MINI Towing Capacity by Model
On this page you can browse the 71 MINI cars, trucks, and SUVs across 2 unique MINI models that we have towing capacity and payload information for.
Use the links below to see more details in the MINI model you're interested in - sorted by year of production and then by trim.
How Good are MINI Vehicles for Towing?
As the diminutive brand name might suggest MINI is an auto manufacturer that specializes in compact cars. The company has in fact become iconic for their small cars which have appeared prominently in classic movies such as “The Italian Job.”
The Mini started out life as a model produced by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) starting in 1959. This small nippy car became an icon of the 1960s thanks to its space saving front-wheel drive layout which offered internal roominess while maintaining a small compact external look.
Much like the equally iconic German compact the Beetle, its looks have made it a popular design. The Mini in fact was voted the second most influential car of the 20th century after the Ford Model T.
The distinctive two-door Mini was designed by Sir Alec Issigonis and originally manufactured at the Longbridge and Cowley plants in England. Over the years several updates have been made and special edition Minis have hit the market. Mini versions have included an estate car, pickup truck, van and dune buggy known as the Mini Moke.
In the 1990s German automotive brand BMW was trying desperately to enter the compact car market which led to a series of concept vehicles. This was not working out well until in 1994 when the company bought the Rover Group. At this time the Mini brand was part of the Rover Group so in one purchase BMW now had a compact car division developed and ready to continue rolling.
So now we come to a big question for this little compact car, can it tow anything? Well let's be honest from the get go it was never the intention of the designers of Mini to produce a car that could pull trailers. It was a fun little run around type vehicle for 1960s models and if the Italian Job is to be believed, the perfect car to pull off a major heist in the tight streets of Italy.
Despite its small size however the Mini is not completely incapable of utility tasks. Admittedly you won’t see a mini pulling a big heavy trailer or motorhome but they can be used for smaller tasks such as a U-Haul trailer.
The most you will likely ever be able to pull with a Mini is somewhere in the region of 2,000 lbs. but this will depend on the model. You will also likely need a towing package fitted to make use of this limited power but it’s there if you do need it.