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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  Best Daily Driver - 2003 Mini Cooper
  By mob662 - November 10 - 10:30 am

  Fun to drive period. Have a few cars - but this hands down is the most fun. Downside is it only gets 29 mpg.

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  What can go wrong, DID - Murphys Law - 2003 Mini Cooper
  By MINIhaha - November 9 - 10:00 am

  Pickup our Cooper S PS/W this April. You know all those problems that MINI owners gripe about on forums? Well, almost all of that happened to us. Lets see yoyo/surging/ stalling, new transmission, windshield changed, paint blotches and uneven, oh, and the rattles! OH MY GOD, the RATTLES! If this is what they describe as spirited driving count me out!

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  Too much fun - 2003 Mini Cooper
  By SleepeeK - November 9 - 10:00 am

  1st new car, 1st stick--fabulous experience! The S is quite easy for novice manual-drivers (though refinement of technique will absolutely yield increasing excitement). Fit n finish is wonderful, Ive heard not a rattle nor had a leak since purchase. 4.5 months old, 8700+ miles so far I couldnt be happier. MINIUSA still has some issues to work out (windscreen fractures and software performance, in my experience) but lets keep in mind that its only in its 2nd full production year--these are to be expected.

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  Best car for daily fun. - 2002 Mini Cooper
  By jeffng65 - November 3 - 10:00 am

  The past 13 months have been absolutely thrilling with this little "supercar." Every day I cant wait to drive it. Of course it is most fun on the twisties. Ive driven Ferraris, Porsches, BMWs, Mercs, and Audis but I wouldnt want any other car as a daily driver. Lots of people complain ride is too stiff but I like it. I have had problems. Its been into service seven times for such things as leaking water pump, leaking coolant tank, to replace lower steering column, a/c howling noise, peeling interior paint, and many rattles. Im sticking with it though because it is just too much fun!

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  Maine Mini - 2002 Mini Cooper
  By Jano - November 3 - 10:00 am

  Ive had my Mini S since February and have been smiling ever since. What a blast to drive! All is well with the S and the service from the dealership has been great.

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  03 MINI S - 2003 Mini Cooper
  By moorlockx - November 3 - 10:00 am

  A fantasticly fun way to get around. Unique styling, coupled with good performance and handling, and modern aesthetics, makes this one of the best overall cars Ive driven in my 33 years on the road. Its a car equally at home in town or on the open road. It excells on curvey, back roads. If oyure looking for quick 0 to 60 times, look elsewhere, but for everything else, theres the MINI.

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  I Love My Mini - 2005 Mini Cooper
  By MDGiusti - November 2 - 11:56 pm

  I love my Mini. I have had it for a little more than two years now and it has treated me very well. My wife and I evacuated from three hurricanes in it (including Katrina and Rita) and its fuel economy and comfort helped us survive the ordeals. We were still driving while less gas-miserly cars had long-since run out of fuel. Evacuations aside, I love driving my little car. It is great fun and I still get envious looks while driving around town. Dont be scared away by size either... I am a 250-pound 6-foot-one man and fit comfortably.

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  Motoring is Fun! - 2003 Mini Cooper
  By Nanner - October 28 - 2:00 am

  As a person who formerly used her vehicles merely to get from Point A to Point B, my driving inclinations in the year I have had my MINI have changed dramatically. Its FUN to get in the car and zip around town on errands, or on the highway to other cities. Will anyone mistake me for Charlize Theron? I dont think so, but I can pretend!

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  What a BLAST - 2003 Mini Cooper
  By am1scott - October 28 - 2:00 am

  This car is a blast to drive, period! I have driven a very wide variety of vehicles over the year and in terms of pure fun-to-drive, this car is off the map. Sure, its got some quirks. It is, after all a joint German/British venture so thats to be expected. But never before have the positives so far outweighed the negatives, at least in my mind.

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  Chili Red Head Turner - 2002 Mini Cooper
  By spkr4tdead - October 25 - 2:00 am

  I picked this car up on Friday the 22nd. And as expected, it was makred up by the dealer over 20%, and they still tried to make tou feel like they were doing you a favor by letting you buy one of their cars. I had been on the list to buy one since May of last year. Took over 7 hours to get out of there. And when that time came, they didnt even bother to clean the car, just handed me the keys, and sent me on my way, without ever even letting me test drive a single one.