Compare the2024 MINI Cooper Hardtop 4 DoorVS 2023 Subaru WRX

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
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 WRX doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

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 WRX 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 WRX.

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 WRX doesn’t offer a front parking aid.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 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 WRX doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door and the WRX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights and rearview cameras.

Warranty

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

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

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. Subaru doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the WRX.

Reliability

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 59 points higher than the WRX.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door first among compact sporty cars in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The WRX 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 Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks MINI above average in initial quality. With 6 more problems per 100 vehicles, Subaru 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 Subaru 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, Subaru is rated below average.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			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
WRX
	Manual	2.4 turbo flat-4	19 city/26 hwy
	Auto	2.4 turbo flat-4	19 city/25 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The WRX 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 WRX 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 Subaru WRX (3). This means the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the WRX every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door offers an optional sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is more internally efficient than a CVT but just as easy to drive. The WRX doesn’t offer an SMG.

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 WRX doesn’t offer an up-shift light.

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 WRX doesn’t offer launch control.

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 WRX 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 WRX; 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 .5 feet tighter than the WRX’s (36.2 feet vs. 36.74 feet).

Chassis

The MINI Cooper Hardtop 4 Door may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 450 to 550 pounds less than the Subaru WRX.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door is 2 feet, 1.3 inches shorter than the WRX, 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 WRX doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door has .1 inches more front headroom and .8 inches more rear headroom than the WRX.

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 WRX’s liftover is 28.7 inches.

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that MINI service is better than Subaru. J.D. Power ranks MINI fourth in service department satisfaction. With a 21% lower rating, Subaru is ranked 16th.

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 WRX doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The power windows standard on both the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door and the WRX have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The WRX prevents the driver from operating the rear windows just as it does the other passengers.

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 WRX’s standard rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

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 WRX can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

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 WRX’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 WRX 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 WRX doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

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 WRX doesn’t offer a secondary sun visor.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Subaru only offers heated mirrors on the WRX Premium/Limited/GT.

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 WRX’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

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 WRX doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

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 WRX 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 WRX doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Model Availability

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

Recommendations

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

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 WRX isn’t in the top three.