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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  No way, no how! - 2003 Mini Cooper
  By baker831 - December 20 - 12:10 pm

  My Mini has been nothing but trouble, I have had to replace the brakes twice and have stored it for 2 winters and owned it less than 2 yrs. The drivers door went from only opening from the outside to not opening at all. Now the power steering is messed up. The closest dealer is 3 hrs away and no one else will touch it, plus it is expensive to fix. The cup holder is extremely inconvenient, w/ being such a small car they really should move it. When it is working it is fun to drive but Im afraid to go too far. The heated seats are nice but the drivers gets hot, like burn you hot. Not worth the trouble, money or time. Sure it looks cute but icarumba

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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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  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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  The Best of Times & Worst of Times - 2004 Mini Cooper
  By drea111 - September 3 - 4:56 pm

  I was a Mini Cooper Fan-Fantastic. every time, I saw another Mini Cooper driver I would wave emphatically or nod knowingly. Not so ecstatic now. After only 15,000 miles my 04 Certified Pre-Owned Mini Cooper S w/extended warranty fell-to-pieces. Here is the quick math (approx. miles): 38,700 miles Bought a Certified Pre-Owned Mini w/ extended warranty-April 08 38,708 miles Returned car because the rear bumper was two-toned-April 08 46,629 miles The crankshaft pulley, bolt, tensioner were repaired-Jan. 09 53,000 miles The Clutch, tire arms, tire bolts, tiresÂ…all need repairs-Oct. 09 The "True Cost of owning this Mini is just starting @ $6,600. Read the forums & know before you buy.

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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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  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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  Super Fun Car - 2005 Mini Cooper
  By DRG1138 - June 20 - 7:50 am

  After leasing a loser VW Jetta 1.8 T, I wanted a European car that: A-Handled like a European Car, B-Was realativly inexpensive, and C-Wasnt a peice of junk (like my Jetta). After some research and a test drive I was set on the MINI and in my humble opinion this car has scored big in critera A and B. Talk to me in six months and I will tell you about C but I am not worried. MINI will tell you that it handles like a go-kart. I say it handles like a remote control car. The ride is ruff but if you like to feel the road and be in control of the car you can not get any better for the money. Price-wise I think you are getting more car than you pay for. My MINI is awsome.

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  Fun, But Likely Wont Buy Another - 2007 Mini Cooper
  By Kurt - June 19 - 12:46 pm

  Engine computer malfunctions cause the car to die and require a tow about every three months, each time with the family onboard. My young son went from loving it to hating it and would rather go in our Land Rover on weekends.

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  2007 Mini Cooper S aluminum block - 2007 Mini Cooper
  By Nelson - June 6 - 8:16 pm

  My daughter bought me this car because I am poor. With this car, I am poorer. Plus, the local mechanic cant fix it and the dealer is two hours away. In fact, I took it to the dealer for cold start problems, and they could not fix it or even find the problem. Either fuel pump or carbon on valves. How can a car with less than 50,000 miles have carbon build up? And this is evidently common, perhaps a congenital defect. Also the normal maintenance, for example, the tires, is every 25,000 miles and costs $800 for horrid run flats. This car is not for one without disposable income and need for reliability.

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  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