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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  MY MINI, MY MINI - 2003 Mini Cooper
  By Linda Emery - July 24 - 2:00 am

  THE CUP HOLDERS ARE ALL WRONG. INSTALLED AFTERMARKET WHICH HELP THE SITUATION. SO CUP HOLDERS ARE NOW JUST HOLDERS FOR "STUFF". YES WE ALLOW EATING & DRINKING IN OUR BABY. SUN VISORS ARE WAY TOO SHORT, NEED TO BE ABLE LENGTHEN -DOES NOT PROVIDE ENOUGH SHIELDING. WOULD LIKE A BEEP RESPONSE ON THE REMOTE WHEN LOCKING & UNLOCKING.

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  GREAT things come in SMALL packages - 2004 Mini Cooper
  By de - July 24 - 2:00 am

  Handles well in all weather. Its very pepppy, and the gas mileage is great. I like it better than the New Beetle I had.

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  Watch out for MINI customer service - 2016 Mini Cooper
  By fchadly - July 23 - 2:43 am

  The car runs drives great and is surprisingly smooth going down the highway at 80mph for a short wheelbase auto. My problem with MINI is their customer service after the sale. So my wife and I get 60mi outside the Dallas dealership and decide to set up the Sat radio that supposedly came with the car. After fumbling with the radio trying to find the "Sat" setting, I called my sales person back to ask where the setting was, he said he needed to call me back. A few minutes later we were informed our car is "Sat Prep" which means me as the owner has to take the car in at MY expense, buy a $150 Sat code followed by $700 to install software in my factory NAV headset. This was not explained to us prior to leaving the dealership. When we called the sales manager back to get this worked out, it was an instant "there is nothing we can do, we should have worked it into the original deal". So at that point when it came to the survey about the dealership, I wrote what happened and in a couple of days got a call from a Dewey Gatts customer relations supervisor on my voicemail to call him back. And so I did not once, but three times over the course of three days with no phone call back. Got a hold of another customer service rep who we again laid out our issue too and she sounded promising of helping out. She said if you have not heard anything in 24-48hrs call back. Again I called Dewey Gatts POC, and again straight to voicemail, so I called again, got another rep "Tara" who was quick to just say what Sat Prep means and that their is nothing they could do. I posted on MINI USA the following: "so there In addition to our previous post about some misleading advertisement about Sat Radio on our new car, we have been back and forth with MINI customer relations since we have not been able to get a call back from our case manager Dewey Gatts. We have waited the 48hrs to hear back on our case since Dewey Gatts will not call us despite the 3 different times I left my number on his voicemail to call. When we asked the customer relations rep named Tara who the relations supervisor was so we could get some resolve on our case (at this point she started telling us there is nothing they could do), she could not tell us who it was, Tara kept telling us the next level are all supervisors. What?? All departments regardless of business type have ONE person/manager who is in charge and then that Manager has someone s/he has to answer to as well. You mean to tell me you cannot tell me who your own boss is? or who your boss boss is? MINI you have something seriously wrong in with your customer service reps if they cannot tell me who their direct line of supervisors are much less can provide a phone contact. MINI has put a huge damper on my "Motoring" experience. This type of customer service shows what MINI USAs true colors are in order to resolve an issue. If anyone is thinking of buying a MINI, you better have your homework down on what you want because MINI will use any misinterpretations to their advantage and continue to blow you off until you give up. The absolute worst customer service I have ever dealt with. I so should have bought a Fiat 500 or Chevy Spark that I was looking at in conjunction to this car. I know Ford, Dodge, and Chevy customer relations at least make an effort to right a wrong. MINI you have just lost a customer, we were planning to trade our Ram 1500 in next year for a Countryman but that will absolutely not happen at this point, I will stick with American or Japanese for next purchase".

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  My New Red Mini - 2006 Mini Cooper
  By My MINI - July 20 - 3:20 pm

  I had to travel about 80 miles to the nearest dealership to see the Mini. It was love at first site! I live in the city where one has to use street parking. Buying a bigger car or SUV would not make my life easier. Since I bought my Mini, I can park where others cant! Its wonderful not to have to drive around to find a parking place. I bought my Mini for its compact size and great gas mileage. I didnt realize I was buying a sports car as well!

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  Fun Car but Mini Service is Bad! - 2013 Mini Cooper
  By hippiechick - July 20 - 10:56 am

  Beware - Mini service is the pits! I loved my Mini until something happened to it. I was hit and my car had some minor damage. I took it to an authorized dealer. First time - my door wouldnt open when I got home and my tail lights were messed up. I have now taken it twice to repair the same issue - second time they left parts in the back. Mini corporate tells me my only recourse is to take it back to the same dealership. Isnt that super!!! Will never buy another one even though I like the car. You have to have a car that you can get fixed when you need work done. Also, run tires do not work - pull over immediately!!!

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  Total Recall - 2008 Mini Cooper
  By Bismark - July 18 - 5:00 pm

  The Mini S convertible is a cute and stylish car, with decent power and superior handling, but these are the only positives I can grant it. Ride on 17 inch runflats is appalling (and I have driven track-prepd cars on the street for years, and ride motorcycles, so I am no princess and the pea). Cannot adjust seats to my liking, knee rubs vs center console constantly. Ergonomics laughable (speedometer is a decoration as its well out of the drivers vision, window toggles badly placed, climate controls non- intuitive), gearbox vague, rear- visibility non-existent/dangerous. Cute weekend toy car, but non-viable as modern commuter to anyone over the age of 25. Oh, and my mpg? Only 20 avg.

