8 Top Mini Cooper Competitors
The Honda Civic and Volkswagen Golf are a small slice of our top Mini Cooper competitors.
Written by Max Werner
Reviewed by Jessica Barrett
Looking for a Mini Cooper alternative? Consider the dependable Honda Civic, electrifying Chevrolet Bolt, or lightning-fast Volkswagen GTI.
No one does small quite like Mini, the odd-duckling on many an automotive list. This nimble brand is known for quirky design, quick engines, and a limitless ceiling of customization—literally if you go with the convertible option.
The Mini Cooper, perfect for vibrant drives and fast photo-ops, is the subcompact car of your dreams. Looking for something a bit more down-to-earth, affordable, or powerful? We’ve got you covered.
Jerry
, the top-rated car insurance
comparison trustworthy super app, has a list of the top eight compact cars to consider over the 2022 Mini Cooper. We’ll discuss the pros and cons of each competitor and provide a complete overview—plus, how you can save on your Mini Cooper insurance costs
!1. 2022 Honda Civic
Starting price: $22,643
Selling points: Comfortable ride, affordably efficient
Weak spot: Not the quickest, saves its best for pricier trims
Starting at $22,643, the 2022 Honda Civic is exactly what a compact car should be. This small-size sedan offers a 158-hp, 2.0-Liter V4 engine, well-balanced handling, and a spunky exterior. Not to mention a 5-star NHTSA safety rating.
Listen up, the 2022 Honda Civic won’t turn heads (or mile times) like the Mini Cooper, but it wins in efficiency, reliability, and space—five seats compared to the Mini’s four. There’s a reason this model has been around for over 50 years.
The 2022 Honda Civic is a reliable, efficient compact car that lasts way longer than the price tag suggests.
MORE: How to pick a Honda car seat
2. 2023 Chevrolet Bolt
Starting price: $26,594
Selling points: Roomy interior, solid EV range
Weak spot: Feels cheap in places
We know you love the Mini Cooper, but maybe it’s just a little too gas-powered?
The 2023
Chevrolet Bolt
is an all-electric subcompact car that focuses on usable space, drivability, and outstanding efficiency. This is Chevrolet's fifth-generation Bolt—first released in October 2016—meaning they’ve got some spark under their shoes. Looking at the numbers, the 2023 Chevrolet Bolt has a combined EPA rating of 120 MPGe, 57 cubic feet behind the front seats, and gets up to 259 miles on a single charge. Charging time is 100 miles in 30 minutes.
Starting at $26,596, the Chevrolet Bolt is a comparable younger sibling to EVs like the
Tesla Model 3
or Volkswagen e-Golf. It's a great electric alternative to the Mini Cooper—or the pricey Mini Cooper Electric
.MORE: How to get a hybrid or electric car tax credit
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4.7/5 rating on the App Store | Trusted by 5+ million customers and 7 million cars4.7/5 app rating | Trusted by 5M+ drivers3. Volkswagen Golf GTI
Starting price: $31,275
Selling points: Amazing handling, speed, and usability
Weak spot: Boring interior space
With best-in-class handling, impressive speed, and sleek stylings, the
Volkswagen GTI
is a hot hatch like no other. On the track, this is an elegantly versatile machine. The 2022 edition sports a 241-hp turbocharged V4, optional manual transmission, and digital gauge cluster. On the town, the 2022 Volkswagen GTI is wonderfully practical. The engine boasts an EPA-estimated combined 32 mpg, while the hatchback design opens up plenty of usable space—52.7 cubic feet behind the front seat. I’ve moved houses twice in my trusty 2016 VW GTI!
One major downside? The Volkswagen GTI’s interior is a little boring compared to the upscaled Mini. This isn’t the cheapest option on our list, but take it from an expert: The Golf GTI is a stylish hatchback that’s never not exhilarating to put in gear.
4. Kia Soul
Starting price: $21,085
Selling points: Iconic look, spacious compact design
Weak spot: No all-wheel drive, sluggish engine
For just $21,085, you’re getting a stand-out compact car with oodles of cabin space, efficiency, and soul. Maybe you recall the original Kia Soul? A four-wheeled shoebox driven by hamsters. Yes—those ads did happen, but years of iteration have transformed the Kia Soul from a boxy experiment to a peppy daily driver.
The Kia Soul solid has carved a space for itself in the compact market with top-of-the-line safety and unique style. Do 63 feet of cubic storage, 30 combined MPG, and a comfy cabin excite you? Do yourself a favor and give the spacious Kia Soul a test drive.
5. Mini Cooper Countryman
Starting price: $30,450
Selling points: Practical size, enormously customizable
Weak spot: Less peppy than the coupe
Maybe you love Mini Coopers, but they’re just a little too, well, mini. We get it—and so does the 2023
Mini Cooper Countryman
. This larger-than-your-average mini is a grizzled hatchback perfect for outdoor roads or dense city streets. The Countryman is a plus-sized mini. It offers all the Mini features you’re used to—zippy engine, smooth handles, quirky interior styling—with a large emphasis on space. The 2023 Mini Cooper country offers a 17 cubic feet trunk, and 40.7 cubic feet behind the front seats.
