I test-drove one (Cooper S) that was about 3 years old, with average miles, a scuffed interior, and nothing else particularly special, and the asking was right at $20K. And to be honest, I wasn't really impressed. It didn't pull any harder than a standard Duratec (didn't feel like it, anyway), I didn't like the clutch, and it seemed like the roofline was two feet forward of my head.

"Think of it, if you like, as a librarian with a G-string under the tweed." Clarkson on the Mondeo.