The Car Connection Expert Review
Likes
- Fun personality
- Small size
- Big fun
- Manuals are back
Dislikes
- Fairly pricey
- Interior’s charm overshadows cheap plastics
- Not spacious, even for small cars
- Pointless EV
Buying tip
features & specs
With more versions for 2024, the Mini Cooper lineup once again shines—though they’re hardly bargains anymore.
What kind of vehicle is the 2024 Mini Cooper? What does it compare to?
The 2024 Mini Cooper badge adorns a broad lineup of retro-style cars that nearly defy comparison. Perhaps consider the Kia Soul and BMW X1, if you’re not dead set on a Mini.
Is the 2024 Mini Cooper a good car?
For what it is, the Mini Cooper remains a right good time. It drips with personality, offers thrilling handling, and can even be somewhat practical in the right configurations. It’s a 6.0 out of 10 on the TCC scale. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
What's new for the 2024 Mini Cooper?
Mini has brought back a previously unavailable Classic trim level that helps lower the price of entry slightly. Additionally, most versions are once again available with a manual gearbox; the transmission choice was dropped for much of 2023.
The Mini Cooper comes in four basic body styles: two-door, four-door, extended-length four-door (Clubman), and convertible. Each has the same basic styling and personality, plus a lengthy list of styling personalizations.
Base cars deliver decent go with a grunty turbo-3. The turbo-4 that comes on the Cooper S is worthwhile, though. John Cooper Works models provide track-ready handling and 228 hp, but they’re awfully expensive. Most models are front-wheel drive; all-wheel drive is available on certain Clubman versions.
Fuel economy ranges from a low of 25 mpg combined to upward of 30 mpg combined for most configurations. Premium gas is needed, though.
These cars have expressive styling, but their interiors are hardly practical. Such is the price to pay for personality. The most useful choice here is the delightful (if costly) Clubman, which has an SUV-rivaling 48 cubic feet of maximum cargo space.
An 8.8-inch touchscreen offers standard Apple CarPlay compatibility and a decent, BMW-like infotainment system. Automatic emergency braking comes on all, but Mini charges extra for blind-spot monitors, a head-up display, and adaptive cruise control.
How much does the 2024 Mini Cooper cost?
Figure about $26,000 for a base Mini Cooper this year, but that’s just the cost of entry. By the time you add the turbo-4 in the Cooper S and even begin to scratch the surface with extras, the Clubman body that we prefer can top $40,000.
A JCW model easily adds another $10,000.
Where is the 2024 Mini Cooper made?
In England and the Netherlands.
2024 MINI Cooper Styling
Mini’s design remains playful and fun.
Is the Mini Cooper a good-looking car?
We still like it, even though Mini has spent the last two decades refining its modern take on a classic design. Overall, the Mini Cooper scores an 8 out of 10 for its styling on the TCC scale, with two points for its playful yet functional (mostly) interior.
The Cooper badge now goes on two- and four-door models, plus a longer version of the four-door that’s like a mini wagon and a droptop. Whew. They all have the same expressive front end and retro-chic taillights; it’s what’s in the middle that changes. Oh, and the myriad accessories and options Mini will gladly install for an upcharge.
The whimsical cabin puts controls in various rounded pockets. You’ll want to acclimate yourself first, but things seem relatively logical if perhaps a little cheap to the touch.
2024 MINI Cooper Performance
The Mini Cooper lineup induces more smiles this year now that manual gearboxes are back.
Mini builds fun, sporty cars with great handling and an impressive ride. S and JCW versions are downright quick, too. This lineup earns a 7 based on standard models; those with more turbo punch might score an 8.
Is the Mini Cooper 4WD?
They send power to the front wheels in most cases, though an all-wheel-drive version of the Clubman exists.
How fast is the Mini Cooper?
Base cars use a 134-hp turbo-3 teamed with a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox that provides decent go. Better yet is the 2.0-liter turbo-4 in the Cooper S that ups the ante to 189 hp and slices the 60 mph sprint to just 6.4 seconds.
John Cooper Works versions add more than just power, though their 228-hp punch makes them downright fast. They also have a buttoned-down suspension and uprated brakes, though their tall wheels can ride a bit stiffly for some.
No matter what’s underhood, the Mini Cooper has dialed-in steering with terrific heft. Four-door versions ride the best thanks to their longer wheelbases, though even a base Cooper is comfy enough for all but the worst roads.
The Mini Cooper SE delivers zippy acceleration, but not much highway passing power. It’s a city runabout; like a retro EV, with limited range of about 110 miles and extra heft from its battery pack.
2024 MINI Cooper Comfort & Quality
The Mini Cooper lives up to its name with a compact interior.
It may be fun inside, but the Mini Cooper is not particularly spacious. It’s a 4 on our scale, with a point dialed back for a tight rear seat. Clubman versions would earn back that point thanks to their big cargo areas if we rated them separately, though.
The front seats have beefy bolsters and plenty of adjustment. Two-door models have a cramped, tough-to-access rear seat. Four-door versions solve the access issue but still don’t have stretch-out space.
Trunk space varies by body, but the highlight here is the Clubman. It maxes out at 48 cubic feet (14 more than the standard Cooper) with the second-row seatbacks folded away.
Mini dresses the interior up with fun materials and textures, which feel fine at around $30,000 but seem chintzy for the $50,000 the automaker demands for a loaded-up model.
2024 MINI Cooper Safety
The 2024 Mini Cooper is missing some crash-test data.
How safe is the Mini Cooper?
It’s a four-star overall model according to the NHTSA, which isn’t a great score. The IIHS has yet to complete testing, though what evaluations have been performed so far have mostly been promising.
Overall, we land on a 5 out of 10 thanks to standard automatic emergency braking that cancels out the weak NHTSA showing.
Blind-spot monitors and adaptive cruise control are optional, depending on the trim. Outward vision is generally pretty good, though the front roof pillars are a bit plump.
2024 MINI Cooper Features
The 2024 Mini Cooper lineup hardly wants for choice, but these models can get pricey.
We’d like to see the return of a cheap Mini Cooper, though the automaker does provide a good amount of kit for the money.
Our 8 out of 10 rating here comes courtesy a decent 8.8-inch infotainment screen, a wide range of options, and a 4-year/50,000-mile warranty with three years of maintenance included. That puts the 2024 Cooper at an 8 out of 10.
Which Mini Cooper should I buy?
We lament the loss of a sub-$20,000 Mini Cooper; one was offered all the way back in 2022, though.
For now, the Cooper S comes with a worthwhile power bump that would have us spending up for one. Basic Classic trim works fine for us, even though Mini only offers a few paint colors. We’d spend up for the Clubman, which runs about $35,000 to start. Budget a little more for adaptive cruise control and heated seats, but watch the options list as these cars can get quite costly.
How much is a fully loaded Mini Cooper?
It’s a lot. John Cooper Works versions of the Clubman and convertible ring in at $50,000, and that’s before you add any options.
2024 MINI Cooper Fuel Economy
These small, lightweight cars sip fuel—but they need premium.
Is the Mini Cooper good on gas?
It’s decent, but limited consumption is offset by a need for costlier premium unleaded. The lineup scores a 4 on the TCC scale for base models that use the 7-speed dual-clutch automatic. They’re estimated at 29 mpg city, 38 highway, 32 combined.
Ratings vary greatly by body style, transmission, and power output, though most check in between 29 and 31 mpg combined. John Cooper Works models can rate as low as 25 mpg combined, though.
