Relaunched in 2002 by new owner BMW, the iconic British Mini brand traces its roots to 1959. New Minis retain a family resemblance to the brand’s original, influential front-wheel-drive cars. While Mini has since ventured into other classes, such as crossovers, the revived car started off as a two-door hatchback; convertible, coupe and four-door versions came later. First known as the Mini Cooper, the current generation is called the Hardtop, with “Cooper” used in trim-level names. Minis are characterized by sporty handling and a firm ride. Minis are known for their numerous personalization options and appearance packages. The next redesign is slated for 2021.
Popular competitors:
- 2014–24
- 2013
Latest generation
2014–24 Hardtop
The Mini Hardtop is 4.5 inches longer than the vehicle it replaced. The four-door body style introduced in 2015 is even larger. In base models, a new 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine produces 134 horsepower. Performance-tuned Cooper S versions get a 2.0-liter turbo with 189 hp.
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- MSRP range$25,800–$35,400
- Consumer rating
- Combined mpg 29–32
- Body style Hatchback
Notable features in 2024:
- Two- or four-door hatchback or two-door convertible
- Choice of turbocharged engines
- Front-wheel drive
- Available six-speed manual transmission
- All-electric SE Hardtop
Previous generation
2013 Hardtop
A subtle redesign grew the Mini Cooper slightly and bumped horsepower to 118. The Cooper S received a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine with 172 hp. Both models now offered six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmissions. Convertibles were not built on the redesigned platform until
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- MSRP range$19,700–$30,100
- Consumer rating
- Combined mpg 29–31
- Body style Hatchback
Notable features in 2013:
- Available Mini Yours personalization options
- Four body styles
- Convertible's Openometer tracks top-down time
- Six-speed manual or automatic
- S and John Cooper Works performance models
