Always seen as an enjoyable, quirky hatchback with British charm, the 2021 MINI Hardtop arrives for the new model year with just one change: the return of a six-speed manual transmission. It disappeared last year, but is once again available. This little change means the Hardtop is just as enjoyable to drive as it ever has been.

MINI offers the Hardtop in four trim levels: Cooper, Cooper S, Cooper SE, and John Cooper Works. Pricing starts at $23,250 including destination for the base Cooper and climbs to $33,250 for the JCW.

All trims are offered with two doors, but a four-door body style is available on the Cooper and Cooper S for an additional $1,000. Furthermore, all trims are available with three equipment levels: Classic, Signature, and Iconic.

One of the main ways to differentiate between MINI Hardtop models is by their powertrains – all four trims have their own. The Cooper SE is unique because of its electric powertrain.

The Cooper, Cooper S, and John Cooper Works trims come with a six-speed manual transmission, while an automatic is available for an extra $1,250 for the Cooper and $1,500 for the Cooper S and John Cooper Works. The John Cooper Works comes with an eight-speed automatic gearbox, while the Cooper and Cooper S offer a seven-speed transmission.

Being an electric vehicle, the Cooper SE is equipped with a one-speed automatic. It gets an EPA-estimated 110 miles of range.

While the standard Cooper has enough power for daily use, the majority of consumers will be happier with the Cooper S, which brings a more versatile amount of performance. The John Cooper Works trim is a hot hatchback.

Two-door MINI Hardtop models can seat up to four passengers, while four-door versions have seating for up to five. If you plan on using the rear seats regularly, we suggest getting a four-door model.

Thankfully, the Hardtop fares better when it comes to cargo capacity. Two-door models have 8.7 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats in place and 34 cubic feet of space with the rear seats folded. As one would expect, four-door models have more – 13.1 cubic feet behind the rear seats and a total of 40.7.

The standard Cooper comes with automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, and rear parking sensors. The Driver Assistance Package is available on both the Signature and Iconic for $1,000, which brings adaptive cruise control, an automated parking system, and front parking sensors.

The Cooper SE comes with more standard features than other trims, including traffic sign recognition and pedestrian detection. The Signature Plus equipment level includes rear parking sensors as standard, while the Iconic adds a park assist system and a head-up display.

Every MINI Hardtop model comes with a 6.5-inch display that mounted in the middle of the dashboard, a six-speaker audio system, a USB port, and Bluetooth.

The Signature has an available Touchscreen Navigation Package that costs $1,000. It includes Apple CarPlay, navigation, voice recognition, and a digital instrument cluster. The Touchscreen Navigation Package is standard on the Iconic, bringing an 8.8-inch display.

The standard Cooper comes with synthetic leather upholstery, 15-inch alloy wheels, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and the three-cylinder engine. Heated front seats are available on the Classic for $500, while satellite radio is an extra $300.

Upgrading to the Signature ($4,000) brings 16-inch alloy wheels, a panoramic sunroof, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats, keyless entry, and LED headlights, taillights, and fog lights. The Iconic ($8,000) includes all that plus the 8.8-inch display, navigation, Apple CarPlay, 17-inch alloy wheels, and leather upholstery.

The Cooper S shares a lot of the same standard features as the regular Cooper model, but adds the more powerful turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Additionally, it comes with drive modes, sport seats, and 16-inch alloy wheels as standard.

Here, the Signature is a $4,500 upgrade and includes 17-inch alloy wheels alongside its normal contents. The Iconic ($8,500) does the same but with 18-inch alloy wheels.

The all-electric Cooper SE shares a lot of standard features with lower trims, but has the electrified powertrain and a range of 110 miles. Seeing as the Signature equipment level is standard here, the Cooper SE comes with LED fog lights, LED headlights and taillights, dual-zone climate control, heated front seats, and remote keyless entry.

The Signature Plus ($4,000) includes power-folding side mirrors, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, and a Harman Kardon audio system, among other features. The Iconic is a $7,000 upgrade.

The John Cooper Works trim is the performance-oriented model in the MINI Hardtop lineup. It adds the more powerful turbocharged four-cylinder engine, 17-inch wheels, unique sport seats, and sport suspension as standard.

An adaptive suspension is a no-cost option.

Compare Hardtop Trims Side-By-Side