2025 Mini Convertible First Drive: The Open-Air Hot Hatch

• Mini is dropping the top on the new Cooper, Cooper S and Cooper John Cooper Works.
• This is one of the most affordable convertibles on sale today.
• Prices for the base Cooper Convertible start at just under $35,000.

Thrice the fun

MIni is offering the Cooper Convertible in three trim levels: the base Cooper, Cooper S and the range-topping John Cooper Works. Prices start at $34,945 for the base Cooper Convertible, about $4,000 more than a Cooper hardtop. A Cooper S Convertible starts at $38,195, while the range-topping JCW model will set you back a cool $44,695.

All three models are powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four that sends power solely to the front wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Pour one out for the manual, as Mini is no longer offering it on any model. The base Cooper Convertible makes 161 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque. That jumps to 201 hp and 221 lb-ft in the Cooper S and 228 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque.

The Mini Convertible's retractable soft top opens in 18 seconds and can be operated while driving at speeds up to 19 mph. There's a pseudo-sunroof setting for the top that slides it back 16 inches, though that can be done at any speed. Mini's so-called Openometer makes a return for 2025. It's a silly but fun gauge that tracks how many miles the car has been driven with the top down.

Endless headroom

The weather in Georgia during my drive was lovely. Warm but slightly overcast and not too humid. Very good convertible weather, especially for the South. The pollen count was a little elevated, but that's what allergy medications are for. Besides, I'm not about to fly across the country to drive a convertible with the top up. I admit I'm an oddball who hates sunroofs but loves convertibles. All or nothing, I say.

In that spirit, I didn't drive more than a mile with the Mini's top raised, and the car was all the better for it. While I'm still itching to get behind the wheel of the base Cooper (especially now that the cylinder count has increased to four), there were plenty of Cooper S and Cooper JCW Convertibles on hand, all of which were well equipped with options like a Harman Kardon audio system and adaptive cruise control.

The 2025 Cooper is a much better place to spend your time than the past car. It's no more spacious, but the interior is quieter and more premium than before. It feels a little more civilized, though it's also lost some of the jazz that made the Cooper such a fun little compact. With the top down, concerns about an overly quiet exhaust and somewhat toned-down handling fall by the wayside.

The Cooper Convertible is comfortable, even in the sporty JCW trim. The ride is firm but never punishing, and the lack of a roof means you can actually hear the turbocharged engine's natural sounds (rather than fake noises coming from the car's speakers). While I'm still frustrated by the lack of shift paddles for the Cooper S, at least you can choose your own gear in the Cooper JCW, each shift accompanied by a small pop or crack from the exhaust.

The convertible top's biggest drawbacks compared to the hardtop are the reduction of cargo space and reduced rear visibility. Cargo space drops to just 5.2 cubic feet, and while that's larger than the trunk on a Mazda MX-5 Miata, the Mini's small cargo opening means it's less usable than the Miata's. And good luck seeing behind you with the top down. Rather than stowing away like with other modern convertibles, the top sort of bunches up in the rear, blocking your view out back.

A class of one

The Cooper Convertible doesn't have any direct rivals. Compact rivals like the Volkswagen GTI, Honda Civic Type R and Hyundai Elantra N don't offer convertible variants, while cars like the Mazda MX-5 Miata and Ford Mustang convertible are different sorts of cars aimed at slightly different crowds.

The Miata is the most affordable new convertible on sale today, with base prices starting just under $31,000. While it doesn't offer a back seat like the Mini, the Cooper's rear passenger space is limited and better used for storage to offset the small cargo area. Frankly, the Mazda is more fun to drive too.

But the Miata is starting to feel its age, with the current model nearing a decade on the market. Compared to the Mini, the Miata is loud — even with the top up — the seats aren't as comfortable and the ride is not as compliant. Having spent a lot of time behind the wheel of the current Miata, I can guarantee the audio system isn't nearly as good either.

That's where the new Cooper Convertible excels. No, it's not as much fun to drive as before, but it's a nicer, much more modern car to live with every day. If you're looking for something with a little more personality than the average compact car, you could do a lot worse than a Mini Cooper Convertible.