Mini Cooper Convertible review

Introduction

How’s the weather? If you’re in the UK, it’s probably overcast or raining, but if the sun is out you've struck it lucky – and it's on sunny days that this Mini Cooper Convertible will really come alive.

Its fully fabric roof can be lowered at the press of a button, giving you a comprehensive view of the sky and your surroundings – more so than the likes of the Fiat 500C and Toyota Aygo X, where the fabric portion only covers a portion of the roof.

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What Car? indicative Personal lease example (subject to status)

2.0C Classic Convertible 2dr Petrol Steptronic Euro 6 (s/s) (163 ps)

Expected annual mileage	5000
Term months	48
Deposit months	12
Monthly payment	£423.13
Initial payment	£5,077.56

Step-by-step

Leasing works a bit like a long-term rental. You drive it, but you don’t own it.

• Choose your car, pick your terms and apply for lease credit online
• Pay monthly rental payments for your chosen term length
• Drive it, enjoy it, then give it back at the end

What you get

When you lease with Autotrader you get all of this:

• Full manufacturer’s warranty
• Road tax and roadside assistance included
• No admin fees
• Free returns within 30 days*

In partnership with

£5,078 initial payment, 48 month contract, 5000 miles p/a. Subject to status and conditions.

• Lower total monthly cost than PCP/HP
• No balloon payments
• Road tax included

The Cooper Convertible is based on (you guessed it) the Mini Cooper hatchback, specifically the petrol version. There is no convertible version of the latest Mini Cooper Electric.

Direct rivals are few and far between, so it could be worth broadening your shortlist to include the SUV-gone-convertible VW T-Roc Cabriolet and the sporty, two-seat Mazda MX-5. Is the Cooper Convertible just as good as those cars, if not better? Read on to find out…

What’s new?

- March 2026 - We drive the 228bhp Mini Cooper Convertible John Cooper Works (JCW)

- November 2024 - Mini Oxford plant celebrates start of Mini Convertible production

- October 2024 - Mini announces launch of Mini Cooper Convertible JCW

Overview

The Mini Cooper Convertible offers punchy performance, a fun handling balance and stylish interior, all for reasonable money. You’ll want the VW T-Roc Cabriolet if you prioritise comfort, space and practicality, and on the other end, the even-more-fun MX-5 is worth considering if you can manage with just two seats. Still, the Cooper Convertible does a good job of splitting the difference. It’s easy to recommend, with the entry-level version (the Cooper C Classic) making the most financial sense.

Pros

• Strong engines
• Smart interior
• Low pricing (by drop-top standards)

Cons

• Tight rear space
• Small boot
• Firm ride

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Performance & drive

What it's like to drive, and how quiet it is

How fast is it and which engine is best?

Every Cooper Convertible comes with a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, skipping the 1.5-litre engine you’ll find in the entry-level Mini Cooper.

We think that the entry-level 161bhp engine is all most people will need. The power delivery is smooth and strong – even from low revs – and it’s easily quicker than any VW T-Roc Cabriolet.

Still, if you fancy even more oomph, there’s the 201bhp Cooper S and 228bhp John Cooper Works (JCW). They’re seriously punchy.

Every version comes with an automatic gearbox that flicks through gears quickly and smoothly enough. Unlike previous Mini Convertibles, there’s no option to have a manual gearbox (even with the JCW), unfortunately.

Is it agile and is the ride comfortable?

Let’s start with the ride. It’s firmly on, well, the firm side of things. The upside is that it feels well controlled over undulations. The downside is that you’ll often feel a thud as you go over bumps and potholes.

It’s not uncomfortable per se – it’s just that the Fiat 500C and VW T-Roc Cabriolet are more forgiving over imperfections and generally more comfortable.

At least the Cooper Convertible is more fun to drive than those cars, and the firmness of the suspension does help reduce body lean – there’s very little lean during fast cornering. The Cooper Convertible feels agile and even quite playful at the limit. What’s more, the steering is well-weighted and you always know what the front wheels are up to.

The JCW is the sharpest handling Cooper Convertible of the lot, but to be fair, lesser versions are still really good. The only notable complaint we can hold against the Cooper Convertible’s handling is that the front tyres can run out of grip a little earlier than you might expect.

Now, it’s worth remembering a lack of complaints is not synonymous with saying something is the best in its class. If you’re an enthusiastic driver, and you’re not fussed about your convertible having rear seats, you’d be even better off with a Mazda MX-5. In that car, the steering is even more precise, the balance even more playful and engaging, and you can have a slick manual gearbox.

Is it quiet and how easy is it to drive smoothly?

With the roof down but the windows and wind deflector up, the Cooper Convertible does a surprisingly good job of isolating occupants from wind bluster. There's some road noise with the hood up, but overall it's quieter than in the Fiat 500C or VW T-Roc Convertible.

The Cooper Convertible is easy to drive smoothly, thanks to its well-judged control weights, responsive gearbox and feelsome brake pedal.

"With the roof down, I was happily surprised by the noise that the Cooper Convertible S makes in Sport mode. The JCW’s exhaust doesn’t quite pop and crackle like older ones did, though." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

Interior

The interior layout, fit and finish

What does the interior look like and is it well made?

The Mini Cooper Convertible has the same interior as the regular Cooper. Who’d have thought it? You could argue it looks quite swish and stylish – more so than the VW T-Roc Cabriolet’s interior. There’s some fabric on the dashboard and doors, and you can get different colours depending on whether you choose the Classic, Exclusive or Sport trim.

