Compare the2022 MINI Cooper Hardtop 4 DoorVS 2020 Honda Civic Si

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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The MINI Cooper Hardtop 4 Door has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Civic Si doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door has a standard PostCrash iBrake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Civic Si 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 Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Civic Si doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door and the Civic Si 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, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems and rearview cameras.

Warranty

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Civic Si’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Civic Si’s (12 vs. 5 years).

MINI pays for scheduled maintenance on the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door for 3 years and 36,000 miles. MINI will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Honda doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Civic Si.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door first among compact sporty cars in their 2020 Initial Quality Study. The Civic Si 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 Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks MINI 16th in initial quality. With 3 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 19th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that MINI vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks MINI 17th in reliability. With 20 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 27th.

Engine

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door S’ standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 14 lbs.-ft. more torque (206 vs. 192) than the Civic Si’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door gets better mileage than the Civic Si:

			MPG
Cooper Hardtop 4 Door
	Manual	1.5 turbo 3-cyl.	27 city/37 hwy
	Auto	1.5 turbo 3-cyl.	29 city/38 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	28 city/38 hwy
Civic Si
		1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	26 city/36 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Civic Si doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stop lights the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be disabled at the start of a trip. The Civic Si doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

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 Honda Civic Si (3). This means the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Civic Si every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door offers an optional automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. The Civic Si doesn’t offer an automatic 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 Civic Si doesn’t offer an SMG.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door S Auto’s optional launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Civic Si doesn’t offer launch control.

Tires and Wheels

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Civic Si doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door Base has a standard space-saver spare (not available on S) so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Civic Si; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

Suspension and Handling

For better maneuverability, the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s turning circle is 1.6 feet tighter than the Civic Si’s (36.2 feet vs. 37.8 feet).

Chassis

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door is 2 feet shorter than the Civic Si Sedan, 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 Civic Si doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door has 2.4 inches more front headroom and .7 inches more rear headroom than the Civic Si Sedan.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s rear seats recline. The Civic Si’s rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

To allow full utilization of available cargo room, the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s hatch uses gas strut supported hinges that don’t intrude into the cargo area. The Civic Si’s useful trunk space is reduced by its intrusive beam hinge.

Servicing Ease

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Civic Si uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that MINI service is better than Honda. J.D. Power ranks MINI 9th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 18% lower rating, Honda is ranked 20th.

Ergonomics

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Civic Si doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Civic Si’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

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 Civic Si 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 Civic Si doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Civic Si doesn’t offer cornering lights.

When the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door with available tilt-down mirrors is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The Civic Si’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Civic Si offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

On extremely cold winter days, the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s optional (except Classic) heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the car heater warms up. The Civic Si doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s available GPS navigation system has a real-time traffic update feature that plots alternative routes to automatically bypass traffic problems. (Service not available in all areas.) The Civic Si’s available navigation system doesn’t offer real-time traffic updates.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the MINI Cooper Iconic has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Civic Si doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s optional Parking Assistant can parallel park by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Civic Si doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Model Availability

The MINI Cooper comes in coupe, convertible and four door hatchback bodystyles; the Honda Civic Si isn’t available as a convertible.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door with a number “5” insurance rate while the Civic Si is rated higher at a number “10” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door is less expensive to operate than the Civic Si because typical repairs cost less on the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door than the Civic Si, including $72 less for a starter.

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 Civic Si isn’t in the top three.