2014 MINI Cooper Subcompact Hatchback Review

2014 MINI Cooper ・ Photo by Benjamin Hunting

The redesigned 2014 MINI Cooper manages to both grow and down-size at the same time.  Evidence of the former can be found in its footprint, which although still modest has been stretched in almost every dimension compared to the model that preceded it.  Under the MINI Cooper’s hood, meanwhile, there has been some shrinkage: gone is last year’s naturally-aspirated four-cylinder motor and in its place the company’s first turbocharged three-cylinder unit.

The pursuit of increased thrift at the fuel pump has created more than a few compromising situations in the subcompact segment, but the 2014 MINI Cooper hatchback manages to preserve the fun-to-drive character that has made it a success amongst status-seeking entry-level buyers.  You’ll pay a price, however, to slip behind the wheel of the Cooper, one that stands taller than rivals offering similar efficiency and much better practicality.

Models and Prices

The 2014 MINI Cooper hardtop (the convertible is a carry-over from 2014) starts at an MSRP of $20,700 and provides a list of standard equipment that includes cruise control, imitation leather seats, Bluetooth connectivity, a CD player, HD radio, a USB input, 15-inch rims, and power windows and door locks.  There’s only a single trim level for the Cooper hardtop, unless you consider the Cooper S, which offers the same features plus a more powerful engine (along with sportier seats and one-inch-larger wheels and tires).

There are a number of options and packages available with the MINI Cooper, but my test vehicle didn’t stray too far from the standard playbook: it included a dual-pane sunroof, heated seats, 16-inch rims, automatic climate control, an adjustable suspension system, Blazing Red paint, white hood stripes, and fog lights.  All told, the example I drove for a week cost $24,300.

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Design

• The 2014 MINI Cooper has been given several styling tweaks for the current model year.
• The MINI Cooper is larger inside and out compared to 2013.

The two-door MINI Cooper hatchback has been on the market in the United States since 2002, and in that time its overall length has been stretched 7.2 inches.  The 2014 Cooper is responsible for the lion’s share of that growth spurt, checking in at 4.5-inches longer than it was last year, but while this new measurement works with a wider track front and rear to give the hardtop more visual heft, the MINI is still very much a small car.  In fact, it’s diminutive enough to notice just how little room it takes up when slotted into a parking space at the mall, or just how tiny it appears when sitting beside an SUV at a stoplight.  For the most part, exterior styling remains true to MINI’s established retro cues, with perhaps more attention paid by its designers to blowing up its badges and increasing the size of its headlights and front grille than altering the car’s basic profile.

The biggest changes to have been made to the 2014 MINI Cooper’s interior have to do with the repositioning of its switchgear and gauge readouts, and I’ll discuss that in more detail later on.  MINI has also made a push to upgrade the plastics used throughout the interior, which is a good thing because there’s just so much of it – almost everywhere you touch, it would seem, one encounters the same monochromatic black material.  What it lacks in color the Cooper’s cabin makes up for in geometry, as the car makes heavy use of circles and ovals on the doors (speaker surround, door handles), dashboard (center stack, climate vents), center console (shifter surround), steering wheel, and gauge cluster to break up the monotony.

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Comfort and Cargo

• The 2014 MINI Cooper extends its wheelbase to afford rear passengers more room.
• Those riding up front also benefit from increased head space.
• The trunk is now larger.

The 2014 MINI Cooper is most definitely not intended to haul around more than two people at a time.  Even with a 1.1-inch increase in wheelbase (which affords three extra inches in shoulder room and one inch extra leg room out back), there’s honestly no real way to include a fourth passenger unless the driver crams themselves right up against the steering wheel.  A third party could theoretically squeeze into the back of the Cooper for as long as both they and the front right occupant could tolerate whatever posture-Tetris would be required to accommodate their respective bodies, but it’s more instructive to think of the MINI as a two-person ride and plan accordingly.  Although relatively spacious up front, I felt a bit pinched by the Cooper’s seats – both in terms of the aggressive bolstering on either side, and in the form of lower back pain that resulted from longer trips behind the wheel of the car.

A more impressive achievement for the 2014 MINI Cooper has been the expansion of its trunk to 8.7 cubic feet – a tiny number, to be sure, but one that is 50 percent larger than it was in 2013 and that can handle a single load of groceries with no issues.  Folding down the rear seat introduces 38 cubic feet of total storage space, which was enough for me to haul an 18-inch rim down to my local repair shop to have a tire plugged.

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Features and Controls

• The 2014 MINI Cooper has moved its center-dash speedometer to a more traditional spot in front of the driver.
• Window switches are now on the doors, along with the car’s door lock buttons.

The 2014 MINI Cooper makes a break with previous model in a big way by removing the larger, circular speedometer from the center of the car’s dashboard and replacing it with a larger, circular hunk of plastic that on my test vehicle framed a single-color LCD display linked to the hardtop’s entertainment and communications settings.  You can also configure the MINI’s drive modes via this feature.

Personally, I am glad that the MINI Cooper now offers a speedometer and tachometer in an easy-to-read location directly in front of the driver, housed in a small gauge pod.  The execution of the move isn’t perfect from an aesthetic standpoint, however, as the lightbars that serve as the MINI’s fuel gauge look cheaply stuck onto the side of the pod, and the dash-mounted center ring doesn’t hold much appeal sitting in a sea of plastic.  Maybe it looks better when either one of the cars two available full-color LCD screens are installed – on my more basic tester the single-line display had a less-than-premium appearance.

Keyless entry and ignition are standard with the 2014 MINI Cooper, and there’s a fun red toggle switch mounted underneath the hardtop's climate controls that turns the car on and off.  It’s sandwiched between another toggle the left that disables the automatic engine start/stop system and the traction control toggle on the other side.

