2025 MINI Cooper S Convertible Iconic Trim Assessment & Check Drive : Automotive Addicts

Marking its fourth era, the MINI Cooper as soon as once more embraces its small-car heritage, solely this time it trades the sheet steel over your head for a power-folding mushy prime that lets the sky in. The 2025 MINI Cooper S Iconic Convertible retains practically all of the cheeky character and tech you get within the newest hardtop, however provides a British Flag–adorned roof, a bit extra open-air drama, and only a contact of old-school convertible uniqueness. It’s nonetheless very a lot a MINI, solely now with the choice to really feel the solar and wind working simply as laborious because the turbocharged four-cylinder beneath the bubbly hood.

Efficiency and Driving Character

The MINI model has at all times been about extracting large enjoyable out of a small bundle, and that theme continues with the Cooper S Iconic Convertible. Energy nonetheless comes from a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine good for 201 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque, routed via a 7-speed dual-clutch automated transmission to the entrance wheels. There isn’t any guide on the menu for 2025, however the dual-clutch gearbox is fast to reply and glad to snap off shifts if you lean into the throttle.

Just like the coupe, the Cooper S Convertible feels stronger than its numbers state on paper, pulling eagerly from low rpm and gaining velocity with a satisfying urgency. Choose the playful Go-Kart drive mode, and the automobile sharpens its responses and livens up its angle, encouraging you to carve via visitors or simply drive like an fool as they do within the Italian Job film. The convertible is a tick slower than the hardtop off the road, with 0 to 60 mph touchdown about 6 seconds flat, however in the actual world, it nonetheless feels lots zippy for one thing this small.

Using on 18-inch wheels wrapped in low-profile 215/40R-18 rubber in Iconic trim (19-inch non-obligatory proven in photographs), grip is plentiful, and the Cooper S stays assured if you begin to push it. Steering stays mild simply off middle and fast sufficient to offer the automobile that tossable, darty really feel that has lengthy outlined MINI. There’s nonetheless a contact of torque steer for those who flooring it out of a facet road or slight flip, because the entrance tires will seek for traction. Such is a part of the MINI attraction, and purest will adore it.

The place issues change in comparison with the coupe is within the construction. With the roof chopped off and the mandatory bracing baked in, the Cooper S Convertible suggestions the scales at round 3,150 kilos, a noticeable bump over the hardtop. You are feeling that additional weight in the way in which the automobile reacts to fast transitions and in the way it rides over rougher sections of pavement. There’s additionally a little bit of cowl shake if you cross sharper growth joints or patched sections of street, a delicate shudder via the windshield body that reminds you that you’re in a soft-top. It by no means feels sloppy, however the hardtop is the extra buttoned-down possibility if absolute chassis tightness is your precedence.

That mentioned, the fundamental journey high quality continues to be fairly good for one thing this small and this quick in wheelbase. It might probably get busy over repetitive undulations, and the rear finish sometimes provides a fast rebound over bigger rises, however the trade-off is a automobile that also dives eagerly into bends and feels nimble darting via metropolis visitors. With the highest down on a heat night, the entire expertise leans extra towards pure enjoyable than scientific precision anyway, and in that atmosphere the convertible completely delivers.

Gasoline Economic system

With a bit extra weight to haul round and the additional aerodynamic penalty that comes with a material roof, the Cooper S Convertible doesn’t fairly match the hardtop on gasoline economic system. The 2025 MINI Cooper S Convertible is rated at 26 mpg metropolis, 36 mpg freeway, and 30 mpg mixed, which lands you a few mpg behind the Cooper S coupe’s EPA figures.

At occasions, you’ll be able to nonetheless see mid-30s on the freeway cruising at affordable speeds with the highest up, and also you would possibly nudge nearer to the official 36-mpg freeway ranking in case you are light with the throttle. Drop the highest, hold it in Go-Kart mode, and benefit from the turbocharged engine’s torque, and you’ll watch these numbers dip. The acquainted 11.6-gallon gasoline tank stays, so vary is barely shorter than within the coupe, however nonetheless completely acceptable for a small city-friendly runabout.

Inside and Expertise

Inside, the convertible carries over virtually all the pieces that makes the brand new Cooper S cabin such a dialog piece. The standard gauge cluster in entrance of the motive force is gone, changed by a head-up show, and the star of the present is the massive 9.4-inch round OLED touchscreen within the middle that handles infotainment and a stunning quantity of car info.

