Mini Cooper review

Let’s get the Mini Cooper cliches out the way, shall we? It’s as English as a cuppa (despite the current German ownership), it’s bursting with retro style and, oh look, it’s got bigger since the original. The Italian Job, The Bourne Identity... you choose the film reference. 

The Mini Cooper is an icon for a multitude of reasons and one of the best-selling new cars on the market – hence the brand has taken a careful yet comprehensive approach in overhauling the model for 2024.

You see, the new Cooper uses an updated version of its predecessor’s mechanical underpinnings, rather than something new that’s been built from the ground up (like in the case of the new Mini Cooper Electric). Your two engine options have been brought over from the old car too.

So, what’s changed? Well, the front lights and front bumper have been redesigned, as has the rear bumper and rear lights. However, the most noticeable and arguably most significant difference is the car’s completely new interior. 

In concept, the Mini Cooper’s retro styling might remind you of the Fiat 500 Hybrid but, considering the level of luxury, the key rival ends up being the Audi A1. Other foes include the Seat Ibiza and VW Polo as well as the Honda Jazz and Toyota Yaris.

So is the Mini Cooper up there with the best small cars and should you buy one? Read on to find out...

The entry-level Mini Cooper C has a 154bhp 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine – which is also our pick of the range. It’s a feisty, strong unit, more so than the engine found in the Audi A1 35 TFSI as well as what you get from most rivals. The 0-62mph sprint is dispatched in just 7.7 seconds and that's truly remarkable for the entry-level version of a small car. 

If you want more shove, plus a slightly smoother delivery, there's the Cooper S. Its 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol has 201bhp for a 0-62mph time that's a second quicker than its 1.5-litre counterpart. On paper, the S is a fiery hot hatch. 

In reality, the S is more grown up than you might think. Gone are the previous-generation car's juvenile pops and crackles from the exhaust – the exhaust is now hidden from view, in fact – as the Cooper S pumps a plainly synthesised soundtrack from its speakers. That’s common nowadays, but we’ve heard more convincing efforts. 

Another mature thing about the new Cooper S is that, unlike the previous car, it’s only available with a seven-speed automatic gearbox – or rather two of them. The standard auto is good, shifting smoothly and quickly enough. Switching to Go Kart driving mode enables the engine to work harder before changing up a gear.

With both the Cooper S and Cooper C, if you go for the range-topping Sport trim you get shift paddles on the steering wheel (as part of the "sport automatic transmission"). They're snappy to use and add an extra layer of engagement, although Sport trim pushes the Cooper S's price beyond £30,000.

Every Mini Cooper rides pretty firmly over typically undulating British roads. Thankfully, well-judged damping stops the car feeling like a pogo stick. In fact, the only time it gets uncomfortable is over a particularly vicious pothole or if you encounter mid-corner bumps at speed.

The news isn’t as good for town driving, and the Mini Cooper jostles you around a bit on roads that the VW Polo would smother far more effectively. As is often the case, wheel size plays into how good the ride is: the larger 17in and 18in alloys look good but can make the car a little more unsettled. It’s still calmer than the firmer Cooper Electric, but we’d recommend sticking to the smaller 16in wheels on Classic trim if ride comfort is important to you.

Mini likes to talk about the "go-kart feel" of its cars and in practice the Cooper has quick, darty steering and a grippy front end that makes the car feel pointy and agile – more so than an Audi A1. 

Around town, the Cooper is exactly that, and while outright grip isn’t particularly high on faster, twisty roads, body lean remains well kept in check.

Despite its added poke, the Cooper S is the same story. It offers up a largely fun drive, but it doesn’t feel as playful as the best hot hatches. In other words, there are more exciting handlers out there that also have more meaty steering, although they'll cost you more too.

Both engines are remarkably smooth and quiet, being slightly more so in the S (as we touched upon). You hardly feel any nasty vibrations through the steering wheel and pedals. 

The relatively upright windscreen and pillars means wind noise is very noticeable at motorway speeds. There’s also plenty of road roar, especially with big wheels fitted, meaning an Audi A1 or VW Polo is a more hushed companion.

The driver's seat in the Mini Cooper is comfortable and has a wide range of adjustment as standard. You can get the seat nice and low for a sporty driving position as well – the complete opposite of the tall position the Fiat 500 Hybrid forces upon you. 

There's knitted fabric across the dashboard and on the insides of the doors – available in a variety of colours depending on trim level – and toggle switches for the gear selector and for changing driving modes. Meanwhile, instead of a start button, there's a plastic knob shaped like a key.

Some people might dislike the overly thick steering wheel, but that's about the extent of our complaints here.

The Mini Cooper has reasonable all-round visibility compared to its rivals, but chunky front pillars can limit your view at junctions.

The rear pillars are far slimmer so the view over your shoulder is good and the compact shape means it’s easy to judge the car’s extremities. All Minis come with a rear-view camera, and it's the same with automatic windscreen wipers.

Taking centre stage is a circular, 9.4in infotainment touchscreen. It’s essentially the same as the one you get with the new Mini Countryman and features Mini’s latest infotainment software.

