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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  Mini Needs Better Gas Mileage - 2005 Mini Cooper
  By Gina - October 5 - 6:53 am

  I have owned this car for about six months. Its fun to drive, has a classy interior, and is loaded with everything and has chrome everywhere. It is easy access to whatever you need. This car has a great panoramic roof!! With a 1.6L 4-cylinder engine it needs to get much better gas mileage though. I have the auto. w/o supercharger and only get about 26 mpg. I would suggest the S model for those who drive on the highway. Getting on and off highway ramps gets a bit tricky. As for the interior room, Ive taken 3 coworkers of average size to lunch and they seemed comfortable on the short ride. I enjoy this car because Im a 53 inch female and it fits me. Getting in and out is easy, and I have a back seat for stuff. I just need to adjust to the lack of power.

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  Cute quirky w some less than ideal attributes - 2016 Mini Cooper
  By David - September 23 - 4:41 pm

  I have my own opinions that sometimes run counter to the popular view. Case in point are some aspects of the 2016 Mini Cooper hard top. We recently bought mostly for its quirky charm unfortunately not because of its handling. We ordered a base cooper with the 15" wheels but with the default performance tires. The handling isnt as good as I hoped. It has personality like the rest of the car although Id hoped for it to just work. Steering is responsive, however the car fishtails in quick maneuvers. It fact its one of the worst Ive driven testing by swishing the steering wheel side to side. The rear reacts violently after a long delay like the back is whipping around later. Can be scary on the expressway. We tried 16" wheels and theyre a little better but not great. Many other cars this size do better on this test. The other thing I dont like is the Harmon Kardon upgraded stereo. It has way too much bass. If that all you want to hear, maybe its fine but I rank it as practically unlistenable even with the bass turned way down. The Fender upgraded stereo in VWs are awesome. Awesome bass yet clarity. We didnt order the upgraded stereo. The base stereo is fine and sounds clearer. The little 1.5 liter 3 cylinder engine is great. Has lots of low end torque, is happy to rev, and is surprisingly quiet. Manual transmission is very good. Nice fairly short throw. Rev matching on downshifts, hill hold. I test drove automatics. It works well in most cases but I got it confused when I jumped out in traffic and it took an eternity (maybe a second or two) to decide what gear to go into, all while cars were bearing down on me. Interior is small but can be comfortable is people arent too big. Sunroof is amazing. Feels like your in a convertible. Overall ride is very solid. Stiff body, normally few rattles, good at absorbing bumps. Storage space is definitely lacking. Mini went cheap for 2016 and removed the secret compartment on the dashboard reducing storage space thats practically non existent. Whos idea was it to make a four door car and only have one cupboard in the rear seat? Overall a fun cute car but with sometimes poor handling with the base wheels.

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  Great second car - 2003 Mini Cooper
  By Bobolo - September 18 - 2:00 am

  Ive put about 5000 miles on my mini and I still find myself sneaking out at night and driving it on the back roads. this car is alot of fun.

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  Electrical Gremlins - 2009 Mini Cooper
  By John - September 4 - 9:50 am

  Love the car, hate the electrical bugaboo that has caused it to change abruptly from full on function to stone cold dead. Its up to the dealer at this point to convince me that this can be resolved. I hear they get high marks for service thats customer oriented, so far they have been, but the electrical issue is still there after stranding me the first time. Disappointing because we really like the car, the dealership is trying but I hate the idea of always wondering about electrical issues that are supposedly resolved. Well see...

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  MINI details - 2003 Mini Cooper
  By deegirl1 - August 9 - 10:00 am

  The MINI Cooper Sport is an absolute blast to drive. Fun in the sun. However, it was in the shop 4 times within the warranty period, which makes me a nervous owner regarding maintenance. It is also not a car for bad roads with potholes. Mileage runs about 21/gal for the Cooper, and its premium gas. Dont know if I will keep this car due to maintenance issues, but it sure is fun to drive!

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  Great Car, Not very reliable - 2006 Mini Cooper
  By JW - July 22 - 7:33 pm

  I have had my MINI Cooper S for about 9 months and it was great car to drive. However, I had to have the transmission replaced by the dealer due to the faulty flywheel design. I recommend the car. But a buyer needs to be prepared to deal with some quality issues.

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  how fun it was to drive - 2003 Mini Cooper
  By dave hocley - July 8 - 2:00 am

  you can put ten pounds of petrol in this car and it last a week. it very fun to drive if i was someone that wanted to buy a car get one.

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  2007 mini cooper S - run now! - 2007 Mini Cooper
  By anita28 - July 7 - 2:43 am

  I bought a used mini cooper S - it had 39000 miles on it and 5 owners before me. I ignored that warning sign because it was so cute and so fun to drive - big mistake. I loved that car and had it for 1 yr before I traded it in - too many problems to list but the last one was a recall. I knew from experience that Mini dealership would say it was something I did so I traded it in. They never covered anything - ever - it was always my fault. I spent over 2,000 bucks on it in a year. I love the car, always will but I cant afford the repairs. For a Mini car it has Major expenses, are you prepared to pay that price? I wasnt - driving a Toyota now and very very happy with it!

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  Expensive but Worth It - 2009 Mini Cooper
  By Andy J - June 22 - 1:00 pm

  A home run; why cant US car companies build something like the MINI? We paid right at $30K for the car and feel like we got a bargain. The new MINI retains some British charm but really should be regarded as the smallest member of the BMW lineup -- it looks and feels incredibly solid for a small convertible. My wife says she feels like shes behind the wheel of a baby tank. Our "S" cabrio w A/T is returning 31 MPG in mixed city/hwy driving to date. What a combination of power and fuel economy -- way to go BMW/Peugeot! Way, way bigger inside than it looks from the outside -- Im 62" 200 lbs and very comfortable in drivers seat. Trunk is tiny, but useful w/back seats folded down.

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  Mini Cooper S..Maximum Fun! - 2005 Mini Cooper
  By SteveK - May 11 - 3:50 am

  Nov 04 I went to Moritz BMW to test drive a 3-series. Saw the Mini dealer next door and did a test drive. Thats all it took! 10 months and 7400 miles later...its GREAT! With the youngest out of the house, its just my wife and I. Even did a Mini road rally this past Labor Day weekend in TX hill country. Those backroads were built for this car!!