2025 MINI Hardtop

As desirable as cookies, but definitely not cookie-cutter, the Mini Cooper is exceptional in the car world. Nothing else blends that certain style with a range of personalization options and abundant driving fun. The lineup kicks off with 2-door and 4-door hatchback models, while convertible and hot John Cooper Works versions are scheduled for later launches. There’s also the all-electric 2025 Mini Cooper SE, which is reviewed separately.

Even entertaining cars with their own special niche need to evolve now and then. That’s the case with the 2025 Cooper. An entirely new generation debuts for this model year, with fresh looks inside and out (yet still distinctly Mini), upgraded technology, and a new engine.

The first member of this lineup to go on sale is the 2025 Cooper S (traditionally the most popular variant), from just over $33,000.

Almost-premium small fun machines are more of a nook in the automotive world than a class, but potential buyers might also want to look at the Volkswagen Golf GTI, Hyundai Elantra N, and Mazda MX-5 Miata, whose prices are similar to the Mini cars.

Before buying a new Mini Cooper, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should be paying. Mini cars have a history of average resale values at best. Remember, recouping more money when selling a vehicle can mean a bigger down payment and lower monthly payments on the next one.

Mini says the 201-horsepower Cooper S will hit 60 mph in 6.3 seconds, qualifying it as a quick little car. We expect the entry-level Cooper will cross that threshold about a second later, which isn’t shabby, either. It isn’t all about straight-line speed in a Mini, though. Every Cooper we’ve driven feels sharp, exuberant, and just plain fun when zig-zagging along a demanding canyon road, and we don’t expect anything different from the next generation.

Fuel Economy

The 2025 Cooper S 2-Door achieves an extremely reasonable 32 mpg in combined city/highway driving. We expect the 4-door version to hit that same figure, since there was no difference between them in the previous generation. That’s much thriftier than the more powerful VW Golf GTI and Hyundai Elantra N.

Although the new Mini Cooper 2-Door and 4-Door models are not so different size-wise from their predecessors, the company’s decision to keep things clean and simple helps create a sense of space. The automatic transmission has also had its shift functions moved into the center console, leaving space for a wireless phone charging pad. The dominant feature in the dashboard, however, is a circular OLED infotainment touchscreen with a 9.4-inch diameter.

There should be sufficient space for front occupants, not so much for anyone sitting behind them. Materials and build quality, meanwhile, stay in that area between mainstream and luxury.

In the 2-Door model, luggage space behind the rear seats measures 8.9 cubic feet, growing to 34.4 cubic feet when they’re folded down. The 4-Door comes with 9.7 cubic feet, expanding to 32.7 cubic feet. Buyers who want a Mini but need more interior space can check out the Countryman, which also enters a new generation for 2025.

If you saw a new Cooper coming down the street, you’d know right away it was a Mini. The latest, smoothed-over exterior design is more evolution than revolution, but that’s OK with us and certainly not surprising — this aspect is where a lot of the essential Mini-ness exists. There is a bit of Mini-malism with the taillights as well. Whereas those of the outgoing model make an obvious nod to the Union Jack, the new look just kind of hints at it. And in what seems to be a trend these days, the model name is spelled out across the tail in uppercase letters.

Mini provides a choice of 2-door or 4-door body styles, each with a hatchback. And it’s still offering offering buyers plenty of scope for personalization, with things like contrasting roof colors and even a unique Multitone Roof consisting of three hues blending from one to the next.

Infotainment system
Anyone who has a phone can probably work out how to use the new Mini infotainment system within seconds, because it responds to touch and swipe gestures. It’s also controllable with voice commands, so drivers can put in navigation destinations, select an entertainment source, or perform many other functions using natural speech.

Digital Key Plus
Using the Mini app turns a phone into a car key. Several users can have access and load their personal preferences.

LED headlights with cornering lights
Considering how much fun a Mini is to drive around corners, extra illumination is a welcome asset in our opinion, and standard equipment in the Cooper S.

Active Driving Assistant
Mini’s standard set of driver aids includes forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, plus lane-departure warning. Virtually every car has this stuff now, but it’s still great that such features exist.

12 ultrasonic sensors
Yes, this does sound like a line from that “partridge in a pear tree” song, but it gives an idea of how the new Mini uses technology for its driver assistance features.

Recycled materials
Mini has started using recycled materials in its cars. We applaud this nod to sustainability.

A turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine propels both the new Mini Cooper and the Cooper S. In the Cooper S, it makes 201 horsepower and 221 lb-ft of torque, which goes solely to the front wheels through a 7-speed automatic transmission. No manual alternative this time around. The base Cooper’s specifications will become available closer to its on-sale date, likewise with the higher-performance John Cooper Works (JCW) model.

4-Year/50,000-Mile Warranty

The new-car and powertrain warranties on a Mini Cooper hatchback or convertible last four years or 50,000 miles, whichever happens first. These terms are typical among European automakers.

Safety Ratings

The previous Mini Cooper generation scored well enough in crash testing carried out by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), even if it didn’t earn Top Safety Pick status. We expect this new model to reach the same level at least, and preferably do better.