The MINI has won top honors in this years Small Car category after having lost by a narrow margin last year to the Ford Focus. One can only guess that having a MINI in it's long term test fleet helped Automobile narrow down the choice quickly. Here's an excerpt from the story:

“The Cooper and the supercharged Cooper S embrace the basic architecture that made the original Mini so indelible; independently suspended wheels pushed far out to the corners, chairlike seating for four under a tallish roof, a spirited little engine mounted transversely to drive the front wheels. There's also the expected passel of BMW safety and performance features, plus quality, reliability, and resale value. Spend a little, get a lot; drive small, smile big.”

At newsstands now.