Compare the2018 Volkswagen BeetleVS 2018 MINI Cooper Hardtop 2 Door

The Beetle has standard Automatic Post-Collision Braking System, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The Beetle Coast/SE’s blind spot warning system uses digital cameras monitored by computer to alert the driver to moving objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door doesn’t offer a system to reveal objects in the driver’s blind spots.

To help make backing safer, the Beetle Coast/SE’s cross-path warning system uses wide-angle radar in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door doesn’t offer a cross-path warning system.

The Beetle SE has standard Car-Net, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to get turn-by-turn driving directions, remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Beetle and the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras and available rear parking sensors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Volkswagen Beetle is safer than the MINI Cooper Hardtop 2 Door:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The Beetle comes with a full 6-year/72000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car. The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years and 22000 miles sooner.

There are over 5 times as many Volkswagen dealers as there are MINI dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Beetle’s warranty.

The Volkswagen Beetle’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door’s engines use an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2017 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Volkswagen vehicles are better in initial quality than MINI vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Volkswagen 10th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 1 more problems per 100 vehicles, MINI is ranked 12th.

The Beetle’s 2.0 turbo 4 cyl. produces 40 more horsepower (174 vs. 134) and 22 lbs.-ft. more torque (184 vs. 162) than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door’s standard 1.5 turbo 3 cyl.

On the EPA test cycle the Beetle gets better fuel mileage than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door:

The Beetle has 2.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door (14.5 vs. 11.6 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Volkswagen Beetle comes standard with an automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. Automatic costs extra on the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door.

For better stopping power the Beetle’s standard front brake rotors are larger than those on the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door:

The Beetle stops much shorter than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door:

For better traction, the Beetle has larger standard tires than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door (215/55R17 vs. 175/65R15). The Beetle’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door (235/45R18 vs. 205/40R18).

The Beetle’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door’s standard 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Beetle has standard 16-inch wheels. Smaller 15-inch wheels are standard on the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Beetle’s wheelbase is 1.8 inches longer than on the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door (100 inches vs. 98.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Beetle is 3.4 inches wider in the front and 2.3 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door.

The Beetle’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (59.3% to 40.7%) than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door’s (61.1% to 38.9%). This gives the Beetle more stable handling and braking.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Beetle Dune Coupe is quieter than the John Cooper Works Hardtop:

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the Beetle Coupe is rated a Compact car by the EPA, while the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door is rated a Subcompact.

The Beetle Coupe has 5.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door (85.1 vs. 80).

The Beetle Coupe has 4.7 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear headroom, .6 inches more rear legroom and 1.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door.

The Beetle Coupe has a much larger trunk than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door with its rear seat up (15.4 vs. 8.7 cubic feet).

A standard locking glovebox keeps your small valuables safer in the Beetle. The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

For greater rear passenger comfort, the Beetle has standard rear heat vents to keep rear occupants more comfortable. The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door doesn’t offer rear vents.

Insurance will cost less for the Beetle owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Beetle with a number “1” insurance rate while the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door is rated higher at a number “5” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Beetle is less expensive to operate than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door because it costs $243 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost less on the Beetle than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door, including $20 less for front brake pads, $198 less for a fuel pump, $31 less for front struts, $46 less for a timing belt/chain and $197 less for a power steering pump.