Starts at $25,800
2024 Cooper Selector
FAST FACTS
MotorDonkey's proprietary vehicle data identifies every significant version of each model so that you can compare and decide. Ordered by price from low to high, here are the versions of the 2024 Mini Cooper that you need to be aware of, along with our expert analysis and recommendations.
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Every Mini Cooper is a delight to drive — even the base three-cylinder model, and especially if you stick with the standard manual transmission. The automatic actually gets slightly better fuel economy, but it costs more, and the manual is truer to the spirit of this tiny sporty thing.
The Cooper Hardtop 4-Door could be handy for parents who need to access child safety seats in the rear compartment, but otherwise we don't really see the point — the backseat in this thing is still tiny. Anyway, the base three-cylinder model with the manual transmission is quite fun to drive, but we'd save up for a Cooper S ourselves.
Although we're partial to the standard manual transmission, the optional automatic is a clever dual-clutch automated manual that's fully in keeping with the Cooper's sporting character. As a bonus, it gets incrementally better fuel economy, too.
The automatic three-cylinder Hardtop 4-Door is an economical configuration thanks to its low base price and impressive fuel economy, but its acceleration is a bit lackluster for a Mini.
The Cooper S with the manual is probably the most fun per dollar in the Mini lineup, but it's worth noting that the manual gets significantly worse fuel economy than the automatic. We'd be OK with it, but 23 mpg in the city is pretty bad for a tiny lightweight like this.
The Cooper S Hardtop 4-Door with the manual is our pick of the 4-Door litter. We prefer the feel and styling of the 2-Door, but if you want to have the 4-Door's greater cargo space and slightly improved passenger space, the Cooper S manual is the perfect spec.
We're generally partial to manual transmissions in sporty little cars like the Cooper, but the Cooper S gives us pause. Why? Because not only is the automatic a responsive dual-clutch automated manual, but it also beats the manual Cooper S by a whopping 4 mpg in the EPA's mixed-driving estimate.
The Cooper S Hardtop 4-Door with the automatic has one of the more impressive combinations of fuel economy and acceleration you'll find. We'd rather have the manual, but if you prefer automatics, this spec is quite compelling.
Available only with two doors, the Mini Cooper JCW Hardtop is a blast to drive, no doubt. Is it worth $6,300 more than the Cooper S, though, which uses a lesser version of the same 2.0-liter turbo four? There's no wrong answer here, but the Cooper S is the sweet spot for us in this lineup.
Notably, the three-cylinder Cooper Convertible costs the same whether you get the automatic transmission or the manual. The latter was a late addition to the lineup for 2024, so we're guessing Mini didn't want to increase the price of the automatic car to make room for the manual below it.
Well, there aren't many three-cylinder manual convertibles on the road, so you're guaranteed some exclusivity if you opt for the base-model Cooper Convertible. With a 0-60 time of more than 8 seconds, however, this particular Cooper lacks the verve we've come to expect from the brand.
Like the Cooper S, the Cooper JCW gets significantly better fuel economy with the automatic transmission than with the manual. That wouldn't be enough to convert us, but the JCW is a cool car no matter how its gears get shifted. Worth noting: The JCW's automatic transmission is a conventional eight-speed unit, as opposed to the seven-speed dual-clutch automated manual found in the Cooper S.
Fuel economy improves noticeably if you get the automatic in the Cooper S Convertible rather than the manual.
The Cooper S Convertible feels faster than the numbers suggest, but still, 0-60 in 7.6 seconds is decidedly un-Mini-like, at least if we're talking about the Cooper S specification. As with the regular Cooper Convertible, the manual transmission is a no-cost option in case you'd rather skip the automatic.
The JCW Convertible is one for the Mini faithful — except a manual transmission isn't offered, so you need to be a Mini fan who's OK with an automatic. Starting at a jaw-dropping $45k, the drop-top JCW does improve significantly on the acceleration of the Cooper S Convertible, but that price is too high.
What are the different versions of the 2024 Cooper, and how much do they cost? Select a version below or just hit the button to see our full 2024 Cooper specs and model data.
Publisher and Donkey-in-Chief
Josh has been reviewing cars professionally since joining Edmunds.com fresh out of grad school in 2008. Prior to founding MotorDonkey, he spent 15 years shaping Edmunds' expert automotive content in various capacities, starting as an associate editor and ultimately serving as a senior editor before wrapping up with a five-year term as the company's first-ever director of content strategy. Josh is a card-carrying member of the Motor Press Guild and a lifelong car nut who has driven, compared and critiqued thousands of cars in his career. Helping people find their perfect car never gets old—seriously!
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