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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  Failed at only 23,000 miles - 2006 Mini Cooper
  By Trevor - April 30 - 4:16 am

  Driving the Mini Cooper was fun. I think everyone already knows this. Ownership wasnt so fun. The trim around the windows is poorly done, I was going on my 3rd windshield due to previous windshields cracking and the main computer command board failed. It could no longer tell the automatic transmission what to do. At only 23,000 miles! Not good. I got rid of it. Oh, the dealership claimed the car wasnt wired properly either. On the 4th visit? Yikes!

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  Good things come in small packages - 2006 Mini Cooper
  By 2MANYCARS - April 29 - 5:33 am

  A pocket hot rod, Goliath killer. I have all the high perf. options and love the overall package performance. A couple of laps at Sebring surprised my brother who races a Porsche there. Stable, fast, excellent brakes, peppy engine. If you want thrifty car, buy a VW diesel. This is about fun and "low self esteem ", they will look at you for sure. Bought HK Sound and Chrono Package. Love them. Chili Red with Silver top different look altogether from Red/White. Would buy again.

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  Love My Mini - 2006 Mini Cooper
  By JOHN GUIDA - April 28 - 5:56 pm

  I have read some of your reviews. Some were negative about this cars pep. I have been suprised to the opposite. The Mini Cooper has more pep than I expected it to. Therefore I am thrilled with my Mini Convertable (not the "s" model). Your profesonal reviews had me a little nervous after ordering the car. Im assuming youre using teenagers to do your reviews. Im forty eight years old and this is the most fun car I had ever had to drive. If you want to see a cheap interior look at the Pontiac Solstice. Mini has thought of features on this car that I would have never expected.

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  SO I got one - 2004 Mini Cooper
  By alexN - April 28 - 2:00 am

  Well guys, I didnt even tried the jetta and accord after I went into my MINI. The car runs really good, so far no problems (into my first 1k miles); the seats are a little uncomftable after a while but the ride is incredible.

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  Excellent - 2004 Mini Cooper
  By Ed Diplont - April 28 - 2:00 am

  I think that the mini cooper is one of the greatest cars. It is fun to drive. I love how low it is to the ground.

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  MyMini - 2004 Mini Cooper
  By Fire - April 24 - 10:00 pm

  Outstanding on all levels from quality to service professionality. BMW put its high standards on this and it definitely shows.

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  2015 Mini Cooper S - 2015 Mini Cooper
  By stewy_33 - April 22 - 7:06 pm

  I have 2015 Mini Cooper S 2 door with the 6 speed step-tronic Automatic. For getting around town the Mini is tough to beat. The car is equipped with an engine shut off when you come to a complete stop (you can disable this if you want) its a great fuel saver. The three modes you can part the car into actually have charter in each mode. In sport mode the comes alive and you can hear the waste gate working and the blow off valve chirping. Also the exhaust has a back fire rumble to it. In a few round about circles I had an issue with "flying objects"... this car handles like a go kart and anything not secured or in the glove box can go flying and hit the door/window!!!

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  Hyper Blue Convertible - 2005 Mini Cooper
  By Hyper Blue - April 22 - 6:46 am

  I traded my fast and spacious Subaru Forester XT in for a fun and fuel efficient Mini Convertible. Although, friends and family thought I was nuts, I have been enjoying the Mini so much that Ive already put 1,000 miles on it! Ive had it just over a week and the twisty roads have been such a blast! I do miss the quick acceleration of the Forester, but the Minis horsepower is adequate. The convertible top is amazing and so easy to use. I test drove a Saab convertible before the Mini and was completely suprised by how much quieter the Mini is. You simply push the button and the Minis top folds into "sunroof" mode (cool feature) and then push the button again to fold completely.

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  Crash review - 2003 Mini Cooper
  By MINI-T - April 21 - 7:33 am

  My MINI was involved in a rear-end collision yesterday and help up fabulously. She took the rear impact like a champ, she only needs the bumper and muffler replaced. One thing that did concern me is my driver seat performance. Upon initial impact, it moved down towards the floorboard (seats go back, forward, up, and down) and as the seat back went forward from this it jammed into my lower back when I was pulled into the seat upon impact. I substantially injured my lower back right below my lumbar and have filed a claim with MINI, they agreed that this may be a problem in the future since crash tests were not done on the seats for rear-impact collisions. Other than that I love her to pieces!

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  BEST CAR OUT THERE - 2003 Mini Cooper
  By minidj - April 17 - 10:00 am

  The best car I ever bought. OUTSTANDING VEHICLE...I LOVE MINIS