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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  Just as good as an "S" - 2002 Mini Cooper
  By 2 many MINIs - January 11 - 10:00 am

  I have both the Cooper and a Copper S, the difference is minimal...I do not understand all of the hype for the S. It only matters when accelerating over 4500 RPMs. Dont wait for the S just get the Cooper and spend your saved money on aftermarket gadgets. THIS car is awesome and soooo much fun to drive!

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  Midlife Crisis Car - 2004 Mini Cooper
  By Downtown111 - January 8 - 2:03 pm

  I fell in love with the 09 MINIs the first time my wife and I drove a brand new 08 in the Spring of 09. But I was reluctant to spend the 28K on the sticker. Then I found an 04 with 50K miles for half that and thought it would be a good way to see if we really wanted one. This car has exceeded every expectation we had for fun, economy and attention-getting. We occasionally read about CVT issues for this year, but after 6 months of daily commutes of 70 miles we still love this reliable, trouble-free sports car. Just put snow tires on for our winter commuting. My wife thinks it is a sensible choice for a mid-life crisis vehicle, and nothing we have ever owned is this much fun to drive!

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  Most fun ever driven - 2005 Mini Cooper
  By pcphil - January 8 - 11:43 am

  This car makes me smile just thinking about driving it. It is surprisingly roomy even for large people. It drives like it is on rails. Room for two plus their luggage. Able to carry two more for short jaunts, but would not want to carry 4 on a road trip.

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  Definetely worth every penny - 2003 Mini Cooper
  By jcampos - January 8 - 10:00 am

  This car is an amazingly fun car to drive. My ONLY complaint is that the rear hatch gets dirty faily quickly so I have to clean it about once every week. This is the perfect car for someone seeking a decently quick car that will get you noticed.

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  Best car all around - 2004 Mini Cooper
  By spencer wiley - December 30 - 7:20 am

  My MINI is the best car I have ever had. I have the John Cooper Works model with work done making 249 hp. Besides the incredible power everything else about this car is spot on. For the money the interior is GREAT quality and flashy. Nothing is broken or falling off. I get 40 mpg highway with the work done and all. With 47k miles and the only problem was a leak in the slave cylinder. All in all the most fun car in the world. It is cheap, economical, high quality, fast, great handling, attractive, and always puts a smile on your face

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  Mini is maxi fuel efficient - 2005 Mini Cooper
  By susan romaine - December 29 - 2:40 pm

  30 mpg in city driving plus the performance (smaller engine) makes this a fabulous about town car -- definately NOT a go-cart.

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  SD Bluebird - 2006 Mini Cooper
  By SDBluebird - December 19 - 11:16 am

  This is a great car! The lowest mileage that I have seen on a tank of gas is 24.9 mpg and the highest has been 36. Its gas mileage depends on if the top is up or down. This car has great safety features, mine has an excellent GPS system that will calculate the fastest or shortest route for you. The GPS talks to you to let you know of upcoming turns as well as showing them on the display. This is the only convertible I know of that you can also drive with the sunroof open. The cold weather package alerts you when the outside temperature reaches 37 and roads could become icy. I had no trouble on a recent cross country trip where I drove in fog, rain, sleet, snow and beautiful sunshine. It also delivers great performance!

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  Ive had lots of cars - Mini is best - 2006 Mini Cooper
  By Daves1mini - December 18 - 2:53 am

  Ive had my Mini for 2 weeks, the standard. I decided not to buy the turbo version because I did not want to have to buy premium gas.. The standard model has plenty of pep for me. Who said it was sluggish? I paid much more for a Jaguar X-Type and the Mini has more extras than it and is far more fun to drive. I love it!

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  Cute & Fun to Drive - 2004 Mini Cooper
  By siberiop - December 13 - 10:00 am

  Have had the car 6 months now, and have had nothing but fun driving it. I love to drive it at night because I love the way the dash board lights up. I also have the xenon lights and can light up a 4 lane interstate, no chance of hitting anything with these lights.

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  All I want to do is drive! - 2004 Mini Cooper
  By Magic Fingers - December 13 - 10:00 am

  I love taking corners hard and this car love it too!