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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  MINI Turns Heads - 2006 Mini Cooper
  By Bthayer23 - July 24 - 5:16 am

  The first week I owned this car, I gave my bosss daughter a ride around the block and answered questions from three complete strangers about my MINI. Its a flashy car by virtue of its uniqueness, but it has the zip and handling to back it up. Its sensible fuel economy doesnt hurt, either. Take a spin in a MINI at night. The huge speedo gives the whole car an orange glow, and the giant sunroof lets in the moonlight.

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  Great Car, Not very reliable - 2006 Mini Cooper
  By JW - July 22 - 7:33 pm

  I have had my MINI Cooper S for about 9 months and it was great car to drive. However, I had to have the transmission replaced by the dealer due to the faulty flywheel design. I recommend the car. But a buyer needs to be prepared to deal with some quality issues.

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  MINI company does not support vehicle - 2017 Mini Countryman
  By Joyce - July 21 - 3:13 pm

  I liked my new 2017 countryman when I first got it but after trying to get service for it... I WOULD NEVER BUY A MINI AGAIN! The service people at Global Imports MINI in Atlanta have had my car at the shop for almost 11 weeks. They keep claiming that they cannot get the part shipped from Europe. After 9 weeks the part finally shipped from MINI but when it arrive the part was missing a part! Now it has been 2 weeks and that part has still not arrived. The MINI company has been terrible with customer service with complete lack of followup and a complete inability to be able to track a part being shipped. This is the most disorganized company I have ever seen with the worst customer service. I could have ordered a whole new car in the time it is taking them to provide one part.

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  Terrible Car - 2009 Mini Cooper
  By mcmenefee - July 10 - 10:49 am

  After owning a 2006 cooper I took the plunge and "upgraded" to a 2009 Cooper S. This is one of the biggest car-buying mistakes I have ever made! It has only 40,000 miles on it and has already been towed 3 times, had carbon buildup in the engine, a new clutch and flywheel (beware this costs over $2000), a new timing chain, tensioner, rails, and gears, and the list goes on! I will never buy another mini and plan to get rid of this one as quickly as possible

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  how fun it was to drive - 2003 Mini Cooper
  By dave hocley - July 8 - 2:00 am

  you can put ten pounds of petrol in this car and it last a week. it very fun to drive if i was someone that wanted to buy a car get one.

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  2007 mini cooper S - run now! - 2007 Mini Cooper
  By anita28 - July 7 - 2:43 am

  I bought a used mini cooper S - it had 39000 miles on it and 5 owners before me. I ignored that warning sign because it was so cute and so fun to drive - big mistake. I loved that car and had it for 1 yr before I traded it in - too many problems to list but the last one was a recall. I knew from experience that Mini dealership would say it was something I did so I traded it in. They never covered anything - ever - it was always my fault. I spent over 2,000 bucks on it in a year. I love the car, always will but I cant afford the repairs. For a Mini car it has Major expenses, are you prepared to pay that price? I wasnt - driving a Toyota now and very very happy with it!

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  Updated Review - My Mini Lemon - 2002 Mini Cooper
  By spkr4tdead - July 6 - 10:00 am

  OK. I have had this car for over 3 months now, and it has spent almost 1 of them (25 days) in the shop. Both the dealer, and Mini Corporate offices are trying to make me feel great about that. Problems are popping up all over the place. I have lost all faith that this car can even get me back and forth to work.. Currently in the process of getting it bought back via the California Lemon Law. I now needs to go in and get a safety related issue fixed for the 4th time. Fun Fun Fun. I should have bought something that I know would last. Honda here I come.

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  Simply Outrageous Mini - 2003 Mini Cooper
  By SO Mini - July 3 - 10:53 pm

  Our Mini Cooper is exciting and fun to drive. Weve had our Mini for about 3 months and really enjoy the performance and compliments we get. It has become a great marketing tool for our company and a relief on the wallet with fuel economy at over 30 miles per gallon on the highway. This is one of the best values on the road for your money. We cant wait to join some of the rallies that seem to take place every weekend. We nicknamed ours Simply Outrageous Mini or "SO Mini." Lets motor...

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  Best car for the price - 2003 Mini Cooper
  By movovr - July 3 - 10:00 am

  This is the best car for the price. It has value inside and out. Never has a car been built with this technology for the price. 3 years and 36000 miles of free schedule maintance is awsome too.

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  Cooper S with Rally Package - 2006 Mini Cooper
  By Ron - July 1 - 6:03 am

  This is the most fun Ive had with a car in twenty years. I never thought this car would make me feel like this, its sporty, fast, stylish and a pleasure to drive. I bought my Mini with the air filter upgrade (JCW), it provides a nice sound and a little more performance. Breaking, steering and handling are all you can expect from this car.