Compare the2025 MINI Cooper Hardtop 4 DoorVS 2024 Nissan Versa

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Model Availability

Safety

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The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door has a standard PostCrash iBrake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Versa doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door offers an optional 360-degree camera to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Versa only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.

Both the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door and Versa offer rear cross-traffic warning, but the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door with Cross Traffic Warning also has Brake Intervention (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Versa’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door has standard Assist eCall, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Versa doesn’t offer a GPS response system, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door and the Versa have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, rearview cameras, available lane departure warning systems and blind spot warning systems.

Warranty

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Versa’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Versa’s (12 vs. 5 years).

MINI pays for scheduled maintenance on the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door for 3 years and 36,000 miles. MINI will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Nissan doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Versa.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that MINI vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks MINI fourth in reliability, above the industry average. With 25 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is ranked 15th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that MINI vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks MINI third in overall reliability. Nissan is ranked 17th.

Engine

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 39 more horsepower (161 vs. 122) and 70 lbs.-ft. more torque (184 vs. 114) than the Versa’s 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door S’ standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 79 more horsepower (201 vs. 122) and 107 lbs.-ft. more torque (221 vs. 114) than the Versa’s 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

Regenerative brakes improve the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Versa doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Versa doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

Transmission

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

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is more internally efficient than a CVT but just as easy to drive. The Versa doesn’t offer an SMG.

To facilitate fast shifting and allow the driver to focus on the road, the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door has a standard up-shift light to indicate when the engine is approaching redline. The Versa doesn’t offer an up-shift light.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Versa doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

The MINI Cooper Hardtop 4 Door has standard four-wheel disc brakes for better stopping power and improved directional control in poor weather. Only rear drums come on the Versa. Drums can heat up and make stops longer, especially with antilock brakes that work much harder than conventional brakes.

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door has larger tires than the Versa (215/45R17 vs. 195/65R15). The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Versa (215/45R17 vs. 205/55R16).

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Versa S’ standard 65 series tires. The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Versa SR’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 15-inch wheels are standard on the Versa S. The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s optional 18-inch wheels are larger than the 17-inch wheels on the Versa SR.

The MINI Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s wheels have 5 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Nissan Versa only has 4 wheel lugs per wheel.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the MINI Cooper Hardtop 4 Door has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Nissan Versa has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door flat and controlled during cornering. The Versa’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads. The Versa’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

Chassis

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door is 1 foot, 6.1 inches shorter than the Versa, making the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door has .3 inches more front headroom, 1.9 inches more front hip room, 1.2 inches more rear headroom, 1.3 inches more rear legroom and 2.2 inches more rear hip room than the Versa.

Cargo Capacity

To allow full utilization of available cargo room, the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s hatch uses gas strut supported hinges that don’t intrude into the cargo area. Its intrusive beam hinge reduces the Versa’s useful trunk space.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The Versa S Manual doesn’t offer folding rear seats.

Servicing Ease

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Versa uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that MINI service is better than Nissan. J.D. Power ranks MINI fourth in service department satisfaction. With a 24% lower rating, Nissan is ranked 16th.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door, 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 Versa doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’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 Versa doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, warning, navigation instruction and driver assistance information readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Versa doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Versa 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 power windows standard on both the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door and the Versa have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Versa prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s front power windows open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Versa’s power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. Only its driver’s window opens automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Versa can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door has standard start/stop switch that allows you to start the engine without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Only the Versa SV offers a Push Button Ignition.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Versa’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted. The Versa SV/SR’s intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Versa doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door has a standard rear wiper. The Versa doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Versa’s standard halogen headlights. LED lights also light instantly and last over twenty times longer than halogen.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Versa doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Nissan only offers heated mirrors on the Versa SV/SR.

When the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door with available tilt-down mirrors is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The Versa’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Versa offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the MINI Cooper Hardtop 4 Door and Nissan Versa offer exterior mirrors that can be folded to provide convenience. The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door features standard power folding mirrors, which allow for easy, one-touch folding or unfolding at the driver’s discretion. This provides added convenience when maneuvering or parking, as well as when walking past the parked vehicle. In comparison, the Versa’s foldable mirrors are manual, requiring the driver to get out and physically fold them once parked and unfold them before getting in.

On extremely cold winter days, the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the car heater warms up. The Versa doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Versa.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The Versa doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

To direct the driver from any location to a given street address, a GPS navigation system is standard on the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door. The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s navigation system also has a real-time traffic update feature that offers alternative routes to automatically bypass traffic problems. (Service not available in all areas.) The Versa doesn’t offer a navigation system.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s optional Parking Assistant Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Control Parking will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Versa doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Model Availability

The MINI Cooper comes in coupe, convertible and four door hatchback bodystyles; the Nissan Versa isn’t available as a coupe or convertible.

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