2025 Mini Cooper Hardtop Review and Test Drive
Significantly updated for 2025, the Mini Cooper retains its signature looks and fun-to-drive characteristics.
Perry Stern
There's something about a Mini Cooper that just makes me smile. Whether it is one of the originals created in the late 1950s as a fuel-efficient runabout or the newer, larger variant that returned to the United States in 2002, the Cooper's small size and bulldog look just make me happy.
And that's before getting behind the wheel, an experience that's only increased the size of my grin as I've driven Mini Coopers. The redesigned 2025 Mini Cooper continues this tradition, with familiar looks, tidy dimensions, and go-kart-like handling continuing to define the model.
Mini has expanded its lineup over the years, but the Hardtop remains the automaker's entry-level car. Available as the classic 2 Door or larger 4 Door, the Hardtop features the traditional Mini shape with short overhangs, a flat roof, a wide grille, and expressive headlights.
It's not quite as tiny as the original, which was just over 10 feet long, but the 2025 Mini Cooper is still one of the smaller cars on the road. Measuring 12.7 feet in length (13.2 for the 4 Door), it is shorter than hatchback rivals like the Honda Civic, Mazda Mazda3, and Volkswagen GTI.
But like that original, engineers have maximized the interior space, providing a roomy cabin that can seat four people while leaving room for some cargo.
Perry Stern
2025 Mini Cooper Hardtop Pricing
The 2025 Mini Cooper Hardtop is available in 2 Door, 2 Door S, and 4 Door S trim levels. Base prices range from the high $20,000s to the mid $30,000s, including the destination charge to ship the car from the Oxford, England, factory that builds it to your local dealership.
For this 2025 Mini Cooper Hardtop review, I test-drove the S 2 Door in Washington state, driving it from Spokane to Seattle. The only option was the Iconic Trim package, and the manufacturer's suggested retail price of the test vehicle came to $37,295, including the $995 destination charge.
Mini provided the car for this 2025 Cooper Hardtop review and paid for airfare, lodging, and meals during the evaluation period.
Perry Stern
Fresh Styling Inside and Out, But It Still Looks Like a Mini
Most people will quickly recognize the new Mini Cooper as a Mini, but they may not notice the redesigned styling. Overall, the Cooper has a cleaner and simpler look incorporating modern lighting elements, such as the pattern in the taillights that makes it look like the illumination emanates from the black bar between them.
When the modern Mini Cooper came to the U.S. More than 20 years ago, it featured a large, centrally located, round speedometer, which was a stylistic throwback to the original Mini Cooper. In the new 2025 Cooper, there's still a round speedo in the center of the dash, but now it is a 9.4-inch OLED touchscreen infotainment display that provides access to most vehicle features and shows the vehicle's speed. The screen is easy to read with virtually no reflection.
The dashboard is bare except for the round display, the narrow air vents, and a head-up display replacing a traditional driver display. The unique toggle switches found in past Minis are gone, as are almost all other physical controls, freeing up considerably more storage space for front-seat passengers.
Mini trims the seats with cloth and synthetic leather, while the dashboard and doors feature a tightly knit fabric. This material provides a premium look but was rough, scratchy, and uncomfortable when I rested my arm on the door.
Perry Stern
The Interior Is Surprisingly Roomy
Thanks to its large door opening, getting into the front seat of the Mini Cooper is easy. Once inside, there's plenty of legroom and headroom, and the bolstering provides good support for lengthy drives. The redesigned cabin feels more open and airy, with ample space for storing small items.
While the front seat is quite roomy, the Mini's diminutive size is unmistakable to passengers in the back seat. Climbing in requires some maneuvering, but the seating position is decent. However, legroom is very tight, and if the front seat passengers don't move their seats forward, only the smallest passengers will fit.
The Cooper 4 Door variants offer a few more inches of legroom, and the addition of the rear doors makes getting in and out considerably easier.
Perry Stern
Mini makes the most of the available cabin space. A large tray between the front seats is ideal for phones, snacks, or other small items, and the dual cupholders are within easy reach. I especially like the vertical wireless phone charger that holds a phone in place, making it visible and secure.
Opening the 2 Door model's rear hatch reveals a relatively small trunk. There's only 8.9 cubic-feet of space behind the rear seats, but I could fit two suitcases and a backpack. The rear seats can fold flat, increasing the available space to a much more usable 34.4 cu-ft. The 4 Door bumps volumes up to 13.1 cu-ft and a maximum of 40 cu-ft with the seats folded.
Perry Stern
2025 Mini Cooper Hardtop Infotainment System: Say Hello to Spike
Among the upgrades to the 2025 Cooper is an updated infotainment system running the latest version of Mini's operating system.
Because there is no dedicated display in front of the driver, information such as speed and fuel level is shown at the top of the round center display. Cabin temperature controls are on the lower section, while shortcuts to the climate, navigation, communication, and audio systems remain static at the bottom. That's a lot to pack into a single display, but Mini makes it easy to find and use what you seek.
