Review & Photos by: Len Ingrassia
Automotive columnist

It’s always been a cute little car and this year’s model adds some cool features as it enters its fourth generation. Few people connect the Mini Cooper with its BMW bones making it a blast to drive in its Go Kart mode. It’s that small.

Its history dates to 1959 when racing legend John Cooper created the Mini to be fuel efficient and affordable. Successive owners were Spanish and Italian manufacturers as well as British Motor Corp., before BMW acquired the rights in 1996. Many will recall extensive use of Mini’s in the movie – The Italian Job – the theft of gold bullion from an armored security truck in Turin, Italy.

The 2025 Mini Cooper is available as a two or four-door hardtop with a punchier engine than last year’s three-cylinder model. Its 161 horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder, turbocharged engine is sporty. Our four-door Cooper S tester takes it a step further with 201 ponies for more aggressive driving. No manual transmission is available.

Although its new engine sounds throaty, we found its zero to 60 mile-per-hour time was a practical 6.2 seconds.

Trim levels include Signature, Signature Plus and our Iconic version loaded with upscale interior amenities. Base prices range from the upper $20s to $40s – an affordable investment for its high fun factor.

Forget about traditional instrument clusters encased in digital screens. Some Mini’s have a unique 9.4-inch circular OLED graphics screen – a frameless touchscreen that integrates climate, infotainment functions as well as navigation, phone services and engine vitals. As playful as it is, we would have liked more physical buttons in place of drilling down for everyday features.

The multi-information screen has changeable Experience modes that alternate drive settings, cabin serenity, personalization, lighting and colors. Modes can be adjusted with a toggle switch at center console or by voice command.

They include sporty Go-Kart, default Core, efficient Green, musical Vivid, old school Timeless, reduced lighting Balance, personal Photos and playful Trail. It is a bit gimmicky but fun to set up for a unique experience.

Staunch BMW owners enjoy firm suspension and the Cooper carries on that tradition. Acceleration is quick although it trails off at higher speeds. EPA combined fuel economy was rated at 32 mpg, a mark we were able to better by 1 mpg.

Front seat passengers have ample room unless you are taller than average in which case you will have headroom issues. Rear seat passenger room is tight and seat cushioning is so-so. Aside from its few deficiencies, the Mini is one of a kind although the Mazda Miata, Subaru BRZ-Toyota GR86 twins are comparable minus their traditional interiors.

Even with its shortcomings, the Mini stands out from the pack and is easy to maneuver into tight parking spaces. While it looks faster than it really is, its sturdy frame and tight suspension keeps the car firmly planted with excellent grip through its 17-inch paws. No cost three year/36,000-mile maintenance is a welcome addition that few competitors can match. Driver safety assist features are extensive.

(Contact independent automotive columnist Len Ingrassia at editor@ptd.net)

What was reviewed:

2025 Mini Cooper S Hardtop

Engine: 2.0-liter twin turbo, four-cylinder, 201 horsepower, 221 lb.-ft torque

EPA rated mileage: 28 city, 39 highway, 32 combined

MSRP/as tested: $35,600/$39,795

Assembled: Final assembly in Oxford, United Kingdom; U.S. /Canadian parts content; 0 percent; major source of foreign parts; Germany, 22 percent, country of origin; engine and transmission – Germany.

Crash test rating: The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), in partial testing, awarded the Mini Cooper S a “Good” rating in small and moderate overlap and side impact crash tests.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) had not rated the Mini Cooper S as of this writing.

Warranty: 4 year/50,000-mile bumper to bumper warranty, 3 year/36,000-mile scheduled maintenance.