Three Of The Smallest 2025 Cars, Tested
Here are three recently tested pint-sized vehicles I loved, and why.
2025 Mazda Miata MX-5
2024 Mazda MX-5
Unlike so many cars (and haircuts, and clothes) from the 80s and 90s which seem funny to us today, the long-in-the-tooth MX-5 Miata has never had an awkward stage in all this time, and the 2024 model is still one of the funnest, smartest and affordable peanut convertibles available.
What's New for 2025?
Light tweaks arrived last year like new exterior lighting elements, an updated grille, and improved wheel designs. A new 8.8-inch infotainment display replaced the outgoing 7.0-inch screen,
There's also a 35th Anniversary Edition - a limited-production edition celebrating the Miata's legacy and delivering exclusive design elements like Artisan Red Metallic paint and a tan Nappa leather interior. Pricing starts in the $29,000 range, all the way up to the late 30s with options and delivery charge.
Inside
It's a tight squeeze, as everyone knows. Getting in and out requires the bit of creativity no matter what size you are. There's almost no room for the little things we cart around, so into the little trunk they go. If you do an overnight, both of you will have to fit your stuff into one suitcase. The nav/audio/climate system worked well. The Miata isn't known for its kickin' audio system.
2025 Mazda MX-5
Mileage
It's got better-than-average mileage - 26 MPG City / 34 Highway / 29 Combined. I filled the tank from near-empty with a little more than 20 bucks.
The Drive
The thrill of the MX-5 has always involved sweetly smashing that standard shift, whipping through K-turns, slipping through tiny spaces in between the other cars and generally enjoying yourself. You're not ferocious in any way, but you get that delicious thrill and feeling of freedom the MX-5 provides.
You'll get some decent velocity at blast-offs by giving it lots of gas and winding quickly through the gears, but this is not a car that's in any type of hurry. You'll think you're doing 65 but you'll see you're only doing 45. Not a problem.
Would you want the MX-5 in a snowstorm? No. But that's true of any little sports car.
Room for improvement
The cabin is so loud even with the top up that conversation with a partner was difficult at speed. Also, other drivers with bigger rides instinctively know they can cut in front of you, and they're right.
2025 Mini Cooper Countryman SE ALL4
2025 Mini Countryman Electric
The 2025 Mini Cooper Countryman SE ALL4 is a splendid, can-do all-electric compact crossover SUV blending Mini's identifiable characteristics with modern electric performance. It's also not 'mini' as we understand the term. This electric model is new for 2025. But it must be included on this list.
Looks
It is large and lovely, with a length of about 175 inches and a width of 81.5 inches. It features customizable LED lighting elements, including daytime running lights and taillights which owners can personalize. The front grille is now an octagonal shape - a new design element for the 2025 model year - integrating sensors and cameras.
Inside
It's neat, minimal and they've put the window controls on each of the doors, where they belong. The interior materials include reasonably premium fabrics and Vescin leatherette, with options for massaging seats and a panoramic sunroof. Mini's 9.4-inch circular center display is on deck here, and it looks elegant when you finally get it to do as you wish.
2025 Mini Countryman Electric
As for tech, the Mini Operating System 9 supporting wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and an onboard Wi-Fi hotspot. This unique system also allows for personalized backgrounds and includes driving modes like Trail Mode, displaying a compass and inclinometer, for example.
Motor
You motivate via a 66 kWh battery, offering an EPA-estimated range of 212 miles, 204 miles with 19-inch wheels. That's on the low side. It supports DC fast charging up to 130 kW, enabling a 10% to 80% charge in under 30 minutes.
Price
The starting price for the 2025 Countryman SE ALL4 is $45,200, with higher trims and options increasing the cost to $51,145.
The Drive
This 'Mini' weighs 4,500 pounds so although the acceleration, steering and handling are on-point, it is quite the large vehicle and behaves as such. Acceleration from a dead stop is electric-hasty and thus handy and a lot of fun. But a zippy, mountain-carving unit this isn't, and that's ok. For reference, the original Mini weighed 1,250 pounds.
Options
Notable options include the customizable ambient lighting, a Harman Kardon sound system and various style packages that accentuate different vehicle features. Additionally, the vehicle offers a head-up display and massaging front seats.
Room for improvement
The range is on the low side compared with competitors. The ignition and drive selector are the tiniest you've ever seen in any car, anywhere. The infotainment system never remembered my Droid on each ride - one had to reconnect each trip using six steps. Most vehicles require you to sync just once, and you're connected throughout the test.
Safety
Safety features include standard automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assist, and optional adaptive cruise control with lane-centering.
2025 Fiat 500e
2025 FIAT 500e
As soon as I got to the end of the block during my first drive, I loved the Fiat 500e.
There was enough room inside, first, for both me and the 76-pound dog I was watching. Unlike the other vehicle I had at the time where the pooch just couldn't get settled or sit still, sometimes for two hours, she just sat, alert, in the 500e the entire time.
The other thing I loved was that, as in an MX-5, you just zip around any obstacle, quietly. Need to make a u-turn? You don't even think about it, just do it. You're also a welcome sight to most people. Being cute can have its advantages. Nobody on the road was pushy or disrespectful.
Now, the disadvantages. The 500e's 140-150 mile range is very much on the low side. This shouldn't be a problem – if there are fast-chargers along your route. What I found, though, when nearing Bear Mountain during the test was that of the 12 chargers listed in my map's software, 12 were also occupied. Ditto the four chargers nearest that.
I would have to head home and plug the 500e into the three-pronged outlet in the garage and leave it there at least 10 hours, which I really didn't mind. It's nice to think you can buy an electric car and just plug it into your house and not think about it.
What's New For 2025
The 500e was new as of last year, the previous model having been discontinued in the USA in 2019. There isn't any mechanical or performance difference between the 2024 and 2025 Fiat 500e, aside from a new Giorgio Armani Collector's Edition styling package added for this year.
Inside
2025 FIAT (500e) RED
It'll fit you and a partner and a big dog like mine or a couple of little kids. The big and tall adults, not so much. A generous 10.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system runs a Uconnect 5 software interface and the sound was punchy and satisfying. Overall, the interior is mod and pleasant and is outfitted with more stuff than was the outgoing model. You feel a bit like you're in a movie space pod.
Motor
You've got a single 87-kW permanent magnet electric motor, delivering the equivalent of 117 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque.
How much is it?
The 2025 Fiat 500e has a starting MSRP of $30,500, with the Giorgio Armani edition priced at $37,495, according to CarEdge and Kelley Blue Book. The base model, the 500e INSPI(RED), also starts at $30,500.
Performance Front-wheel drive is your only option, a plus for a little car when it has to ford snow or ice. You zip-zip as you will in any electric in parking lots and city streets, but acceleration is a slightly sluggish on highways - 60 mph is reached in about 8.5 seconds.
You've got three different regenerative modes—Normal, Range, and Sherpa, Sherpa being a sort of emergency electricity miser that'll numb all responses and keep your speed under 50 MPH, in aid of you making it to the next charger when you're low.
How's the drive?
The ride is firm but the cockpit's quiet. Keep a firm grip on the wheel over rough roads, or it'll snap right out of your hands. There isn't a whole lot else to say about the drive except that it matches the vehicle's size (tiny) and its motor (little.) One doesn't expect a screeching, spitting experience.
Conclusion? The experience delivered is exactly what's expected - a stylish little electric, done well.
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