A familiar face gets an update
Same as it ever was, just better
The Mini Cooper S Hardtop is all-new for 2025. Could you tell? Perhaps not. The familiar bulldog stance, petite size and overall cuteness remain, albeit tweaked here and there. Yet look closely, and you’ll find there are some significant changes. The new model is the fourth generation since being recast by BMW Group in 2002.
Initially offered in sportier S trim, a base model should be available shortly, with other variants to follow.
A new wardrobe
The Mini Cooper’s rear design gets a distinctive new look.
Designers simplified the Mini Cooper’s appearance for 2025, particularly up front, where the prior model’s business seems to have been cleaned up somewhat. Changes in the rear of the car are more noticeable, where the longstanding rounded rectangular taillamps have been replaced by triangular units that are visually linked with a horizontal trim strip. Yes, the Union Jack lighting detail remains.
The Mini Cooper’s interior has been simplified, remaining true to the brand.
Bigger changes await inside, where designers looked to the first 1959 Mini for inspiration. That model sported a center-mounter speedometer and a row of toggle switches beneath it and little else, aside from a cursory hook or strap. Fast forward six-plus decades, and you’ll find a large center-mounted touchscreen and a small row of controls beneath it. Beside it is a flush-mounted strap. Neat.
The simplification is welcome, as it allowed designers to furnish the cabin in a range of textiles that’s at once modern and comforting. But some may object to the lack of gauges in front of the driver, as the speedo is atop the touchscreen. To compensate, Mini provides a small pop-up head-up display in front of the driver. It’s far from objectionable, and the touchscreen proves easy to use once accustomed to where everything is located.
Front seat space remains comfy.
Our Cooper S’ $34,600 base price and $37,295 as tested price came with 18-inch wheels with summer tires, a dual-pane sunroof, Harman/Kardon audio system, wireless smartphone charging pad, dual-automatic climate control, and heated front seats and steering wheel.
As before, there’s good space up front, but rear space is meager. Better to fold down the rear seat, and expand it from a 9.71 cubic-foot cargo area to a more usable 32.66 cubic feet.
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Under the hood
The 2025 Mini Cooper S Hardtop is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine rather than the three-cylinder offered last year. It produces 201 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission to the front wheels. A manual gearbox is not available. Neither are steering-wheel-mounted shift paddles. This is important, as the transmission shifter is a small toggle switch underneath the touchscreen, making any kind of manual shifting impossible, although there are selectable drive modes. Our favorite? Go-Kart mode, which transforms the already perky Mini into an overachiever.
That aside, the 2025 Mini Cooper S’ performance is impressive. The automaker states a 0-60 mph time of 6.2 seconds, but it feels stronger than that. Power is strong as the
Rear seat space remains tight.
turbo spools up, making a perfect accomplice to its athleticism. Surprisingly, cruising at highway speeds is positively idyllic, with little-to-no wind, road, or tire noise. Similarly, the vibration once endemic to three-cylinder engines have been banished now that there are four cylinders.
That said, be advised that the Mini Cooper requires premium fuel. But while the EPA states that the Cooper S returns 32 mpg in mixed city/highway driving, my time behind the wheel easily returned 34.4 mpg, despite a decidedly heavy right foot.
It makes for a uniquely fun ride, retaining everything that makes the brand so endearing.
Get your terms straight, a HARDTOP is a car without a “B” pillar!
The car is officially known as the Mini Cooper Hardtop To distinguish it Mini other Cooper models. It is not a true hardtop, agreed. However, that is why the car’s name is capitalized.
Hardtop is capitalized because it is part of the car’s official name. No, it is not technically a hardtop. But you understand English, so then you should understand that it is part of the car’s name because it’s capitalized.