The interface nonetheless appears like a MINI-ified remix of BMW’s iDrive, with vibrant graphics, intelligent animations, and a playful strategy to menus. It’s enjoyable to have a look at and really customizable, however the studying curve stays steep. Easy duties akin to diving into radio presets or looking down some generally used options require just a few too many faucets and swipes. Thankfully, wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration assist bypass a few of that complexity if you simply need to stream music or run your favourite navigation app. Nonetheless, not logging into the MINI setup leaves you with a visitor profile that resets a few of your preliminary settings upon every car startup, which is extraordinarily annoying. You possibly can’t even auto-fold the mirrors with out logging into the system and organising such a characteristic.

Entrance seat area stays a robust level contemplating the smallish dimension of the MINI Cooper S. The entrance heated sport seats in Iconic trim are supportive and surprisingly accommodating for taller drivers and passengers, with sufficient adjustment to discover a relaxed driving place. The rear seats, as earlier than, are greatest reserved for teenagers or very tolerant adults for brief journeys, or simply an additional area for storage, as it’s essential to cope with a tiny trunk. That’s merely the truth of the MINI’s footprint.

The place the convertible diverges extra dramatically from the coupe is in cargo and noise. Trunk area shrinks to about 5.2 cubic toes, which is notably lower than the 8.9 cubic toes you get within the hardtop. You possibly can nonetheless squeeze in a few small duffel luggage or a thoughtfully packed grocery run, however street journeys would require a little bit of planning and doubtless some intelligent use of the folding rear seatbacks. Essentially, you’re usually reminded that MINI actually means MINI right here.

Noise can be turned up a notch. Even with the material prime in place, there is a little more street and tire sound creeping into the cabin and extra wind noise rustling round at freeway speeds than within the coupe. It isn’t harsh, however in case you are delicate to noise on lengthy drives, you’ll discover the distinction. On the flip facet, put the highest into its first “ragtop” fashion place, the place simply the ahead part over the entrance seats slides again like a large energy sunroof, and also you get a pleasant breeze with out committing to a full top-down expertise. Press and maintain the swap once more, and the entire mushy prime folds away neatly for full open-air motoring.

The mushy prime itself is a spotlight. The Union Jack sample embroidered into the material provides the automobile an additional little bit of British aptitude that you may admire from throughout the parking zone. It’s a kind of particulars you do not want however completely admire each time you stroll as much as the automobile. Add within the regular MINI touches like bodily flip switches for drive modes and ignition, customizable ambient lighting, and people pixelated hind lights, and the Cooper S Iconic Convertible delivers the identical dose of cuteness and character because the hardtop, simply with a greater view of the sky.

Security

On the protection entrance, the Cooper S Iconic Convertible carries a lot of the identical tech you discover within the hardtop. You get a complete driver-assistance suite that features ahead collision warning with automated emergency braking, lane departure warning and lane-keeping help, blind spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. Most fashions will also be geared up with adaptive cruise management and an energetic driving assistant system that calmly steers and maintains distance in visitors, which is a pleasant comfort on longer freeway stints, as discovered on my take a look at car.

A 360-degree digicam system with a number of viewing angles, geared up on my take a look at car, is welcome in a small convertible, the place the rearward view with the highest up generally is a bit difficult.

Value

One of many interesting points of the brand new MINI Cooper S lineup is that you may nonetheless get into the MINI-fun with out utterly breaking the financial institution, however the convertible does carry a slight premium over the hardtop. The 2025 MINI Cooper S Convertible begins at $37,200 earlier than any charges or choices, and my properly geared up Iconic-trimmed take a look at car exams out at $42,895, which features a $995 vacation spot cost.

Malcolm Hogan is the founder and editor of Automotive Addicts, a trusted voice within the automotive media world for over 20 years. With 20+ years of hands-on expertise overlaying the trade, Malcolm has constructed a fame for delivering trustworthy opinions, sharp insights, and in-depth protection of all the pieces from new automobile debuts to high-performance take a look at drives. Passionate in regards to the evolving automobile tradition and staying forward of the curve, Malcolm continues to guide Automotive Addicts as a go-to vacation spot for fanatics and trade insiders alike.