2025 Mini Cooper Convertible First Drive Review: More Sun, More Fun?
If you want a new convertible car that seats four people, there are vanishingly few options left on the market. One is the Ford Mustang convertible, and the other is the new 2025 Mini Cooper Convertible. Not exactly similar, are they? Mini hasn’t abandoned the affordable convertible market, even though nearly every automaker has backed out. In fact, the drop-top Cooper is all-new for 2025, receiving many of the same updates found on the Hardtop.
2025 Mini Cooper Convertible
- Base Trim Length
-
152.2 in
- Base Trim Height
-
55.7 in
- Base Trim Width
-
68 in
- Base Trim Curb Weight
-
2,892 lbs
- Segment
-
Subcompact Luxury Wagon
- Zippy handling
- Customizable interior with cool tech
- Premium interior with cool tech
- Pricier than the hardtop
- Compromised practicality
- Fake sounds are a little corny
The base three-cylinder has been dropped in favor of a trio of turbocharged four-cylinders with various power outputs. Customers can select from a base Cooper, the Cooper S, and the hottest John Cooper Works (JCW) variant, all of which pair open-top fun with a hot hatchback driving experience. Mini invited CarBuzz to sample its entire 2025 vehicle lineup at an event in Savannah, Georgia, including the all-new Cooper Convertible. We drove the S and JCW variants, and ended with a strong verdict about which one you should buy.
First Drive events provide our initial impressions of a vehicle in a restricted environment under certain time constraints. Keep an eye on CarBuzz for our comprehensive Test Drive review which will follow soon.
What’s Changed For 2025?
The Cooper Convertible, like the Cooper Hardtop, is all-new for the 2025 model year, known internally as the F67 (replacing the F57). Output has been increased across the board, exterior styling has evolved, and the interior has been revamped from the previous generation. Other elements from the outgoing model, including the convertible roof mechanism, are carried over. Like all other Mini vehicles, the Cooper Convertible no longer offers a manual transmission in any trim level.
Exterior Design: Keeping It Cute
|
Strengths |
Weaknesses |
|---|---|
|
|
|
The cutest convertible on the market doesn’t lose its charm in this new generation. Round headlights present a friendly demeanor, though the blacked-out elements on the JCW give it a bit more attitude. Unlike the Cooper Hardtop, which has sharper taillights, the Convertible keeps its oblong long ones from the last model. Cooper and Cooper S variants are available in either Classic or Favoured Style, which include Piano Black or Vibrant Silver exterior accents, respectively.
Mini offers a wide array of 17-inch and 18-inch wheels, and we are hard-pressed to find a patten that doesn’t look good. We also love the 11 available paint colors (12 on the JCW), including the Sunny Side Yellow and Chili Red II models we drove in Georgia. If only Mini didn’t lock most of these colors to pricey packages. Buyers can also customize their mirror caps (black, white, and red) and add a Mini Yours Softtop ($600) with a Union Jack stitched into the convertible roof. Speaking of the top, it opens in a leisurely 18 seconds at speeds of up to 19 mph. There’s also a sunroof mode, which offers a small opening rather than a full open-top experience. It sounds great in theory, but produces a deafening wind vortex at anything other than neighborhood speeds.
Interior: New Era Whimsey
|
Strengths |
Weaknesses |
|---|---|
|
|
|
The convertible’s interior is virtually identical to the hardtop. A Vescin (vegan leather) and cloth interior comes standard in either a grey/blue or black/blue combination with heated front seats and a heated steering wheel. All trims cover the dashboard and upper doorcards with recycled cloth-like material that is water-resistant and feels premium. Stepping up to the Signature Plus trim ($2,400) brings a full Vescin interior in Beige or Nightshade Blue.
The Iconic Trim ($5,400) adds power front seats with massage for the driver, adaptive cruise control, parking assistant plus, and more. No matter which trim you get, the JCW comes with a special black Vescin/Cord seat combination with sporty red accents. The JCW seats are also more heavily bolstered, holding the driver and passenger in tight during spirited driving.
Trunk space in the Cooper Convertible is heavily reduced compared to the Cooper Hardtop hatchback model. A pickup truck-style tailgate drops to reveal just 7.59 cubic feet of space, which reduces to only 5.65 cubes when the roof is lowered. Mini does let you lift the rear glass and drop down the rear seats to open the trunk for larger items, but it’s a complicated process that would be nearly impossible to do with bags in your hands.