The graphics are very crisp and there are several brightly coloured themes, but it’s more snazzy than simple to use.

The screen is littered with small icons that are tricky to aim for, while the menus could be more logically laid out. You do have standard Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring though.

One of the previous-gen Mini’s best attributes was its interior: hop in one for the first time and you could immediately tell it was a premium product. With this new one, it’s been given a more modern, minimalistic design that looks properly stylish. 

What’s more, in a class guilty of some rather dark and drab interiors, the fact you can have the seats and fabric portions of the dashboard in a classy light grey or beige is appreciated. The Sport trim gets a sporty red pattern on the dashboard, too. 

It’s a shame there are more cheap-feeling plastics than before, such as on the door and lower parts of the dashboard, but the Mini remains a step above most rivals – the Fiat 500 Hybrid feels a lot cheaper inside. All of your main touchpoints, like the steering wheel, door handles and switchgear, feel great.

Build quality feels solid, and overall the Mini Cooper's interior is on a par with the rival Audi A1.

The Mini has the most front leg room of any premium small car we’ve tested because the front seats slide back a long way. There’s plenty of head room up front for most drivers to get comfortable, too, although you’ll find more in the VW Polo and even more in the Honda Jazz.

There are a couple of cup holders and decently sized cubbies up front, including one that has that knitted fabric on it for a touch of extra style and class to go with its practicality.

The three-door Mini is tighter than the Audi A1 for rear head and leg room. Its bench is restricted to a maximum of two passengers.

That does mean there’s more shoulder room for each of them so they’ll be fairly comfortable (assuming they're quite short). They'll find access a bit of a pain, though, as they'll have to duck under the low roof and past front seats that leave a narrower access gap when tilted forward than in some three-door rivals.

Once they're inside, rear-seat passengers will find the seats comfortable thanks to the angle of its backrests. There are storage pockets in the back of the front seats and three cupholders that will take a standard 500ml bottle or a large takeaway coffee cup.

The Honda Jazz is far roomier in the back and would be a wiser choice if you regularly carry rear-seat passengers.

Pulling a lever on the shoulder of the front seats allows the seatback to fold forwards and the whole seat to slide if you give it a shove, providing access to the back.

The rear seats fold in a 60/40 split, which includes the cushioned divider between them. When you pull the toggles on the shoulders of the seats they topple forward easily. If you want more rear-seat versatility, the Honda Jazz will be the car for you – its seat bases fold like cinema seats to increase vertical space for tall items.

The boot in the Mini Cooper is 210 litres, which isn’t as much space as in the Ford Fiesta, Seat Ibiza or Skoda Fabia but is just about large enough for a big weekly shopping trip.

The Cooper's boot is a good square shape, and you don’t have to lift items too far off the floor to get them over the load lip. There’s also a shallow rectangular storage area under the boot floor for smaller items.

To maximise the available boot space and accommodate boxier items, you can lock the rear seatbacks at a right angle. When they're folded down, there’s a big step up to them from the boot floor.

The Mini Cooper is a premium product and is priced as such, so it looks a bit expensive when you compare it to more mainstream small cars such as the Renault Clio, Seat Ibiza and VW Polo. That’s especially true when you consider how much more space those rivals offer.

That said, the Mini can still make some financial sense, thanks to competitive PCP and leasing offers. Its depreciation is also reasonably slow over three years but an Audi A1 depreciates even more slowly.

On the other hand, some rivals emit less CO2 and return better fuel economy. The Cooper C officially averages 47.9mpg and the Cooper S 45.6mpg. The A1 35 TFSI has an official average of 47.1mpg, sure, but some small cars like the Honda Jazz and Toyota Yaris – aided by their hybrid systems – can now exceed 60mpg.

You get a choice of three trim levels and they're the same no matter whether you choose the Cooper C or Cooper S engine. They are entry-level Classic, Exclusive and range-topping Sport.

While they differ in price, they are more cosmetic than anything else, although Sport does get you the sport transmission with steering wheel paddles. If you're looking for kit, that's where the option packs come in.

Level 1 gets you LED headlights, keyless entry, heated front seats, a head-up display and a few other desirable things. It demands a hefty £2,000 premium, but we can see that being justifiable in many people's eyes. 

What's less justifiable is Level 2. It adds a panoramic sunroof and an upgraded sound system, as well as a few other items, but it chucks another £2,000 on top of the already hefty price. Meanwhile, Level 3 adds a massaging driver’s seat, an interior camera, adaptive cruise control and a 360-degree parking camera.

As a brand, Mini came third out of 32 car makers in the 2023 What Car? Reliability Survey. Only Lexus and Toyota did better.

All Mini Coopers come with a three-year warranty and breakdown assistance, and both can be extended with a variety of cover levels and price plans.

There's a good amount of standard kit to help you avoid an accident, including automatic emergency braking (AEB) and lane-departure warning. 

The latest Mini Cooper has yet to be crash-tested by safety experts Euro NCAP. 

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