Compare the2023 Volvo C40 RechargeVS 2023 MINI Cooper SE

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

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Volvo C40 Recharge have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The MINI Cooper SE doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The C40 Recharge’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.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Volvo C40 Recharge 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 SE doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The C40 Recharge has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

The C40 Recharge has a standard Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS), which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the WHIPS allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. At the same time the pretensioning seatbelts fire, removing slack from the belts. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The C40 Recharge has standard CTA Auto Brake 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 C40 Recharge has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the C40 Recharge’s standard Off-Road Mode allow you to creep down safely. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer Off-Road Mode.

The C40 Recharge Plus/Ultimate has a standard 360° Camera 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 C40 Recharge’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. 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 C40 Recharge’s standard rear cross-path warning system uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

Both the C40 Recharge and the Cooper SE have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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 Volvo C40 Recharge weighs 1627 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.

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 standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the C40 Recharge its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 128 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Cooper SE has not been tested, yet.

Warranty

There are almost 3 times as many Volvo dealers as there are MINI dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the C40 Recharge’s warranty.

Engine

The C40 Recharge’s electric motors produces 221 more horsepower (402 vs. 181) and 288 lbs.-ft. more torque (487 vs. 199) than the Cooper SE’s electric motor.

As tested in Car and Driver the Volvo C40 Recharge is faster than the MINI Cooper SE:

	C40 Recharge	Cooper SE
Zero to 60 MPH	4.3 sec	6.1 sec
Quarter Mile	12.9 sec	14.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	108 MPH	91 MPH
Top Speed	115 MPH	93 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The C40 Recharge can travel longer on a full charge than the Cooper SE (226 miles vs. 114 miles).

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the C40 Recharge’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Cooper SE:

	C40 Recharge	Cooper SE
Front Rotors	13.6 inches	11.1 inches
Rear Rotors	13.4 inches	11 inches

The C40 Recharge’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.

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the C40 Recharge has larger tires than the Cooper SE (235/45R20 vs. 195/55R16). The C40 Recharge’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Cooper SE (235/45R20 vs. 205/45R17).

The C40 Recharge Core’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 SE’s standard 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the C40 Recharge Core has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Cooper SE. The C40 Recharge’s optional 20-inch wheels are larger than the 17-inch wheels on the Cooper SE Signature Plus/Iconic.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the C40 Recharge’s wheelbase is 8.2 inches longer than on the Cooper SE (106.4 inches vs. 98.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the C40 Recharge is 4.5 inches wider in the front and 4.3 inches wider in the rear than on the Cooper SE.

Passenger Space

The C40 Recharge has standard seating for 5 passengers; the Cooper SE can only carry 4.

The C40 Recharge has 6.1 inches more front shoulder room, 5.3 inches more rear legroom and 8.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Cooper SE.

Cargo Capacity

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the C40 Recharge’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, especially for short adults, the C40 Recharge has a standard power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button, or optionally by just kicking your foot under the back bumper, completely leaving your hands free. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer a power liftgate.

Towing

The C40 Recharge has a 2000 lbs. towing capacity. The Cooper SE has no towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the C40 Recharge uses the Dynamic Stability and Traction 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 SE doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the C40 Recharge, the memory system makes it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver and front passenger’s seat positions, outside mirror angle, climate settings and radio stations. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer a memory system.

The C40 Recharge’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.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the C40 Recharge has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Cooper SE only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The C40 Recharge offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer headlight washers.

While driving with high beams on, sensitive light sensors standard on the C40 Recharge 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 C40 Recharge’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 C40 Recharge and the Cooper SE have standard heated front seats. The C40 Recharge also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Cooper SE.

The C40 Recharge 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.

For greater rear passenger comfort, the C40 Recharge 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 Volvo C40 Recharge has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Cooper SE Iconic offers wireless charging.

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