Compare the2022 Kia SportageVS 2022 MINI Cooper Clubman

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Kia Sportage 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 Clubman doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The Sportage’s optional 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 Clubman 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 Sportage’s optional rear 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 Clubman doesn’t offer a cross-path warning system.

Both the Sportage and the Cooper Clubman 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, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and rear parking sensors.

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, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its available headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Sportage the rating of “Top Pick” for 2021, a rating granted to only 137 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Cooper Clubman has not been tested, yet.

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

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Sportage 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than MINI covers the Cooper Clubman. 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 Clubman ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

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

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Sportage first among compact suvs in their 2021 Initial Quality Study. The Cooper Clubman isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than MINI vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia 6th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 4 more problems per 100 vehicles, MINI is ranked 10th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than MINI vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia third in reliability, above the industry average. With 28 more problems per 100 vehicles, MINI is ranked 17th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than MINI vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 8 places higher in reliability than MINI.

The Sportage has 3.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Cooper Clubman (16.4 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Kia Sportage higher (5 to 7 out of 10) than the MINI Cooper Clubman (3 to 7). This means the Sportage produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Cooper Clubman every 15,000 miles.

For better stopping power the Sportage SX Turbo’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Cooper Clubman:

The Sportage stops shorter than the Cooper Clubman:

For better traction, the Sportage SX Turbo’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Cooper Clubman (245/45R19 vs. 225/45R17).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Sportage is 2.1 inches wider in the front and 2.5 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Cooper Clubman.

For better maneuverability, the Sportage’s turning circle is 2.3 feet tighter than the Cooper Clubman’s (34.8 feet vs. 37.1 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Sportage has a 1.2 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Cooper Clubman (6.8 vs. 5.6 inches), allowing the Sportage to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The design of the Kia Sportage amounts to more than styling. The Sportage has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .33 Cd. That is lower than the Cooper Clubman (.33 to .35) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Sportage get better fuel mileage.

The Sportage has 6.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Cooper Clubman (98.6 vs. 92.5).

The Sportage has .1 inches more front legroom, 2.4 inches more front shoulder room, 1.1 inches more rear headroom, 3.9 inches more rear legroom and 2.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Cooper Clubman.

The Sportage has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Cooper Clubman with its rear seat up (30.7 vs. 17.5 cubic feet). The Sportage has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Cooper Clubman with its rear seat folded (60.1 vs. 47.9 cubic feet).

The Sportage’s cargo area is larger than the Cooper Clubman’s in almost every dimension:

The Sportage’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The Cooper Clubman’s two swing out doors impair rear visibility, need a lot of clearance, and can block loading in tight quarters.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the Sportage EX/SX Turbo has a standard power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button or just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, completely leaving your hands free. The Cooper Clubman doesn’t offer a power cargo door.

The Sportage has a 2000 lbs. towing capacity. The Cooper Clubman has no towing capacity.

The Sportage offers a 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 Clubman doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The Sportage’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 Clubman’s standard power windows.

The Sportage’s standard power window controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The Cooper Clubman’s available power window controls are down in the center of the dashboard, away from the windows and mixed with controls for unrelated features.

The Smart Key optional on the Sportage allows you to unlock the driver’s door, cargo door and start the engine all without removing a key from pocket or purse. This eliminates searching for keys before loading groceries, getting in the vehicle in bad weather or making a hurried start to your trip. The MINI Cooper Clubman’s Comfort Access doesn’t unlock the trunk.

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

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Sportage has standard extendable sun visors. The Cooper Clubman doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the Sportage (except LX/Nightfall) keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Cooper Clubman doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

On extremely cold winter days, the Sportage’s optional (except LX/Nightfall) heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The Cooper Clubman doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

Insurance will cost less for the Sportage owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Sportage will cost $1010 to $3430 less than the Cooper Clubman over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Sportage is less expensive to operate than the Cooper Clubman because typical repairs cost much less on the Sportage than the Cooper Clubman, including $124 less for a water pump, $46 less for front brake pads, $335 less for a starter, $269 less for a fuel pump, $109 less for front struts and $289 less for a timing belt/chain.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Kia Sportage will be $6043 to $6477 less than for the MINI Cooper Clubman.

The Kia Sportage has won recognition from these important consumer publications: