Compare the2024 Ford MustangVS 2024 MINI Cooper Convertible

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Ford Mustang have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The MINI Cooper Convertible doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear 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 Mustang are reminded to check the back seat. The Cooper Convertible doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Mustang’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. The Cooper Convertible 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 Mustang’s standard Cross Traffic Alert uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side and Cross Traffic Braking automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. The Cooper Convertible doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

Both the Mustang and the Cooper Convertible have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and driver alert monitors.

The Ford Mustang weighs 445 to 1136 pounds more than the MINI Cooper Convertible. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts. Crosswinds also affect lighter cars more.

Ford’s powertrain warranty covers the Mustang 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than MINI covers the Cooper Convertible. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Cooper Convertible ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 28 times as many Ford dealers as there are MINI dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Mustang’s warranty.

The Mustang has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The Cooper Convertible doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the car’s engine.

The Mustang has more powerful engines than the Cooper Convertible:

As tested in Car and Driver the Mustang GT 5.0 DOHC V8 is faster than the Cooper Convertible S 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder (manual transmissions tested):

As tested in Car and Driver the Mustang EcoBoost 2.3 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the MINI Cooper Convertible turbo 3 cyl. (automatics tested):

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Ford Mustang uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The John Cooper Works Convertible requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Mustang EcoBoost’s standard fuel tank has 4.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the Cooper Convertible (15.9 vs. 11.6 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Mustang V8’s standard fuel tank has 4.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Cooper Convertible (16 vs. 11.6 gallons).

The Mustang has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Cooper Convertible doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

The Ford Mustang comes standard with an automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. Automatic costs extra on the Cooper Convertible.

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Ford Mustang, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Cooper Convertible.

For better stopping power the Mustang’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Cooper Convertible:

The Mustang GT’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Cooper Convertible are solid, not vented.

The Mustang stops much shorter than the Cooper Convertible:

For better traction, the Mustang has larger standard tires than the Cooper Convertible (235/55R17 vs. 195/55R16). The Mustang Dark Horse’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Cooper Convertible (F:305/30R19 & R:315/30R19 vs. 205/40R18).

The Mustang Dark Horse’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 30 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Cooper Convertible’s optional 40 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Mustang EcoBoost has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Cooper Convertible. The Mustang’s optional 19-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels optional on the Cooper Convertible.

The Mustang offers an optional space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Cooper Convertible; it requires you to depend on its run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Mustang’s wheelbase is 8.8 inches longer than on the Cooper Convertible (107 inches vs. 98.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Mustang is 3.4 inches wider in the front and 5.6 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Cooper Convertible.

The Mustang’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (55% to 45%) than the Cooper Convertible’s (61.9% to 38.1%). This gives the Mustang more stable handling and braking.

The Mustang Convertible uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Cooper Convertible doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Mustang Convertible a Subcompact car, while the Cooper Convertible is rated a Minicompact.

The Mustang Convertible has 3.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Cooper Convertible (79.2 vs. 76).

The Mustang Convertible has a much larger trunk with its top down than the Cooper Convertible with its top down (11.4 vs. 5.7 cubic feet). The Mustang Convertible has a much larger trunk than the Cooper Convertible with its top up (11.4 vs. 7.6 cubic feet).

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the Mustang easier. The Mustang’s trunk lift-over height is 30.2 inches, while the Cooper Convertible’s liftover is 31.5 inches.

The Mustang has a 1000 lbs. towing capacity. The Cooper Convertible has no towing capacity.

The engine in the Mustang is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Cooper Convertible. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

The Mustang Automatic 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 Convertible doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

When three different drivers share the Mustang, the optional memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for all three. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Cooper Convertible doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Mustang’s optional Easy Entry and Exit glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Cooper Convertible doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Mustang’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Cooper Convertible does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Mustang’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Cooper Convertible has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Mustang has standard extendable sun visors. The Cooper Convertible doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Mustang Premium keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Cooper Convertible doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.