Compare the2023 MINI Cooper SEVS 2023 Toyota bZ4X

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics

Safety

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Both the Cooper SE and the bZ4X have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger 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, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors and available front parking sensors.

Warranty

The Cooper SE comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The bZ4X’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Cooper SE’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the bZ4X’s (12 vs. 5 years).

MINI pays for scheduled maintenance on the Cooper SE for 1 year and 11000 miles longer than Toyota pays for maintenance for the bZ4X (3/36,000 vs. 2/25000).

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that MINI vehicles are better in initial quality than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks MINI above average in initial quality. With 4 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is rated lower.

Engine

As tested in Car and Driver the MINI Cooper SE is faster than the Toyota bZ4X AWD:

	Cooper SE	bZ4X
Zero to 60 MPH	6.1 sec	6.3 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	6.2 sec	6.4 sec
Quarter Mile	14.8 sec	14.9 sec

Brakes and Stopping

The Cooper SE stops shorter than the bZ4X:

	Cooper SE	bZ4X
70 to 0 MPH	169 feet	174 feet	Car and Driver

Tires and Wheels

The Cooper SE’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the bZ4X XLE’s standard 60 series tires. The Cooper SE Signature Plus/Iconic’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the bZ4X Limited’s 50 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Cooper SE offers an optional driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads. The bZ4X’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For better maneuverability, the Cooper SE’s turning circle is 4.9 feet tighter than the bZ4X’s (35.1 feet vs. 40 feet).

Chassis

The MINI Cooper SE may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1100 to 1300 pounds less than the Toyota bZ4X.

The Cooper SE is 2 feet, 8.9 inches shorter than the bZ4X, making the Cooper SE easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Cooper SE is 5.2 inches narrower than the bZ4X, making the Cooper SE easier to handle and maneuver in traffic.

The Cooper SE is 8.6 inches shorter in height than the bZ4X, making the Cooper SE much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

Cargo Capacity

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the Cooper SE easier. The Cooper SE’s trunk lift-over height is 25.4 inches, while the bZ4X’s liftover is 27.9 inches.

Servicing Ease

The Cooper SE uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The bZ4X 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 Toyota. J.D. Power ranks MINI fourth in service department satisfaction. With a 25% lower rating, Toyota is ranked 20th.

Ergonomics

The Cooper SE 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 bZ4X doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Cooper SE’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The bZ4X’s power window (except driver window) and power lock switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Cooper SE to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The bZ4X doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Cooper SE has a standard rear wiper. The bZ4X doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Cooper SE has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The bZ4X doesn’t offer cornering lights.

To better shield the driver’s vision, the Cooper SE has a standard dual-element sun visor that can block glare from two directions simultaneously. The bZ4X doesn’t offer a secondary sun visor.

When the Cooper SE 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 bZ4X’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Cooper SE’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 bZ4X has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Cooper SE has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the car heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the bZ4X.

The Cooper SE’s optional Parking Assistant can parallel park by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The bZ4X doesn’t offer an automated parking system.