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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  Unreliable - 2007 Mini Cooper
  By Sam Mignoni - October 16 - 1:26 am

  We brought the mini new 2007 and have had it tow in 3 time, they have at this point with 27000 miles replaced the fuel pump,timing chain,exhaust manifold,throttle cable,tail pipe.It does not run well in cold weather and we live in Michigan.The car is a lemon and I have asked them to buy it back from me or extend the warranty due to the dependability.It is a shame as we really enjoy driving the car when it runs

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  "Coop" - 2007 Mini Cooper
  By April - August 21 - 9:10 pm

  Got my car in June. I had a VW Beetle before so Im used to a small car but Coop seems to be getting smaller everytime I get in. Leatherette seats make you sweat & the doors wont stay open. The cup holders are not usable, except the one in the back & the arm rest is in the way of that one. It drives fun when you go fast but in the city with stop & go traffic, it jumps a lot. Not sure if thats normal, but the dealership assures me that it is. Its been in the shop 2x since Ive gotten it, the first time b/c my check engine light came on & I asked them to check the "jumpyness". They reset the computer & replaced recalled parts but then it became really jumpy & was smoking. Got it back today.

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  Fun to drive when not being fixed - 2007 Mini Cooper
  By oliveb - July 26 - 1:59 pm

  I bought my 2007 MC used with 24,000 miles. It was the perfect first car for me -- small, easy to park, fun to drive. However, around 50,000 miles the cars reliability took a turn. This year it was in for service 7 times, towed twice. Everything from steering wheel locks to o2 sensors has needed to be replaced. It has started to overheat, and make discontenting sounds. Alignment pins have started rattling (not covered in warranty - $700 to fix). After a recent service trip the service light was at 10,000 miles and two weeks later its at 7,000 - no possible way I drove 3k in two weeks. My mom and sister both have brand new minis and love them, so perhaps this is a car not to be bought used.

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  Booo for Mini - 2002 Mini Cooper
  By CIndy - June 16 - 4:36 pm

  My transmission and clutch went out on my car at nearly 68,000 miles. I had to spend $4,000 to have them replaced. I learned how to drive a car with a manual transmission so the problem isnt me riding the clutchor abusing the car. This car is junk. Id NEVER tell anybody to buy one again!

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  Ups and downs - 2003 Mini Cooper
  By Lambeth Man - March 2 - 10:00 am

  The Cooper is a brilliant little car. It looks good and drives like no other car in its price range and even some more expensive cars. MINI is only let down by cheap interior plastics, constant rattles that cannot be fixed and rather big fuel consumption. Also, the dealers can be rather arrogant towards MINI drivers and often seem to be annoyed they have to deal with a "lesser" car. After a bad experience with a BMW "wannabe" sales person, I would prefer to deal with MINI only staff (sales or service) rather than BMW.

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  disappointed - 2008 Mini Cooper
  By kmbkat - November 30 - 4:06 am

  Bought my Mini new in 2/08 and the fuel pump went out at 17000 miles. Although it was covered under warranty I can only guess what troubles lie ahead. I also had to replace one of the run flat tires to the tune of $249. The car is fun to drive and I have adequate space since I no longer have young kids to transport. But once I experience a major mechanical failure I start looking for a new car. I plan to buy a new Honda or Toyota in 2/10.

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  Beware of water for Mini Convertible - 2008 Mini Cooper
  By NotSoGreat - October 14 - 9:20 am

  To those of you considering buying the Mini Convertible. There is a design issue where water pours into the Mini on the drivers side when you open the door or window when it is, or has been, raining. I thought mine had a problem, only to find out after three visits that its just the design that is an issue and thus cant be fixed. Its been fun driving it, but the water issue is a deal killer for me so I will be selling my Mini.

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  Its a LEMON - 2003 Mini Cooper
  By Hale - October 7 - 2:00 am

  This car has been a problem since i drove it off the lot. It went in for service 2 months after i picked it up and has been in 6 more times. im waiting for the dealership to honor the Lemon Law. The GPS has never worked; i had a service agent tell me he would never recommend purchasing the unit on a Cooper. The major problem has been the acceleration and fuel injection. Two different software upgrades and the problem still exists. This error causes severe safety issues when pulling out at intersections. They tell me they havent had any complaints ont he automatic transmition, but who wants to drive an automatic MINI? Wait a few more years, or buy a Bug!

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  Buy something else - 2013 Mini Cooper
  By ledward88 - September 1 - 1:07 pm

  Bought a mini brand new. We drive the speed limit and keep up the maintenance. The tires had to be replaced at 24000 miles, not covered by warranty. Right after warranty expired we had to replace brakes and rotors and battery. The transmission stalls in first gear after stopping at a light, but only on hot days. The water pump is bad and leaks coolant; $900 fix at the dealer. The water pump goes bad a lot on this mini; you conveniently do not have a Temp gauge! It also leaks oil from the valve solenoid; $2500 fix at the dealer. Overall worst vehicle I have ever owned, period.

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  Sell it before the warranty runs out - 2007 Mini Cooper
  By iautox1 - August 22 - 7:05 pm

  MINI had and had multiple defects that it will not fix. Bad automatic transmissions. Bad clutches. Bad vacuum pumps that can cause the need for a complete engine review. And the problems Ive had: death rattle dieseling. Its a noise the engine makes on start up. You can find countless posts on Mini forums on this issue. The noise is a symtom of the timing chain and tensioner failing. It usually just costs $1,550 to fix, but the change can jump timing or break causing the valves to contact the pistons and the need for a $8,000 engine replacement. My was replaced at 20,000 miles and now again at under 70,000 miles. It began making noise right after it was replaced the first time.