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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  Sporty and Fun - 2006 Mini Cooper
  By travlr - March 17 - 11:30 am

  My red Mini with a black roof, black bonnet stripes, and Union Jack side and interior mirror makes many people smile as I drive by. Its quick and maneuverable in Manhattan traffic. I rarely drive higher than 3rd gear in the city and it scoots into the traffic lanes very nicely.

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  awesome cooper s - 2008 Mini Cooper
  By rnmini - March 11 - 1:53 pm

  Love everything about this car. First it looks cool, so much fun to drive, can go up the hill soo much faster than other cars, still gets good gas mileage..I drive somewhat fast and like to accelerate and I have an automatic turbo charged..i push that sport button and this car will fly..still average 30miles per gallon, have the mini sound system...Fun, reliable, good mpg

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  Tranny Problems? - 2004 Mini Cooper
  By J-man shipes - March 5 - 8:10 pm

  Mini cooper is very fun car to drive. Great on gas, fast, and is very easy to get around in. It is a tight ride in the seats, so its not the funnest to drive for long periods of time. NOW! The downfall. Mini cooper has had problems with the junk transmissions they put into the coopers. Despite being built by BMW, it is not a BMW tranny in the car. My car has 67000 mile on it and the transmission is acting up in it, the cost to fix it? Try $6000, since mini does not sell parts to fix the bad trannies. Other than that, its a very cool car to drive until you get to high miles on the car and it will cost you.

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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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  Fun 2 Drive - 2003 Mini Cooper
  By Mini Inu - February 24 - 10:00 am

  Car is just fun to drive, period. ItÂ’s a little bumpy for a daily drive, but not too bad. You really realize how small this car is when you pull up next, or park next to a SUV. Need a little more HP, for some driving enthusiast, so see about the JC Works kit. And buy the S, it is worth the extra HP, as a minimum. Sunroof is also a must! Harmon Kardan is nice, but I never heard the stock. Again, worth the extra cost.

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  Nothing Minor about Mini - 2004 Mini Cooper
  By Peejay - February 24 - 10:00 am

  First hand experience of Cooper, Cooper S and Cooper S Works, the little powerhouse just gets better and better. Never looked back since selling the Z3 M Roadster. This little car flatters the driver, diminishes the ego of other drivers with its cheeky charm, poise, handling and performance. Put on a favourite track and drive to the music. Never have another grey day - buy a mini.

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  Best Value - 2004 Mini Cooper
  By Paul Julian - February 18 - 2:00 am

  This car is incredible fun combined with a very practical commuter.It is a head turner that performs as well as it looks.Absolutely no problems or glitches after 10000 miles.

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  Cute Car, Expensive up keep - 2005 Mini Cooper
  By redthirteen - February 15 - 2:00 am

  I love the look of the Mini. I love driving the mini it actually makes driving in traffic fun. But once you have to fix something on your mini, it can be very expensive. Once your car is out of warranty, Mini USA refuses to take any responsibility for their cars. They will not fix even a manufacturers defect, and cover themselves by saying it is out of the 3 year warranty. They are cute cars but are not made to last.

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  Driving Was Never This Much Fun! - 2004 Mini Cooper
  By msclt(Clare) - February 12 - 2:00 am

  I would love to review my Mini . . . if I could just get this silly grin off my face.

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  Excellent car - 2016 Mini Cooper
  By Jim cannady - February 7 - 6:17 pm

  I narrowed my choice to the Mini and a VW GTI. After reading numerous reviews and test driving both my decision came done to which was an adult car. The GTI just felt like I was borrowing a teenagers car. The Mini, while sporty, is something that a 50 year old can be seen it without looking odd.