Taking centre stage is the 9.4in circular infotainment screen. There’s no driver’s display – only a head-up display as part of the Level 1 pack.

Compared with previous Cooper Convertibles, there are more hard plastics so, overall, it actually feels like a step down in quality. Even so, the Cooper Convertible still feels more premium than a Fiat 500C. Build quality is good, too.

Is the driving position comfortable and is it easy to see out?

The driver's seat in the Cooper Convertible is comfortable and there's a reasonably wide range of adjustment, making it easy to find your perfect driving position. Speaking of which, you sit quite low down, giving it a sportier feel than that of the Fiat 500C or VW T-Roc Cabriolet.

Despite that, forward visibility is mostly good, with the snub-nosed bonnet and upright windscreen pillars allowing you to easily place the car on the road. Only our tallest road testers had a visibility issue, with their long legs causing them to sit further back and placing the windscreen pillars in the way at junctions.

Are the dashboard and infotainment system easy to use?

Infotainment was one of the previous Mini Convertible’s highlights, but that system has now been replaced and things aren’t quite as good as they used to be. True, the new 9.4in infotainment touchscreen is bigger than before and its clarity is much better, but it also does away with the physical rotary controller so it's solely controlled by touch.

It's also not the most intuitive system to use, consisting of lots of small icons and menus that could do with being a tad simpler. Overall, it’s a bit more distracting to use on the move than the Mazda MX-5 system, which gets a physical controller and simpler menus.

The Cooper Convertible does at least come with plenty of standard features, including DAB, Bluetooth, built-in sat-nav, and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring. Stepping up to S or JCW trim adds wireless phone-charging, while the optional Level 2 pack adds a rather excellent Harman Kardon stereo system.

"As stylish as the new interior is, I can’t help but miss the physical air-conditioning controls of old. Making changes through the touchscreen is way more distracting." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

Passenger & boot space

How it copes with people and clutter

How much space does it have for people?

There's a generous amount of space up front in the Mini Cooper Convertible for tall adults, but getting two rear passengers in with the roof up is a bit of a palaver. It involves them ducking beneath the low roof and squeezing in through a very narrow gap created by the tilted-forward front seats. It's much easier with the roof down.

Once the rear passengers are seated, they’ll have more knee room and space under the front seats to place their feet than in a Fiat 500C. The altogether larger VW T-Roc Cabriolet is a much roomier alternative.

How much room is there for luggage?

Useful cubbies are dotted around the Cooper Convertible's interior, with the centre console giving you lots of space for your phone, and other odds and ends. Every version gets two cupholders in the front and fairly small door bins.

The boot is rather small, especially with the roof down. For reference, it's larger than the 500C’s but smaller than the T-Roc Convertible's. Access can be tricky because the bottom-hinged boot lid opens towards you like a drop-down tailgate.

If you have big items to load in, you’ll need to pull a couple of levers to lift the rear section of the roof and give yourself more room to manoeuvre. You’ll also need to make sure you leave enough space to allow the levers to return to their locking position – and, yes, it's as fiddly as it sounds.

At least when you do need some more boot space you can split the rear seatbacks 60/40 then fold them down. When you do, there’s a fairly large step up from the boot floor to the seatbacks, making it a little harder to load long items.

"While the boot isn’t particularly impressive, during our testing we still managed to fit two large backpacks and coats in there – and could still put the roof down. I could easily use it for a weekend away." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

Buying & owning

Everyday costs, plus how reliable and safe it is

How much does it cost?

As a cash purchase, the Mini Cooper Convertible is priced roughly in line with the Mazda MX-5, while undercutting the VW T-Roc Cabriolet by thousands.

What’s more, it’s predicted to hold on to its value better than either of those rival convertibles, with the MX-5 depreciating almost twice as quickly over three years. That will be useful if you decide to sell and can have an effect on how much you’ll pay monthly on PCP finance.

It’s worth noting that company car drivers wanting low BIK tax payments will pay less if they go for something like a Fiat 500e Cabrio (because the tax system favours electric cars).

What equipment do you get?

You can have your Cooper Convertible in three trims, but entry-level C is probably all you need. It keeps the cost down and comes with plenty of standard equipment, including 16in alloy wheels, cruise control and a heated steering wheel.

Stepping up to the more powerful S or JCW version adds a few extras, including 17in alloys, heated front seats, automatic high-beam and a head-up display, plus cosmetic differences.

To add more kit to your Cooper Convertible, you’ll need to go for one of the three option packs. Level 1 adds the S and JCW kit to the entry-level trim. Level 2 adds an upgraded stereo system. Level 3 adds electric front seats and a fancier augmented-reality sat-nav system.

Is it reliable and how long is the warranty?

Mini did incredibly well in the 2025 What Car? Reliability Survey – claiming the second to top spot out of 30 brands listed. Every Mini comes with a three-year, unlimited-mileage standard warranty and three years of roadside assistance. Both can be extended for a price.

How safe is it?

The Cooper Convertible has not been appraised for safety by Euro NCAP, although the regular hatchback received five out of five stars. The Convertible comes with plenty of safety kit, including automatic emergency braking (AEB), lane-keeping assist and rear collision avoidance.

"On top of our favourite entry-level trim, I’d be tempted to add the Level 1 pack because it gives you all the kit you get with the higher trim levels but keeps the smaller wheels, which improve ride comfort." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

Buy it if…

- You like powerful petrol engines

- You enjoy playful handling

- You appreciate Mini’s retro style

Don’t buy it if…

- You need a big boot

- You like physical buttons and switches (there are very few)

- You want a manual gearbox, because it’s auto’ only

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