USA Today is 25 in September 2007.

One of the ways in which they’re marking this milestone is by listing several top 25 lists under headings such as “25 Stocks you should have bought” and “25 Top musical milestones”. The MINI Cooper has been listed at number 15 in their 25 “Cars That Made a Difference” category.

The panel of judges stated

The 2002 MINI Cooper was proof you can sell a small car for a big price if you have the look and the legacy.

According to the report the USA TODAY auto team “wrangled mightily over which belonged on the list. But finally, a rough consensus emerged”.

While the MINI being listed at number 15 is without doubt an achievement, especially from a US publication, coming in after the likes of the Toyota Rav4 (Number 10), and Hummer H2 (14) and even the highly ranked Hyundai Excel (5) does take the shine off somewhat.

Then again, the same publications lists “There’s Something About Mary” and “Cable Guy” in their 25 “Movies with Real Impact“, while some more obvious choices, such as Schindler’s List don’t even get a look in.

You can see the full list on the USA Today website.