2022 Mini Cooper Hardtop Test Drive Review: The Go-Kart's All Grown Up
The story of Mini Cooper goes back to 1959 when it was owned by the British Motor Company, and later British Leyland and the Rover Group. Its claim to fame was that with such a small engine, 80% of its floorplan space was used for passengers and cargo. In 2000, BMW bought the Rover Group and started producing Minis itself.
After dozens of variants, the third-gen Mini appeared from BMW, and in 2022 it gets heavily updated inside and out. We were given a Cooper S Hardtop to test drive, which comes with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder making 189 horsepower and 206 lb-ft of torque, up from the 134 hp and 162 lb-ft from the base model's 1.5-liter three-cylinder. A six-speed manual is standard across the board while a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission is optional. But the Cooper Hardtop range finds itself in an awkward position with no direct rival. From a performance standpoint, the closest you'll find are the much cheaper Volkswagen Golf GTI and Hyundai Veloster N.
But the Cooper has something those don't, though, namely a little British flair, if such a thing exists. Or at the very least, nostalgia on its side. And if you don't want to compete at an autocross or a track day for lap times, a little flair might be all you need.
What's the Price of the New Mini Cooper Hardtop?
Mini Cooper pricing begins with the value-conscious Oxford Edition. In two-door guise, it starts at $19,750, just as it did last year. Continuing with the two-door range, the Cooper begins at $22,900 and the Cooper S starts at $26,900. The price of the Mini Cooper Hardtop 4-Door isn't much more. The 4-Door Oxford Edition costs $20,750. Other Mini Cooper four-door models are the Cooper at $23,900 and the Cooper S at $27,900. Besides the Oxford Editions, all other variants are $500 more expensive for the 2022 model year. Of course, these prices exclude the sub-trims that add more features. The prices above are all for the Classic sub-trim but you'll need to pay $4,000 more for the Signature and $8,000 more for the Iconic. If you don't mind spending closer to $30k and enjoy wind-in-your-hair motoring, consider the Cooper Convertible with a fabric top which we review separately.
The price of the new Mini Cooper in the USA excludes a destination charge of $850.
2022 Cooper Hardtop Exterior
Dimensions
| Length | Wheelbase | Height | Max Width | Front Width | Rear Width | Curb Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 152.2 in | 98.2 in | 55.7 in | 68.0 in | 59.1 in | 59.1 in | 2,712.0 lbs |
2022 Cooper Hardtop Performance
Handling and Driving Impressions
The suspension on the Cooper S is stiff. That makes for a tight, reactionary chassis that's probably as fun as the Golf GTI or Veloster N. But the tires are low profile, and this vehicle was on run-flat tires. Those tires are always harsher than the alternative, so you will want to take care to avoid big potholes. It's not as stiff as the old Cooper Coupe, which was downright bone-rattling, but you still should be aware.
The trade-off is hyper-accurate steering where you can aim at the inside edge of a turn and hit it perfectly every time. If you get a chance, take a couple of roundabouts at speed to feel the chassis (and tires) working. There's very little vagueness on center and changes of direction happen quickly. There's no limited-slip differential, so you will feel that outside front tire sliding when you're hammering on it.
The Cooper S has three drive modes: Sport, Mid, and Green. It always starts in Mid mode, which is a balance of steering and throttle sensitivity. Green mode relaxes the throttle, and in automatic cars allows for coasting, decoupling the engine from the gearbox to slow down less when your foot is off the gas. Sport mode turns everything up, making the steering even faster and throttle more sensitive. In automatic cars, it shifts later and faster too.
2022 Cooper Hardtop Interior
2022 Cooper Hardtop Trunk and Cargo Space
Warranty
| Basic | Drivetrain | Corrosion | Roadside Assistance | Maintenance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Years / 50,000 Miles | 4 Years / 50,000 Miles | 12 Years / Unlimited Miles | 4 Years / Unlimited Miles | 3 Years / 36,000 Miles |
US NHTSA Crash Test Result
| Overall Rating | Frontal Barrier Crash Rating | Side Crash Rating | Rollover Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 |
Verdict: Is the 2022 Mini Cooper Hardtop A Good car?
