Compare the2024 Toyota Prius PrimeVS 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 and rear seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Prius Prime 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 SE doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Prius Prime 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 Prius Prime 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 Prius Prime offers an optional Parking Support Brake 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.

The Prius Prime XSE Premium offers an optional Panoramic View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Cooper SE only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

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

Both the Prius Prime and the Cooper SE have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, 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 Toyota Prius Prime achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The Cooper SE has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

Warranty

Toyota’s powertrain warranty covers the Prius Prime 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than MINI covers the Cooper SE. 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 SE ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 12 times as many Toyota dealers as there are MINI dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Prius Prime’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than MINI vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in long-term dependability. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, MINI is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than MINI vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in overall reliability. MINI is ranked third.

Engine

The Prius Prime’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 39 more horsepower (220 vs. 181) than the Cooper SE’s electric motor.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Prius Prime running on electricity gets better mileage than the Cooper SE:

		MPGe
Prius Prime
	SE Electric Motor	140 city/115 hwy
	XSE Electric Motor	125 city/103 hwy
Cooper SE
	Electric Motor	119 city/100 hwy

The Prius Prime SE’s maximum EPA estimated range on a full tank and a full charge is 606 miles, after which it can be refueled at any gas station in minutes. The Cooper SE’s range is only 114 miles, after which the minimum time to recharge is 36 minutes for only an 80% charge at a specially configured quick charge station not available in most areas. A full recharge using a conventional 110-volt outlet can take up to 24 hours.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Prius Prime	Cooper SE
Front Rotors	12 inches	11.1 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Prius Prime SE has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Cooper SE. The Prius Prime XSE’s 19-inch wheels are larger than the 17-inch wheels on the Cooper SE Signature Plus/Iconic.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Prius Prime’s wheelbase is 10.1 inches longer than on the Cooper SE (108.3 inches vs. 98.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Prius Prime is 3.1 inches wider in the front and 3.4 inches wider in the rear than on the Cooper SE.

The Prius Prime’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (56% to 44%) than the Cooper SE’s (58.1% to 41.9%). This gives the Prius Prime more stable handling and braking.

The Prius Prime XSE handles at .82 G’s, while the Cooper SE Iconic pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Prius Prime SE’s turning circle is .7 feet tighter than the Cooper SE’s (34.4 feet vs. 35.1 feet).

Chassis

The front grille of the Prius Prime 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

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Prius Prime a Mid-size car, while the Cooper SE is rated a Subcompact.

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

The Prius Prime has 10.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Cooper SE (91.2 vs. 80.3).

The Prius Prime has 1 inch more front legroom, 4.7 inches more front shoulder room, 5.1 inches more rear legroom and 5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Cooper SE.

Cargo Capacity

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the Prius Prime XSE Premium has a standard power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer a power liftgate.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the Prius Prime XSE Premium, the memory seats make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer memory seats.

The Prius Prime XSE Premium’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 Prius Prime’s standard power windows have a locking feature to keep children 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.

The Prius Prime has two rear doors to provide better access for cargo and rear passengers. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer rear doors.

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

Both the Prius Prime and the Cooper SE offer available heated front seats. The Prius Prime XSE Premium 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 Prius Prime XSE Premium 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 Prius Prime XSE 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 Prius Prime has standard rear heat vents to keep rear occupants more comfortable. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer rear vents.

The Prius Prime 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 Prius Prime XSE Premium’s optional Advanced Park can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Cooper SE Iconic’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® chose the Toyota Prius Prime as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Prius/Prius Prime was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2024 and 1 more times in the last 21 years. The Cooper SE has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.

Motor Trend selected the Prius Prime as their 2024 Car of the Year. The Cooper SE has never been chosen.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Prius Prime as the 2024 North American Car of the Year. The Cooper SE has never been chosen.