Compare the2023 Chevrolet CamaroVS 2023 MINI Cooper Hardtop 2 Door

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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The Camaro (except LS/LT1)’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 Hardtop 2 Door 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 Camaro (except LS/LT1)’s optional Rear Cross Traffic Alert uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

Both the Camaro and the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available collision warning systems and rear parking sensors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Chevrolet Camaro is safer than the MINI Cooper Hardtop 2 Door:

	Camaro	Cooper Hardtop 2 Door
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	32%	36%
Neck Stress	212 lbs.	318 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Chevrolet Camaro is safer than the MINI Cooper Hardtop 2 Door:

	Camaro	Cooper Hardtop 2 Door
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	233	293
Chest Movement	1 inches	1.1 inches
Abdominal Force	155 lbs.	181 lbs.
Hip Force	199 lbs.	352 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	3 Stars
HIC	285	704
Spine Acceleration	46 G’s	80 G’s
Hip Force	511 lbs.	935 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	11 inches	12 inches
HIC	237	315
Hip Force	771 lbs.	912 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Camaro is 1.8% less likely to roll over than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door.

Warranty

Chevrolet’s powertrain warranty covers the Camaro 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than MINI covers the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door. 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 Hardtop 2 Door ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 28 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are MINI dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Camaro’s warranty.

Reliability

The battery on the Camaro is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the Camaro’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than MINI vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 21 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 long-term dependability statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than MINI vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet above average in long-term dependability. With 21 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, MINI is rated lower.

Engine

The Camaro has more powerful engines than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door:

	Horsepower	Torque
Camaro 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder	275 HP	295 lbs.-ft.
Camaro 3.6 DOHC V6	335 HP	284 lbs.-ft.
Camaro LT1/SS 6.2 V8	455 HP	455 lbs.-ft.
Camaro ZL1 6.2 supercharged V8	650 HP	650 lbs.-ft.
Cooper Hardtop 2 Door 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder	134 HP	162 lbs.-ft.
Cooper Hardtop 2 Door S 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder	189 HP	206 lbs.-ft.
John Cooper Works Hardtop 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder	228 HP	235 lbs.-ft.

As tested in Motor Trend the Chevrolet Camaro is faster than the MINI Cooper Hardtop 2 Door (manual transmissions tested):

	Camaro turbo 4 cyl.	Camaro V6	Cooper Hardtop 2 Door turbo 3 cyl.	Cooper Hardtop 2 Door S
Zero to 60 MPH	5.2 sec	5 sec	7.4 sec	6.8 sec
Quarter Mile	13.9 sec	13.7 sec	15.9 sec	15 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	101 MPH	101.7 MPH	88.8 MPH	95.7 MPH

As tested in Car and Driver the Camaro ZL1 6.2 supercharged V8 is faster than the John Cooper Works Hardtop 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder (manual transmissions tested):

	Camaro	Cooper Hardtop 2 Door
Zero to 60 MPH	3.5 sec	6 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	7.9 sec	13.7 sec
Quarter Mile	11.7 sec	14.3 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	124 MPH	102 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Camaro V6/V8 Auto’s fuel efficiency. The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Chevrolet Camaro uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended with the 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder engine for maximum performance). The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Camaro has 7.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door (19 vs. 11.6 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Camaro has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Transmission

A 10-speed automatic is available on the Chevrolet Camaro, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Camaro’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door:

	Camaro LS/LT	Camaro ZL1	Cooper Hardtop 2 Door	John Cooper Works Hardtop
Front Rotors	12.6 inches	15.35 inches	11 inches	13.2 inches
Rear Rotors	12.4 inches	14.4 inches	10.2 inches	10.2 inches

The Camaro SS’ standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door are solid, not vented.

The Camaro stops much shorter than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door:

	Camaro	Cooper Hardtop 2 Door
80 to 0 MPH	192 feet	229 feet	Road and Track
70 to 0 MPH	137 feet	191 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	103 feet	126 feet	Road and Track

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Camaro has larger standard tires than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door (245/50R18 vs. 195/55R16). The Camaro ZL1 1LE Coupe’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door (F:305/30R19 & R:325/30R19 vs. 205/40R18).

The Camaro’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door’s standard 55 series tires. The Camaro SS 1LE/ZL1’s tires have a lower 30 series profile than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door’s optional 40 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Camaro has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door. The Camaro SS’ 20-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels optional on the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door.

The Camaro has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Camaro’s wheelbase is 12.5 inches longer than on the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door (110.7 inches vs. 98.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Camaro is 4.5 inches wider in the front and 4 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door.

The Camaro’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (51.9% to 48.1%) than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door’s (62.3% to 35.1%). This gives the Camaro more stable handling and braking.

The Camaro ZL1 1LE Coupe handles at 1.18 G’s, while the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door S pulls only .84 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Camaro SS Coupe executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 4 seconds quicker than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door (22.9 seconds @ .91 average G’s vs. 26.9 seconds @ .66 average G’s).

Passenger Space

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Camaro Coupe a Compact car, while the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door is rated a Subcompact.

The Camaro Coupe has 12.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door (93 vs. 80.3).

The Camaro Coupe has 2.5 inches more front legroom, 1.1 inches more front hip room, 4.4 inches more front shoulder room and 2.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door.

Cargo Capacity

The Camaro Coupe has a larger trunk than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door with its rear seat up (9.1 vs. 8.7 cubic feet).

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Camaro. The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Camaro is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

The Camaro Auto has a standard 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 Hardtop 2 Door doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

When two different drivers share the Camaro (except LS/LT1), the optional memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Camaro (except LS/LT1)’s optional easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Camaro’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door John Cooper Works does not have a temperature gauge.

The Camaro’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the Camaro (except LS/LT1) keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Camaro owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Camaro with a number “1” insurance rate while the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door is rated higher at a number “5” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Camaro is less expensive to operate than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door because typical repairs cost much less on the Camaro than the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door, including $34 less for a water pump, $223 less for a starter, $76 less for front struts, $109 less for a timing belt/chain and $658 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

Motor Trend selected the Camaro as their 2016 Car of the Year. The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door has never been chosen.

The Chevrolet Camaro outsold the MINI Cooper Hardtop 2 Door by over two to one during 2022.