The Mini Cooper is in a tough spot in the market. It's an enthusiast car for sure, a specialty car probably. It would need to be a second car in a household if there's a family involved - like we said, it can fit four people, but not super comfortably. The engine and transmission are excellent though, as is the brake feel. The throw on the stick shift is a little long, and we wouldn't complain about a limited-slip diff, but this car is extremely fun to drive.
The 2-door Cooper S starts at $26,900 MSRP, but with trim upgrades and packages, you break the $35k mark pretty quickly. That makes the base prices of VW Golf GTI ($29,545) and the Hyundai Veloster N ($32,500) look pretty enticing - both have more power and torque than the Mini. You could make an argument for the Mercedes A-Class as a competitor too as it starts around $35,000, although it has less power. Still, the Mini Cooper is a great car, distilled over the past 22 years to be almost perfect, but it's still owned by BMW, and therefore commands a premium. And we'd be hard-pressed to pick this over either the Golf or Veloster.
What Mini Cooper Hardtop Model Should I Buy?
The 2-Door Hardtop Mini Cooper S is the best Mini to buy in our opinion as it comes with the more powerful engine right off the bat. As it is, this Cooper S starts at $26,900 (before $850 in destination and handling). This is a Mini, so we'd have to spec the six-speed manual, and we think you should too. Our tester had the $8,000 Iconic trim package, which adds leather, heated seats, the moonroof, the Multitone top, dual-zone climate control and a few other bits. We'd skip that for the lesser-priced Signature trim, however.
The Signature trim comes with the best of the more Iconic trim, including keyless entry, moonroof, ambient lighting, heated seats and more. There are no costs for colors so we'd pick something cool like Chili Red or British Racing Green. The roof and mirror colors are free options too, and there are a bunch of options for 16- and 17-inch wheels for free. We'd continue to keep it cheap with the leatherette interior, but we'd skip anything in piano black for interior surfaces - it's too shiny and gets dirty too easily. We wouldn't add anything further, and that brings us to $31,750 excluding destination for a Mini Cooper S with all the options you need.
2022 Mini Cooper Hardtop Comparisons
2022 Mini Cooper Hardtop vs Mini Cooper Countryman
This match-up is quite simple. If the Mini Cooper Hardtop 2-door or 4-door models are too small and impractical for your needs but you still want a Mini, the Countryman is an obvious choice. Bigger in every dimension, the Countryman has substantially more space for rear-seat occupants and can accommodate an extra adult. At over 17 cubes, the trunk is around double the size of the Cooper Hardtop two-door model's one. With the same engines but a lot more weight to lug around, the Countryman is good for a crossover but can't match the hatch for driving fun. By comparison, the hardtop feels lighter on its feet - because it is. The Countryman also starts at around $10,000 more than the price of the Mini Cooper Hardtop. However, you do have the option of an AWD variant. Because the Mini works best as a hatchback and not as a crossover, we'd save the extra cash and go for the former unless we really needed the Countryman's space.
2022 Mini Cooper Hardtop vs Mini Cooper Clubman
The Clubman's quirky wagon-like styling and added practicality over the Cooper Hardtop make it an interesting alternative. The twin rear doors give it a unique appearance, and it's got a similar amount of cargo space as the Cooper Hardtop four-door. Unlike the regular Mini Cooper hatch, the Clubman is only available with the more powerful 189-hp engine. This means that it's quite a bit more expensive, starting at just under $30,000. An AWD version of the Clubman is available, so that is the more suitable choice for those living in colder, icier states. Due to its extra weight, the Clubman is a little slower than the smaller hatchback. Both Minis are enjoyable, feisty compacts, and choosing the Clubman for its extra space and unique style isn't a bad decision.