Infotainment: Looks Great, Works Okay…
We have a love-hate relationship with Mini’s new 9.4-inch circular infotainment system. It looks great, and is packed with cute features such as Experiences (drive modes and screen themes), central speedometers, an Always Open Timer (that counts how long you drive with the roof down), a voice assistant that looks like an English bulldog (now well-known as Spike), and DJ record scratch sound effect. Though we love all of these features, the user interface and menu layout can be a bit distracting to use while driving and the system often feels laggy. We’d highly recommend the Harman Kardon audio system, which sounds great and only costs $850.
Powertrain & Driving: Peppy Or Rowdy
|
Strengths |
Weaknesses |
|---|---|
|
|
|
Mini offers the Cooper Convertible in three power flavors, two of which we sampled at the First Drive event. All three versions are now powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, as the base three-cylinder was discontinued. Power in the Cooper and Cooper S models increases by 27 and 12 hp, respectively, while torque grows by 22 and 15 lb-ft from the previous generation.
Oddly, the JCW stays at 228 hp, though torque grows by 45 for a total of 280 lb-ft. Every Mini Convertible sends power to the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission; the manual transmission was sadly discontinued.
2025 Mini Cooper Convertible Engine Options
|
|||
|
|
Cooper |
Cooper S |
JCW |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Engine |
2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder |
||
|
Transmission |
Seven-speed dual-clutch |
||
|
Drivetrain |
Front-wheel-drive |
||
|
Power |
161 hp |
201 hp |
228 hp |
|
Torque |
184 lb-ft |
221 lb-ft |
280 lb-ft |
|
0-60 |
7.9 seconds |
6.7 seconds |
6.2 seconds |
|
Top Speed |
130 mph |
147 mph |
152 mph |
Acceleration in the Cooper S Convertible is rather brisk. After a brief amount of turbo lag and front wheel spin, the car achieved a 6.43-second 0-60 mph time, besting Mini’s estimate. There are no paddle shifters on the S, but the seven-speed DCT does an adequate job predicting which gear we want and providing it in a smooth manner. Every Cooper Convertible provides a taut ride, though there is still appreciable yet manageable body roll in corners. The 201-hp engine is capable of chipping the front tires and producing torque steer through the wheel. With the roof up, there is more road noise than in the Cooper Hard Top, and the included sunroof mode makes it so loud you can barely think. We recommend leaving the roof up, or going full top down.
The John Cooper Works is a more thrilling experience, but not in a fully positive way. 60 mph came in 6.04 seconds in our testing, once again outmatching the manufacturer’s estimate. Torque steer is far more noticeable in the JCW; full-throttle can nearly rip the wheel from your hands. This increased pace is complimented by a stiffer ride, which may be too firm depending on the smoothness of your local roads. The more powerful engine is mated to louder, enhanced sound, which comes real exhaust noises with augmentation from the speakers. At least, that’s what Mini says.
Related
Affordable Drop-Top Comparison: All-New Mini Cooper Convertible Vs. The Evergreen Mazda Miata
Can Mini’s newest convertible take down the convertible king?
We could barely hear the actual exhaust inside the cabin, meaning the only sound you can enjoy is a fake buzzing from the speakers with a simulated overrun that could be mistaken for someone tapping on a microphone. Mini’s engineers need to listen to a Hyundai Elantra N, and go back to the drawing board. Unlike the Cooper S, the JCW includes paddle shifters, meaning you can fully take advantage of the smooth but quick seven-speed DCT. Honestly, the transmission does well enough on its own, and we rarely missed the paddles.
Verdict & Pricing: Costly Cuteness
Mini hasn’t prided itself on being a value proposition in recent years, and that statement holds true for the Cooper Convertible, which costs $5,000 more than an equivalent Cooper Hard Top. You will pay $33,950 for the standard Cooper, $37,200 for the Cooper S, and $43,700 for the JCW. Each variant is available with a Signature Plus Package for $2,400 or an Iconic Package for $4,100, depending on how luxurious you want your Mini to be. If it were our money, we’d skip the JCW, as the stiffened suspension doesn’t pair well with the looser convertible body. Instead, we’d save some cash and opt for the Cooper S, or if performance doesn’t matter to you, the base Cooper.
Like the Cooper Hardtop, the Cooper Convertible sees notable improvements in comfort, technology, performance, and interior quality over the previous generation. It’s still plagued by a small trunk and a firm ride, but if that didn’t stop anyone before, it won’t now. The number of affordable convertible vehicles has dwindled in recent years, and we appreciate that Mini still gives customers an option in this segment. If it were our money, however, we’d save five grand, get the more practical Cooper Hardtop, and spend that cash on getting either a hotter engine or the luxurious Iconic Package.
link
