Compare the2023 Volvo V60VS 2023 MINI Cooper Hardtop 4 Door

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

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Volvo V60 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 Hardtop 4 Door doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The V60’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Volvo V60 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 Hardtop 4 Door doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The V60 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 Hardtop 4 Door doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests front crash prevention systems. With a score of 6 points, IIHS rates the City Safety in the V60 as “Superior.” The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door scores only 4 points and is rated only “Advanced.”

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The V60 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 Hardtop 4 Door doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The V60 has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The V60 has a standard 360° Camera to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door 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 V60’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 Hardtop 4 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 V60’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 Hardtop 4 Door doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

Both the V60 and the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, plastic fuel tanks, 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 V60 weighs 1532 to 1649 pounds more than the MINI Cooper Hardtop 4 Door. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars 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, with its optional vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the V60 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 128 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door has not been fully 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 V60’s warranty.

Reliability

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the V60 has a standard 210-amp alternator. The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s 150-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

The battery on the V60 is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the V60’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

Engine

The V60’s 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid produces 321 more horsepower (455 vs. 134) and 361 lbs.-ft. more torque (523 vs. 162) than the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s standard 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder. The V60’s 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid produces 266 more horsepower (455 vs. 189) and 317 lbs.-ft. more torque (523 vs. 206) than the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door S’ standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the V60 running on electricity gets better mileage than the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door:

			MPGe
V60
	Auto	T8 Polestar Engineered Electric Motor	74 city/73 hwy
Cooper Hardtop 4 Door
			MPG
	Manual	1.5 turbo 3-cyl.	27 city/37 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/33 hwy
	Auto	1.5 turbo 3-cyl.	29 city/38 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	28 city/38 hwy

The V60 T8 Polestar Engineered Extended Range can travel with zero emissions for 41 miles. The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

The V60 has 4.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door (15.9 vs. 11.6 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The V60 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 4 Door doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Transmission

The Volvo V60 comes standard with an automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. Automatic costs extra on the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door.

An eight-speed automatic is standard on the Volvo V60, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a seven-speed automatic is available for the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the V60’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door:

	V60	Cooper Hardtop 4 Door	Cooper Hardtop 4 Door S
Front Rotors	14.6 inches	11 inches	11.6 inches
Rear Rotors	12.6 inches	10.2 inches	10.2 inches

The V60’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 Hardtop 4 Door are solid, not vented.

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the V60 has larger tires than the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door (235/45R18 vs. 195/55R16). The V60’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door (235/45R18 vs. 205/45R17).

The V60’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s standard 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the V60 has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door. The V60’s optional 19-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels optional on the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the V60’s wheelbase is 12 inches longer than on the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door (113.1 inches vs. 101.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the V60 is 4.2 inches wider in the front and 4.2 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door.

Chassis

The design of the Volvo V60 amounts to more than styling. The V60 has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .29 Cd. That is lower than the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door (.29 to .32) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the V60 get better fuel mileage.

Passenger Space

The V60 has 10.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door (94 vs. 83.8).

The V60 has .9 inches more front legroom, 4.9 inches more front shoulder room, .6 inches more rear headroom, 2.9 inches more rear legroom and 4.9 inches more rear shoulder room than the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door.

Cargo Capacity

A standard locking glovebox keeps your small valuables safer in the V60. The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the V60’s power liftgate can be opened or closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening liftgate.

Towing

The V60 has a 2000 lbs. towing capacity. The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door has no towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) on the V60 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 Hardtop 4 Door doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

The V60 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 4 Door doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

When two different drivers share the V60, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver and front passenger’s seat positions and outside mirror angle. The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door doesn’t offer a memory system.

The V60’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Cooper Hardtop 4 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.

The V60’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The V60’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The V60 offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The V60’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.

The V60 has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door. The V60 also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door.

The V60 has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the car heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door.

The V60 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 Hardtop 4 Door doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

The V60 has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning costs extra on the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door.

For greater rear passenger comfort, the V60 has standard rear a/c vents to keep rear occupants more comfortable. The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door doesn’t offer rear vents.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the V60 is less expensive to operate than the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door because typical repairs cost much less on the V60 than the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door, including $96 less for a starter, $124 less for front struts, $220 less for a timing belt/chain and $763 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

The Volvo 60 Series outsold the MINI Cooper Hardtop 4 Door by 83% during 2022.