Mini Cooper C 3-Door (2025) Quick Review

Super C?

When the Mini Cooper C arrived, I was a bit surprised that I received a 3-door instead of a 5-door model to test; for starters, I have a husband, two high-school kids (and three rescue cats), and the kids have school bags and sports bags and friends, plus hobbies that require boot space. How would we cope?

Sean drove the Mini Cooper S - read his full review here.

Styling

The latest MINI retains that look of youth and a fun-loving, footloose, fancy-free existence. It evokes feelings of happiness and excitement from a life in a parallel universe where you chose to stay single and unencumbered.

The black roof colour (a no-cost option), 17-inch Parallel spoke 2-tone wheels (R18 600) and darkly tinted windows (also extra) reiterate this vibe, as you flit through traffic incognito, on your way to drinking sundowners with your successful friends on a rooftop bar in Clifton.

Buying used? Read about the MINI JCW Countryman and Clubman models here.

In my case, I felt like quite the yummy-mummy as I pooled the kids to school in my boutique designer car, despite the fact that I ain't no spring chicken anymore and that the kids were complaining about their knees being squashed.

Need a bigger MINI? The Countryman is brilliant - read our review here.

I was the envy of the Voëlklip old-money set; but there's not much space for grandchildren in the 3-door MINI.

Related: Mini Countryman 2024 First Drive Review

Interior and Infotainment

The Mini's cabin feels premium enough; there's more hardwearing cloth than plastic (our test car had the no-cost Classic Trim option with black leather seats), and the overall ambience is contemporary and classy; ideal for picking up a glamorous friend. (Just one.)

High quality materials are everywhere to be seen and felt.

The bright, circular infotainment system is easy on the eyes; it's fairly simple to use but there's a lot to figure out before using it becomes second nature. A heads-up display, an optional extra, is recommended to prevent you from glancing at the screen while you drive.

The small, rectangular camera display inside the round screen could be seen as a bit of a design flaw.

Thanks to the (optional) panoramic view camera, you can clearly see what's going on around you, but the image only takes up a small portion of the round screen. All models have parking assistance as standard, but the more extensive functionalities are extras, forming part of extensive tech packages costing from R38k to R44k.

Related: Are MINIs expensive to repair?

The placement of the USB-C ports is practical - it's between the two front seats, and there's wireless charging below the engine and transmission dials.

Space and Comfort

While the occupants in the front have ample space, with a good selection of binnacles and cupholders (I am a huge fan of the vertical charging pad for your phone below the central switchgear), the seats on row two are still ultra cramped. At least all the seats on board offer good support, because you really tend to feel the lumps and bumps in the road, thanks to the large wheels and sporty suspension setup. Adaptive suspension is available, but it will cost you extra.

Those in front have a spacious cockpit.

Those in the back? Not so much.

On most days I had to fold the one rear seat forward to make space for the kids' additional bags and other items, so one child would be up front and the other one in the back, moaning about the schlepp of having to get into a 3-door car like a contortionist, and asking when we'll be getting a double-cab bakkie again.

The boot is only suitable for two persons' weekend luggage.

The Drive

Here's where the Mini magic happens, however - and suddenly you forget about the friends and the boogie boards that can't ride along and the tiny boot that can only hold a grocery bag and a case of wine or a bag of shoes (you have to pick two out of three).

First of all, there's no clunky gear lever - you select a 'driving experience' by turning a dial, and starting the car requires you to flip the switch to the right; it's all very retro-modern and cool. And, the steering wheel can be heated, and it is free!

Related: is a used MINI Paceman a good car?

You get to choose an 'experience', and the way you start the car and select gears is quite novel. (You can place your phone upright, below, to charge wirelessly.)

Because my fuel budget is not limitless, I kept the Mini in Eco mode, and when you're driving sensibly you'll see a little hummingbird flapping its wings on screen. Should you put pedal to the metal or drive up a hill, a running puma appears to show you that you're now using more petrol. 

The hummingbird flaps its wings when you drive sensibly, and it shows you the bonus range you've earned at the bottom.

The feline appears when your driving is less efficient!

Performance

Should you buy the S model then, to have perky performance? Not at all. I didn't think that the little Mini Cooper C needed extra power, you just switch to Go-Kart mode when you want to have a bit of fun. Acceleration is more than brisk enough for zooming around slow-coaches; the Mini sprints to a 100 km/h in a swift 7.7 seconds, and you won't ruin your fuel finances either. The drive is sufficiently sporty and highly enjoyable!

The numbers

Ready, set, go - but does it match the show? It does!

Fuel Consumption

We drove mostly in town where traffic is heavy; and we reckon the figure we attained (see below) was not half bad, considering the C-model's energetic performance.

Not bad - but the more-powerful Cooper S was not too far from these digits either.

Safety

Safety features in the Mini are extensive; you get LED exterior and daytime running lights, an alarm system, Isofix child seat anchorage points and locking wheel bolts. The following also makes the list of included equipment:

6 Airbags, traction and stability control, a tyre repair kit, cruise control (adaptive is optional), keyless entry, park distance control, and a rearview camera. Some of the nicer standard features include traffic sign recognition, tyre pressure monitoring, and built-in Satnav.

MINI made sure that all models are properly equipped with a good deal of active and passive safety features.

Price

I used MINI's online car configurator to see if I could get away with specifying nothing extra, and I was quite surprised to see that it's completely doable. There is only one free colour choice, the silver, and the one standard alloy wheel choice is really trendy - I prefer it to the pricey optional alloy wheels our test car came with. The total price? R602 052.

The MINI Cooper will never be cheap, but the base model is decently equipped, at least.

Competitors in this segment include cars like the VW Polo GTI (R585 800), Audi A1 Sportback 30TFSI Black Edition (R585 590), Mazda3 hatch 2.0 Astina (R614 300), Volkswagen Golf 1.4TSI Life + (R604 500) and VW Golf 1.4TSI R-Line (R660 0000). The Toyota Corolla hatch 1.8 Hybrid XR is also worth mentioning at an affordable R577 600, if you're shopping in this price range.

The Verdict

The MINI Cooper C is a hoot to drive and own if you have only yourself to think of and perhaps a significant other (who knows how to play Tetris when packing a boot), and if you just stick to the basics and not add extras, you'll get good value for money. Personally, I would opt for the 5-door Mini Cooper C (R624 052) just to have a little bit of extra room, just in case.

But, if you chose to live an uncomplicated life instead of settling down with a fellow-human in the suburbs, the Mini Cooper C would make an excellent life partner.