Overview & Reviews

Few cars are as instantly recognizable as the Mini. Loved for its diminutive dimensions and cheerful good looks, the British-born car has inspired passionate devotion both in the U.S. and abroad. The brand was briefly discontinued, but was revived in 2002 with help from BMW. Successfully paying homage to the original Mini Cooper of the 1960s, the reincarnated Cooper combines an athletic, BMW-engineered chassis with a space-efficient interior and a generous standard features list.

The history of the Mini make began in 1959. The original Mini car was produced by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) in England and its mission was to be a lightweight, agile four-passenger car that took up minimal space. In a sense, the brand was born out of necessity. The United Kingdom was subject to fuel rationing in the wake of the Suez crisis, and British consumers clamored for vehicles that offered optimum fuel efficiency.

The car was originally sold under BMC's Austin and Morris brands; the Mini name didn't make an appearance until 1961. Although it had just 34 horsepower, the Mini was the ideal urban car and proved popular in crowded European cities. In 1961, John Cooper, a man who built Formula One racecars, put his magic hands on the Mini and the result was the ferocious Mini Cooper. His Cooper S model had (at 76 hp) more than double the output of the standard Mini. That infusion of power, along with suspension tweaks and some really good driving, had Mini winning the Monte Carlo Rally four years in a row (1964-'67). The marque landed on American shores in 1962.

The '60s truly was the decade of the Mini. New variations on the car's theme came with the introduction of vehicles like the Mini Pickup and the Mini Moke, a vehicle that resembled a quirky cross between a Mini and a Jeep. The car's abbreviated proportions are even rumored to have played a part in sparking a fashion trend; the miniskirt raised hemlines and became emblematic of an era. Mini motorcars tore up the asphalt on the silver screen, with the brand's appearance in the 1969 film The Italian Job. By the end of the decade, more than 2 million Mini motorcars had been produced. Sadly, the vehicle was pulled from the United States in 1968, in the wake of strict new emissions regulations.

Though no longer available in the U.S., Mini remained in production in Europe through the '70s and '80s. By the mid-'80s, more than 5 million Minis had been produced worldwide. In 1994, the brand was acquired by the BMW Group. The marque went on hiatus in 2000, but was resurrected (and brought back to American shores) in 2002 with the launch of the entry-level, front-drive Mini Cooper hatchback. Thoroughly modern in every way, right down to its BMW-engineered suspension, steering and brakes, the Mini Cooper is sold alongside its cousins at BMW dealerships.

Today, Mini's offerings include various derivatives of the Cooper, including a coupe, a roadster and a convertible; the slightly longer Clubman; high-performance John Cooper Works variants; and even the crossover SUV-inspired four-door Countryman. With such a diverse, fun-loving lineup, it's no wonder that Mini has become one of America's most desirable small car automakers.

User Reviews:

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  This car is rubbish - 2005 Mini Cooper
  By Montgomery Alphetia - September 21 - 8:50 am

  Do not buy this car. it is a rip-off and a cheat. The exhuast pipe fell off only one day after i bought it brand new.

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  Why did I listen? - 2002 Mini Cooper
  By intro - March 4 - 10:00 am

  I based my most recent purchase, a MINI, based on the 18 reviews here on Edmunds. What was I thinking? I think many of the people here on the board must not really own a MINI. Except for reasonable gas mileage, not much good to say about this car. Might as well go get a Toyota Prius or something.

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  Terribly disappointed - 2002 Mini Cooper
  By babydingo - December 1 - 10:00 am

  Not much good to say about my MINI. Poor acceleration. Rattles all over the place. Two mechanical problems requiring service in the first month I owned the car. Learn from your mistakes I guess. Should have saved a few more bucks and bought a 3 series Beemer.

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  2017 Mini Countryman WORST CAR - 2017 Mini Countryman
  By Lou - September 14 - 9:21 am

  I have had my 2017 Mini Countryman for 11 months and 3 of those months it has been in the shop. The electronic parking brake fails. Mini does not take responsibility for this extremely dangerous glitch and says that according to the manual I need to use chock blocks to "safely" park my vehicle. This petroleum jelly substance oozes out from under the hood and stains all that it touches. Mini will not fix this (they say it is common in Minis and BMWs) and says it will happen for 20,000 miles (this is a BRAND NEW CAR). The car will lock the keys in the car. I have had friends witness this flabbergasted that the car decided to lock itself in front of us. The Bluetooth will play music over phone calls. There is no where to turn the music off since it was never on in the first place. The only way to remedy the situation is for me to hang up and call the person back. In general the electronic interface is very glitch and delayed. I am 52" tall. The car does not fit me. The visors are too short, the center controls are too far back. I could go on and on, the car has been a nightmare! I bought this car because I loved my 2014 Mini Countryman. The 2017 is a terrible redesign and is glitch filled. I will NEVER BUY ANOTHER MINI!

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  Only a bucket of headaches - 2002 Mini Cooper
  By wannam3 - February 1 - 10:00 am

  Having owned three other BMWs in the past, I eagerly bought one of the first MINIs in the Bay area. Although Beemers tend to be a little fussy, my MINI was a disaster. Rattles everywhere, poor low end torque, windshield wiper did not work well, leaky fuel line, and two engine cutoffs on the highway. The second was the last straw. Luckily, I had bought a couple other BMWs in the past, and they wanted to make me happy, so they refunded all of my money except $500. Bye bye MINI, maybe in a couple years the defects will be worked out.

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  Just a pile of problems and no fun - 2002 Mini Cooper
  By jcloyd1 - July 20 - 10:00 am

  I got my Mini a few weeks ago and it has been nothing short of a disaster. I spent money on the "S" and only recently found out that BMW has to go back to the drawing board. Apparently, 20% fail in the first 3000 miles according to my local dealership. I was one of the unfortuante ones. Live and learn I guess.

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  What is the excitement, not here - 2002 Mini Cooper
  By bigjames - June 7 - 10:00 am

  I have owned three Beemers in the last 10 years and thought the MINI would be a fun addition to my collection. What is disaster. BigJames does not need this mess. The car looks stupid just a few days after you bring it home. BigJamess only good thing to say is that he should be able to unload it with minimal depreciation since it is so hot right now.

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  I will keep my 325i thank you very much - 2002 Mini Cooper
  By beemermania - April 19 - 10:00 am

  What a flawed attempt by my friends in Bavaria. Underpowered. Unrefined. Poor build quality. I am just thrilled I did not sell my 325i when I picked this one up. Within a week there must have been a wiring error because the car simply died on the highway while I was going 70. The Mini dealership said this has happened to a couple others here in town. I will keep my 325i and sell this piece of work as soon as possible.

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  I miss my Miata!!! - 2002 Mini Cooper
  By fhender - December 12 - 10:00 am

  I turned in my Miata and thought I should get a MINI. Cool ads in the mags. Test drove one and thought it was cool. After just three weeks I miss my Miata so much. The MINI supposedly is faster, but I can barely get to 60 in less than 10 seconds. Also, I have had to take it in for service twice in the first month. Not a good choice.

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  My wifes 3 series is a much better car - 2002 Mini Cooper
  By beemerman56 - May 7 - 10:00 am

  I had this "car" for about two months. It reminds me much more of a moped than a car. Sure, when I was 12, the MINI might have been fun. Now it is just an underpowered, overpriced attempt at the uneducated public. I am just thrilled I was able to sell it for $21K and recoup 98% of my original cost. Whew!