Mini car insurance

Home
Car insurance
Car manufacturers

How much does a Mini cost to insure?

The cost of insuring a Mini can vary quite a bit, depending on both the model and your individual circumstances.

Insurers rank vehicles from insurance groups 1 to 50, with 1 being the cheapest to insure and 50 being the most expensive. Mini models range from insurance groups 11 to 33, so there’s quite a bit of variation in terms of power and value.

The more powerful and expensive Minis in group 33 are the pricier models to insure. But your individual circumstances can make a big difference to the quotes you get:

Younger, inexperienced drivers generally pay more for their car insurance than older, more seasoned motorists
Your driving history and where you live will also normally affect the cost of car insurance.

A typical premium for the popular Mini Cooper S model is £864 per year, while the average cost of insuring a Mini One Clubman is £660*. A Countryman Cooper can on average cost just £346* to insure.

But if high performance and turbo-charged engines are what you’re looking for, insuring a sporty model such as the John Cooper Works Roadster could on average cost you well over £1,000*. Find out more about performance car insurance.

*These insurance prices are an average based on the model, and all our customer quotes are from 10/01/21 – 10/06/21. This includes different locations, driving background and other factors. Your own quote could be cheaper or more expensive depending on your personal circumstances.

All information on this page was last reviewed on 29/07/2021, see T&C.

Mini history and facts

Minis were originally produced by England-based British Motor Corporation from 1959 and morphed into an iconic symbol of 1960s British culture. Though a tiny car, its space-saving engine meant a more substantial share of the floorplan could be used by passengers.

Throughout the 1960s, performance versions of the classic Mini, which were known as the Mini Cooper and Cooper S, won races and rallies, including the prestigious Monte Carlo Rally. Minis famously featured in the classic 1960s film The Italian Job starring Michael Caine, with the racier versions of the Mini used to pull off a daring heist.

The first Mini models under the ownership of BMW were introduced in 2001, departing from the classic two-door Mini with a hatchback format.

Mini has launched numerous models and facelifts over the past 20 years, making the car available as either a hardtop or cabriolet, and reviving Mini's racing heritage with more sporty versions of the car that offer powerful engines.

Under BMW's reign, Minis have become significantly bigger, with the range including hatchbacks, estate cars and small SUVs, making the Mini a more practical option as a family car than before.

BMW has mainly produced Minis at its factory in Cowley, Oxford, though SUV versions have been built elsewhere, with the Countryman assembled at a BMW facility in the Netherlands. The 10 millionth Mini rolled off the production line in Cowley in 2019, marking the Mini's 60th anniversary.

The great deal of choice BMW has brought to the Mini proposition means that the Mini stable varies quite a lot on price, as well as on insurance costs for motorists. You can still buy the more expensive petrol Minis with their turbocharged engines, but Mini now offers all-electric and plug-in hybrid models as well.

Mini Cooper S

1963 – present

The Mini Cooper S has always been a sporty car, tracing its routes back to Mini’s rally-winning days in the 1960s.

Mini launched the newest facelift of the car in 2021, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the first BMW Mini being assembled at its factory in Oxford.

The Cooper S comes with a powerful 2.0 litre turbocharged engine and six-speed manual gearbox as standard, with prices starting from £23,805.

You pay more to get a seven-speed automatic gearbox: the Mini 5-Door Hatch Cooper S Sport costs £26,355. You get a high-performance car, doing 0-62 mph in just 6.7 seconds and offering a top speed of 146 mph.

The Mini Cooper S competes with nippy compact cars such as the Ford Fiesta ST. Mini also now offers all-electric Cooper S models, starting at around £30,000.

Insurance for a Cooper S typically costs around £864*.

Mini Hatchback

2001 – present

Mini Hatchbacks have got bigger over the years, making them a more credible option as a small family car. Mini updated the Mini Hatchback in 2018, improving the interior styling and giving it more tech to make the car feel even more like a ‘baby BMW’.

Relatively minor cosmetic changes inside and out were made to the car in early 2021. Mini Hatchbacks are up against a lot of competition these days, including the likes of the Volkswagen Polo, Ford Fiesta, Audi A1 and SEAT Ibiza.

