The little car with the big personality has seen its popularity taking a hit the past few years.
From 2011 to 2016, the Mini Cooper had sales between 52,000 and 66,500. Gradually those numbers have dwindled with the sales dipping under 10,000 in both 2022 and 2023. Has the Mini’s cute factor disappeared?
Hoping to stop the severe sales decline, the 2025 Mini Cooper hardtop arrived with a redesign. Enhancing the Mini’s appeal – we noticed some admiring looks and thumps up when we were behind the wheel – is the alluring “sunny side yellow” color, making it definitely stand out in any neighborhood.
The Mini Cooper redesign delivered a sleeker exterior profile and a more spacious feel. The roofline is smoother and flatter, while the interior utilizes more premium materials and now has an appealing circular display that is unlike anything in the industry.
The new circular display is certainly unique, presenting a 9.4-inch touchscreen with crisp graphics as the centerpiece. In keeping with the Mini’s charming profile, it even has a cartoon dog named Spike that serves as the voice assistant’s avatar.
There’s no physical buttons and the touchscreen controls all the vehicle’s functions. And that requires formerly easy tasks via buttons, like adjusting the heat, which now involves screen taps that are more tedious and time consuming. The Mini comes standard with wireless connection support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration, and a wireless charging phone pad.
For a subcompact vehicle, the Mini seating provides solid head and leg room up front. Adults can fit in the back, but on a long trip the limited space would not be comfortable for anyone but children. The cargo area behind the back seat is tiny at 8.7 cubic feet and expands to 34 cubes with the seat down.
AT A GLANCE – 2025 MINI COOPER
- Performance: turbocharged 2.0-liter, four-cylinder, 161 horsepower; turbo 2.0-liter, four-cylinder, 221 horsepower
- Mileage estimate: 28-39 mpg; 26-35 mpg
- Price estimate: $32,200 to $37,300
The 2025 Mini Cooper interior utilizes more premium materials and now has an appealing circular display. - Warranty: 4 years/50,000 miles; Drivetrain: 4 years/50,000 miles; Roadside assistance: 4 years/unlimited; Corrosion: 12 years/unlimited
Although performance has always been an issue, we found the Mini Cooper zippy and overall fun to drive around town. The base three-cylinder engine is gone and has been replaced by a more powerful turbocharged 2.0-liter, four-cylinder that generates 161 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. It goes 0-60 mph in 6.4 seconds and gets 28-39 mpg.
An optional engine is the sportier Cooper S, a turbo 2.0-liter, four-cylinder that produces 201 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque. It’s quick – going 0-60 mph in 5.8 seconds – and the fuel economy (26-35 mpg) is close to the standard engine.
Driving the Mini Cooper is mostly fun, due to its new-found performance and its ability to get into tight spaces and handle every-day driving situations with ease. Driver safety features are minimal – forward collision mitigation, lane departure mitigation and parking sensors are all standard.
While still a niche vehicle, the 2025 Mini Cooper has improved, thanks to a redesign that addressed some of its previous deficiencies. For someone looking for an enchanting subcompact, the historically cute Mini is worth a look.
Weidel on Wheels is featured regularly on www.tahoeskiworld.com. Auto writer Jeffrey Weidel can be reached at skiweidel@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter at @jeffweidel.bsky.social
