Compare the2023 BMW iXVS 2023 MINI Cooper SE

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

Safety

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The iX’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The iX’s standard pretensioning seatbelts also sense rear collisions and remove slack from the front seatbelts to help protect the occupants from whiplash and other injuries. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The iX has a standard Active Park Distance Control that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The iX offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The iX offers an optional Surround View to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Cooper SE 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 iX’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 SE 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 iX’s standard Cross Traffic Warning with braking function uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side and automatically engage the brakes. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

Both the iX and the Cooper SE 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, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and driver alert monitors.

The BMW iX weighs 2516 to 2626 pounds more than the MINI Cooper SE. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts. Crosswinds also affect lighter cars more.

Warranty

There are over 3 times as many BMW dealers as there are MINI dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the iX’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that BMW vehicles are better in initial quality than MINI vehicles. J.D. Power ranks BMW above average in initial quality. With 3 more problems per 100 vehicles, MINI is rated lower.

Engine

The iX xDrive50’s standard electric motors produces 335 more horsepower (516 vs. 181) and 365 lbs.-ft. more torque (564 vs. 199) than the Cooper SE’s electric motor. The iX M60’s standard electric motors produces 429 more horsepower (610 vs. 181) and 550 lbs.-ft. more torque (749 vs. 199) than the Cooper SE’s electric motor.

As tested in Car and Driver the BMW iX is faster than the MINI Cooper SE:

	iX xDrive50	iX M60	Cooper SE
Zero to 60 MPH	4 sec	3.2 sec	6.1 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	4.3 sec	3.7 sec	6.2 sec
Quarter Mile	12.3 sec	11.5 sec	14.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	115 MPH	120 MPH	91 MPH
Top Speed	123 MPH	154 MPH	93 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The iX can travel longer on a full charge than the Cooper SE on a full charge:

			Miles
iX
	AWD	xDrive50 20" Wheels Electric Motors	324 miles
		xDrive50 22" Wheels Electric Motors	315 miles
		xDrive50 21" Wheels Electric Motors	305 miles
		M60 21" Wheels Electric Motors	288 miles
		M60 22" Wheels Electric Motors	274 miles
Cooper SE
	FWD	Electric Motor	114 miles

The iX has a standard locking charge port with a remote release located convenient to the driver. The Cooper SE doesn’t have a locking charge port. A locking charge port prevents tampering and damage.

Transmission

The iX’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s at 60 in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	iX	Cooper SE
Front Rotors	13.7 inches	11.1 inches
Rear Rotors	13.6 inches	11 inches

The iX’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Cooper SE are solid, not vented.

The iX stops much shorter than the Cooper SE:

	iX	Cooper SE
70 to 0 MPH	158 feet	169 feet	Car and Driver

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the iX has larger standard tires than the Cooper SE (235/60R20 vs. 195/55R16). The iX’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Cooper SE (275/40R22 vs. 205/45R17).

The iX’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Cooper SE Signature Plus/Iconic’s 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the iX has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Cooper SE. The iX’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 17-inch wheels on the Cooper SE Signature Plus/Iconic.

Suspension and Handling

The iX has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The iX’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the iX’s wheelbase is 19.9 inches longer than on the Cooper SE (118.1 inches vs. 98.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the iX is 7.6 inches wider in the front and 8.4 inches wider in the rear than on the Cooper SE.

The iX’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (48.2% to 51.8%) than the Cooper SE’s (58.1% to 41.9%). This gives the iX more stable handling and braking.

The iX M60 handles at .86 G’s, while the Cooper SE Iconic pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

Passenger Space

The iX has standard seating for 5 passengers; the Cooper SE can only carry 4.

The iX has 1.2 inches more front headroom, 10.9 inches more front shoulder room, 2.6 inches more rear headroom, 8.1 inches more rear legroom and 10.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Cooper SE.

Cargo Capacity

Pressing a switch automatically lowers the iX’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the iX’s power liftgate can be opened or closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening liftgate.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the iX, the memory system makes it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position, steering wheel position, outside mirror angle and radio stations. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer a memory system.

The iX’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The iX’s standard power windows have a locking feature to keep children in the rear seat from operating them, but the driver can still raise and lower all of them with the lock engaged. MINI does not offer a locking feature on the Cooper SE’s standard power windows.

Laser headlights, optional on the iX, produce their light by firing blue lasers through phosphorus, a process that uses one-half the power of the Cooper SE’s LED headlights. Laser headlights can have double the range of LEDs with a much smaller surface area.

While driving with high beams on, sensitive light sensors standard on the iX detect other vehicles which could be blinded and automatically switch to low beams. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer automatic dimming high beams.

The Cooper SE’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The iX’s optional 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.

Both the iX and the Cooper SE have standard heated front seats. The iX also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Cooper SE.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the iX keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The iX has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

The iX offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Cooper SE.

For greater rear passenger comfort, the iX has standard rear a/c vents to keep rear occupants more comfortable. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer rear vents.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the BMW iX has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Cooper SE Iconic offers wireless charging.

The iX’s optional Automatic Parking Assistant can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Cooper SE’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park.