Don't Spend $30,125 For A 2025 Mini Cooper, Do This Instead...

The British Motor Corporation found instant success in 1959 when the automotive conglomerate unleashed the Mini, which at its introduction wore both Austin and Morris badges. By 1969, Mini was its own brand and had already achieved icon status.

Decades later (and after dozens of unique versions had been produced), Mini was reborn under BMW ownership in 2001 with the same general intent as the original: to provide room for four occupants in a small package that’s fun to drive and easy to own.

Fast forward to 2025 and the latest version of the Mini hardtop. The basic and least-expensive car from Mini is called Cooper (a name that first appeared in the early 1960s on Mini models that had been upgraded by racer John Cooper), and, while it’s still on the small side when compared to modern automobiles, it dwarfs the original. Adjusted for inflation, the 1959 Cooper’s $1,340 sticker price would equal around $15,000 in today’s currency (not that such things are directly comparable). The thing is, the 2025 Mini Cooper starts at a smidge more than double that amount in the United States, or around $35,000 in Canada.

Okay, so it may not be the screaming deal it once was. It’s still a fun car to drive with 161 horsepower and its traditional front-wheel drive layout, is comparatively easy on gas and simple to drive, and park in crowded areas. There are plenty of reasons to buy a 2025 Mini Cooper, but value isn’t its strongest argument.

That may have you wondering what else you can buy with $30,000 if you dive into the vast world of the used car market. As we always do when we consider these exercises, we’ve limited our picks to cars sold within the last few years and with no more than the average of 12,000 miles per year on their odometers.

BMW 2 Series Coupe

BMW owns the Mini brand and the plant in Oxford, England, where the Cooper is produced. So if you’d consider a Mini, why wouldn’t you also consider a BMW? The model we’ve chosen is the 2 Series Coupe. The 230i is the closest thing that BMW currently offers in North America that could realistically be compared to the Cooper, and it’s a blast to drive.

The 2023 and 2024 editions are powered by a 255-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine that sends power to the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission.

We’ll admit the BMW 230i isn’t as colorful or playful inside as the Mini, but both use similar software and technologies underneath the surface. While we’d say a manual transmission might make it more fun, the Cooper doesn’t offer one either.

Toyota GR86 (or Subaru BRZ)

Mini likes to tout the handling of its Cooper by comparing it to a go-kart. While that description applies to the original and even to the reborn version of the early 2000s, we’re not so sure many drivers are going to sit inside the current 2025 version and feel like the car is shink-wrapped around them to the point that they can precisely place each wheel as they drive down the road. It’s fun, but it’s no go-kart. The Toyota GR86 and Subaru BRZ twins may better fit the go-kart description. If nothing else, they are true front-engine, rear-wheel-drive sports cars.

While the Mini may have a slight edge over the GR86 and BRZ when it comes to rear-seat and cargo-carrying usage, none of them is really meant to haul more than two passengers and their stuff for any length of time. The Toyobaru siblings are certainly faster than the Mini Cooper in a straight line, on a curvy road, or on a race track. And did we mention the GR86 and BRZ offer the choice of a six-speed manual transmission?

Mazda MX-5 Miata RF

Yes, we did publish an article just like this one, subjecting Mazda’s quintessential sports car to the what-else-could-you-buy treatment. As is the case with the Mini Cooper, it’s not that we don’t like the Miata. In fact we love it. It’s just that new cars are expensive, and used cars offer a potentially intriguing list of vehicles to compare and contrast. So yeah, definitely look at a used MX-5 Miata if you’re looking for a fun car that excels at the daily commute while still offering lots of smiles from behind the wheel.

If you’re considering a Cooper in its base two-door hardtop trim, you may want the additional weather protection and sound deadening of the Miata RF. There are hundreds of late-model RFs for sale with the desirable retractable hardtop for less than the cost of a base Mini Cooper. Both automatic and manual models are easy to find. In this case, and if you don’t need a back seat, the Miata may indeed be the answer.

Mercedes-AMG CLA 45

With 161 horsepower, the Mini Cooper isn’t going to win many races from stoplight to stoplight (not that we condone street racing, of course) or at the race track. We wouldn’t recommend a Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 to just anyone who might be considering a 2025 Mini Cooper, but for a small subset of shoppers, a somewhat luxurious German sedan (Mercedes calls it a coupe, but we don’t have to) with 375 ponies under the hood may be too enticing to pass up.

We also considered the Volkswagen GTI and Golf R, Honda Civic Type R, Toyota GR Corolla, and even classic vintage Mini models for our wildcard round. Any of them might be fun options for some buyers. There are lots of used cars for sale in North America to choose from, and plenty appeal to the devilish little racers that live inside so many of us.

Why Not Just Buy a Mini Cooper?

We don’t mean to say the 2025 Mini Cooper isn’t an interesting car. Its style-forward positioning as a premium product in the small-car marketplace has earned it a significant number of fans. Still, it’s not a sports car and it’s not particularly luxurious. And it’s pretty pricey, particularly for its size and performance level. That means it’s not the right car for everyone, or even for most people.

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