2019 MINI Hardtop 2 Door John Cooper Works

As more people plunk down cash for utilitarian crossovers, words such as "small," "fun" and "sporty" seem to describe fewer cars than ever. Luckily, the two-door 2019 Mini Hardtop encapsulates those hallmarks of enjoyable motoring in a single, pint-size package.

The Mini Hardtop offers something quite different from other subcompacts. It prioritizes driving dynamics and personality. You pay dearly for the Hardtop's upscale cabin and sportiness, but there's nothing quite like it in the non-luxury segment. Even the Hardtop's standard turbocharged three-cylinder engine makes it quicker than almost any other car in its class. Step up to the turbo four-cylinders in the Cooper S and the John Cooper Works trims, and you've got enough pace to pull off a good, old-fashioned heist.

For 2019, Mini has changed the way it builds the Hardtop. In prior years, you selected an engine and then chose from a seemingly infinite number of packages and options. This year, each engine is available in one of three trims — Classic, Signature and Iconic — that bundle popular features into a traditional trim structure. From there, you can select many interior and exterior styling elements to personalize the Hardtop. The result is mostly the same, though. The 2019 Mini Hardtop 2 Door is fun to drive and fun to own.

The 2019 Mini Hardtop two-door is a subcompact hatchback sold in a variety of trim levels and variants. All three of the main trim levels — Cooper, Cooper S and John Cooper Works — have similar feature content but are differentiated by what engine is underhood. All are available with a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic. From there, buyers choose between three subtrim levels (Classic, Signature and Iconic) that add an increasing number of features. A wide variety of styling, performance and luxury upgrades are available on most versions.

Powering the Cooper is a turbocharged three-cylinder engine (134 horsepower, 162 pound-feet of torque). The base Classic model offers a lot of features, including 15-inch alloy wheels, all-season tires, automatic headlights and wipers, heated mirrors, rear parking sensors, height-adjustable front seats, simulated-leather upholstery, a leather-wrapped tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, a 60/40-split folding rear seat and multicolor ambient lighting. Among the standard tech are Bluetooth, a 6.5-inch central display, a rearview camera, and a six-speaker sound system with a USB port.

Stepping up to the Cooper S gets you a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine (189 hp, 207 lb-ft). It also has 16-inch wheels, dual exhaust tips, extra styling flourishes, selectable driving modes, and front sport seats with adjustable thigh support. Steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters are included if you opt for the automatic transmission.

The most powerful Hardtop 2 Door is the John Cooper Works model. Motivation comes in the form of a more potent version of the turbocharged four-cylinder (228 hp, 236 lb-ft). Upgrades include 17-inch wheels, LED headlights, cornering lights, a rear spoiler, a sport-tuned suspension,a sport steering wheel, more aggressively bolstered sport seats, and simulated-suede and cloth upholstery.

Features added by the Signature subtrim differ slightly from the base Cooper, S and JCW. But in general, it adds a panoramic sunroof, keyless entry, heated front seats and dual-zone automatic climate control. Cooper models get 16-inch wheels, Cooper S versions get 16- or 17-inch wheels, and JCW models get adaptive dampers. Mini's Active Driving Assistant suite of safety features — forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control and automatic high-beam control — is also included on Cooper S and JCW models. Selecting the Signature trim also opens the door to additional paint choices, interior dashboard appliques and upholstery choices. Notably, the JCW's Solaris Orange Special Edition package (late availability) starts with the Signature trim and includes black exterior trim, all-season tires and a head-up display.

The Signature's Premium package further adds power-folding mirrors, auto-dimming interior and exterior mirrors, chrome exterior trim, LED headlights and foglights, cornering lights, satellite radio and a 12-speaker Harman Kardon audio system.

The Iconic trim includes those upgrades, plus leather upholstery, a navigation system, the Active Driving Assistant package, wireless charging, Apple CarPlay and an 8.8-inch touchscreen. Depending on powertrain, selecting the Iconic trim will add different features. Cooper and Cooper S models get a choice of several 16- and 17-inch wheel styles (with 18-inch wheels available for the Cooper S), and 17- or 18-inch wheels for the JCW. Cooper S and JCW models also get a head-up display.

Many of the above options can be ordered separately. A Driver Assistance package for the Iconic trim adds front parking sensors and an automated parallel parking system. Additional stand-alone options include exterior and interior styling modifications, summer performance tires and roof rails.

Each vehicle typically comes in multiple versions that are fundamentally similar. The ratings in this review are based on our full test of the Mini Hardtop 2 Door Cooper (turbo 1.5L inline-3 | 6-speed automatic | FWD).

NOTE: Since this test was conducted in 2014, the current Hardtop 2 Door has received some revisions, such as new optional equipment sprinkled throughout the model run and a refreshed infotainment system in 2019. Our findings remain broadly applicable to this year's Hardtop 2 Door, however.