Compare the2024 Kia SeltosVS 2023 MINI Cooper Clubman

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Kia Seltos 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 Seltos 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.

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

The Seltos S/EX/X-Line/SX’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 Seltos S/EX/X-Line/SX’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 Seltos 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, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and daytime running lights.

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 available headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Seltos the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2022, a rating granted to only 177 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Cooper Clubman has not been tested, yet.

The Seltos 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 Seltos 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 Seltos’ warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 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 above average in initial quality. With 9 more problems per 100 vehicles, MINI is rated lower.

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.

The Seltos X-Line/SX’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder produces 6 more horsepower (195 vs. 189) than the Cooper Clubman S’ standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

On the EPA test cycle the Seltos gets better mileage than the Cooper Clubman:

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

The Seltos has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Cooper Clubman doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Seltos stops shorter than the Cooper Clubman:

The Seltos SX handles at .84 G’s, while the Cooper Clubman pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Seltos S AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Cooper Clubman (26.7 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 27.1 seconds @ .63 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Seltos’ turning circle is 2.3 feet tighter than the Cooper Clubman’s (34.8 feet vs. 37.1 feet).

The Kia Seltos may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 400 pounds less than the MINI Cooper Clubman.

The Seltos has 6.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Cooper Clubman (99 vs. 92.5).

The Seltos has .8 inches more front shoulder room, .4 inches more rear headroom, 3.7 inches more rear legroom and 1.9 inches more rear shoulder room than the Cooper Clubman.

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

The Seltos has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Cooper Clubman with its rear seat up (26.6 vs. 17.5 cubic feet). The Seltos has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Cooper Clubman with its rear seat folded (62.8 vs. 47.9 cubic feet).

The Seltos’ cargo area is larger than the Cooper Clubman’s in almost every dimension:

The Seltos’ 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 Seltos SX 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 Seltos S/EX/SX 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 Clubman doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The Smart Key standard on the Seltos S/EX/X-Line/SX 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 Seltos 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 Seltos EX/SX has standard extendable sun visors. The Cooper Clubman doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the Seltos SX 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.

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