Mini Convertible in the first driving report: The best way

Contents

It's a shame: many manufacturers are taking convertibles out of their product ranges. Yet driving in the open air has a special appeal. However, Mini is not sticking with it because of this, but because the brand has been able to sell a relevant proportion of new cars with a folding top in the past and – has justified – hopes of being able to continue this success. A first drive shows that this could succeed, as nothing has been changed in the basic idea.

Remains visually true to itself

Externally, the retro design of the three-door model with combustion engine remains the same, differing in detail from the model with electric drive. For example, there are still door handles to pull. In the interior, on the other hand, the brand is undergoing a change. The tops of the dashboard and door panels are covered in fabric. A huge 24 cm screen sits enthroned in the middle, the operating logic of which takes some getting used to. It is not particularly clear. The head-up display provides information via a small screen. It's a shame that Mini no longer offers leather upholstery, even for an extra charge. The artificial leather that is now stitched does not look too high quality. On the other hand, the workmanship appears solid.

There is plenty of space in the first row. The second row should be seen more as an additional storage area, which can hardly be blamed on a car that is less than four meters long. The luggage compartment, which can hold between 160 liters (soft top open) and 215 liters (closed) depending on the position of the soft top, is equally spacious. The trunk lid folds down, which is the less bad solution in this case.

Bild 1 von 6

Mini Cabrio 2025 (6 Bilder)

Taut and quiet

On the road, two things quickly become clear. The Mini Cabrio S is very firm, especially in combination with the 215/40 R18 tires. This is matched by the very direct steering. If you are looking for comfort, we strongly recommend tires with a little more sidewall height. The car appears very torsionally rigid and is noticeably quieter when closed than its predecessor. The idea of opening the soft top just a little is a good one, but it produces quite a lot of wind noise above the usual speed on country roads.

The convertible is available with 120, 150 and 170 kW. The vehicle we drove was fitted with the mid-range engine, which already gives the car a very brisk drive. Mini quotes 6.9 seconds for the sprint to 100 km/h and a top speed of 237 km/h. Presumably the basic engine already covers the usual requirements more than adequately. On paper, it is hardly noticeably slower. Fuel consumption is identical at 6.6 liters in the WLTP. There is no longer a manual gearbox in the Mini Cabrio. From next year, however, we expect to see a battery-electric drive in this package too. That should be an attractive combination.

Dealers now only intermediaries

Since October 1, 2024, Mini has changed its sales model. New cars and young used cars are now sold directly via the BMW Group. The dealer is now only an intermediary and therefore has considerably less scope for discounts. This is another reason why Mini quotes a fixed flat rate of 950 euros for the transfer costs in the configurator. The base model thus costs 32,150 euros. The standard equipment already includes a navigation system, parking aid including reversing camera and steering wheel heating. For 2690 euros, Mini has put together a package that most customers will probably order as a minimum. It includes heated seats, an inductive charging cradle for smartphones, a head-up display, keyless entry and an alarm system. If you add another 300 euros for the "Package M", you also get a wind deflector. A color this side of mouse gray costs 600 euros.

If you want the more powerful four-cylinder engine with 150 kW, the price starts at 35,650 euros. The most powerful engine with 170 kW is only available in conjunction with the "John Cooper Works Trim", which raises the price to at least 44,650 euros. The all-in model is approaching the 50,000  euro mark. The good news, however, is that the Mini Convertible offers plenty of driving pleasure even at the basic level, as this car does not need to be fully equipped or have one of the more powerful engines.

(mfz)