Car and Driver: 2016 Mini Cooper D Clubman and Mini Cooper SD Driven: A Tale of Two Diesels

Mini’s U.S. lineup is rife with choice, from the basic two-door and four-door Cooper Hardtops to the Clubman wagonette to the crossover-y Countryman to the Cooper convertibles. Factor in three engines and two transmissions, and Cooper derivatives number in the dozens. Now consider that Mini’s home market of Great Britain gets everything we get, plus four additional powerplants. Should we be jealous? In some cases, no—specifically, the pair of gas- and diesel-powered Mini One models, whose engines are so weak they aren’t worthy of the Cooper name. The two more powerful diesels found in the base D and sportier SD models, though, are somewhat more interesting. We had the opportunity to experience both, in the form of a Cooper D Clubman and a Cooper Hardtop SD 4-Door hatchback (which Mini calls 5-Door in its home market), while in the U.K. for the unveiling of the Mini Vision Next 100 concept. READ MORE ››

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