Engaging the engine
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Everyone knows the Mini, and the nameplate has been around for so long that even its BMW rebirth of the 21st century is nearing its quarter-century. A fourth generation model arrived in 2024 but the third-gen car is a popular choice on the used market, produced between 2013 and 2023 as everything from a fully electric car to a high-performance hot hatchback.
All modern Minis offer a high-quality feel, a fun driving experience, and an extensive range of features, colours, and options. This choice can make hunting for the perfect used Mini Hatch a bewildering process, but if you can find the right car, you’re sure to find a lot to like. There’s even a five-door model if you need more practicality, though in our guide below, we’re focusing primarily on the more familiar three-door.
The popularity of the Mini Hatchback isn’t too surprising. Its retro styling still stands out after all these years, and if you’re happy with the throwback image, then you’ll also find a car that’s well-built, well-equipped, and a lot of fun to drive. We could recommend a car or two that might do several jobs better than a Mini, but if you have your heart set on the British supermini, you may not be interested in anything else.
The Mini’s strongest point, styling aside, is probably its fun factor. The classic Mini was always a riot to drive and Mini’s modern engineers have done a good job of transferring some of that character across to a much larger, safer, faster machine - it’s nimble around town and on B-roads, but perfectly happy cruising on the motorway too, firm ride quality aside.
The compact size makes it easy to park though it does hamper practicality - rear-seat space isn’t great and the boot isn’t huge either, even by the standards of the class. Build quality is better than most though, as is front-seat comfort, and the funky interior is still eye-catching.
Cooper S and John Cooper Works models are pretty quick but don’t make you pay a penalty at the pumps, with 40mpg economy from both, while the three-cylinder Cooper is claimed to do more than 50mpg. Most get close in the real-world too, which is more than can be said for the appealing but short-range Mini Electric, which should do 144 miles but more often than not gets closer to 100. At least buying a used one offsets the original high price.
Alternatives to the electric version include cars like the similarly short-range Honda E and Mazda MX-30, while more sensible but less stylish options include the Peugeot e-208 and Renault Zoe. Pretty much every other supermini is a rival for the regular Mini range - we’d suggest a Fiesta for Cooper buyers, and the Hyundai i20N as a JCW hot hatch alternative.
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There’s quite a lot of choice here, and that’s just in the regular three-door Mini Hatchback range - you can of course buy convertible Minis, five-door Minis, the Clubman family wagon, the Countryman SUV, and if you look further back in time, even more variants on top of those. Hatch choice mainly comes down to performance though, with the regular Cooper being peppy, the Cooper S pretty quick, and the John Cooper Works a proper hot hatchback. Manual models are more fun than automatics, but both gearboxes work well in the Mini.
The other alternative is the Mini Electric, which is just as fun to drive as other Minis despite its extra weight, and could cost you a lot less to run. Used prices are way below what the car cost new, which is useful, but it’s not the most practical electric vehicle, with a real-world range around the 100-mile mark in mixed driving.
Mini has always done things a little differently with its trim levels, right from the moment the first BMW-built Mini arrived in 2001. That car was defined by option packages regardless of whether you opted for a Mini One, Cooper, or Cooper S, and the outgoing Mini was the same, with Cooper, Cooper S, JCW and Electric versions, but most of those including a complex option package structure to differentiate them further. There are too many differences to list, but broadly speaking, the more expensive the Mini, the better equipped it should be.
The Mini Hatchback’s dimensions are:
The Mini Hatchback’s boot size is:
The cheapie of the range is the Mini Electric, which by virtue of its battery power and zero-emissions rating, doesn’t cost a penny in VED under the current system. Petrol models will cost a bit more, but the £180 yearly bill (at the time of writing) makes them no more or less expensive than rival vehicles.
Mini insurance starts off relatively (though by no means class-leadingly) low, with a 1.5-litre Cooper sitting in group 20. This doesn’t rise too much even to the John Cooper Works, which is group 28, while the Mini Electric, unlike many EVs, isn’t a great deal more expensive to insure than its petrol equivalents, with a group 22 rating.
£18,595
£21,935
£28,450
£18,991
£18,895
£17,950
£22,586
£20,895
£22,450
£18,295
What is the most popular colour for MINI Hatchback ?
What is the most popular gearbox for MINI Hatchback ?
What is the most popular fuel type for MINI Hatchback ?
What is the most popular engine for MINI Hatchback ?
What is the average mileage for MINI Hatchback ?
23475
How many MINI Hatchback cars are available for sale?
609
