Compare the2024 Kia Niro EVVS 2024 MINI Cooper SE

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Kia Niro EV are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The MINI Cooper SE doesn’t offer height-adjustable 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 Niro EV are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Niro EV Wave has standard Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Niro EV’s standard Downhill Brake Control allows you to creep down safely. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer Downhill Brake Control.

The Niro EV’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 SE 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 Niro EV’s standard Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

Both the Niro EV and the Cooper SE have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors and available front parking sensors.

The Kia Niro EV weighs 578 pounds more than the MINI Cooper SE. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts. Crosswinds also affect lighter cars more.

Warranty

The Niro EV comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Cooper SE’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Niro EV 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than MINI covers the Cooper SE. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Cooper SE ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 7 times as many Kia dealers as there are MINI dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Niro EV’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than MINI vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia above average in initial quality. With 9 more problems per 100 vehicles, MINI is rated lower.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than MINI vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 28 more problems per 100 vehicles, MINI is ranked 11th.

Engine

The Niro EV’s electric motor produces 20 more horsepower (201 vs. 181) than the Cooper SE’s electric motor.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Niro EV gets better mileage than the Cooper SE (126 city/101 hwy vs. 119 city/100 hwy MPGe).

The Niro EV can travel longer on a full charge than the Cooper SE (253 miles vs. 114 miles).

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Niro EV’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Cooper SE:

	Niro EV	Cooper SE
Front Rotors	12 inches	11.1 inches
Rear Rotors	11.2 inches	11 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Niro EV has larger tires than the Cooper SE (215/55R17 vs. 195/55R16). The Niro EV’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Cooper SE (215/55R17 vs. 205/45R17).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Niro EV has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Cooper SE.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Niro EV’s wheelbase is 8.9 inches longer than on the Cooper SE (107.1 inches vs. 98.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Niro EV is 3.5 inches wider in the front and 3.4 inches wider in the rear than on the Cooper SE.

The Niro EV Wave handles at .87 G’s, while the Cooper SE Iconic pulls only .85 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

Chassis

The front grille of the Niro EV uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Niro EV has standard seating for 5 passengers; the Cooper SE can only carry 4.

The Niro EV has 19.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Cooper SE (99.7 vs. 80.3).

The Niro EV has .2 inches more front headroom, .1 inches more front legroom, 5.7 inches more front shoulder room, 1.2 inches more rear headroom, 6.1 inches more rear legroom and 7.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Cooper SE.

Cargo Capacity

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Niro EV Wave’s power liftgate can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Niro EV’s power liftgate can also be opened or closed by pressing a button. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening liftgate.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the Niro EV Wave, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Niro EV Wave’s standard easy entry system 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 SE doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Niro EV’s standard power windows have a locking feature to keep children in the rear seat from operating them, but the driver can still raise and lower all of them with the lock engaged. MINI does not offer a locking feature on the Cooper SE’s standard power windows.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Niro EV has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Cooper SE only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

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

Both the Niro EV and the Cooper SE have standard heated front seats. The Niro EV also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Cooper SE.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Niro EV Wave keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Niro EV has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

For greater rear passenger comfort, the Niro EV has standard rear a/c vents to keep rear occupants more comfortable. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer rear vents.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Kia Niro EV has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Cooper SE Iconic offers wireless charging.

The Niro EV Wave has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Niro EV Wave’s Smart Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Park Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Cooper SE Iconic’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park and it doesn’t offer remote control parking.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Kia Niro EV, based on reliability, safety and performance.

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