Compare the2024 MINI Cooper Hardtop 4 DoorVS 2023 Hyundai Elantra N

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Recommendations

Safety

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The MINI Cooper Hardtop 4 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 Elantra N doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 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 Elantra N 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 4 Door has standard Park Distance Control to help warn the driver about vehicles, pedestrians or other obstacles behind or, optionally, in front of the vehicle. The Elantra N doesn’t offer a front parking aid.

Both the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door and the Elantra N 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, rearview cameras and driver alert monitors.

Warranty

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s corrosion warranty is 5 years longer than the Elantra N’s (12 vs. 7 years).

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door first among compact sporty cars in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The Elantra N 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 Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks MINI above average in initial quality. With 9 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is rated lower.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door gets better mileage than the Elantra N:

			MPG
Cooper Hardtop 4 Door
	Manual	1.5 turbo 3-cyl.	27 city/38 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
Elantra N
	Manual	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/31 hwy
	Auto	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/30 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Elantra N doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Cooper Hardtop 4 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 Elantra N doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the MINI Cooper Hardtop 4 Door uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The Elantra N requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the MINI Cooper Hardtop 4 Door higher (6 to 7 out of 10) than the Hyundai Elantra N (3). This means the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Elantra N every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

To help the driver achieve optimum performance and fuel economy, the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door has a standard up-shift light to indicate when to shift based on power needs and conditions. The Elantra N doesn’t offer an up-shift light.

Tires and Wheels

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Elantra N doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door Base has a standard space-saver spare (not available on S) so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Elantra N; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

Suspension and Handling

For better maneuverability, the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s turning circle is 2.2 feet tighter than the Elantra N’s (36.2 feet vs. 38.4 feet).

Chassis

The MINI Cooper Hardtop 4 Door may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 350 pounds less than the Hyundai Elantra N.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door is 2 feet, 1.6 inches shorter than the Elantra N, making the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the Cooper Hardtop 4 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 Elantra N doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Cargo Capacity

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door easier. The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s trunk lift-over height is 26 inches, while the Elantra N’s liftover is 28.6 inches.

To allow full utilization of available cargo room, the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s hatch uses gas strut supported hinges that don’t intrude into the cargo area. Its intrusive beam hinge reduces the Elantra N’s useful trunk space.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s standard folding rear seats are split to accommodate bulky cargo. The Elantra N’s standard single piece folding rear seat is not as flexible; long cargo and a passenger can’t share the rear seat.

Servicing Ease

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Elantra N 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 Hyundai. J.D. Power ranks MINI fourth in service department satisfaction. With a 42% lower rating, Hyundai is ranked 29th.

Ergonomics

The Cooper Hardtop 4 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 Elantra N doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’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 Elantra N’s passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Elantra N can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Elantra N’s passenger power window and power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 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 Elantra N’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Elantra N doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door has a standard rear wiper. The Elantra N doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Elantra N doesn’t offer cornering lights.

To better shield the driver’s vision, the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door has a standard dual-element sun visor that can block glare from two directions simultaneously. The Elantra N doesn’t offer a secondary sun visor.

When the Cooper Hardtop 4 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 Elantra N’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 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 Elantra N offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

On extremely cold winter days, the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door Signature/Iconic’s optional heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the car heater warms up. The Elantra N doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

To keep a safe, consistent following distance, the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door offers an optional Active Cruise Control, which alters the speed of the vehicle without driver intervention. This allows the driver to use cruise control more safely without constantly having to disengage it when approaching slower traffic. The Elantra N doesn’t offer an adaptive cruise control.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door Iconic’s Parking Assistant can parallel park by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Elantra N doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Model Availability

The MINI Cooper comes in coupe, convertible and four door hatchback bodystyles; the Hyundai Elantra N isn’t available as a coupe or convertible.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the MINI Cooper Hardtop 4 Door, based on reliability, safety and performance.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door first among compact sporty cars in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Elantra N isn’t in the top three.