Used 2022 MINI Hardtop

Hard to believe, but the current Mini goes back to 2002 when BMW launched the brand as the new “premium standard in the small car segment.” Another word that should have been used in that original press release: fun. In the spirit of the original, this compact front-drive hatchback was a delight to drive, and its styling was a big hit. It was retro, yes, but not an exact copy of the original. Rather, it paid homage to the original while being its own attractive design that that soon spawned a Mini Convertible, another big hit.

Now, for 2022, the Mini – in 2-Door Hardtop, 4-Door Hardtop and Convertible forms – receives its latest update. Mechanically, it’s much the same as before, but the 2022 Mini has received numerous small design changes designed to help keep the car fresh well into the 2020s.

The body, for instance, profits from new front and rear bumpers. The front bumper no longer has embedded fog lights (they have been moved into each headlight assembly), and the wide safety bar crossing the grille is now body-colored instead of black.

To increase cooling, the Mini Cooper S and John Cooper Works variants also have a pair of gloss-black air intakes flanking the low central opening.

In the back, a re-contoured bumper is designed to make the Mini look wider, and the center exhaust of the Cooper S looks great in its glossy black piano finish. Restyled fender arches and a few new colors (Rooftop Grey, Island Blue, Zesty Yellow) round out the visual changes for 2022. The sportier and swifter JCW models also get styling updates, with a more aggressive front grille and redesigned rear diffuser. An adaptive suspension is also offered for the first time on the JCW Hardtop of Convertible.

As a compact and premium front-drive car with fun driving manners and a great lineage, the Mini Cooper has no direct rivals. However, a couple to consider are the new 2022 Volkswagen GTI and the Hyundai Veloster N.

At any rate, the Mini Cooper is a highly customizable car that people love to personalize, sometimes with the multiple available wheels and other times with a Multitone Roof that blends Soul Blue, Pearly Aqua, and Jet Black paint in an artistic way.

This is precisely why we like the Mini. It puts a smile on your face not just with the way it drives, but also with the way it looks. It’s also available in multiple ways, from an economical 2-door Hardtop and Convertible to a powerful JCW model or an electric SE.

For 2022, there’s also a new Mini Brick Lane Edition. Inspired by London’s vibrant East End, which is the home of street art, the Mini Brick Lane Edition is a highly individual model available as a Cooper S Hardtop 2-Door and 4-Door.

Since there are no mechanical changes to the 2022 Mini Cooper, we can report that it drives much like it did last year. Which is to say, the Mini remains enjoyable to drive, even with the 134-horsepower base engine. The 6-speed manual transmission helps you extract good performance, and pleasant low-end torque means you don’t have to downshift as often as you might expect, even with the compact 1.5-liter 3-cylinder engine.

As such, the compact 2022 Mini Hardtop can bop around town in a spritely manner, with the owner appreciating the excellent fuel economy and easy parking. Yet the Mini is also totally fun when it’s being pushed hard on, say, a twisty mountain road.

The electrically assisted steering is precise, and excellent suspension damping helps the Mini take corners with excellent grip and minimal body lean. The Mini is one of those cars you’ll drive for the sake of driving. When equipped with the high-performance summer tires included on the Iconic trim level, this Mini has an outstanding amount of cornering grip.

Note: Adaptive suspension is available in the John Cooper Works model for the first time. This will please Mini drivers who prefer a less frenetic ride over rough pavement.

The most noticeable new feature in the 2022 Mini Cooper interior is its central 8.8-inch digital screen, standard in all models. It’s complemented by standard Sirius satellite radio, a revised interior environment with two available color schemes (Lounge & Sport), and ambient lighting in six colors.

Also new is the leather-covered steering wheel, which has horizontal spokes and prominent thumb pads, and is available with heat for the first time.

The new Brick Lane Edition has heated sport seats in black leather, a heated steering wheel wrapped in Nappa Leather, a black headliner, piano black interior trim, and a premium Harman/Kardon premium sound system.

In front, the 2022 Mini Cooper is distinguished by a new hexagonal grille bisected by a body-colored panel covering what Mini calls the safety bar. The new bumper has air curtains for better aerodynamics, and by moving the fog lights to a spot within each headlight assembly, Mini has further improved aero. Cooper S and John Cooper Works models also get a pair of gloss-black air intakes that flank the low central opening.

Modernized side lighting, with integral LED turn signals, helps the Mini look fresh, along with revised wheel-arch trim.

In the back, a new bumper is designed to give the Mini a wide and planted look, and the piano-black central exhaust outlets of the Copper S look great. Even sharper is the JCW exhaust, located in an aggressive rear diffuser. Taillights with the Union Jack motif are now standard.

