REALLY couldn't believe it when the clutch failed again after another 10,000 miles although this was covered under warranty "as a goodwill gesture".

The final straw was when the clutch failed yet again after a further 5,000 miles with the dealership claiming "abuse" by the drivers.

This is a common misconception about learner drivers, one that is not borne out by the performance and reliability of the other cars we run, most of them being almost half the price of the Mini.