Compare the2022 Hyundai VelosterVS 2022 MINI Cooper Hardtop 2 Door

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests front crash prevention systems. With a score of 6 points, IIHS rates the Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist optional in the Veloster as “Superior.” The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door scores only 4 points and is rated only “Advanced.”

The Veloster’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 Hardtop 2 Door 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 Veloster’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 Hardtop 2 Door doesn’t offer a cross-path warning system.

Both the Veloster 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, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and driver alert monitors.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, with its optional vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, with its optional vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its available headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Veloster the rating of “Top Pick” for 2021, a rating granted to only 121 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door has not been fully tested, yet.

The Veloster comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Veloster 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than MINI covers the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 7 times as many Hyundai dealers as there are MINI dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Veloster’s warranty.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Veloster’s reliability 42 points higher than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2020 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than MINI vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai 10th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 21 more problems per 100 vehicles, MINI is ranked 16th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than MINI vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai 7th in reliability, above the industry average. With 24 more problems per 100 vehicles, MINI is ranked 17th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than MINI vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Hyundai 17 places higher in reliability than MINI.

The Veloster’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 141 more horsepower (275 vs. 134) and 98 lbs.-ft. more torque (260 vs. 162) than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door’s standard 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder. The Veloster’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 86 more horsepower (275 vs. 189) and 54 lbs.-ft. more torque (260 vs. 206) than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door S’ standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The Veloster’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 47 more horsepower (275 vs. 228) and 25 lbs.-ft. more torque (260 vs. 235) than the John Cooper Works Hardtop’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Hyundai Veloster is faster than the MINI Cooper Hardtop 2 Door (manual transmissions tested):

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Hyundai Veloster uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Veloster has 1.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door (13.2 vs. 11.6 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

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

The Veloster’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door are solid, not vented.

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

For better traction, the Veloster has larger tires than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door (235/35R19 vs. 175/65R15). The Veloster N’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door (235/35R19 vs. 205/40R18).

The Veloster’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door’s standard 65 series tires. The Veloster’s tires are lower profile than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door’s optional 40 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Veloster has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 15-inch wheels are standard on the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door. The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Veloster’s wheelbase is 6.1 inches longer than on the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door (104.3 inches vs. 98.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Veloster is 2.8 inches wider in the front and 2.8 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door.

The Veloster N handles at .99 G’s, while the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door S pulls only .84 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Veloster N executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.7 seconds quicker than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door (25.2 seconds @ .75 average G’s vs. 26.9 seconds @ .66 average G’s).

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Veloster N is quieter than the John Cooper Works Hardtop:

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

The Veloster has 9.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door (89.9 vs. 80.3).

The Veloster has 1.2 inches more front legroom, .7 inches more front hip room, 5.4 inches more front shoulder room, 3.3 inches more rear legroom and 6.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door.

The Veloster has a much larger trunk with its rear seat up than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door with its rear seat up (19.9 vs. 8.7 cubic feet). The Veloster has a much larger trunk with its rear seat folded than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door with its rear seat folded (44.5 vs. 34 cubic feet).

The Veloster Auto has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The Veloster’s standard power windows have a locking feature to keep children in the rear seat from operating them, but the driver can still raise and lower all of them with the lock engaged. MINI does not offer a locking feature on the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door’s standard power windows.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Veloster has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Insurance will cost less for the Veloster owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Veloster with a number “3” 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 Veloster is less expensive to operate than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door because it costs $36 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Veloster than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door, including $180 less for a water pump, $97 less for a muffler, $55 less for front brake pads, $205 less for a starter, $41 less for fuel injection, $153 less for a fuel pump, $69 less for front struts, $453 less for a timing belt/chain and $597 less for a power steering pump.

The Veloster N was chosen as one of Automobile Magazine’s “All Stars” in 2019. The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door has never been an “All Star.”