Speaking of the 228-hp JCW model, both the JCW hardtop and convertible get styling tweaks at both ends. This includes a revised grille and front air intakes, plus a new rear diffuser. An adaptive suspension is also available, to help smooth the ride over rough road surfaces.

Three new colors have been added for 2022: Island Blue, Rooftop Grey, and Zesty Yellow. You can also get a Mini Hardtop with a Multitone Roof and numerous optional wheels.

The new Brick Lane Edition has a White Silver Metallic body and a Soul Blue roof, plus black mirror caps and chrome trim. A bold stripe of graphics on the hood is designed to bring to mind the bricks and modern colors of the vibrant art scene at Brick Lane.

MULTITONE ROOF
Available on the Mini Hardtop, the Multitone Roof features Soul Blue, Pearly Aqua, and Jet Black paints blended in a particularly fun, eye-catching fashion. The special painting process was developed at the Mini plant in Oxford, England.

8.8-INCH DIGITAL DISPLAY
All 2022 Minis get an 8.8-inch digital display mounted in the expected central location. The all-new user experience has a modernized look and feel, together with two available color schemes: Lounge and Sport.

LED headlights with black inner housings, together with revised exterior styling, new digital instrument panel, and an 8.8-inch central information screen, highlight the Mini Cooper standard equipment list for 2022.

Sirius satellite radio, lane-departure warning, six shades of ambient interior lighting, and Driving Assistant — which includes forward-collision warning system with automatic emergency braking, plus automatic high beams — are also standard.

Other standard Mini equipment for 2022 includes a 6-speed manual transmission, leather-covered steering wheel, body-colored roof, LED headlights with cornering lights, and a height-adjustable front passenger seat.

A Piano Black Exterior package is available on the 2022 Mini Cooper. In addition to black door handles and a black fuel lid (Cooper S/JCW), it includes a black exhaust (Cooper/Cooper S), plus black logos and badges (Cooper/Cooper S/Cooper SE).

All 2022 Mini Hardtops can be ordered with a Multitone Roof, which has Soul Blue, Pearly Aqua, and Jet Black paints blended in an artistic way. All Minis with the Multitone Roof also get black mirror caps.

Other options for the 2022 Mini include run-flat tires, black, white, or silver hood stripes, Harman Kardon premium audio system, and a touchscreen navigation system with a wireless smartphone charger. Apple CarPlay comes with any 2022 Mini that has navigation.

Black-finished 16-inch alloy wheels are available on the electric Mini Cooper SE, as are 17s with a Tentacle Spoke or a 2-tone Scissor Spoke design. Other options for the SE include yellow mirror caps and a head-up display.

Mini powertrains are unchanged for 2022. The standard Cooper continues to be powered by a turbocharged 1.5-liter 3-cylinder engine with 134 horsepower. While that doesn’t sound like much, keep in mind that the Mini is a relatively small car, and its peak torque is produced at only 1,250 rpm, which feels like it’s barely above an idle.

A turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder powers the Cooper S. It puts out more satisfying levels of power and torque — 189 horsepower, 162 lb-ft — though at a slight cost in fuel economy.

Keen driving enthusiasts should opt for the upgraded turbo 2.0-liter in the Mini John Cooper Works (JCW) models. With 228 horsepower and a wheel-spinning 207 lb-ft of torque, the JCW makes quick work of the straights between the curves of your favorite driving roads.

The Mini Cooper SE is the electric Mini. While it does not have great range (110 miles), it is fun to drive, it charges relatively quickly, and it’s among the least-expensive new EVs currently sold in the U.S.

1.5-liter turbocharged inline-3 (Mini Cooper)
134 horsepower @ 4,400 rpm
162 lb-ft of torque @ 1,250 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 27/37 mpg (manual, Hardtop 2/4 Door), 29/38 mpg (DCT, Hardtop 2/4 Door), 27/37 mpg (manual, Convertible), 29/38 mpg (DCT, Convertible)

2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 (Mini Cooper S)
189 horsepower @ 5,000 rpm
207 lb-ft of torque @ 1,350 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 23/33 mpg (manual), 26/35 mpg (DCT 2 Door), 27/36 mpg (DCT, Convertible), 23/33 (manual Convertible)

2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 (Mini Cooper John Cooper Works)
228 horsepower @ 5,200 rpm
235 lb-ft of torque @ 1,250 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 25/34 mpg (automatic, Hardtop 2 Door), 22/31 mpg (manual, Hardtop 2 Door), 24/33 mpg (automatic, Convertible)

135-kW AC synchronous electric motor (Mini Cooper SE)
32.6-kWh lithium-ion battery pack
181 horsepower
199 lb-ft of torque
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 119 MPGe/100 MPGe
EPA range: 114 miles