A super Cooper by Mini — but is it too expensive?
The fifth generation Mini Cooper
I have blurred memories of the Mini 1275e that my parents owned back in the Nineties and the early 2000s.
All I remember is that my mum piled up her students in the back to give them a lift to and from her tuition. To get an image of what that looks like, you might have to picture Mr Bean putting a few passengers in his Mini.
That Mini cost my parents R2 500 back in 1991 and, when they eventually let go of it, they were able to sell the car for R6 000.
If only we could buy cars for R2 500 now. If only we could make a profit on vehicles after piling on years of mileage.
Thirty-five years on, it costs 238 times the price to get into a brand-new Mini Cooper.
For those who are bad at maths, that means the new fifth-generation Mini Cooper starts at R595 000. If you need the five-door variant, it will set you back R617 000 and the Mini Cooper SE, which is electric, is rather reasonably priced at R802 000.
At an entry price of just under R600 000, I was expecting big things from the little Mini.
The exterior
For starters, Mini has never lacked style. This one does not disappoint.
The front has a striking grille that ties into the headlights well. The headlights also have a very cool animation and wink at you when you unlock the vehicle. The daytime running lights run around the oval-shaped headlights and it just looks distinctive in every aspect.
The three-door Cooper sits on 17-inch black alloy wheels that add to the stylish exterior.
The brand has also built itself by making vehicles customisable. For example, I had a bright yellow version on test with black alloy wheels, a white roof and white exterior mirrors. Mini is the one brand that could tie those colours together and make it look fun.
The rear of the vehicle is just as exciting as Mini has brought a completely new design to it. The weirdly shaped triangular tail lights are connected by a black strip with the 'Cooper' lettering across it.
Ultimately, the exterior of the vehicle embodies fun and gives you an idea of what the vehicle is about.
The interior
The interior of the fifth-generation Mini Cooper amplifies the message you are given on the outside.
Once you jump in, you are greeted by a superb leather and cloth interior. Majority leather on the seats means that the driver and passenger are comfortable.
For those wanting to squeeze into the back, the room is very limited — that's why I used the word passenger in the singular above.
It is a three-door, so I did not expect much room for backseat passengers.
The boot space is also very tight. After a short experiment, I realised this is not the vehicle to take on your monthly grocery shopping trip. The boot isn't able to take more than exactly three Checkers packets.
The dashboard gets some lovely cloth which has ambient lighting projected through it. For me, this was aesthetically pleasing but also subtle enough to not be distracting.
Unlike most vehicles with their large rectangular screens, the Mini Cooper has a circular screen that is 240mm in diameter. That screen has all your driving information, so you don't get an instrument cluster.
It is a touch odd to not have an instrument cluster, because there's nothing behind your steering wheel, but Mini has taken a minimalist approach and decided to just push everything into that one screen.
The infotainment system can be changed to different experiences: Core, Go-Kart, Green, Vivid and Timeless. The Timeless experience set the infotainment screen into an elegant and classic format with an analog clock that made me feel like I was back in that Mini 1275e again — but with some technology.
The car just gets more unique as the stop-start button is shaped like a key that needs to be twisted to start the vehicle. The gear shifter is also tiny and placed under the infotainment screen next to the stop-start button.
That timeless experience: The mode that took me back in time in the new Mini Cooper
The drive
I was surprised by the drive. For a small vehicle, on the poor roads we have, it was exceptionally smooth.
Mini has given the Cooper a three-cylinder 1.5 litre turbocharged engine that delivers 115kW of power and 230Nm of torque.
This was more than enough power to get you by. In a vehicle this small, those numbers are impressive.
There was also no turbo lag and the car gave an instant kick whenever you needed the speed.
Because the car is so tiny, and has a good amount of power, it is really fun to drive.
Navigating bendy roads becomes exciting and it's the type of car that makes you want to drive it all the time.
The new tailights really bring the back of the Mini together
Safety
The 2025 Mini Cooper E has earned a five-star safety rating from both the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) and its counterpart the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (Ancap). Euro NCAP tests show it achieved an 89% score for adult occupant protection, 85% for child occupant protection, 77% for pedestrian protection and 79% for its active safety systems.
It also has safety features such as automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and parking sensors. Blind-spot monitors, rear cross-traffic alerts, lane-departure warnings, rear automatic braking and an exit-warning system are optional.
Verdict
Easy to park, fun to drive and with great manoeuvrability, the Mini Cooper is a gem on the road.
The exterior and interior both embody the fun nature of the car and it has a personality that very few manufacturers can match.
And, while it is no longer the Nineties, where you could purchase a car for under R10 000, the hefty price tag of R595 000 is just about the only downside of this little vehicle.
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