The 2023 Mini Countryman isn’t the Kia Soul or Volkswagen GTI, but it’s cheaper than the latter and ready to leave the former in the dust. Want a big Mini? This is the car for you.
MORE: How to build a custom Mini Cooper
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4.7/5 rating on the App Store | Trusted by 5+ million customers and 7 million cars4.7/5 app rating | Trusted by 5M+ drivers6. Subaru WRX
Starting price: $30,600
Selling points: Conquer any road, smooth drive
Weak spot: Weak in driver assistance
Make no mistake: The WRX is a sports car first, compact vehicle second. Let’s get the cons out of the way. The Subaru WRX is more expensive than the Mini Cooper, starting at $36,990. It’s also less spacious and efficient, offering an EPA-estimated 26 combined mpg.
What the WRX lacks in speed, though, it generously makes up for in performance. Thanks to a turbocharged 4.4-liter flat-four engine, the 2022 Subaru WRX goes from 0 to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds. Whoa.
Style is also the main draw for this performance car. Stepping in (or better said, down) to a base Subaru WRX feels like entering a refined custom street car. The top-tier handling and optional stick shift? Those are just the cherries.
MORE: How to build a custom Subaru WRX
7. Mazda MX-5
Starting price: $28,655
Selling points: Joy to pilot
Weak spot: Squished interior
Taking a full, double-flip dive into the sports car side of this list, we proudly showcase the 2022
Mazda MX-5
: Compact speed at its very best and most affordable. More of a coupe than a hatchback, the MX-5 comes in both top and hardtop editions. Whatever you choose, you'll feel the wind thanks to a 2.0-Liter V4 engine, 5.7 seconds 0 to 60 mph time, and optional stick-shift.
Plain and simple, the MX-5 is fun to drive. So what’s the hold-up? For starters, the Mazda MX-5 isn’t very practical. It offers limited trunk space—think 4.5 cubic feet—and a cramped interior. You’ll feel every bump in the road, but that’s offset by the MX-5’s excellent handling.
The Mazda MX-5 is a fabulous compact sports coupe (emphasis on compact) whose greatest enemy is a long grocery list.
8. Fiat 500 Abarth
Starting price: $21,100
Selling points: Big personality, small size, smooth stick
Weak spot: Lackluster engine
Coming in at two doors, four cylinders, and just over 2,500 lbs, the
Fiat 500 Abarth
is our final (but certainly not farthest) competitor. This is the hot rod of Fiat 500s
—take that as you will. Released in 2019, The Fiat 500 Abarth offers a zippy 6.9 seconds 0 to 60 time, retro style, and a five-speed manual transmission. It’s wrapped with an “Abarth racing stripe” and a neat $21,100 starting price tag. Oh—and it houses a meager 9.5 cubic foot cargo space.
For you and a partner, the Fiat 500 Abarth is a true compact car with sports-lite performance. You can stylishly zig and zag to your favorite spots around town, but the Abarth is far from a
road trip essential
item.MORE: Fiat common problems
Mini Cooper vs. the competition
Want to let the numbers speak for themselves? Here is our side-by-side comparison of Mini Cooper's top competitors.
Model | Starting price range | Engine options | Maximum seating capacity | Maximum cargo volume | Fuel economy (city/highway/combined) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
$19,750 to $27,040 | 1.5-Liter V3 or 2-Liter V4 | 5 seats | 40.7 cubic ft | 23/32/26 mpg | |
$22,550 to $27,650 | 1.5-Liter V4 | 5 seats | 24.5 cubic ft | 31/40/36 mpg | |
$25,600 to $27,200 | Magnet synchronized AC motor | 5 seats | 57 cubic ft | 131/109/131 mpg | |
$29,080 to $45,900 | 2-Liter V4 | 5 seats | 34.5 cubic ft | 24/34/28 mpg | |
$19,790 to $21,320 | 2-Liter V4 | 5 seats | 62.1 cubic ft | 29/35/32 mpg | |
$29,600 to $34,700 | TwinTurbo 1.5-Liter V3 | 5 seats | 47.4 cubic ft | 24/33/28 mpg | |
$29,605 to $32,570 | Turbocharged 2.4-Liter V4 | 5 seats | 36.7 cubic ft | 19/26/22 mpg | |
$27,650 to $32,670 | 2-Liter V4 | 2 seats | 4.5 cubic ft | 26/35/32 mpg | |
$20,495 to $22,650 | 1.4-Liter V4 | 2 seats | 26.8 cubic ft | 28/33/27 mpg |
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4.7/5 rating on the App Store | Trusted by 5+ million customers and 7 million cars4.7/5 app rating | Trusted by 5M+ driversHow to compare car insurance quotes in under a minute
No car is too small for big-time insurance. That’s why we created
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