Both the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door and the 2 Series Gran Coupe have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors and available front parking sensors.
Compare the2022 MINI Cooper Hardtop 4 DoorVS 2021 BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe


Safety
Reliability
J.D. Power and Associates rated the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door first among compact sporty cars in their 2020 Initial Quality Study. The 2 Series Gran Coupe isn’t in the top three in its category.
J.D. Power and Associates’ 2020 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that MINI vehicles are better in initial quality than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks MINI 16th in initial quality. With 2 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is ranked 18th.
Environmental Friendliness
In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the MINI Cooper Hardtop 4 Door higher (7 out of 10) than the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe (3 to 7). This means the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the 2 Series Gran Coupe every 15,000 miles.
Transmission
The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door offers a manual transmission for better acceleration, control and sportiness. The 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer a manual transmission.
The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door offers an optional sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer an SMG.
Suspension and Handling
For better maneuverability, the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s turning circle is 1.2 feet tighter than the 2 Series Gran Coupe’s (36.2 feet vs. 37.4 feet).
Chassis
The MINI Cooper Hardtop 4 Door may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 650 to 700 pounds less than the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe.
The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door is 1 foot, 8 inches shorter than the 2 Series Gran Coupe, making the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.
The front grille of the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer active grille shutters.
Passenger Space
The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door has .1 inches more front headroom and 1.8 inches more rear headroom than the 2 Series Gran Coupe.
For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s rear seats recline. The 2 Series Gran Coupe’s rear seats don’t recline.
Ergonomics
Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.
To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door has a standard rear wiper. The 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer a rear wiper.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s available headlights were rated “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the 2 Series Gran Coupe’s headlights are rated “Marginal” to “Poor.”
To shield the driver’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side window, the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door has a standard extendable sun visor. The 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer extendable visors.
Model Availability
The MINI Cooper comes in coupe, convertible and four door hatchback bodystyles; the BMW 2 Series Gran isn’t available as a coupe or convertible.
Recommendations
J.D. Power and Associates rated the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door first among compact sporty cars in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The 2 Series Gran Coupe isn’t in the top three.