Mini Cooper S (new) vs VW Golf GTI (used)

Here, for example, we’re trying to get to the bottom of the sort of dilemma everyone who’s ever bought a hot hatch has faced.

For the sort of money that would get you a new Mini Cooper S, you could instead own a tasty second-hand VW Golf GTi. Oh, the agony of choice…

The Cooper S on test here is a Chili model with a list of options that take its price to around £24,000. Strip those away but leave the Chili gear and you’d be looking at a £20,000 car – and that’s the sort of money it would take to put you in a GTi with about 15,000 miles on the clock and a few months left on VW’s standard three-year warranty.

Shop around and you’ll even find £20k GTis featuring the optional Performance Pack. This includes more power, better brakes and a limited-slip diff.

Thus armed, the Golf looks set to repel the Mini’s advance. But it’s the heavier of the two, and you always feel as if you’re working hard to get at its power. It’s fast enough, but there’s something muted to it that doesn’t quite add up.

There’s nothing muted about the Cooper S, though. Both cars have 2.0 turbo engines, but the Mini’s sounds way more exciting when you cut it loose. It’s torquier than you’d expect, too, hauling the car forward in gear just as willingly as it throws itself at the next corner on the limiter.

Talking of gears, the Cooper S has a good, slick six-speed manual. It would feel just fine on its own, but here it’s up against a six-speed DSG unit – which is docile on a cruise but knows exactly what you want from it when the fun starts.

Having said that, the Mini does feel more involving more of the time. Its engine note wins by a landslide, and it rarely stops feeling ready to go fast.

The Golf GTi feels more grown up, more sophisticated – but not as entertaining.

It’s quick, whether in a straight line or with that LSD working away, but there’s a sense of detachment to it that’s apt to make you think it’s classy and elegant, not loony-tune hilarious the way a hot hatch should be.

For what it’s worth, these same differences are clear inside the vehicles too. The Mini is loud and lavish, the VW suave and understated: the Mini has a tiny boot, the Golf’s is twice as big. Both interiors are excellent – but rarely is the agony of choice thrown into sharper focus.

Mini Cooper S 3dr

Price today £18,840

Price when new £18,840

Engine 4 cyls, 1998cc, turbo, petrol

Power 189bhp at 4700-6000rpm

Torque206b ft at 1250-4750rpm

Gearbox 6-spd manual

Kerb weight 1235kg

0-60mph 6.9sec

Top speed 146mph

Economy49.6mph

CO2/tax band 133g/km / 21%

Volkswagen Golf GTI DSG 5dr (2013)

Price today £20,799

Price when new £28,895

Engine 4 cyls, 1984cc, turbo, petrol

Power 258lb ft at 1500-4600rpm

Torque227bhp at 4700-6200rpm

Gearbox 6-spd dual-clutch auto

Kerb weight 1405kg

0-60mph 6.5sec

Top speed 155mph

Economy44.1mpg

CO2/tax band 149g/km / 24%