Feeling the wind in your hair. Breathing in the salty sea air. Catching a few glances from envious onlookers. Top down or top up (but mostly top down), small sports car convertibles are quintessential South Florida.
Two of the more affordable compact convertibles, the MINI Cooper and Mazda MX-5 Miata, are in constant competition for market share. One's got the classic soft-top look and appeal, while the other celebrates England with its nonconformist aesthetic, 2-row seating and go-kart handling. Between these MINI and Mazda models, which one's the best small convertible car?
Cooper, Party of Four.
Exploring the coastline of Miami Beach solo? You don't need more than a single seat, a little boot for your gear and a full tank of gas. But what if you want to enjoy the sights and sounds of South Florida with a few buds or gal pals? The Mazda MX-5 Miata isn't going to do you any favors; it's only got a pair of bucket seats to offer. Hope your friends like drawing straws to sit shotgun.
That's not the case with the MINI Cooper Convertible. It comes with 4 glorious seats, so everyone can experience the thrill of an open-air expedition to...well, anywhere you choose.
A Convertible with Actual Cargo Space?
Afraid of your luggage succumbing to its extreme claustrophobia? (Nearly 10% of all suitcases have crippling anxiety about traveling, in case you weren't aware.) Then turn your back on the MX-5, as its 4.9-cubic-foot trunk only accommodates one large piece of luggage, with less than a cube left to spare. That's pretty typical of small sports car convertibles, but "typical" doesn't mean you should just accept the status quo.
In the MINI Convertible, you get a convertible car that offers 16% more trunk space (5.7 cubic feet) than the MX-5, and that extends to 7.6 cubic feet thanks to a pair of clever in-boot levers and a shelf unit. See MINI Convertible's trunk in action by watching the video walkthrough below.
Who's Got Better Zips & Sips? (aka. Comparing Performance & MPG)
Nestled underneath the base MX-5 Miata Sport trim's hood is a 2.0 DOHC 5-cylinder that makes 181 horsepower and 151 lb-ft of torque. Pretty nice for the cheapest convertible model, all things considered.
At the top of MX-5 Miata's range sits the MX-5 Grand Touring, and that comes with a 2.0 DOHC 5-cylinder that makes 181 horsepower and 151 lb-ft of torque. Whoa...did you just experience déjà vu? No, you read that correctly; even with a price tag that's $5k higher than its base model, the MX-5 Miata Grand Touring doesn't gain a boost to performance. It's a one-engine convertible.
Although the MINI Cooper Convertible's entry engine—a TwinPower Turbo 1.5L 3-cylinder that makes 134 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque—gets trolloped on paper by MX-5's, its other 2 powertrains certainly make up ground.
That's right: You can order your MINI Cooper Convertible with 1 of 3 engines. The MINI Convertible Cooper S model gains a 2.0L 4-cylinder that produces 189 hp and 205 lb-ft of torque, while the peak-performing MINI Convertible John Cooper Works trim features a bona fide workhorse in its 2.0L 4-cylinder (228 horsepower and 235 lb-ft of torque).
On the fuel economy front, MX-5 and MINI Cooper Convertible numbers are comparable, though the slight advantage goes to—you guessed it!—MINI. The manual and automatic MX-5 models get 30 and 29 combined MPG, respectively. The manual and automatic MINI Convertible models return respective 31 and 32 combined MPG. (Hey, every 1 MPG increase saves you about $100 per year!)
The Extras
Offering more cargo space, seats, performance, fuel economy and (arguably) style, the MINI Cooper Convertible is the most practical and functional vehicle between the two. It's also backed by more ownership perks than Mazda's MX-5.
When you purchase a new Mazda MX-5 Miata Convertible, you get:
- 3-year/36,000 mile New-Vehicle Limited Warranty
- 5-year/60,000-mile Powertrain Limited Warranty
- 3-year/36,000-mile 24/7 Roadside Assistance
- 5-year/unlimited-mileage Anti-Corrosion Warranty
This coverage is standard for most auto manufacturers.
But MINI isn't standard, as many of you know. With the MINI Convertible, owners gain more peace of mind thanks to:
- 4-year/50,000-mile New Passenger Car Limited Warranty
- 12-year/unlimited-mileage Rust Perforation Warranty
- 4-year/unlimited-mileage 24/7 Roadside Assistance
- 3-year/36,000-mile Complimentary Scheduled Maintenance
Lease or Finance a MINI Convertible in Miami
Ready to hit the open road with a small open-air car? Come check our selection of new MINI Cooper Convertibles for sale near Aventura. These fun, lil' go-getters feature an electrically powered soft top that folds up in 18 seconds, even while the car is in motion (up to 18 mph), so you're always in control.
Contact Braman MINI of Miami at (786) 374-2201 to get a quote, schedule a test drive or get assistance picking the best MINI Cooper for you. Our Miami car dealership is located at 2060 Biscayne Blvd and serves shoppers throughout South Florida, including Aventura, Hollywood, Coral Gables, Hialeah, Pembroke Pines and Kendall.