Compare the2022 Toyota Prius PrimeVS 2022 MINI Cooper SE

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Prius Prime 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.

The Prius Prime has standard Active Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Prius Prime Limited has standard Parking Support Brake that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Prius Prime Limited’s blind spot warning system uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer a system to reveal objects in the driver’s blind spots.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Prius Prime Limited’s standard cross-path warning system uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer a cross-path warning system.

Both the Prius Prime and the Cooper SE have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear 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, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors and available rear parking sensors.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, rear impact and roof-crush tests, its standard front crash prevention system, its “Acceptable” rating in the new passenger-side small overlap crash test, and its headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Prius Prime the rating of “Top Pick” for 2019, a rating granted to only 162 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Cooper SE has not been tested, yet.

Toyota’s powertrain warranty covers the Prius Prime 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than MINI covers the Cooper SE. Any repair needed on the engine, 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 11 times as many Toyota dealers as there are MINI dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Prius Prime’s warranty.

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

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than MINI vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in reliability. MINI is ranked 23rd.

On the EPA test cycle the Prius Prime running on electricity gets better mileage than the Cooper SE (145 city/121 hwy vs. 119 city/100 hwy MPGe).

The Prius Prime’s maximum EPA estimated driving range on a full tank of fuel and a full charge is 652 miles, after which it can be refueled at any gas station in minutes. The Cooper SE’s range is only 114 miles, after which the minimum recharge time is 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 a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Prius Prime’s wheelbase is 8.1 inches longer than on the Cooper SE (106.3 inches vs. 98.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Prius Prime is 1.8 inches wider in the front and 1.8 inches wider in the rear than on the Cooper SE.

The Prius Prime’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (55.5% to 44.5%) than the Cooper SE’s (58.1% to 41.9%). This gives the Prius Prime more stable handling and braking.

For better maneuverability, the Prius Prime’s turning circle is 1.7 feet tighter than the Cooper SE’s (33.4 feet vs. 35.1 feet).

The design of the Toyota Prius Prime amounts to more than styling. The Prius Prime has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .25 Cd. That is significantly lower than the Cooper SE (.3) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Prius Prime get better fuel mileage.

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

The Prius Prime has standard seating for 5 passengers; the Cooper SE can only carry 4.

The Prius Prime has 11.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Cooper SE (91.5 vs. 80.3).

The Prius Prime has 1.8 inches more front legroom, 3.6 inches more front shoulder room, .3 inches more rear headroom, 2.6 inches more rear legroom and 5.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Cooper SE.

The Prius Prime has a much larger trunk with its rear seat up than the Cooper SE (19.8 vs. 8.7 cubic feet). The Prius Prime has a larger trunk with its rear seat folded than the Cooper SE with its rear seat folded (36.6 vs. 34 cubic feet).

The Prius Prime’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.

The Prius Prime 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 Prius Prime has standard rear heat vents to keep rear occupants more comfortable. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer rear vents.

Consumer Reports® chose the Toyota Prius Prime as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.