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Safety and Ratings

• The 2014 MINI Cooper gains standard brake-drying, brake fade compensation, and dual-stage electronic traction control and stability control features.
• Knee airbags are also new.

The 2014 MINI Cooper hardtop comes equipped with dual forward airbags, side impact airbags up front, a pair of knee airbags for the driver and right-seat passenger, and side curtain airbags.  Electronic stability control and traction control are also included, and the system now offers two different modes of operation in addition to allowing drivers to completely disable it.  If you are looking for active safety equipment you can find it on the option list in the form of a forward collision warning system that can detect both other vehicles as well as pedestrians.  There’s no blind spot monitoring feature or lane departure warning system available with the MINI Cooper.

 The MINI Cooper has yet to be fully tested by either the IIHS or the NHTSA for crash safety.

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Engines and Fuel Economy

• The 2014 MINI Cooper swaps in a new three-cylinder turbocharged base engine for last year’s standard 1.6-liter four-cylinder.
• Adjustable drive modes are now offered on all Cooper hardtop models.

The 2014 MINI Cooper takes a step backward in order to move forward, dropping a single cylinder from its entry-level engine to bring the total count to three.  This 1.5-liter mill makes use of a turbocharger to deliver 134 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque (170 lb-ft with the car’s overboost function engaged).  A six-speed manual transmission that offers automatic rev-matching on downshifts is included free of charge with the Cooper hardtop, and a six-speed automatic can be ordered as an option.  Fuel economy figures for the MINI Cooper are listed at 30-mpg city and 42-mpg highway, which is an impressive rating, but I was only able to achieve 25-mpg in mixed driving - most likely because I disabled the automatic engine start/stop system every time I drove.

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Driving Impressions

One of the advantages of the 2014 MINI Cooper’s small size is its matching lightweight chassis, which feels properly paired with the three-cylinder engine under the hood of the hatchback.  The Cooper’s turbocharged motor is head and shoulders better than the similarly-sized three-banger EcoBoost unit offered by the subcompact Ford Fiesta SFE, a direct competitor to the hardtop, as MINI has been able to dial out any coarseness or hesitation in daily driving.  Sure, there’s more power offered above 4,500 rpm compared to the lower reaches of the range, but the difference is more of a natural progression rather than a chasm.  It’s impressive just how usable the three-cylinder’s horses are in a variety of driving situations.  Word to the wise: disable the auto start/stop system as soon as you get in the car, because there’s nothing smooth or pleasant about a three-cylinder engine turning itself on and off 20 times during your morning commute.

Another advantage that the three-cylinder MINI has over its Ford foe is a six-speed manual transmission which hasn’t seen its ratios neutered in order to maximize fuel economy.  The Cooper achieves its real-world efficiencies by way of enhanced aerodynamics tagging along with the smaller motor, which left MINI free to pursue performance when creating its gearbox.  The transmission shifts naturally and with impressively short shifts for a non-sports car, and the automated rev-matching system works seamlessly when Sport mode is engaged.

In addition to tightening the Cooper’s handling, stiffening its steering effort, and adding extra sensitivity to the throttle, the Sport setting also encourages drivers by way of a ‘Let’s Motor Hard’ message on the center LCD display (Mid and Green modes also get their own unique catchphrases).  The MINI’s suspension system and wheels-at-each-corner design works well to keep the car stable in the corners, and it’s as fun to drive as other subcompact luminaries like the Fiesta or the Mazda2.  There’s a bit of road noise transmitted into the cabin as a result of the flex that has been dialed out of its chassis, but I never found it to rise above an acceptable level.  Although the Cooper hardtop’s lively tuning rewards city and back road driving, highway travel is somewhat less confident.  The power is certainly there for passing and cruising, but the vehicle exhibits a darty character that’s absent from slower-speed motoring.

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Final Thoughts

Examined in a vacuum, the 2014 MINI Cooper is an impressive subcompact hatchback whose three-cylinder turbo engine isn’t just inexpensive to operate but which also offers a genuinely-pleasant character that adds to the car’s well-planted handling and compliant ride.  It’s a stylish entry into the entry-level game, and there’s no denying that its throwback looks are a significant part of its appeal.

In fact, the MINI Cooper’s design makes an emotional appeal to potential buyers that often overrides the very real deficiencies in the car’s overall package.  Simply put, there are more accommodating subcompacts out there with larger passenger compartments and cargo holds that offer very similar power and fuel mileage.  Then there’s the price: with a starting sticker of $20,700, the Cooper finds itself suddenly facing off against cars that undercut it by as much as $5k while also doing battle with larger, sportier, and more practical options.

There’s no doubt that the 2014 MINI Cooper will continue to capture the imaginations of shoppers seeking a very small car with great big curb appeal.  MINI has almost single-handedly carved out the premium subcompact niche, and the redesigned hardtop is a fitting heir to this legacy.  Moving past its styling and prestige, however, it’s well worth investigating the plethora of both cheaper and similarly-priced entry-level options that hover in the Cooper’s orbit.

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Excellent three-cylinder turbocharged engine.
• Good fuel efficiency.
• Stylish looks.
• Very small = very easy to operate in a city environment.
• Chassis makes the Cooper fun to drive.

Cons:

• Pricing is out of step with other, more capable subcompact cars.
• Cabin is small, rear sear is unusable.
• Plastic interior trim can feel a bit low-rent.
• Despite hefty starting price, options sheet is long and standard features are modest.

 BMW Group Canada supplied the vehicle for this review

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Photo by Benjamin Hunting