Compare the2024 MINI Cooper Hardtop 2 DoorVS 2023 Honda Civic Type R

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Recommendations

Safety

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The MINI Cooper Hardtop 2 Door has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Civic Type R doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door has a standard PostCrash iBrake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Civic Type R doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Civic Type R doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door has standard Assist eCall, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Civic Type R doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door and the Civic Type R 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, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems and rearview cameras.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the MINI Cooper Hardtop 2 Door is safer than the Honda Civic Type R:

	Cooper Hardtop 2 Door	Civic Type R
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	238	444
Neck Compression	53 lbs.	61 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the MINI Cooper Hardtop 2 Door is safer than the Honda Civic Type R:

	Cooper Hardtop 2 Door	Civic Type R
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Abdominal Force	181 lbs.	286 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	12 inches
Spine Acceleration	41 G’s	51 G’s

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

For its top level performance in all IIHS frontal, side, rear impact and roof-crush tests, its standard front crash prevention system, and its headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2018, a rating granted to only 194 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Civic Type R has not been tested, yet.

Warranty

The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Civic Type R’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Civic Type R’s (12 vs. 5 years).

MINI pays for scheduled maintenance on the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door for 1 year and 12000 miles longer than Honda pays for maintenance for the Civic Type R (3/36,000 vs. 2/24,000).

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door first among compact sporty cars in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The Civic Type R isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that MINI vehicles are better in initial quality than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks MINI above average in initial quality. With 11 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is rated lower.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that MINI vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks MINI above average in long-term dependability. With 19 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Honda is rated below average.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door gets better mileage than the Civic Type R:

			MPG
Cooper Hardtop 2 Door
	Manual	1.5 turbo 3-cyl.	27 city/38 hwy
		S 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/33 hwy
		JCW Hardtop 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/32 hwy
	Auto	1.5 turbo 3-cyl.	29 city/38 hwy
		S 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	28 city/38 hwy
		JCW 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	26 city/35 hwy
Civic Type R
	Manual	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/28 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Civic Type R doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Civic Type R doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

Transmission

The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door offers an optional automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. The Civic Type R doesn’t offer an automatic transmission.

The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door offers an optional sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The Civic Type R doesn’t offer an SMG.

Tires and Wheels

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Civic Type R doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

Suspension and Handling

For better maneuverability, the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door’s turning circle is 4.5 feet tighter than the Civic Type R’s (35.4 feet vs. 39.9 feet).

Chassis

The MINI Cooper Hardtop 2 Door may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 500 pounds less than the Honda Civic Type R.

The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door is 2 feet, 4.7 inches shorter than the Civic Type R, making the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door is 6.4 inches narrower than the Civic Type R, making the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door easier to handle and maneuver in traffic.

The front grille of the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Civic Type R doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door has 1 inch more front headroom and .9 inches more rear hip room than the Civic Type R.

Servicing Ease

The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Civic Type R uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that MINI service is better than Honda. J.D. Power ranks MINI fourth in service department satisfaction. With a 38% lower rating, Honda is ranked 25th.

Ergonomics

The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door Iconic has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Civic Type R doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Civic Type R’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Civic Type R doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Civic Type R doesn’t offer cornering lights.

To better shield the driver’s vision, the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door has a standard dual-element sun visor that can block glare from two directions simultaneously. The Civic Type R doesn’t offer a secondary sun visor.

When the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door with available tilt-down mirrors is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The Civic Type R’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Civic Type R offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

On extremely cold winter days, the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door’s optional heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the car heater warms up. The Civic Type R doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Cooper Hardtop 2 Door Iconic’s optional Parking Assistant can parallel park by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Civic Type R doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Model Availability

The MINI Cooper comes in coupe, convertible and four door hatchback bodystyles; the Honda Civic Type R isn’t available as a coupe or convertible.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the MINI Cooper Hardtop 2 Door, based on reliability, safety and performance.

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