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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  Smiles per Mile - 2004 Mini Cooper
  By naj22307 - August 4 - 10:00 am

  I love my MINI! Its fun, unique and rewarding to drive. I have had no problems and the dealership was great.

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  Fun to drive - 2002 Mini Cooper
  By pvd - August 1 - 2:00 am

  The car is absolute fun to drive. Although straight line accelaration is acceptable, switching lanes and driving winding roads cant be much more fun then with this car. For daily commute the horsepower is more then adequate. But handling comes with a prize, dents and other road shortcomings are well fed back to the driver, although in a acceptable manner. Fuel consumption is average. If you do your best low fuel consumption is feasible, but the car invites you to a more robust driving style, hence a relatively high fuel comsumption for a1.6 L engine.

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  My 2K2 Mini Cooper - 2002 Mini Cooper
  By Lucky Andy - August 1 - 2:00 am

  When I first saw the Mini last spring, I knew I wanted one. Just what I need at my age to make me feel young. I love the look of it inside and out. Everywhere I go I get Hi fives!

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  Awesome fun!!!!!! - 2003 Mini Cooper
  By ssimms - July 30 - 10:00 am

  My car has been literally trouble free and with the mileage, I can only say that I obviously love it. 38-40 MPG on a 75mile round trip each day (mostly highway). Still, I have never seen less that 34.5 MPG on a tank of gas since new. I wasnt expectin this. In addition to being the most fun thing I have ever owned, it is economical and I love autocrossing it as well.

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  Mini C - 2004 Mini Cooper
  By Chingu - July 30 - 10:00 am

  An over-all fun car to drive with a quick responce and a gas miser type of engine under its bonnet. Sure its small in size but comfortable. Good looking and different,yes! not like many other manufacturers cloned looking vehicles. Its also sold as a very safe vehicle to drive. Motor on,my friend, with "MINI".

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  Fun/Frustrating!!!! - 2007 Mini Cooper
  By bean - July 17 - 11:03 pm

  I have to agree that this is the most unreliable car ever! I have only owned since June 2009 From November - January 6 I have had the timing valve, fueld pump, and most recent intake manifold replaced. As above having to drive 2 hours for service and then also for the oil change and then the service light came on again and when we went in for the computer read NOTHING needed to be done, wasted trip. Everytime one of the parts needed replacing the mgr. of the service dept said oh yes, weve had problems with that part. When will it end?? MINI has been a dream car of mine and I am so totally disappointed in reliability!

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  Mini Magic - 2003 Mini Cooper
  By baydenz - July 16 - 10:00 am

  I got my Mini for my sixteenth birthday after my parents did extensive research to find me a safe, reliable and fun automobile...with safety being the main consideration. Steel reinforced doors, six airbags, remarkable stability and maneuverability made the Mini the hands down choice. I couldnt imagine ever driving another car!

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  Yellow Varoom! - 2004 Mini Cooper
  By Cheryl Farmer - July 10 - 10:00 am

  Only had the MINI 2 weeks. It far excedes expections. It is the first time that I have enjoyed driving the Innerstate.

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  Mini USAs little ATM machine! - 2004 Mini Cooper
  By Honda owner now - July 8 - 10:00 am

  With 60k miles on it CVT transmission failed on the freeway at rush hour, they tried to charge me $10k to replace it, talked em down to $3k but still then the fuel gauge, again, leaving me stranded on the freeway $1200, then the power steering $1000, then the mysterious $1200 thermostat repair that took them over a week to diagnose, apparently I hit a pot hole on the way home from the dealership (I have no memory of hitting anything) but the next day all the radiator fluid was on the ground so back she went to where they set me back another $2200 for a new radiator. Im not even listing the numerous repairs that cost under $500 that I had to do, all for a car with less than 85k miles.

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  I knew it was a mistake - 2011 Mini Cooper
  By sanscrainte - July 5 - 11:13 am

  I bought a 2011 Mini Cooper for my son to earn to drive on because it was like a go-kart. I knew what I was in for, it being a perfect storm of unreliability being a German car made in England. All of my other vehicles are either a Toyota or a Scion. You buy them and drive them. They are like purchasing an appliance. We had the Mini for 5 months when the timing chain broke at a red light, destroying the engine. Now, although this is a known defect, BMW waned nothing t do with it. This left me with a $6000 engine replacement and Gid knows what after that. Know this; if you are not rich, buy Japanese every-time. Never, ever, buy German or English. Bad Motor Works.