For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes EQB 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.
The EQB’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.
For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes EQB 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.
The EQB offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.
When descending a steep, off-road slope, the EQB’s standard Downhill Speed Regulation allows you to creep down safely. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer Downhill Speed Regulation.
The EQB offers an optional Surround View System 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 EQB’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 EQB’s standard Rear Cross-Traffic Alert uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side and Active Brake Assist automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. The Cooper SE doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.
Both the EQB and the Cooper SE have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors and available lane departure warning systems.
The Mercedes EQB weighs 1499 to 1695 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.