Mini 5D Hatch vs Audi S1
What's the difference?

Mini 5D Hatch

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2020 price

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Audi S1

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2015 price

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Mercedes-Benz A-Class

Summary

2020 Mini 5D Hatch

2015 Audi S1

By Andrew Chesterton

By Peter Anderson

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Turbo 4, 2.0L

Fuel Type

Premium Unleaded Petrol

Fuel Efficiency

6.0L/100km (combined)

7.1L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Potent engine
Tons of grip
Funky cabin ambience

Sensational engine
Quattro drivetrain
Great chassis

Dislikes

Ride can be harsh
Jittery drive experience
Cabin tech overly user friendly

Price
The interior is a bit dull
Stiff ride

2020 Mini 5D Hatch Summary

That the 2020 Mini Clubman John Cooper Works is the most powerful Mini to have landed in Australia isn’t all that surprising. After all, parent company BMW has squeezed the thumping four-cylinder engine from the M135i under its bonnet, and that thing creates a snarling beast of any vehicle it finds a home in.

What is a surprise, though, is that having now driven this angry, crackling, snarling hot hatch, what with its burbling exhaust and properly rapid acceleration, is that it took Mini this long to get around to doing it.

So does the engine upgrade now put the Clubman JCW on the same pedestal as the best European hot hatches? There's only one way to find out.

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2015 Audi S1 Summary

Spoilt. That's what we are. If you're in the market for a hot hatch, you can have your pick of German-built and French ones from as little as $27,000. There isn't a dud among them now that the VW Polo GTI has had a bit of an update and you can pick and choose your style. Audi's S1 is aiming to be king of the kids with its stiffly-priced S1.

Set the finances aside and consider for a moment what's on offer. As it turns out, a lot.

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Deep dive comparison

2020 Mini 5D Hatch 2015 Audi S1

Verdict

The Mini Clubman JCW is quirky in a lot of the right ways, and now has a hard-charging engine to up the adrenalin factor. If you were already sold on the idea of joining the Clubman club, this one will steal your heart more than any other.

Verdict

Cars this small shouldn't be this fast and useable at the same time, but the Audi S1 is. It isn't without its problems - the ride is harder even than the Fiesta ST which might weary some prospective buyers.

It's also a bit difficult to justify the price - in its basic form it's missing a few creature comforts that you'd expect in a $50,000 car - reversing camera, high-res screen, that sort of thing.

However, in the hot hatch world, those things don't matter. It has the bragging rights, the tech and the outright blinding speed to take on the bonkers Focus ST and equally zany Megane RS. And even the Audi S3.

Mini 5D Hatch vs Audi S1 What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Mini 5D Hatch vs Audi S1
What's the difference?