When I picked up the 2025 MINI Cooper S Hardtop 2-Door, I knew it’d be fun. Since the modern BMW-made MINI’s debut in 2001, the performance-oriented Cooper S models have been a blast to drive. Plus, they ooze with character and novelty.

My test car wore Sunny Side Yellow paint with a black roof, 18-inch wheels, and performance tires, and it certainly looked like a good time. Would it continue the Cooper S legacy of being a fun-sized boosted road rocket?

In short: The latest MINI Cooper S Hardtop 2-Door aims to continue the heritage of offering spirited performance and great driving dynamics in a practical subcompact package. The latest model offers a host of changes that — for better or for worse — modernize this MINI while still holding on to being a driver’s car (with one major caveat). There’s more power, more tech, and revised styling. But the lack of a manual gearbox or a way to manually select your own gears takes away some enthusiast appeal, yet is a sign of the times regarding modern cars.

2025 MINI Cooper S Review

My wife and I picked this car up at the airport after arriving home from a trip. We opened the rear hatch, which had already had the rear seats folded down, and our carry-on luggage was easily swallowed up. This is why I love hatchback configurations; they’re so versatile.

I was also looking forward to spending time with an actual car. These days, more than ever, a tiny MINI thumbs its nose at the boring crossovers of the world and the jacked-up 4x4s used only to retrieve one’s offspring from school.

No Manual Shifter, No Manual Shifting Ability

Once I got into the MINI, I noticed it was an automatic. The gear selector is a small tab on the dashboard’s lower left. You press it down to go from park to drive. Then it occurred to me that there wasn’t a way to manually shift this thing: no paddle shifters, no manual mode for a gear selector, nothing.

How can the performance-oriented Cooper S not offer the driver control over gear selection? The new Cooper S is a point-and-shoot affair, something that may turn off enthusiasts.

Spunky Turbocharged Engine

Twist the key-shaped start knob, and the TwinPower engine comes to life with a satisfying growl. Making 201 horsepower and a healthy 221 pound-feet of torque, this front-drive hatchback has lots of zip. MINI claims a 0-60 time of 6.3 seconds and a top speed of 150 mph. There’s plenty of power to move around this 3,014-pound hatchback.

Around town, the MINI Cooper S 2-Door feels like a go-kart. Acceleration feels brisk, with smooth, quick shifts and a satisfying exhaust note. In case you were wondering, the MINI Cooper S 2 Door is rated at 28 mpg city, 32 combined, and 39 highway mpg on premium fuel. 

There’s Literally a Go-Kart Mode

Yes, there’s an actual Go-Kart mode, one of a host of “experiences,” as MINI calls them, that changes the center-mounted gauge cluster’s appearance and driving dynamics. Go-Kart mode increases accelerator pedal sensitivity and adjusts automatic shift points to be held longer, optimizing the engine’s power for performance.

A Hot-Handling Hot Hatchback

The MINI Cooper S has always been known for its handling, and that certainly continues for 2025. The car has fully independent suspension with front and rear stabilizer bars and electronic torque vectoring.

The busy-looking black-and-machined 18-inch alloy wheels are wrapped in grippy 215/40R18 Perelli Cinturato P7 tires. The car rides stiffly, and you feel every crack in the pavement. Road noise is abundant, as is a fair bit of wind noise.

The hatchback handles like the aforementioned go-kart. The steering is fast and tight, albeit it could use more feel. The car is a blast to drive in the corners, as it darts easily and confidently through the twisties. The fun factor is high with this hatchback.

Despite its size, the turning radius is 36.4 feet. By comparison, a Fiat 500e has a 31.5-foot turning radius.

The steering wheel is super-fat and chunky. In fact, the 10 and 2 o’clock positions are comically large and border on too big. The wheel also has stereo controls and cruise control.

Challenging Infotainment

MINIs have always had enjoyable, upbeat interiors, even if they’re not the most ergonomic or easy to use. That’s the case with the new Cooper S. It’s minimal, modern, and sporty, with interesting textures, materials, and lighting.

I love the big round center cluster’s look. It’s certainly different, but fun and easy to see. The screen is brilliant, but some modes are too bright at night and require dimming. Most controls and readouts are handled on this screen.

The HVAC, infotainment, heated seats, steering wheel — and nearly everything else — are controlled on the touchscreen. As I briefly mentioned before, there are several different “experiences” you can choose from, some changing the performance, others, offering a change in aesthetics.

For instance, you can select Eco mode, or a gauge cluster that simply looks like an old-timey dial. These changes are mimicked by the retractable heads-up display — yes, you can disable it.

I found the MINI’s infotainment challenging to use. Initially, the time was way off. The navigation system, even when wirelessly hooked to Android Auto, showed me to be around 25 miles from where I really was. No matter what I did, I couldn’t get either to work.

It was suggested that I create a MINI ID account. This required downloading the app, creating a username and password, and supplying the name, address, phone, email, etc. to pair with the vehicle. Eventually it solved the problem, but the pairing process failed a few times telling me, “An error occurred while logging in. Please try again later.”

Simple, Comfortable Interior

Technology aside, the interior is attractive and comfortable, at least for two people. Anyone with legs probably wouldn’t want to be relegated to the back seat. With the rear seats folded, you’ll get 34.4 cubic feet of cargo-carrying ability; 8.9 cubic feet with the seats folded up. Those seeking more space may want to investigate the Cooper S 4-Door.

The front seats are comfortable and heated, and they offer ample bolstering and support. You’re in a low-slung seating position, which was great after driving so many crossovers. This is an actual small car, a segment nearly dead in North America. I had to retrain my brain to get in and out without needing to step down a quarter of a mile. Refreshing.

There are two USB-C outlets and a 12V socket in front of the armrest. That armrest, however, is static and doesn’t open up for storage. In front of the armrest is a wide spot for stuff like phones, gloves, etc., and then two cup holders, and a wide vertical area with a strap. This area offers wireless phone charging, but it’s so large that you could probably get an iPad or tablet there. I wish there were more cubbies instead.

Outward visibility is good, and it has one of the crispest rearview cameras I’ve seen.

Retro Styling Done Right (Again)

Restyling a car meant to be a retro tribute can be tricky. You don’t want to lose the original style, but you need to keep it fresh. MINI has done this right since its first refresh, and that continues here — it’s unmistakably a MINI Cooper.

From the round headlights (with illuminated halos) to the overall square hatchback shape, the car retains styling cues from the original 1959 BMC Mini. The restyled semi-triangular taillights show part of the Union Jack flag, too — despite the car’s German assembly. The car is available with or without a black roof. Ours also had twin sunroofs.

2025 MINI Cooper S 2-Door Review Wrap-Up: Fun & Funky, Not Perfect

It’s easy to have fun in this car. The lack of a manual transmission or at least a way to manually change gears removes from driving luster, but times change, and perhaps buyers today won’t care. If you overlook this, the Cooper S is a genuine driver’s car.

The MINI Cooper S Hardtop 2-Door starts at $34,600. Our tester included the $1,700 Iconic Trim, and $995 worth of destination, for a total of $37,295. That may seem like a lot for a small car, but this is a performance hot hatch in a tiny, nimble package.

Maybe a John Cooper Works model will give us back our ability to row our own gears, or at least select them.