Compare the2025 Kia K4VS 2024 MINI Cooper Hardtop 4 Door

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Kia K4 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 Hardtop 4 Door doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Kia K4 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 Hardtop 4 Door 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 K4 are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The K4 GT-Line Turbo offers optional Reverse 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 Hardtop 4 Door doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The K4 GT-Line Turbo offers an optional Surround View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door 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 K4 LXS/EX/GT-Line’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 Hardtop 4 Door 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 K4 LXS/EX/GT-Line’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 Hardtop 4 Door doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

Both the K4 and the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door 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, daytime running lights, rearview cameras and driver alert monitors.

The K4 comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the K4 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than MINI covers the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door. 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 Hardtop 4 Door ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 8 times as many Kia dealers as there are MINI dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the K4’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 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 fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 19 more problems per 100 vehicles, MINI is ranked 11th.

The K4’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 13 more horsepower (147 vs. 134) than the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s standard 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder.

On the EPA test cycle the K4 gets better mileage than the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia K4 uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Kia K4 comes standard with an automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. Automatic costs extra on the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door.

An eight-speed automatic is standard on the Kia K4 GT-Line Turbo, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a seven-speed automatic is available for the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door.

The K4 has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door doesn’t offer a CVT.

For better traction, the K4 has larger standard tires than the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door (205/55R16 vs. 175/65R15). The K4 GT-Line’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door (235/40R18 vs. 205/45R17).

The K4 LX/LXS’ standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door Classic’s standard 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the K4 LX/LXS has standard 16-inch wheels. Smaller 15-inch wheels are standard on the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door Classic.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the K4’s wheelbase is 6 inches longer than on the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door (107.1 inches vs. 101.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the K4 is 3.3 inches wider in the front and 3.7 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door.

For better maneuverability, the K4’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s (35.2 feet vs. 36.2 feet).

The design of the Kia K4 amounts to more than styling. The K4 offers aerodynamic coefficients of drag from .27 to .29 Cd (depending on bodystyle and options). That is lower than the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door (.29 to .32) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the K4 get better fuel mileage.

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the K4 a Mid-size car, while the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door is rated a Subcompact.

The K4 has 14.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door (98.7 vs. 83.8).

The K4 has .9 inches more front legroom, 5.3 inches more front shoulder room, 5.7 inches more rear legroom and 5.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the K4’s trunk can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

When two different drivers share the K4 GT-Line, the optional 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 Hardtop 4 Door doesn’t offer a memory system.

The K4 GT-Line’s optional 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 Hardtop 4 Door doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The K4’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door 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.

The K4 has a standard Smart Key that allows you to unlock the doors from either front door handle, open the trunk, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Only the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door Signature/Iconic offers Comfort Access.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the K4 EX/GT-Line has standard extendable sun visors. The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the K4 GT-Line keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The K4 GT-Line 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 Hardtop 4 Door doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

Both the K4 and the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the K4 GT-Line Turbo has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.