The Mini Hatchback 1.5 Classic 3 door is the cheapest model in Mini’s Hatchback range, retailing at just under £16,000. For around £700 more, you can pick up the 5-door version, which also has a 1.5 litre petrol engine and a manual gearbox.

Insurance for a Mini One Classic on average costs about £490*.

Mini Clubman

1969 - present

The Clubman is one of the larger Minis, giving Mini a further foothold in the small-family car market. Volkswagen's Golf ranks among its main competitors.

The Mini Clubman was first launched in 1969 as British Leyland aimed to create a Mini with more space and improved styling. However, the current breed of the Mini Clubman was first launched by BMW in 2007, having last given the car a facelift in 2019.

The Clubman is essentially a small estate car, featuring its distinctive 'barn doors' at the rear. Rather than a typical estate with one large door opening upwards, the Clubman's boot is accessed by two doors that open outwards.

This is one of the most spacious cars in the Mini range and was the first BMW Mini to have a solid centre console between the front two seats.

The 6-door Clubman starts from upwards of £21,600 and typically features a 1.5 litre petrol engine and a manual or semi-automatic gearbox.

Insurance for a Mini One Clubman is £660* on average.

Mini Convertible

1993 – present

With an electric roof, the Mini Convertible is a perfect choice for drivers who love the wind in their hair.

A convertible Mini was first offered by Rover in 1993, then known as the Mini Cabriolet. BMW’s Mini Convertible came on the scene in 2004 and is based on the three-door Mini Hatchback, with the Fiat 500c counting among its main rivals.

The Mini Convertible starts at just over £20,000, giving you the 1.5 Cooper Classic 2-dr version, which comes with a 1.5 litre petrol engine and manual gearbox.

If you’re prepared to splash out to get more power and high-performance, the Mini Convertible is also available as a two-door Cooper S Shadow or John Cooper Works. Both come with manual or semi-automatic gearboxes, and are priced in the region of £28,000 to £32,000.

Insurance for a Mini Convertible varies quite a bit due to the wide range of models available and their varying price levels, though £568* is the average.

Mini Countryman

2010 - present

As a small SUV, the Mini Countryman is larger than both the Mini Hatchback and the Mini Clubman estate.

If you want the freedom of going off road or think you want more peace of mind on those snowy days, you could opt for a Countryman with an electronically controlled ALL4 all-wheel-drive system. First introduced by Mini in 2010, it launched a second generation of the model in 2017 and subsequently gave the Countryman a facelift in 2020.

These days, there’s a lot of choice in the small SUV space, with the Mini Countryman pitted against the likes of the Volkswagen T-Roc, the Audi Q2, the Seat Arona and the Ford Puma.

The Mini Countryman starts from just over £23,000 for the 1.5 Cooper Classic 5dr model, with its 1.5 litre petrol engine and manual gearbox.

There are various pricier versions of the Mini Countryman if you are looking for more power. They include the 2.0 Cooper S Shadow Edition 5dr Auto, with its 2-litre petrol engine and a semi-automatic gearbox, which will set you back about £32,000. You can also choose from various plug-in electric hybrid (PHEV) Mini Countryman models, which start at about £33,600.

Insurance costs around £346* for a Countryman Cooper or £803* for a Countryman PHEV Cooper S E Classic ALL4 on average.

Mini John Cooper Works

2008 - present

The John Cooper Works (JCW) is a range of high-performance Minis.

Each of the different Mini body styles has their own JCW version. These Minis are developed by John Cooper Works, an in-house company responsible for tuning and developing such special editions.

John Cooper Works was originally founded in 2002 by Michael Cooper, son of John Cooper, who developed the original Mini Cooper. Under BMW, Mini acquired the company in 2008 and soon launched the Mini John Cooper Works, with its impressive, turbocharged engine.

The latest model represents Mini’s third generation of JCWs, having upped the power and performance with each successive incarnation of the car. If you’re looking for a car with Mini’s most powerful engines, the John Cooper Works starts at about £27,000. The JCW is available as a 3-door Hatch, 5-door Hatch, Convertible, Clubman or Countryman.

Insurance for a Mini John Cooper Works costs £1,024* on average.