These days, cars are very expensive, but as a car-loving country, many Americans have no choice but to drive to their jobs, school or daily activities.
According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s estimates from its 2023 American Community Survey (ACS), just 4% of Americans say they take public transportation and a whopping 78% of Americans commute to work by driving. Additionally, 88% of motorists say that they drive to work alone and don’t carpool.
💰💸 Don’t miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet’s free daily newsletter 💰💸
The latest Kelley Blue Book data indicates that the average new car in the United States sold for an eye-watering $48,641 last month; showing that many drivers are spending quite a pretty penny to drive all alone in a new set of wheels. But even if they have older cars, many of them are showing their age, as data from S&P Global Mobility shows that the average car on the road in the U.S. is 12.6 years old.
Many drivers deserve an upgrade, but unless budget-minded buyers can make do with ‘pedestrian’ brands like Toyota (TM) , Honda (HMC) , or Chevrolet, there aren’t many “cool cars” under $30,000 these days.
However, BMW’s Mini brand is re-introducing a new budget-friendly, limited-edition motor for the style-conscious buyer dissatisfied with run-of-the-mill sedans and hatchbacks.
2025 Mini Cooper Oxford Edition in Nanuq White Metallic
Mini
Mini introduces the “Oxford Edition” Cooper
For 2025, the BMW-owned Mini marque is reintroducing the Oxford Edition, a limited-edition model that is an affordable entry-level option for budget-conscious buyers. Previously, Mini offered the Oxford Edition to recent college graduates, but now it is offering the budget-friendly model to all of its buyers.
There was a good reason for Mini to gatekeep the Oxford from “normal” car buyers. While a base-model Cooper 2-Door Hardtop starts at $28,950 in the United States, the new limited-edition starts at just $24,950, and the 4-door version starts at just $25,950 (before a destination and handling fee of $1,175), a full $4,000 cheaper than the “regular” Cooper.
At that price, the posh Mini edges itself much closer in price to Honda’s bestselling budget-friendly Civic, which starts at $24,250 (before a destination and handling fee of $1,150). But while buyers of the standard Civic LX Sedan have the convenience of four doors, they have to make do with full-cloth seats and steel wheels.
More Automotive:
Dodge confirms gas-powered Charger Sixpack coming this summerJeep parent makes executive overhaul as it searches for new CEOHonda faces a massive recall over dangerous software glitch
The comparable Oxford Mini may only be a two-door as standard, but it gets all the bells and whistles included in the standard Cooper, including vegan leather and cloth seats, a heated steering wheel and heated seats, a heads-up display, and a parking assistant. The Oxford also has some features that Civic buyers would require to pay a few grand more for, including a panoramic sunroof.
Additionally, the Oxford Edition has some extra features compared to the standard Cooper, including 18-inch alloy wheels. However, it is only available in three colors: Nanuq White Metallic, Sunny Side Yellow, and Blazing Blue Metallic. Mini fans will appreciate the addition of the Yellow and Blue, which are usually offered as extra-charge colors on the more expensive Cooper S.
Mini did not say explicitly say what is under the hood of the Oxford Edition, however, BMW and Mini said that it shares all the standard features of the ‘regular’ Cooper model. According to Mini, under the hood of the Cooper is a 2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that makes 161 horsepower and 184 lb.-ft. of torque, which makes it good for a zero-to-60 mile-per-hour time of 7.4 seconds; much quicker than a base two-liter, non-turbocharged Civic.
Related: Study: These popular cars are the most reliable for the dollar
Mini says that the Oxford Edition will begin production in March, “with a limited number of units produced.” Currently, Mini sales are in a bit of a pit. In 2024, the Mini brand only sold 26,299 cars in the United States; a 21.5% drop from the year before.
Though Mini seeks to boost sales and interest in the brand, there is one aspect that diligent buyers will not overlook—the ownership experience. In Consumer Reports’ overall list of car brands, which makes a combined score from CR’s own road-test impressions, predicted reliability, and owner satisfaction data, Mini ranks 11th, while Honda ranks fifth.
Additionally, new data from iSeeCars shows that the Honda Civic ranked first in its list of the most reliable cars for the money, which analyzed the prices of over 3.8 million vehicles sold in the second half of 2024 and compared them with data compiled from odometer readings of 368 million cars from its longest-lasting cars study published in 2024.
Related: Veteran fund manager issues dire S&P 500 warning for 2025
