2020 Honda Civic Hatchback vs 2021 MINI Cooper

Half a decade ago, Honda redesigned the Civic, positioning it against rivals like the Subaru Impreza and Toyota Corolla. For 2020, Honda made subtle tweaks to the Civic Hatchback's styling, including body-color crossbars on the air intakes, a new grille, and smoked headlights. The Sport Touring trim, with its Platinum White Pearl paint and glossy black detailing, garnered admiration from onlookers, who mistook it for a Type R. Inside, the Sport Touring trim featured stitched leather on the steering wheel, soft surfaces, and quality materials, though hard plastics were still present. The six-speed manual gearbox, previously exclusive to the Sport trim, was now available with the Sport Touring trim, bringing the price to $28,980, including the destination charge.

In contrast, the 2021 MINI Cooper boasted iconic styling, with its rounded shape, tidy dimensions, and a wide variety of color choices. Customization options included graphics for the roof, such as a Union Jack flag, and hidden Easter eggs like Union Jack taillights. The MINI Cooper's interior continued the unique design language with circular shapes, a funky infotainment touchscreen, and circular air vents. While the cabin was generally high quality, space was limited, especially in the back seats, which were best used for cargo storage. The front seats offered decent comfort, but taller drivers might struggle with knee placement due to the dash shape.

The 2020 Honda Civic Hatchback, equipped with a turbocharged 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine, produced 174 horsepower in LX, EX, and EX-L trims, and 180 horsepower in Sport and Sport Touring trims. Torque measured 162 lb-ft with the CVT and 177 lb-ft with the six-speed manual transmission. The front-wheel-drive Civic Hatchback offered a refined and quiet engine, though the transmission's clutch travel and gearbox throws were long. The Civic Si, with its helical limited-slip differential, provided a tighter and more thrilling driving experience. However, the Civic Hatchback Sport and Sport Touring trims were easier to live with daily, offering a softer ride, wider seats, and a quieter cabin. The EPA rated the test car at 32 mpg in combined driving, and it achieved 32.7 mpg on the testing loop.

The 2021 MINI Cooper offered four powertrain options: a turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder with 134 horsepower, a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 189 horsepower for the Cooper S, a 228-hp turbo-four for the John Cooper Works (JCW), and a 301-hp turbo-four for the John Cooper Works GP. All models were front-wheel drive, with a six-speed manual standard for the Cooper and Cooper S, and a seven-speed automatic available. The JCW GP featured an eight-speed automatic transmission. The MINI Cooper felt spritely and energetic, with the turbocharged four-cylinder engines providing noticeable power at highway speeds. The JCW GP model offered the best acceleration. However, all Cooper models had a stiff ride, making long drives tiresome. The most efficient MINI Cooper was the Convertible, delivering 28/37/31 mpg city/highway/combined.

The 2020 Honda Civic Hatchback offered 25.2 cubic feet of cargo space, slightly more than the Honda HR-V Touring's 23.2 cubic feet. While the Hatchback couldn't match the HR-V's maximum volume of 46.2 cubic feet, it provided better acceleration and fuel efficiency. The driver's seat was low, but the Sport Touring's heated leather front seats offered ample thigh support. The center console storage area was long and deep, with a sliding armrest, tray, and cupholders. Rear seat comfort and legroom were good, but the lack of air-conditioning vents and dark tinted rear glass made it less comfortable for passengers.

The 2021 MINI Cooper's interior was more suited for cargo storage than passenger use, especially in the rear seats. The front seats were comfortable, with decent head and legroom for average adults, though taller drivers might struggle with knee placement. Interior storage was tight, with a small center console storage spot and limited door pockets. The Cooper Hatchbacks offered decent cargo space, with the back seats folding down for more storage. Convertible models had a small cargo hold under the folding top compartment, with very little usable space in the back.

The 2020 Honda Civic Hatchback featured a stylish dashboard with digital instrumentation and a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system in all but the LX trim. The Sport Touring trim included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, satellite radio, text-messaging support, a navigation system, a quick-charging USB port, and a 12-speaker premium sound system. Automatic climate control and Smart Entry with Walk Away Auto Lock were standard. However, the Civic lacked a tuning knob, a larger screen, and reliable voice-recognition technology.

The 2021 MINI Cooper's base screen was a 6.5-inch unit, with an optional 8.8-inch unit offering SiriusXM satellite radio and Apple CarPlay. Optional features included a Harman Kardon sound system, automatic climate controls, and LED headlights. MINI included more physical controls, improving the technology experience. However, Android Auto was not available, and the iDrive controller was difficult to reach and use due to the tight space between the front seats.

The 2020 Honda Civic Hatchback included the Honda Sensing suite as standard, featuring forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, automatic high-beam headlights, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and Road Departure Mitigation. Adaptive cruise control was also standard, with low-speed following capability in CVT-equipped models. However, the lane-keeping assist lacked smoothness, and the adaptive cruise control occasionally braked for no reason. The Civic lacked a blind-spot monitoring system and rear cross-traffic alert, relying on LaneWatch for the right-side blind spot. The 2020 Civic Hatchback did not earn a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS due to Poor headlight performance, but it received top marks for crash-test performance.

The 2021 MINI Cooper missed out on a Top Safety Pick designation from the IIHS, scoring top "Good" ratings in crash tests and "Acceptable" or "Poor" ratings for headlights. The standard front crash prevention systems earned "Advanced" scores, and the LATCH system received a "Marginal" rating for ease of use. The NHTSA had not yet rated the 2021 MINI Cooper. Standard driver-assistance features included forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and rear parking sensors. Optional features included front parking sensors, a parking assistance system, adaptive cruise control, and lane departure warning.