The touchscreen is the primary interface since the Mini has minimal physical controls. Fortunately, the Mini's voice interface is quite good — and entertaining.
Saying "Hey, Mini" activates Spike, the car's digital personal assistant, who happens to be a dog with a British accent. Spike can adjust the temperature, locate the closest coffee shop, make a phone call, or even tell a joke. If the Mini doesn't already make you smile, conversing with a digital assistant that sounds like a British dog certainly adds enjoyment to the experience.
Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity is standard. I connected my Samsung Galaxy S23+ via Bluetooth without issue and immediately launched Android Auto, which shows in the center of the screen.
Perry Stern
The Cooper's Active Driving Assistant Offers Several Safety Features
The 2025 Mini Cooper Hardtop is available with several advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) grouped together in the Active Driving Assistant package. I say available because the base Signature trim does not include any of them as standard equipment, surprising for a premium-brand car with a base price close to $30,000.
Add the $250 Active Driving Assistant option to the Signature trim, and the Cooper gets forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and blind-spot monitoring. These features are standard with Signature Plus and Iconic trim packages. Adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability is optional for the Signature Plus and standard with Iconic trim.
My test vehicle had all these items, plus adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality and lane-centering assistance, which are additional features in Mini's Active Driving Assistant package when you get the Iconic trim.
While traveling on Interstate 90 through central Washington, I activated the system and set the adaptive cruise control to 70 mph. It worked well, keeping the Mini in its lane with minimal corrections needed, even when going around curves. It is important to note that this is not a hands-free system, and I received a warning when I let go of the steering wheel.
Perry Stern
The 2025 Mini Cooper S Hardtop has a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 201 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque. Unfortunately, a manual transmission is no longer available, so the Cooper S gets a standard seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (DCT). All Mini Cooper Hardtops are front-wheel drive.
Perry Stern
The Mini Cooper Is Still Great Fun to Drive
With its small size and wide stance, the Mini Cooper has always been entertaining to drive, and this new 2025 version continues that tradition. As soon as I set off in the Cooper S, its responsiveness and agility were immediately apparent, and while the Mini doesn't have a roaring exhaust note like a V8-powered sports car, it does put out a pleasing growl.
The last Mini I drove had a manual transmission, and I missed the engagement and added fun of shifting gears by hand. However, the DCT delivers smooth shifts quicker than most humans can accomplish manually.
I headed out of Spokane on I-90, and while the Mini is not the most powerful vehicle on the road, it has enough oomph to accelerate to highway speed quickly. Mini says the Cooper S 2 Door will reach 60 mph in a respectable 6.3 seconds, which is believable.
Cruising along at 70 mph, the Mini feels comfortable and stable. There is some road noise, but nothing so intrusive that it is annoying. Its size is noticeable, though, when driving through a sea of semi trucks and being at eye level with their tires.
Perry Stern
Leaving the freeway to head south to Yakima on a twisty road that follows a river, the Mini reminded me why it's one of the most enjoyable cars on the road. I wouldn't call the Cooper a sports car; it just doesn't look the part to me. But with its small size, quick steering response, and tight suspension, it is an absolute blast on a road that twists and turns.
As I pushed the little car through the curves, it stayed flat and composed, even on the rougher sections of pavement. More power would have been welcome, but the 201 horses were more than adequate for most situations. I expect a more powerful John Cooper Works edition will join the lineup soon.
Not only is the Mini Cooper S fun to drive, but it's also fuel efficient. According to Mini, the 2025 Cooper S Hardtop 2 Door gets an estimated 28/39/32 mpg in city/highway/combined driving — impressive figures for a non-electrified car. During my time in the Mini, spent almost entirely on highways, the trip computer indicated 38.6 mpg.
Perry Stern
The New Cooper Is Still a Proper Mini
Redesigning an iconic car steeped in history can be challenging, but Mini did a great job of improving the Cooper without reconfiguring a successful formula. Even without a manual transmission, the 2025 Mini Cooper S was a delight to drive and never failed to put a smile on my face.
Alternatives such as the Honda Civic, Mazda Mazda3, and Volkswagen GTI offer similar performance in a comparable size. Still, the Mini's classic styling, cheeky personality, and fun-to-drive characteristics help it stand out among its rivals. It is one of those rare cars you buy for how it makes you feel, making it anything but an automotive appliance.
Written by humans.
Edited by humans.
Perry SternI have loved cars and trucks since childhood, and that fascination with anything that drives is just as strong today. As a teenager, I knew I wanted to become an automotive journalist, and during the past three decades, I have driven, written about, and photographed all manner of automobiles ranging from affordable econocars to exotic supercars. With the idea that there is a perfect car, truck, or SUV for everyone, my goal is to help consumers determine the right one for their wants and needs.
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