Video Review: 2025 MINI Cooper S 4-Door – Is A Bigger Cooper Still Fun to Drive?

DimON · December 12

In this video review we get behind the wheel of the four-door MINI Cooper S to see what an extra pair of doors does to MINI’s iconic hatch. Does it still drive like a Cooper or have the extra pair of doors ruined the iconic shape?

The 2025 MINI Cooper 4-Door (F65) is a middle ground between the 2-door Cooper and the much larger Countryman crossover. On paper, it’s a car that takes MINI’s legendary design, stretches it a little, and adds a dose of utility. But how does it compare to the 2-door, and is the extra space truly meaningful?

The F65 MINI Cooper S 4-Door – The Background

Bigger, But Still MINI

Size is the F65’s calling card. It’s slightly larger than its 2-door sibling, but unlike some other “stretched” hatchbacks, it avoids feeling bloated or overly domesticated. The added length and two extra doors make it a genuine contender for small families or those who occasionally need more room. The F65 maintains its “MINI-ness” without seeming like it’s trying too hard to justify its larger proportions.

Design: Simplicity, but With Swagger

Like the recently released F66 three-door Cooper, the F65 is an evolution of the previous generation five-door. It’s mechanically advanced underneath, with a completely new look and feel inside and out. The basic layout remains the same, albeit with slightly tweaked dimensions. None of the exterior parts—outside of the glass and roof—are shared between the two cars, and subtle changes abound. But even these small adjustments have big effects.

Take the headlights, for example. MINI has pushed them forward and made them slightly more upright. This gives the car a more upright stance, evoking the design language of the R50 and R56 while distinguishing it from the sleeker J01 MINI Cooper EV.

Another notable change is the hood, which loses the faux scoop, creating a sleeker, more streamlined appearance. Around the back, the rear hatch has been reimagined, balancing fresh lines with a familiar silhouette. These subtle adjustments help the F65 feel simpler and cleaner, avoiding fake air intakes or other unnecessary adornments.

Then there are the taillights, which adopt the triangular design seen on the J01 and F66. On the F65, they feel more prominent due to the way the rear hatch protrudes from the glass. Love them or hate them, these taillights are more attention-grabbing on the F65 compared to the three-door F66 Cooper.

2025 MINI Cooper S 4-Door – Updated Performance

MINI has raised the stakes in terms of power for both models, although it has sadly retired the manual transmission. The F65 Cooper C sees a 14% power boost, jumping from 134 hp to 156 hp. This upgrade improves the 0–62 mph (0–100 km/h) time to 7.7 seconds.

The more powerful F65 Cooper S gets a less dramatic 7.4% horsepower increase, from 189 to 204 hp, but benefits from a significant torque boost to 221 lb-ft. Power is delivered to the front wheels via a revised 7-speed dual-clutch transmission.

As a result, the new F65 Cooper S accelerates to 62 mph in 6.6 seconds (60 mph in 6.3 seconds). Keep in mind that these figures are likely conservative, as BMW tends to underrate performance numbers.

Model	F55 Cooper	F55 Cooper S	2025 F65 Cooper C*	2025 F65 Cooper S
Power	134 hp	189 hp	156 hp	204 hp
Torque	162 lb-ft/1480 rpm	206 lb-ft/1350 rpm	170 lb-ft/1,480 rpm	221 lb-ft
Transmission	Manual/DCT	Manual/DCT	7 speed DCT	7 speed DCT

*Not available in North America

For those who lamented the lack of shift paddles on U.S. models, MINI USA has heard your cries and is offering the JCW Trim on the F65. This means shift paddles are available on the new Cooper for the first time in North America.

The F65 MINI Cooper five-door is based on the previous generation F55 and is 100% petrol-powered. Like the all-new electric Aceman (which is roughly the same size albeit in crossover form), it’s intended to take the best parts of the Cooper and add just enough room for an extra set of doors. Unlike the Aceman the F65 Cooper five-door is 100% combustion-powered and will be available in Cooper C and Cooper S forms.

The Size Increase Leads to Trade-Offs

Let’s talk about doors. Due to the size of the car, MINI had to shrink the front doors considerably as compared to the three-door in order to make room for the rear doors. Subsequently, the rear doors are also tiny. I’m 6′ 2″ and getting in and out of the five-door Cooper has always been something that required attention. This new F65 model is no different.

The boot is fractionally larger but the difference is negligible based on our real-world experience. Similarly, the car itself is fractionally wider than the F55 but without the two side-by-side and a tape measure you’d not be able to tell.