Compare the2023 MINI Cooper SEVS 2022 Toyota Prius Prime

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics

Safety

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The MINI Cooper SE has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The Cooper SE has a standard PostCrash iBrake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Both the Cooper SE and the Prius Prime have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front 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 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 Prius Prime’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 Prius Prime’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 Prius Prime (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

The Cooper SE’s electric motor produces 60 more horsepower (181 vs. 121) and 93 lbs.-ft. more torque (199 vs. 106) than the Prius Prime’s 1.8 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Car and Driver the MINI Cooper SE is faster than the Toyota Prius Prime:

	Cooper SE	Prius Prime
Zero to 60 MPH	6.1 sec	10.2 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	6.2 sec	10.2 sec
Passing 30 to 50 MPH	2.3 sec	4.7 sec
Passing 50 to 70 MPH	3.4 sec	7 sec
Quarter Mile	14.8 sec	17.7 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	91 MPH	79 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The Cooper SE can travel with zero emissions on a full charge for 114 miles. The Prius Prime has to start its internal combustion engine after only 25 miles.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the MINI Cooper SE higher (10 out of 10) than the Toyota Prius Prime (7). This means the Cooper SE produces up to 11.8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Prius Prime every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Cooper SE’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Prius Prime:

	Cooper SE	Prius Prime
Front Rotors	11.1 inches	10 inches
Rear Rotors	11 inches	10.2 inches

The Cooper SE stops much shorter than the Prius Prime:

	Cooper SE	Prius Prime
70 to 0 MPH	169 feet	184 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	119 feet	125 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Cooper SE Signature Plus/Iconic’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Prius Prime (205/45R17 vs. 195/65R15).

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 Prius Prime’s standard 65 series tires. The Cooper SE Signature Plus/Iconic’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Prius Prime’s 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Cooper SE has standard 16-inch wheels. Only 15-inch wheels are available on the Prius Prime. The Cooper SE Signature Plus/Iconic has standard 17-inch wheels.

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 Prius Prime’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Cooper SE Iconic handles at .85 G’s, while the Prius Prime Limited pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

Chassis

The MINI Cooper SE may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 200 to 250 pounds less than the Toyota Prius Prime.

The Cooper SE is 2 feet, 7.2 inches shorter than the Prius Prime, making the Cooper SE easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

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 Prius Prime’s liftover is 26.5 inches.

Servicing Ease

The Cooper SE uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Prius Prime 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’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Prius Prime’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The Cooper SE’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Prius Prime LE/XLE’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

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 Prius Prime 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 Prius Prime doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

The Cooper SE has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The Prius Prime has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the XLE/Limited.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Cooper SE has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Prius Prime 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 Prius Prime 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 Prius Prime’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 Prius Prime offers 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 is only available on the Prius Prime Limited.

The Cooper SE’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The Prius Prime doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.