MINI Cooper vs. Volkswagen Beetle
iSeeCars' unbiased and data-driven comparison of the MINI Cooper and Volkswagen Beetle contrasts the two cars across a broad spectrum of vehicle specifications to determine which car is better. In addition to comparing pricing and specs, iSeeCars uses all the ratings, rankings, and insights from its comprehensive analyses of each vehicle model, including calculations of reliability, safety, depreciation, value retention, and the vehicle's projected lifetime recalls (based on analyzing over 25 billion data points). This in-depth evaluation is used to identify which vehicle represents a better overall choice for shoppers who are considering both the MINI Cooper and the Volkswagen Beetle.
In comparing the MINI Cooper's and the Volkswagen Beetle's specifications and ratings, the MINI Cooper has the advantage in the areas of typical lower range of pricing for one- to five-year-old used cars, and fuel efficiency. The Volkswagen Beetle has the advantage in the areas of interior volume and base engine power. Based on this comparison of the MINI Cooper's and the Volkswagen Beetle's specifications and ratings, the two cars are fairly comparable.
Pricing: A used 2011 MINI Cooper ranges from $4,991 to $11,993 while a used 2019 Volkswagen Beetle is priced between $16,991 to $29,599.
Engine Power and Fuel Efficiency Comparison: For engine performance, the MINI Cooper’s base engine makes 121 horsepower, and the Volkswagen Beetle base engine makes 174 horsepower. The Cooper is rated to deliver an average of 32 miles per gallon, with a highway range of 488 miles. The Beetle is rated to deliver an average of 29 miles per gallon, with a highway range of 479 miles. This gives the MINI Cooper the fuel efficiency and maximum range advantage over the Volkswagen Beetle. The Cooper uses gasoline, and the Beetle uses regular unleaded.
Passenger Space Comparison: The Volkswagen Beetle has the advantage of offering more interior volume, reflected in more front head room, front shoulder room, rear shoulder room, rear leg room, and cargo space. The MINI Cooper has the advantage in the areas of front leg room and rear head room.
Safety Ratings: The Volkswagen Beetle has an average safety rating of 5 out of 5 Stars based on NHTSA's crash test ratings.
New Car Pricing
Asking Price:
-
Starting MSRP:
$19,400
Category Avg Starting MSRP:
N/A
Category Starting MSRP Range:
N/A
New Car Pricing
Asking Price:
-
Starting MSRP:
$20,895
Category Avg Starting MSRP:
(Compact Cars)
$21,340
Category Starting MSRP Range:
(Compact Cars)
$14,795 - $40,395
Used Car Pricing
Avg Used Car Price:
$7,991
Price Range:
$4,991 - $11,993
Category Avg Price:
N/A
Category Avg Price Range:
N/A
# Used Cars for Sale Nationally:
78
Avg Mileage of Used Cars for Sale:
104,952
# Good or Great Deals:
28
Used Car Pricing
Avg Used Car Price:
$22,937
Price Range:
$16,991 - $29,599
Category Avg Price:
(Compact Cars)
$19,292
Category Avg Price Range:
(Compact Cars)
$11,224 - $33,439
# Used Cars for Sale Nationally:
106
Avg Mileage of Used Cars for Sale:
44,741
# Good or Great Deals:
62
MINI Cooper Scores & Rankings
Overall Score:
Not available
Reliability:
Not available
Retained Value:
Not available
Safety:
Not available
Volkswagen Beetle Scores & Rankings
Overall Score:
8.8 / 10
Reliability:
7.9 / 10
Retained Value:
8.6 / 10
Safety:
10.0 / 10
iSeeCars Reliability Insights for MINI Cooper
Remaining Life Expectancy (years):
Typical Category Remaining Life Expectancy:
N/A
Category Remaining Life Expectancy Range:
