Compare the2024 MINI Cooper Hardtop 4 DoorVS 2023 Kia Rio

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Economic Advantages
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 Rio 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 Rio 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’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Rio and is only available on Rio S.

Both the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door and the Rio 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, daytime running lights and rearview cameras.

Warranty

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s corrosion warranty is 7 years and unlimited miles longer than the Rio’s (12/unlimited vs. 5/100,000).

MINI pays for scheduled maintenance on the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door for 3 years and 36,000 miles. MINI will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Kia doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Rio.

Reliability

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door has a standard 150-amp alternator. The Rio’s 130-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s reliability 39 points higher than the Rio.

Engine

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s standard 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder produces 14 more horsepower (134 vs. 120) and 50 lbs.-ft. more torque (162 vs. 112) than the Rio’s 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door S’ standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 69 more horsepower (189 vs. 120) and 94 lbs.-ft. more torque (206 vs. 112) than the Rio’s 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

Regenerative brakes improve the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Rio 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 Rio doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

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 Kia Rio (3). This means the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Rio every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door S Auto’s optional launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Rio doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Cooper Hardtop 4 Door	Cooper Hardtop 4 Door S	Rio
Front Rotors	11.1 inches	12.1 inches	11 inches
Rear Rotors	10.2 inches	10.2 inches	8” drums

The MINI Cooper Hardtop 4 Door has standard four-wheel disc brakes for better stopping power and improved directional control in poor weather. Rear drums are standard on the Rio. Drums can heat up and make stops longer, especially with antilock brakes that work much harder than conventional brakes.

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Rio (205/45R17 vs. 185/65R15).

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Rio’s 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door offers optional 18-inch wheels. The Rio’s largest wheels are only 15-inches.

The MINI Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s wheels have 5 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Kia Rio only has 4 wheel lugs per wheel.

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 Rio doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the MINI Cooper Hardtop 4 Door has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Kia Rio has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door flat and controlled during cornering. The Rio’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door offers an optional driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads. The Rio’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Rio doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

Chassis

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door is 1 foot, 2.1 inches shorter than the Rio Sedan, 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 Rio doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door has 1 inch more front headroom and .1 inches more rear headroom than the Rio Sedan.

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 Rio’s liftover is 28.3 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 Rio’s useful trunk space.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The Rio LX doesn’t offer folding rear seats.

Servicing Ease

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Rio 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 Kia. J.D. Power ranks MINI fourth in service department satisfaction. With a 39% lower rating, Kia is ranked 26th.

Ergonomics

To help each driver find a more comfortable driving position, the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door has a telescoping steering wheel. Much better than just a tilt steering wheel or adjustable seat, this allows a short driver to sit further from the steering wheel while maintaining contact with the pedals. The Rio doesn’t offer a telescoping steering wheel.

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 Rio 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 Rio’s power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. Only its driver’s window opens 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 Rio can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

Comfort Access standard on the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door Signature/Iconic allows you to unlock the driver’s door, trunk 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 Kia Rio’s available Smart Key doesn’t unlock the trunk.

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 Rio’s 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 Rio’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 Rio doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Rio’s standard halogen headlights. LED lights also light instantly and last over twenty times longer than halogen.

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 Rio 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 Rio 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 Rio’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 Rio offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door offers optional heated front seats, which keep the driver and front passenger extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated seats aren’t available in the Rio.

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 Rio doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door Signature/Iconic’s 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. The Rio doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

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 Rio doesn’t offer an adaptive cruise control.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door Signature/Iconic’s standard GPS navigation system has a real-time traffic update feature that plots alternative routes to automatically bypass traffic problems. (Service not available in all areas.) The Rio’s available navigation system doesn’t offer real-time traffic updates.

With optional voice command, the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door offers the driver hands free control of the radio and the navigation computer by simply speaking. The Rio doesn’t offer a voice control system.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the MINI Cooper Iconic has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Rio doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

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 Rio doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Model Availability

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

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door is less expensive to operate than the Rio because typical repairs cost less on the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door than the Rio, including $21 less for fuel injection.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the MINI Cooper Hardtop 4 Door, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Kia Rio isn't recommended.