Compare the2021 Honda Clarity Fuel CellVS 2021 MINI Cooper SE

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Honda Clarity Fuel Cell are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The MINI Cooper SE doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Clarity Fuel Cell deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Clarity Fuel Cell’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Cooper SE’s airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The Clarity Fuel Cell’s lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer a lane departure warning system.

The Clarity Fuel Cell’s blind spot mirrors use wide-angle convex mirrors mounted in the corner of each side view mirror to reveal objects that may be in the driver’s blind spots. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer a system to reveal objects in the driver’s blind spots.

Both the Clarity Fuel Cell and the Cooper SE have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights and rearview cameras.

The Honda Clarity Fuel Cell weighs 981 pounds more than the MINI Cooper SE. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts. Crosswinds also affect lighter cars more.

Honda’s powertrain warranty covers the Clarity Fuel Cell 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than MINI covers the Cooper SE. Any repair needed on the motor, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Cooper SE ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 9 times as many Honda dealers as there are MINI dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Clarity Fuel Cell’s warranty.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than MINI vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 18 places higher in reliability than MINI.

The Clarity Fuel Cell’s electric motor produces 22 lbs.-ft. more torque (221 vs. 199) than the Cooper SE’s electric motor.

The Clarity Fuel Cell’s maximum driving range on a tank of hydrogen is 360 miles (producing zero emissions other than water), over three times as far as the Cooper SE’s 110-mile range. After it exhausts its hydrogen, the Mirai can then refuel in a few minutes, while the Cooper SE has to recharge for 36 minutes for only an 80% charge at a specially configured quick charge station not available in most areas. A full recharge at a conventional charging station can take up to 24 hours.

For better traction, the Clarity Fuel Cell has larger tires than the Cooper SE (235/45R18 vs. 195/55R16).

The Clarity Fuel Cell’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Cooper SE’s standard 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Clarity Fuel Cell has standard 18-inch wheels. Only 16-inch wheels are available on the Cooper SE.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Clarity Fuel Cell’s wheelbase is 10.1 inches longer than on the Cooper SE (108.3 inches vs. 98.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Clarity Fuel Cell is 3.7 inches wider in the front and 4 inches wider in the rear than on the Cooper SE.

The Clarity Fuel Cell handles at .81 G’s, while the Cooper SE Iconic pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Clarity Fuel Cell a Mid-size car, while the Cooper SE is rated a Subcompact.

The Clarity Fuel Cell has standard seating for 5 passengers; the Cooper SE can only carry 4.

The Clarity Fuel Cell has 22 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Cooper SE (102 vs. 80).

The Clarity Fuel Cell has .8 inches more front legroom, 9 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear headroom, 5.9 inches more rear legroom and 9.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Cooper SE.

When two different drivers share the Clarity Fuel Cell, the memory seats make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer memory seats.

The Clarity Fuel Cell’s standard power windows have a locking feature to keep children from operating them. MINI does not offer a locking feature on the Cooper SE’s standard power windows.

Both the Clarity Fuel Cell and the Cooper SE have standard heated front seats. The Clarity Fuel Cell also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Cooper SE.

The Clarity Fuel Cell has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

For greater rear passenger comfort, the Clarity Fuel Cell has standard rear a/c vents to keep rear occupants more comfortable. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer rear vents.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Honda Clarity Fuel Cell, based on reliability, safety and performance.