2016 Mini Cooper Hardtop | Why Buy?

– Detroit, Michigan

Mini has been winning the hearts and minds of U.S. driving enthusiasts since its rebirth under BMW ownership. Now in its third generation, the brand has moved all of its cars, even the most-basic Cooper Hardtop two-door, to a more mature place.

The car has larger exterior dimensions, but the truly grownup part is how it goes down the road. Where Minis past would whip around corners with almost unnerving quickness of steering, while letting a driver feel every ounce of torque steer and broken road through the wheel, the new version is much more filtered and relaxed. Handling is still sharper than most subcompacts, but the frenetic experience of the original recipe has gone away.

We discuss all of that in our most recent Why Buy? video, along with what we love and what we hate about this turbocharged three-cylinder engine combined with an automatic gearbox.