2015 MINI John Cooper Works

The Car Guide (opens in a new tab) says the 2015 John Cooper Works moves to the all-new chassis and body style introduced on the standard Mini last year, making it larger in almost every dimension, and that it costs nearly $8,000 more than a comparable Cooper S. Car and Driver (opens in a new tab) says it arrives as a late 2015 model with a standard six-speed manual with automatic rev-matching during downshifts for the first time, and red-painted Brembo front calipers so large that the wheel offsets had to increase.

MotorTrend (opens in a new tab) adds that the 13.2-inch front rotors and fixed four-piston calipers are much larger than on the Cooper S, which needed a new wheel design to fit them. EPA lists the 2015 John Cooper Works family at 25 to 29 mpg combined and $2,650 to $3,100 a year in fuel, with front-wheel drive.

NHTSA lists two recall campaigns for the 2015 John Cooper Works. 15V450000 covers 2015 John Cooper Works hardtops that do not meet side impact requirements for rear-seat passengers, and dealers add energy-absorbing material between the rear interior panels and the body. 15V628000 covers a manufacturing error that may stop the passenger frontal air bag deploying properly in a low-speed crash, with a free air bag module replacement. NHTSA lists no complaints for the model, and Consumer Reports (opens in a new tab) rates the 2015 Cooper less reliable than other cars from the same model year.

EPA lists the 2015 John Cooper Works at 25 to 29 mpg combined and $2,650 to $3,100 a year in fuel. The 2015 Volkswagen Golf and GTI family lists 26 to 116 mpg or MPGe at $650 to $3,000, a range that includes the electric e-Golf. On gasoline the two sit close together.