A larger MINI will never cease to be an oxymoron, but the new 5-Door hatchback is one of our most highly regarded. Compared to the standard 3-Door, the wheelbase is 72 mm longer, the body is 172 mm longer, and the trunk offers 925 litres of space with the 60:40 rear seats folded down. Yet, even with its elongated appendages, the Cooper S still appears compact, vibrant, and always in a good mood, especially in this classic shade of British Racing Green. You would have to squint from afar to even tell it’s got two extra rear doors.

If you require the ability to ferry around passengers, pets, or cargo, then the 5-Door is a no-brainer for the better ingress and egress that the extra doors provide. MINI has experimented with this formula many times before – remember the Clubman and its side-hinged trunk doors? But it’s the 5-Door that has stood the test of time. While not nearly as spacious as the Countryman, the rear accommodations aren’t bad. I can almost fit behind my six-foot self, but my knees cramp up against the seatback, and my head scrapes the headliner. Manageable for short distances, but there’s a reason why the Countryman remains the brand’s best seller. Still, the rear quarters are full of natural light with a sizeable C-pillar window and its own dedicated, fixed sunroof. Taller geriatric folks will still feel like they’re falling into the car rather than gracefully entering, though, but a well-planned and practiced choreographed motion will ease the pain. 

The best seat in the house is still in the driver’s, giving access to the 9.4-inch frameless circular OLED touchscreen that offers the latest MINI infotainment system and is suitably lag-free and responsive to touch inputs. The entire cabin is suitably upscale considering its sub-$50k price point, making the driver feel like they’ve spent more money than they actually have. Getting rid of the gear shifter and replacing it with a toggle on the dashboard has greatly improved cabin space, and we can’t overstate how helpful that cubby box in the center console is, especially for drivers who tend to throw their wallet and keys everywhere, and do not carry around personal bags or have deep pockets. This box keeps them contained and from flying around the interior, and away from prying eyes. The only issue is that the box opens away from the driver, so passengers don’t have easy access to the contents. 

Without a traditional instrument panel behind the steering wheel, all of the necessary information is located either on the center touchscreen or the small head-up display, but the latter is limited in how much information can be shown at once, and there is no gear indicator displayed on the HUD either, even in the sporty Go-Kart Mode. That means we have to distractingly glance at the center screen and take our eyes off the road to capitalize on vital data, which includes the gear position. The cabin layout is more ergonomic than that of the previous model, which had an intrusive armrest and an awkwardly placed gear lever and handbrake. The armrest here isn’t adjustable, but it’s skinny and doesn’t impede you from accessing the cupholders. 

Unsurprisingly, the 5-Door has better high-speed stability than the 3-Door hatchback. Thanks to its longer wheelbase, the 5-Door doesn’t waver laterally when crossing the 120 km/h mark, and the steering doesn’t become floaty in the turbulent wake of large trucks and lorries. Our Cooper S model with its 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder doesn’t feel any slower off the line either, and maintains its well-known agility when chucking it around corners at speed. Its output of 201 hp and 221 lb-ft may seem inadequate, but it’s more than enough to get this MINI dashing up to suitable speeds. Selecting Go-Kart mode even lets the exhaust bark and roar on acceleration. Better yet, it’s fuel-efficient too. A two-hour dash across the 401 Express yielded a generous 6.4 L/100km. 

The 5-Door hatchback is the obvious choice for MINI enthusiasts who want to retain the cheeky and characterful silhouette and driving dynamics offered by the smaller platform, but require a bit more functionality when it comes to loading their passengers and cargo. The significantly larger Countryman remains the remedy for those who demand more space, but it also lacks the fuel efficiency, agility in narrow city streets, and classic styling that the Cooper offers. No one said decisions were easy. 

Specifications:

Model: 2025 MINI Cooper S 5-Door
Paint Type: British Racing Green IV Metallic
Base Price: $40,990
Price as Tested: $48,290
Length/Width/Height (mm): 4,036 / 1,744 / 1,464
Powertrain: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Horsepower: 201 hp
Torque: 221 lb-ft
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch
Engine & Drive Configuration: Front engine, FWD
Observed Fuel Economy (L/100km): 6.4 (majority highway driving)
Tires: 18-inch wheels