Compare the2023 Subaru ImprezaVS 2023 MINI Cooper Clubman

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Subaru Impreza 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.

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 Impreza are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Cooper Clubman doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Impreza has standard Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Cooper Clubman doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Impreza Limited has standard Reverse Automatic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Cooper Clubman doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Impreza. But it costs extra on the Cooper Clubman.

The Impreza (except Base)’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 Impreza (except Base)’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 Impreza and the Cooper Clubman have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, rear parking sensors 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 headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Impreza the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2022, a rating granted to only 175 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Cooper Clubman has not been tested, yet.

Subaru’s powertrain warranty covers the Impreza 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than MINI covers the Cooper Clubman. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Cooper Clubman ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 6 times as many Subaru dealers as there are MINI dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Impreza’s warranty.

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Impreza lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability (That’s why Porsche uses boxer engines.). The Cooper Clubman doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

On the EPA test cycle the Impreza 5-door gets better mileage than the Cooper Clubman:

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

The Impreza offers an optional continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Cooper Clubman doesn’t offer a CVT.

For better maneuverability, the Impreza’s turning circle is 1.7 feet tighter than the Cooper Clubman’s (35.4 feet vs. 37.1 feet).

The Subaru Impreza may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 350 to 450 pounds less than the MINI Cooper Clubman.

The design of the Subaru Impreza amounts to more than styling. The Impreza has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .29 Cd. That is significantly lower than the Cooper Clubman (.33 to .35) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Impreza get better fuel mileage.

The Impreza 5-door has 8.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Cooper Clubman (100.9 vs. 92.5).

The Impreza 5-door has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Cooper Clubman with its rear seat up (20.8 vs. 17.5 cubic feet). The Impreza 5-door has a much larger trunk with its rear seat folded than the Cooper Clubman with its rear seat folded (55.3 vs. 47.9 cubic feet).

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the Impreza easier. The Impreza’s trunk lift-over height is 26 inches, while the Cooper Clubman’s liftover is 27.2 inches.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Impreza. The Cooper Clubman doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The engine in the Impreza is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Cooper Clubman. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

The Impreza Auto 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 Impreza’s standard power windows have a locking feature to keep children in the rear seat from operating them. MINI does not offer a locking feature on the Cooper Clubman’s standard power windows.

The Impreza’s front power windows open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Cooper Clubman’s front passenger window doesn’t close automatically.

The Impreza’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.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Impreza’s available exterior PIN entry system (not available on Impreza Base). The Cooper Clubman doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

Keyless Entry and Start optional on the Impreza (except Base) allows you to unlock the driver’s door, trunk 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 Impreza 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.

The Cooper Clubman’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The Impreza Limited’s standard adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

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

The Subaru Impreza comes in sedan and station wagon bodystyles; the MINI Cooper Clubman isn’t available as a sedan.

Insurance will cost less for the Impreza owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Impreza will cost $1920 to $6710 less than the Cooper Clubman over a five-year period.

The Impreza will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Impreza will retain 53.58% to 57.04% of its original price after five years, while the Cooper Clubman only retains 49.17% to 51.06%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Impreza is less expensive to operate than the Cooper Clubman because typical repairs cost much less on the Impreza than the Cooper Clubman, including $104 less for a water pump, $117 less for a muffler, $35 less for front brake pads, $2 less for a starter, $155 less for a fuel pump, $247 less for a timing belt/chain and $904 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Subaru Impreza will be $13377 to $19509 less than for the MINI Cooper Clubman.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Subaru Impreza, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Subaru Impreza outsold the MINI Cooper Clubman by over 12 to one during 2022.