The Volkswagen Beetle and Mini Cooper are both perky, fun-to-drive small cars that have far more of a focus on the design statement—and the suggested lifestyle that goes with it, perhaps—than other models in such an affordable price range.
Both of these models were born out of the retro-revival movement that swept across the auto industry in the late 1990s and, to varying degrees, appealed to Baby Boomers’ nostalgia over formative models from their youth.