Compare the2025 Kia Niro EVVS 2025 MINI Countryman SE

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Kia Niro EV have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. The MINI Countryman SE doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

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 Countryman SE doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

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

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 Countryman 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 Countryman 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 Countryman SE ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 8 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.

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.

On the EPA test cycle the Niro EV gets better mileage than the Countryman SE:

The Niro EV can travel longer on a full charge than the Countryman SE on a full charge:

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Niro EV’s wheelbase is 1.1 inches longer than on the Countryman SE (107.1 inches vs. 106 inches).

For better maneuverability, the Niro EV’s turning circle is 3.9 feet tighter than the Countryman SE’s (34.8 feet vs. 38.7 feet).

The Kia Niro EV may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 850 pounds less than the MINI Countryman SE.

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 Countryman SE doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Niro EV has 1.1 inches more front legroom, .6 inches more front shoulder room, .7 inches more rear headroom, 1.8 inches more rear legroom and .6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Countryman SE.

The Niro EV has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Countryman SE with its rear seat folded (63.7 vs. 56.2 cubic feet).

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 Countryman 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 Countryman SE doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Both the Niro EV and the Countryman 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 Countryman 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 Countryman SE doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

Compared to the MINI Countryman SE, the Kia Niro EV eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries with its optional integrated Homelink® universal remote controlled from the rear view mirror.

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 Countryman SE doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

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

The Kia Niro outsold the MINI Countryman by almost three to one during 2024.