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:

• 

  A Real Smart Car - 2008 Mini Cooper
  By Chip - May 9 - 12:23 pm

  After shopping hybrids, smart cars, and flex fuel, I opted on the Mini Cooper. It is great on short hops and long trips. I have been getting incredible gas mileage on regular grade gasoline, 40 in town, 47 highway. The car handles like a dream and one cannot omit the "fun" factor to drive one. I have 16" run on flat tires, so the ride is a little bumpy at times, but for what it is, I consider it plenty comfortable. Nice leg room (I am 60" and still must move the seat up some) for the driver and passenger. Leg room for backseat passengers is questionable. My wife liked mine so much, she bought an "S" model with automatic. Recommend sport suspension and seats, with stereo upgrade.

• 

  Awesome ride - 2004 Mini Cooper
  By ljk - May 5 - 10:00 am

  We loved the car, it is great. My husband knew the car from Europe, and he couldt wait until came to USA. We waited 6 months for the S (worth the wait) now they are coming with the convertible.

• 

  trouble ahead - 2003 Mini Cooper
  By joe Hanafin - April 25 - 1:13 pm

  This is my first and only car. This has also been my baby I live in upstate NY and this car spends most of the winters in a garage this is the FIRST real winter out in the salt. The car has been great until this year... I have gotten in a minor fender bender were my rear passenger side was taped in a inch or two. The only reason this is relevant is I want any one reading this to know the entire story. I Have since found a hole in each of my mufflers. MINI wants $400 for the divers side and $300 for the passenger side exhaust. Also I have found a leak in the headers...I am just hoping thats a gasket problem. The current exhaust also has broken loss of the hangers twice now. In the past week i

• 

  Love the Mini - 2005 Mini Cooper
  By keif calkins - April 24 - 7:40 am

  We keep the Mini at our beach house. What a neat car for tooling along a1a. Not a day goes by that someone stops me and admires my Mini. I have never seen a convertible top as well made as my Minis. The ride is exceptional for a small car. I just love my Mini. The only negative is my service dealer is 75 miles from where my Mini lives.

• 

  Spunky Little Car - 2005 Mini Cooper
  By Laurence Ewing - April 22 - 6:46 pm

  This car is a fun car and now with the price of gasoline, it is an economical car to drive. I am very happy with the way it handles, especially on curves. I really dont think the car can be rolled. It is a little rough riding, but I think that is mainly due to the "run flat tires" on my car. I like how the door windows seal themselves, which reduces wind noise. The car is easy to clean and care for. It is suprising how much one can place in the back; even more if the rear seats folded down. It is a great car!

• 

  Flawless -- so far - 2005 Mini Cooper
  By David - April 19 - 7:50 am

  I find it odd how some people claim to have such bad experiences with car. I think they are the ones who write reviews, and the others (the vast majority) are out driving. Im in the latter category. I have had not one single breakdown, broken anything, or even a rattle develop in 6 months/7,000 miles of driving it. In fact, I cant believe Ive already put 7,000 miles on it. I had one defect from the get-go, but its so minor, its hardly worth mentioning: the drivers-side door handles LED seems to have omitted at the factory (the passenger-side one is present). Oh the horror! I can recommend this car without qualification as one with the best build, quality, fun and value out there.

• 

  You couldnt give me any other car... - 2003 Mini Cooper
  By bumpka - April 16 - 10:00 am

  This car is amazing. It has everything you could want. I have owned my Cooper CVT for about a year now and no problems here, just smiles. There are only 2 reasons I had to go back to the dealer: 1) state inspection 2) a black trim piece around the wheel well was coming up and was replaced under warranty. This car is a blast to drive- -good acceleration and sometimes I dont even notice that I need to slow down of curves.

• 

  Perfect 2003 Cooper S - 2003 Mini Cooper
  By minihune - April 16 - 10:00 am

  Excellent 2003 model- minimal problems. Car drives perfectly-very smooth. 17"Runflat tires bumpy except on smoothest roads. 16" wheels give better overall ride/lighter weight. Sunroof excellent. Harmon Kardon audio upgrade very good option. Very reliable. Excellent build quality.

• 

  Fun, Fun, Fun - 2006 Mini Cooper
  By maria - April 14 - 8:43 pm

  I love my car. I have the Cooper Convertible and it is a lot of fun to drive...on the street or on the highway. It has a lot of spunk and get up and go, plus I LOVE the color - Purple Haze. I never drive unnoticed. My students think it is an awesome car and always want to go for rides. Of course they want to take a ride by themselves. My 25 year-old son at first thought it was a "chick car."but he was surprised to find out that when he drove it one day it attracted alot of young women asking asbout the "Italian Job" car. So I guess it is a "chick car".....

• 

  Definitely a Toy! - 2003 Mini Cooper
  By bkrum - April 3 - 2:00 am

  Id rather drive my Mini when Im alone or I have to shift to a lower gear when I have more weight in the car. Otherwise, no problem with the pep. Very stable on the highway, even when passing large trucks. After 6000 miles, Im getting 30.5 mpg--mostly city driving with only about 80 miles of highway driving per tank. Biggest problem is that it sits so low to the ground, its hard to find automatic car washes with rails that are low enough. My Mini was meant to be driven CLEAN, especially since I opted for the white wheels. Living in the cold north makes this difficult!