MINI Roadster (2012 – 2015) Review

MINI Roadster (2012 – 2015) Verdict

Looks more sporty and purposeful than the MINI Convertible. Enjoyable to drive. Offers plenty of customisation

Rear visibility isn't great when the roof is raised. Some of the materials are starting to show their age. Optional extras push up price.

Reviews for MINI Roadster (2012 – 2015)'s top 3 rivals

MINI Convertible

Highly desirable and very pretty. Handles well even with the roof down. Lower emissions than previous...

Mercedes-Benz SLK

High quality interior. Three roof options. Offered with 250 CDI diesel engine. Also available with 5.5...

DS 3

Great styling that still looks good now, premium cabin that’s loaded with neat touches, roof opens and...

MINI Roadster (2012 – 2015) handling and engines

• Engines range from Cooper to Cooper SD Automatic
• Readers report Real MPG to be between 28–63 mpg

MINI is calling the Roadster a sports car, singling out the Audi TT Roadster and the Mazda MX-5 as key rivals. In terms of driving enjoyment it doesn’t disappoint. The gear change is satisfying and the steering is direct and well-weighted, which inspires confidence through bends. Over smoother roads the Roadster is extremely composed and doesn’t feel flustered.  

It’s not perfect though. Over rougher, more uneven surfaces the Roadster is bouncy which isn’t great for comfort. This problem is less pronounced in the diesel model, though, with its heavier engine.

With the roof down it’s easy to hold a conversation, even at motorway speeds. There is wind noise, but it’s far from intrusive and at B-road pace the Roadster is a perfectly serene environment. The exhaust note sounds good and it's enhanced when the ‘sport’ button is pressed. Sport mode also weights up the steering and sharpens the throttle response. 

The Roadster is offered with a 2.0-litre diesel engine or a 1.6-litre petrol, the latter of which is available in three outputs – 122PS, 184PS and 211PS. The petrol engine we tested was the 185PS unit offered in the Cooper S model which provides plenty of enjoyable and useable performance.

Peak torque is 240Nm, available between 1600-5000rpm, plus there’s an overboost facility to push that up to 260Nm for overtaking. It makes for quite exhilarating pace and the exhaust even pops and crackles when you back off, adding to the experience – particularly with the roof down.

The diesel engine gives the Roadster a completely different character. It’s quiet and refined save for a little bit of clatter at start up, while it delivers a healthy 305Nm of torque between 1750-2700rpm. Keep it in the power band and it surges forward, but without the same exhaust note it feels much more grown up. It will be better suited to long distance touring. It’s the most efficient engine in the range too, with an official economy figure of 62.8mpg and emissions of 118g/km.

The petrol engines are also quite efficient. The entry level 122PS engine emits 133g/km of CO2 and has an official economy figure of 49.6mpg, while the 184PS Cooper S emits 139g/km and has an economy figure of 47.1mpg. The top-of-the-range JCW model manages 38.7mpg and 169g/km of CO2. All cars come with ‘Minimalism’ technology, which reduces fuel consumption by way of a stop/start system, brake energy regeneration and a shift indicator. 

MINI Roadster (2012 – 2015) interior

• Boot space is 240 litres

Anyone familiar with the MINI hatch will recognise the interior of the Roadster. It’s got the same ‘pod’ rev counter and oversized speedo. Everything feels solid and well screwed together but there are some areas that feel a little dated now, with harder plastics where you might expect to find soft-touch materials on a car of this price.

Another minor niggle is the seat height, which is a little high for a sports car even at its lowests setting. The biggest problem though, is the visibility when the roof is in place – there’s just a small rear window to peer through and no over-shoulder visibility at all, which can make oblique junctions and lane changes tricky.

Nontheless the Roadster has a comfortable interior with plenty of character. Switches for the windows, roof and various other minor controls are reminiscent of old aircraft buttons, which is an interesting juxtaposition against the modern infotainment screen when it’s specified.

The roof is raised and lowered electrically in eight seconds, but it must be locked or unlocked from the windscreen manually. When retracted it folds neatly behind the seats, with no effect on the fairly generous load space of 240 litres. Refinement is acceptable when the roof is in place but there's more wind noise than you'd get in a car with a folding metal roof. 

There’s a good sized glove compartment, storage behind the seats and a through-hatch for golf clubs, skis or snowboards. There are also cubby holes under the centre stack, cup holders and usefully large door pockets. 

There’s a decent level of standard equipment across the range, with DAB radio, aux-in, active rear-spoiler, air-conditioning and a sport button fitted to all models. It’s unlikely that many buyers will choose a standard car though, because there’s such a wealth of optional equipment.

Most buyers will go for the Chili pack, which adds automatic air-conditioning, xenon headlights, the interior lights pack, a wind deflector and an on-board computer, as well as other bits and pieces depending on the initial specification chosen.

iPhone users who have the onboard computer fitted also benefit from an app which will lets them know the remaining range, as well as other interactive functions like an accelerometer. Some of this technology is a little gimmicky, like music that moves back and forth and side to side depending on G-forces, but it’s all in keeping with the fun spirit the Roadster provides.

Standard equipment from launch (April 2012)

Cooper models come with DAB radio, aux-in, active rear-spoiler, air-conditioning and a sport button, dynamic stability control (DSC), heated washer jets and mirrors, parking sensors, roll-over hoops, sport stripes, tyre pressure monitor.

Cooper S and SD models come with the same equipment as the Cooper, but with the addition of sports seats.

Cooper JCW models come with the same equipment as the S and SD, but with the addition of an Alcantara steering wheel, aerodynamic styling kit, uprated brakes and twin exhausts.  

MINI Roadster (2012 – 2015) models and specs

On sale until July 2019

On sale until October 2015