The 2023 Mini Cooper might be small in terms of size, but this little car packs a big performance punch and seemingly endless personalization touches.
For 2023, look for the Cooper 2-door, 4-door, and Convertible to tantalize car shoppers with even more paint choices, interior trims, various racing stripes, quirky decals, not to mention a wide range of alloy wheels. The Cooper isn’t particularly practical, but for singles or couples, the smallest Mini model still has appeal.
Mini has a habit of offering an array of special edition models, many of which lump together desirable options or high-performance hardware in one package.
A new Resolute Edition of the Mini Cooper will be available for the 2023 model year. It wears Rebel Green paint, frosted bronze exterior trim, yellow-and-cream tweed seat covers, and special Resolute Edition door sill protectors.
The package is also available on the convertible model but swaps the Hardtop’s white roof and mirror caps for a black soft top and black mirror caps.
Engine, Transmission, and Performance
The standard engine is a turbocharged 134-hp 1.5-liter three-cylinder, which provides adequate pep in this small, lightweight, front-drive vehicle. We prefer the S models, which come with a turbocharged 189-hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder.
With the larger engine, the S proved to be a little more than a second faster to 60 mph than with the base 1.5-liter engine, clocking in at 6.2 seconds. We found the automatic transmission shifts well, but the manual transmission is still our favorite as it provides the most driver engagement.
The firm suspension lends itself to enthusiast-oriented driving, which can make the 2023 Mini Cooper exciting, but the ride can be unforgiving on rough roads.
Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG
The base three-cylinder engine in the entry-level 2023 Mini Cooper three-door, five-door, and convertible rings in the same EPA-estimated fuel efficiency for all models. With the three-cylinder engine and a six-speed manual, we managed 38 mpg during our 200-mile highway fuel-economy test route.
The more powerful 2.0-liter engine in the Cooper S is rated slightly lower by the EPA, ranging from 27 mpg to 30 mpg combined depending on the configuration. For more information about the 2023 Mini Cooper’s fuel economy, visit the EPA’s website.
Interior, Comfort, and Cargo
The 2023 Mini Cooper‘s interior is charmingly quirky but at the cost of user-friendliness. Rear-seat passenger space is tight, but front-seat occupants will find little reason to complain. The Convertible model’s power top will fold in 18 seconds to unlock the joy of unlimited headroom.
Too bad its trunk is tiny. Hardtop models offer more practicality inside their hatchback bodies—but still not a lot given the car’s small size. The Hardtop model’s trunk is quite small, offering room for just three carry-on suitcases in our testing. But drop the rear seats, and there’s room for 12 carry-ons.
The five-door Hardtop offers more space for cargo with the rear seats folded, but the Convertible offers less. A leather-wrapped steering wheel and heated front seats come standard on the 2023 Mini Cooper, and a leather interior is optional.
Infotainment and Connectivity
All Mini Cooper models come standard with an 8.8-inch infotainment display and a digital gauge cluster. SiriusXM satellite radio is also standard across the lineup but buyers seeking Apple CarPlay, in-dash navigation, or wireless phone charging will need to pay extra for those features. Android Auto is not available.
Safety and Driver-Assistance Features
The 2023 Mini Cooper comes with standard automated emergency braking and offers adaptive cruise control and park assist as options.
For more information about the 2023 Mini Cooper’s crash-test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites.
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