Compare the2023 Kia SportageVS 2023 MINI Cooper Clubman

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 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 Sportage 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.

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 for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Cooper Clubman doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Sportage’s standard Downhill Brake Control allows you to creep down safely. The Cooper Clubman doesn’t offer Downhill Brake Control.

The Sportage Prestige has a standard Surround View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Cooper Clubman 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 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 Sportage EX/SX/Prestige/X-Line/X-Pro’s standard Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. The Cooper Clubman doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

Both the Sportage and the Cooper Clubman 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 175 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Cooper Clubman has not been tested, yet.

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 Cooper Clubman’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 Cooper Clubman. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Cooper Clubman 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.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia Sportage uses regular unleaded gasoline. The JCW Clubman requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Sportage has 1.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Cooper Clubman (14.3 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For better stopping power the Sportage’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Cooper Clubman:

For better traction, the Sportage has larger tires than the Cooper Clubman (235/65R17 vs. 225/45R17).

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

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Sportage is 2.4 inches wider in the front and 2.6 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Cooper Clubman.

The Sportage X-Pro Prestige handles at .84 G’s, while the Cooper Clubman pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For greater off-road capability the Sportage has a 2.7 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Cooper Clubman (8.3 vs. 5.6 inches), allowing the Sportage to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Sportage has 3 inches more front shoulder room, 1.4 inches more rear headroom, 7 inches more rear legroom and 2.8 inches more rear shoulder room than the Cooper Clubman.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Sportage’s rear seats recline. The Cooper Clubman’s rear seats don’t recline.

The Sportage has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Cooper Clubman with its rear seat up (39.6 vs. 17.5 cubic feet). The Sportage has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Cooper Clubman with its rear seat folded (74.1 vs. 47.9 cubic feet).

The Sportage’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The Cooper Clubman’s two swing out doors impair rear visibility, need a lot of clearance, and can block loading in tight quarters.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the Sportage (except LX/EX) offers an optional power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button or just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, completely leaving your hands free. The Cooper Clubman doesn’t offer a power cargo door.

The Sportage has a 2500 lbs. towing capacity. The Cooper Clubman 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 Cooper Clubman 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 Cooper Clubman doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The Sportage SX/Prestige/X-Pro’s standard Easy Access Function 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 Clubman doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Smart Key standard on the Sportage EX/SX/Prestige/X-Line/X-Pro allows you to unlock the driver’s door, cargo door 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 Sportage 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.

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 Cooper Clubman 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 Cooper Clubman doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

Insurance will cost less for the Sportage owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Sportage will cost $2055 to $6970 less than the Cooper Clubman over a five-year period.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Kia Sportage will be $8501 to $8787 less than for the MINI Cooper Clubman.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Kia Sportage, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Kia Sportage outsold the MINI Cooper Clubman by almost 51 to one during 2022.