2011 Mini Cooper

The 2011 Mini Cooper carries on the brand's small size and distinctive looks, and reviewers are charmed by the peppy performance and agile handling. As its name implies, the Mini Cooper models are small; the backseat is cramped and can only hold two people, and cargo space is minimal on the standard car. Other hatchbacks like the 2011 Honda Fit (Base MSRP: $15,100 to $16,860) are not only cheaper but are also fun-to-drive and have a much more usable interior space. The Mini Cooper Clubman, which starts at $21,100, has a longer wheelbase and a little more interior space. A convertible version is available as well, which is covered in our separate report on convertibles [LINK]. Reliability for the Mini Cooper has been below average.

Minor changes for the 2011 Mini Cooper include slightly more power, modified steering, standard HD radio and a few other small additions. Since it is essentially unchanged from the 2009 Mini Cooper, observations in our report on that model year remain applicable for 2011.

The base Mini Cooper models are equipped with a 1.6-liter, four-cylinder engine and deliver 29 mpg city/37 mpg highway/32 mpg combined with a six-speed manual and 28 mpg city/36 mpg highway/31 mpg combined with the six-speed automatic. The performance oriented Cooper S models produce more power but still provide good efficiency. In mixed driving, the Cooper S model gets 30 mpg with the manual transmission and 29 mpg with the automatic.

The 2011 Mini Cooper gets average crash-test results from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which gives it the highest rating of Good for frontal-offset crash protection but the lower Acceptable rating for side-impact and roof-strength tests. The only safety test completed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on the 2011 car is the rollover-resistance measure, for which the Mini is given the highest rating of 5 stars. All Mini Cooper hatchback variants include antilock brakes, side airbags, side curtain airbags, front airbags and electronic stability control.

The 2011 Mini Cooper hatchback's base MSRP starts at $19,400. The longer Clubman version starts at $21,100. The speedy Mini Cooper S starts at $23,000.