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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  Fun Car, not exactly reliable. - 2004 Mini Cooper
  By LJKelley - October 7 - 9:50 pm

  I bought this cute car in 2003 and absolutely loved the interior and styles of the outside. I also loved the fact it had great fuel economy. At first it was real fun but alot of issues cropped up including one cell in the battery going bad causing the whole car to not start. Regular electric issues were found including after warranty was out such as windows, heat etc. These issues were sporadic and would work most of the time.

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  1 Month Review - 2003 Mini Cooper
  By Indygo - October 3 - 2:00 am

  I had studied the car for almost a year before getting it. Ive now had mine for a month. Most of the production kinks have been worked out, and the car is something else. Its real fun to drive, an eyecatcher, and very comfortable. The dual sunroof feature makes the car extra roomie inside, while the on steering radio controls let you enjoy driving the car.

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  2008 Mini Cooper - 2008 Mini Cooper
  By jlee924 - September 29 - 6:20 am

  Got my Mini Cooper in May and I love the car. I had an SUV before, and Im really liking not having to buy gas every week. Im getting around 35mpg with the 6 speed auto and while using the Triptonic trans. Handles surprisingly well in the snow too.

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  Bump Up The Style Points - 2003 Mini Cooper
  By dysfunct9 - September 27 - 10:00 am

  When I drove to work (an elementary school) the first day I bought Earnest (my Mini), one of the other teachers looked at me and said, "You, Mr. Abney, are hopelessy trendy." Smiling, I said, "Thanks!" I traded in an Audi TT Convertible for this car and, though reducing a whole lot of monthly payment, Ive actually increased my coolness factor driving around. And, considering it has one of the lowest True Cost To Owns on Edmunds, I think its an amazing value, even though I ended up paying 1500 over MSRP.

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  BUY YELLOW - IT MAY BE A LEMON...:-( - 2002 Mini Cooper
  By trbo - September 21 - 10:00 am

  The styling is new and fun. A great go- cart for people that are single, no kids etc etc... Cornering is like that of Porches & Bmws. BUT - once you hit the AC button. Bye bye power... hello lawnmower engine. Give lots of gas off the line to go with AC on. Its like a motorcycle... only have it if it is a 2nd vehicle. here comes the bad part. My first was a lemon - battery blew, shift liinkage broke, and they replaced all drive shafts and bearings...within 4000 miles.

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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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  Auto transmission - 2005 Mini Cooper
  By Ron - September 12 - 2:00 am

  This car was a gem when we first got it however in year 4 at 30,000 km the ac went and recently the CVT has developed a clunk when cold and put into drive. Have just sold it as the transmission is poor and have no intention of putting another 7k into the dealers pocket.

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  I Will Have This Car Forever! - 2005 Mini Cooper
  By Malulani Jervis - September 10 - 6:36 pm

  I love my car. I have never said these words before in my life. My Mini is a fun car that makes me smile whenever i drive it and also makes people on the street smile whenever they look at it. I will keep this car forever. It is the kind of car that you want to have even if you get another car! I cannot say enough good things about it!

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  MINI Cooper S - 2003 Mini Cooper
  By enzo_27 - September 9 - 2:00 am

  This is a wonderful car. It is an absolute blast. It is truly the re- birth of one of the great iconic cars of all time. It has so much more character and personality than most cars on the market. I have had people honk their horns, wave like maniacs and give the thumbs up in traffic. It is hands-down the best car I have ever owned.

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  Too Cool - 2004 Mini Cooper
  By Larardo - September 9 - 2:00 am

  The car is great. I have the automaticic so my wife can use it and it ok but it takes away performance and it has a governor on the rpm. It is hard to hit the right rpm when you need it and it shifts slow. I knew that going into it so I have no grips.