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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  EXCELLENT - 2003 Mini Cooper
  By OU812IG88 - November 26 - 10:00 am

  GREAT CAR LOOK FORWARD TO MANY YEARS OF DRIVING THIS GREAT VEHICLE. GLAD I MAD THE PURCHASE.

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  Laser Blue pocket Rocket - 2007 Mini Cooper
  By Gauhog - November 25 - 11:50 pm

  Purchased the Mini used after seeing them around for some time.Everyone knows all the cliches; go-cart handling, great brakes, etc. Fuel economy is excellent despite my heavy foot. I have taken numerous 1500 mile round trips with 35+ mpg @ 75-80 mph. The Mini rides well on the smooth interstates, but lousy roads in the northeast can beat you up a little; I guess a combination of the short wheelbase, run-flats, and inordinately high tire pressures. Overall though, the experience has been a good one so far. One other thing, no matter how many seats are physically in the car, the car is a two-seater.

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  i love my little car - 2005 Mini Cooper
  By pedro fonseca - November 23 - 6:56 am

  is a pleasure to drive an small car with enough power and low gas consuctionI am very happy with my litle car, i trade an BMW convertible and for less thn half the price I get an excelent transportation fonseca

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  Fun to Drive - Not to Own - 2003 Mini Cooper
  By LCraddock - November 15 - 2:00 am

  I loved the look and feel of the CooperS and was pleased with overall performance and handling. Some minor issues with rattles, steering column issues and basic warranty work have taken an inordinate amount of service time. Dealership seems to treat Mini owners as second class citizens - I had to throw a fit to get a loaner car when it was warranty work! Overall service has been poor. Mini has been in shop over 6 weeks in one year. Also look out for tire wear and expense of replacement.

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  Mini car; major problems - 2004 Mini Cooper
  By Cooperfan - November 8 - 2:00 am

  This car looks wonderful but the build quality leaves a lot to be desired. There are rattles and noises that no- one (not even the unhelpful dealership where I bought it) can find and resolve. The car draws attention even from the blind but I just cant get past the cramped feeling from the interior.

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  Super Car - 2004 Mini Cooper
  By stan - November 7 - 6:43 pm

  Bought it off ebay in 1/08. I really like the feel the car it is solid. I have had 4 people in it back seats are ok. It is a gocart I driver a nice curving road to work OH MY what fun. Fuel MPG I get 31.6/32.3 most of the time. I hope I never have to sell it to pay the place off.

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  Needs better quality control - 2005 Mini Cooper
  By big john - November 7 - 2:36 pm

  04/20/2006 Passenger door reflector fell off, passenger seat spring loose, clock runs very fast (new speedometer assy. required to repair) 06/29/2006 Passenger seat airbag sensor not properly installed 09/17/2006 Driver window would not operate 05/17/2007 SES light. Replaced oxygen sensor 01/23/2008 Replaced heater thermostat housing. Front tires needed replacement at 26,000 miles 06/09/2008 Replaced ignition switch & control unit for electronic drive away protection 07/15/2008 Replaced power steering fan and grille

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  HOW SWEET IT IS!! - 2003 Mini Cooper
  By Rob-Rob - November 4 - 10:00 am

  Picked up my Cooper S in April 03 & have never been happier with a car before. If you love to drive, et is purely a "DRIVERS" car. If you are a real driver then you will truly love this vehicle.

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  My MINI Cooper S nightmare - 2008 Mini Cooper
  By tdi owner now - November 2 - 7:53 pm

  I thought when I bought my MINI Cooper S 2008, I was buying my dream car. I was proven wrong as soon as winter in New England came around. First morning below 0 it left me stranded on the side of the road for 4hours (until Roadside could get me). At that point, it was in shop x 3 weeks, they needed to get a modified "snorkle" part for the manifold. There was water in there. I thought doesnt it get cold in Europe..well yeh! The car come May and June wasnt any better. The car was at the dealer on ave. 1x every 6-8 weeks with less than 20000mi. I lost a ton of money when I traded in my completely unreliable MINI contrary to what the dealer says it does lose value!

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  Yippee - 2004 Mini Cooper
  By Eagles - October 30 - 12:36 pm

  I bought a cooper S in October of 09. I have always wanted a mini since the age of 16. Now at the age of 46 it was well worth the wait. I have had no bad experiences with this car. It is as fun to drive as it looks. I was hesitant to purchase after reading all the negative reviews. To compensate for unwarranted repairs, I purchased a 2 year extended warranty. I would strongly recommend this car for the person who loves having fun and enjoying life.