Compare the2023 Kia SportageVS 2022 MINI Countryman

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 Countryman doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Sportage are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Countryman doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests front crash prevention systems. With a score of 6 points, IIHS rates the Autonomous Emergency Braking in the Sportage as “Superior.” The Countryman scores only 3 points and is rated only “Advanced.”

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Sportage Prestige has standard Parking Collision Avoidance-Reverse that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Countryman doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Sportage Prestige has a standard Surround View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Countryman only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

The Sportage EX/SX/Prestige/X-Line/X-Pro’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 and moves the vehicle back into its lane. The Countryman 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 EX/SX/Prestige/X-Line/X-Pro’s standard 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 Countryman doesn’t offer a cross-path warning system.

Both the Sportage and the Countryman 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, driver alert monitors and available all wheel drive.

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, its standard 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 Safety Pick” for 2022, a rating granted to only 155 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Countryman last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2017.

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 Countryman’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 Countryman. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Countryman ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 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’ 2022 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 fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 12 more problems per 100 vehicles, MINI is ranked 13th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than MINI vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 28 more problems per 100 vehicles, MINI is ranked 11th.

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’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 53 more horsepower (187 vs. 134) and 16 lbs.-ft. more torque (178 vs. 162) than the Countryman’s standard 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder.

For better traction, the Sportage has larger tires than the Countryman (235/65R17 vs. 225/55R17).

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Sportage’s wheelbase is 3.4 inches longer than on the Countryman (108.5 inches vs. 105.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Sportage is 2 inches wider in the front and 2.2 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Countryman.

For greater off-road capability the Sportage has a 1.8 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Countryman (8.3 vs. 6.5 inches), allowing the Sportage to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The front grille of the Sportage uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Countryman doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Sportage has 1 inch more front legroom, 5.8 inches more front shoulder room, 1.1 inches more rear headroom, 3.7 inches more rear legroom and 10.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Countryman.

The Sportage has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Countryman with its rear seat up (39.6 vs. 17.6 cubic feet). The Sportage has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Countryman with its rear seat folded (74.1 vs. 47.6 cubic feet).

The Sportage has a 2500 lbs. towing capacity. The Countryman has no towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the Sportage uses the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Countryman doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

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 Countryman doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

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 Countryman only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

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 Sportage’s available headlights were rated “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Countryman’s headlights are rated “Marginal” to “Poor.”

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 Countryman doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Sportage Prestige keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Countryman doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Kia Sportage outsold the MINI Countryman by over 9 to one during the 2021 model year.