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  I luv my MINI!!! - 2004 Mini Cooper
  By PrincessEgle - July 18 - 2:00 am

  The MINI is awesome. I got it early for my 16th birthday. I dont see a lot of young people drive it, but they should. Its so cute and fun. I get more complements on it than any other car. When I drive people that pull up next to me actually look over, and tell me (or mouth) how great my car is. It fits anywhere, and to contrary there is a lot of room inside. I can fit four people in there so easily, and they always comment on how much butt space there is. Also my mother loves the fact that its so safe. MINIs ROCK!!!

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  Not so "mini" - 2002 Mini Cooper
  By Raoul - July 16 - 10:00 am

  The Mini Cooper S is called "mini" but is big were it counts! It is also fun to drive. All my friends ask me if they can drive it all the time.

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  Happier with my MINI than I was with my BMW 328i - 2017 Mini Clubman
  By John B in LIT - July 15 - 2:57 am

  The Clubman is about the same exterior and interior dimensions as the 3 series BMW. The S has a bit less BHP than the BMW 328, but this is almost unnoticeable and has plenty of power to spare, so dont be dissuaded by the side-by-side figures. The ALL4 provides superior traction in most conditions, which provides an additional level of confidence and safety on slick roads. Although both the BMW and the MINI have run flat tires as standard equipment, MINI offers a donut spare as an option and BMW does not. I would say that the handling of the Clubman is on an (excellent) par with the 3 series, and I actually prefer the MINI. The Clubman also has a panoramic sunroof as an option. The NAV/Entertainment architecture on the MINI is very similar to the BMW i-Drive, so transitioning from a BMW to a MINI is almost seamless. Interior comfort, in my 6 1" opinion, is actually superior in form, fit, and finish to the 3 series Bimmer, and the wagon design with folding rear seats of the Clubman is more practical than a sedan when you have stuff to load (BMW 3 series can be ordered as a wagon, but these are rare on BMW lots in the USA). MINI promotes and lends itself to some very nice individualizations (Stripes, wheels, etc.), so you can easily and economically modify the look of your MINI to make it uniquely "your own," whereas with BMW, you more or less get what you buy/lease. Gas mileage could be better, but these cars inspire sporty driving, so my mileage may be as a result of my own lead foot and not the car. Warranties and maintenance plans are comparable between the MINI brand and the BMW (MINI is owned by BMW), and the MINI service department (at least where I live) is friendly, clean, well stocked, knowledgeable, and first rate with loaner cars available for customers. All this said, I think one of the things I like most about driving a MINI is that they arent as ubiquitous and as cliche as the BMW brand, and its just a hoot to drive at about $8K+ less MSRP than a comparably equipped BMW. If you enjoy driving for the pleasure of driving and dont test drive a MINI Clubman S when considering premium compact cars, then you are shortchanging yourself.

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  Happier with my MINI than I was with my BMW 328i - 2017 Mini Clubman
  By John B in LIT - July 15 - 2:57 am

  The Clubman is about the same exterior and interior dimensions as the 3 series BMW. The S has a bit less BHP than the BMW 328, but this is almost unnoticeable and has plenty of power to spare, so dont be dissuaded by the side-by-side figures. The ALL4 provides superior traction in most conditions, which provides an additional level of confidence and safety on slick roads. Although both the BMW and the MINI have run flat tires as standard equipment, MINI offers a donut spare as an option and BMW does not. I would say that the handling of the Clubman is on an (excellent) par with the 3 series, and I actually prefer the MINI. The Clubman also has a panoramic sunroof as an option. The NAV/Entertainment architecture on the MINI is very similar to the BMW i-Drive, so transitioning from a BMW to a MINI is almost seamless. Interior comfort, in my 6 1" opinion, is actually superior in form, fit, and finish to the 3 series Bimmer, and the wagon design with folding rear seats of the Clubman is more practical than a sedan when you have stuff to load (BMW 3 series can be ordered as a wagon, but these are rare on BMW lots in the USA). MINI promotes and lends itself to some very nice individualizations (Stripes, wheels, etc.), so you can easily and economically modify the look of your MINI to make it uniquely "your own," whereas with BMW, you more or less get what you buy/lease. Gas mileage could be better, but these cars inspire sporty driving, so my mileage may be as a result of my own lead foot and not the car. Warranties and maintenance plans are comparable between the MINI brand and the BMW (MINI is owned by BMW), and the MINI service department (at least where I live) is friendly, clean, well stocked, knowledgeable, and first rate with loaner cars available for customers. All this said, I think one of the things I like most about driving a MINI is that they arent as ubiquitous and as cliche as the BMW brand, and its just a hoot to drive at about $8K+ less MSRP than a comparably equipped BMW. If you enjoy driving for the pleasure of driving and dont test drive a MINI Clubman S when considering premium compact cars, then you are shortchanging yourself.