DESIGN
Alfa Romeo is well-regarded for designing some of the best-looking cars in the business. Think of the 159, or the GTV roadster, or the Brera. Think of the 8C Competizione which incidentally is the design and styling inspiration for the MiTo; the brave smooth face with the big egg-shaped eyes, the clean lines on the sides and the round rear lights in a chrome casing. It really is Alfa-beautiful.
In creating the current MINI (model R56), BMW deliberately stayed within the boundaries of short overhangs, big headlights, flat roofline and a punchy rear end. Owners of the previous-generation car have not been left wondering why BMW back-stabbed them then. The MINI is still a MINI, but different. Liking the look or not is a matter of personal preference but we the first to admit that our test unit was dressed for the kill. Of our two contenders the bigger mini is the MiTo which just runs over the 4 metre mark while the MINI keeps it just past 3.7 metres. Practicality is won by the MiTo with a bigger boot but solidity belongs to the Cooper S. Call this one a draw.
INTERIOR
We can already hear the “Alfa quality issues” brigade but let’s assure you that the MiTo is very solidly built. We are not talking continent-solid but good enough not to reveal any niggles. The design and carbon fiber-like material (which can be painted in different colours) used on the dashboard is revolutionary, giving the car a sporty yet somewhat chic demeanour. Steering grip and feel are absolutely top drawer stuff while the seating position can be idealised to fit most drivers. No electronics though; it’s all manual. The seats are a little tight and cannot be adjusted for lumber support. Nevertheless this is what keeps the body in shape during hard cornering.
We weren’t bowled over by MINI’s insistence on the Big Ben-type info-meter stacked up in the middle. People who enjoy driving prefer having their information displayed to them directly up front, not on the side. Previous generation car was middle-of-the-road strong and solid. This time the Brits notched it up a step or two by introducing higher quality materials, especially on the dashboard and by introducing more upmarket bits like steel pedals and chrome-finish in certain parts. Yes the plastic walls are still dominant but they don’t protrude as much as they used to. MINI takes it by a whisker.
GADGETS
Targeted at the young at heart – few actual young people can afford these two cars – our foes are packed to the hilt with youthful techno. The Brit features expected luxuries like power steering, electric windows, an iPod/ auxiliary jack, a CD player, leather seats, power windows (easier to operate on the MiTo), an on-board trip computer, air conditioning and a multi-function steering wheel. Granted some of these items are optional. Both radio systems have a memory function as well as an RDS display to show which radio station is currently on.
The Italian has the same list apart from the iPod/ auxiliary jack, and instead it features the Blue&Me system which was developed with Microsoft. It accepts USB memory sticks and also connects Bluetooth devices, features the Cooper S was short on. When fitted to the MINI a similar system would cost R4200 against Blue&Me’s R3200. On the gadgets list the MiTo is king.
POWERTRAIN
Both these babies are fitted with compact 4-cylinder engines. Both are strapped with turbo chargers and both are driven via the front wheels through 6-speed manual gearboxes. The MiTo’s engine is the smaller of the two despite the car’s larger body. It is a 1.4-litre 
TJet with 114kW made at 5500rpm and its peak torque is 230Nm at 3000rpm.
As for the Cooper S its older 1.6-litre has 128kW of juice achieved at the exact pace (5500rpm) while maximum torque is 240Nm at a much lower 1600rpm. While it might appear as a lost cause for the Italian on paper, in reality the divide isn’t that great as our figures show in the next section.
We posted an average fuel consumption figure of 8.6 litres per 100km on the MINI. MiTo proved a little thirstier with an overall figure of 9.1 litres per 100km. This makes sense because you are driving a bigger body on less power than the Cooper S, which stresses the engine that much greater, creates more work for it which requires more power, which requires more fuel.
Alfa also installed the DNA system which gives the driver the choice to pick the correct suspension setting for the prevailing road condition. Whether you want a dynamic, tauter drive or something for driving in gravel or cruising in normal traffic, the MiTo has the programme for it. For its greater flexibility and higher tech the MiTo drives off with this round.
PERFORMANCE
On our 2.1km track the Cooper S planted a best time of 1 minute 36.4 seconds, compared to the MiTo’s 1 minute 39.5 seconds. The air temperature was 17 degrees Celsius while the altitude an oxygen-robbing 1500m above sea level. So a rough 3 seconds off the pace is nothing for MiTo to be ashamed of considering what we said previously; more weight, longer car, fewer ponies and less torque. In fact both these cars match and exceed a number of cars with bigger engines. Even when it was time to go from 0 – 100km/h the differences were not too hectic. MINI posted a time of 8.3 seconds and the MiTo did it in 8.8 seconds.
The latter seldom felt fully composed, instead the MiTo exhibited small signs of anxiety whenever foot hit pedal. Some of that can be attributed to its front-wheel-drive (FWD) layout and was encouraged by the turbo unit. Steering feel was not too strong either. The MINI felt more surefooted, more confident and direct in cornering and did not exhibit as much torque steer. Mind you some people like torque steer. But when it comes to handling the MINI is legendary, with some even comparing it to a go-kart (a mini exaggeration). Sounds emanating from the rear had the thicker beat coming from the MINI than the higher-pitched MiTo’s choking wails.
In all fairness the MiTo is a standard car while its foe is a performance model, albeit not the highest-performance in the range. Nevertheless this round goes to the ever courageous Cooper S.
SAFETY
One area we cannot test effectively is safety because most safety systems only come into play when something goes horribly wrong and during our sessions nothing of the sort even came close to happening. I promise. So we’ll go with the EURO NCAP test results which state (score in brackets):
Alfa Romeo MiTo
Adult occupant protection (36)
Child occupant protection (26)
Pedestrian protection (18)
MINI Cooper
Adult occupant protection (33)
Child occupant protection (29)
Pedestrian protection (14)
No results are available for the Cooper S unfortunately. Based on these scores it is clear that the Italian is the safer option although both cars achieved 5 stars overall.
CONCLUSION
Taking a standard Alfa Romeo MiTo and stacking it up against the established MINI Cooper S didn’t seem quite fair at first. However, the MiTo’s primary point of existence is just that; challenging the MINI. Because of power gaps there is no model on either side that matches the other; what we got is pretty much the closest matchup, regardless of the fact that the Cooper S is more geared towards performance than its rival.
At R228 500 standard the MiTo appears to be the cheaper option to the Cooper S’s R270 500 asking price. Its options list is not as comprehensive as the MINI’s but you do get an above-average performer with better practical considerations. Some potential buyers might adopt a wait-and-see attitude, especially given Alfa Romeo’s reputation for shoddy service (which they say has improved in leaps and bounds) as well as their product’s negative market perception.
As for this shootout the value performance package is clearly the MiTo. Ben fatto.
*Live exterior pictures of the MiTo and MINI were taken using a NOKIA 6210 Navigator
