agree with Jesus, the Mini is a great drive but reliability problems let it down badly, the A1 is a cracker if your budget stretches & the residuals will be better than the Mini's.
For economy I would go for a diesel mini. For example, Nissan Notes or Ford Fiestas are both economical and reliable.
I find as a run around with a bit of sporty attributes you cant beat a clio 2 ltr sport 200 bhp like ****e off a stick, great handling and a barrel of fun