N/A
Chance of Reaching 200k Miles for a New Car:
iSeeCars Reliability Insights for Volkswagen Beetle
Remaining Life Expectancy (years):
6.7
Typical Category Remaining Life Expectancy:
(Compact Cars)
6.3
Category Remaining Life Expectancy Range:
(Compact Cars)
4.1 - 9.5
Chance of Reaching 200k Miles for a New Car:
0.2%
Expected 30-year Lifetime Recalls
Expected Lifetime Recalls:
3.7
Typical Category Recalls:
N/A
Category Range for Recalls:
N/A
Expected 30-year Lifetime Recalls
Expected Lifetime Recalls:
3.4
Typical Category Recalls:
(Compact Cars)
4.5
Category Range for Recalls:
(Compact Cars)
0.5 - 15.5
MINI Cooper Rankings
Not yet available
Volkswagen Beetle Rankings
Ranking
7 out of / 13Ranking
10 out of / 43Ranking
11 out of / 43Ranking
11 out of / 43Ranking
16 out of / 43Ranking
16 out of / 43Ranking
19 out of / 43Ranking
20 out of / 43Available Body Styles
Convertible, Hatchback
Available Body Styles
Hatchback
Available Drivetrain Options
Gasoline
Available Drivetrain Options
Gasoline
MINI Cooper Trim Levels
Not yet available
Volkswagen Beetle Trim Levels
2.0T Final Edition SE, 2.0T Final Edition SEL, 2.0T S, 2.0T SE
Warranty Information
Warranty, Bumper-to-Bumper:
4 years / 50000 miles
Warranty, Powertrain:
4 years / 50000 miles
Warranty, Roadside Assistance:
4 years
Warranty Information
Warranty, Bumper-to-Bumper:
6 years / 72000 miles
Warranty, Powertrain:
6 years / 72000 miles
Warranty, Roadside Assistance:
3 years / 36000 miles
Safety Ratings
NHTSA Safety Rating (last 5 year average):
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Overall Rating:
5 out of 5 Stars
2025 NHTSA Front Crash Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Side Crash Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Rollover Rating:
5 out of 5 Stars
IIHS Safety Rating:
Not yet available
Safety Ratings
NHTSA Safety Rating (last 5 year average):
5 out of 5 Stars
2025 NHTSA Overall Rating:
4 out of 5 Stars
2025 NHTSA Front Crash Overall Rating:
4 out of 5 Stars
2025 NHTSA Side Crash Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Rollover Rating:
4 out of 5 Stars
IIHS Safety Rating:
Not yet available
Base Drivetrain Specs
Horsepower:
121 hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque:
114 foot-lbs @ 4250 rpm
Power-to-Weight Ratio (higher is better):
0.047 hp per pound
Base Drivetrain Specs
Horsepower:
174 hp @ 5000 rpm
Torque:
184 foot-lbs @ 1500 rpm
Power-to-Weight Ratio (higher is better):
0.057 hp per pound
Engine Specifications
Engine Size:
1.6 liters
Engine Configuration:
Inline
Number of Cylinders:
4
Transmission:
Manual
Standard/Optional Drivetrain Type:
FWD
EPA Fuel Economy
(City/Highway/Combined MPG):
29 / 37 / 32
Range (city/hwy):
383 / 488 miles
Recommended Fuel Type:
Gasoline
Engine Specifications
Engine Size:
2 liters
Engine Configuration:
Inline
Number of Cylinders:
4
Transmission:
Automatic
Standard/Optional Drivetrain Type:
FWD
EPA Fuel Economy
(City/Highway/Combined MPG):
26 / 33 / 29
Range (city/hwy):
377 / 479 miles
Recommended Fuel Type:
Regular Unleaded
Standard/Optional Features
Alloy wheels:
Standard
Bench Seats:
Standard
Keyless Entry:
Standard
Keyless Ignition:
Standard
Leather Upholstery:
Standard
Power outlet:
Standard
Satellite radio:
Standard
Bluetooth:
Available
Heated Seats
Available
Navigation System:
Available
Paddle Shifters:
Available
Parking Sensors:
Available
Sunroof/Moonroof:
Available
Voice Recognition:
Available
Adaptive Cruise Control:
N/A
Air Suspension:
N/A
Android Auto:
N/A
Apple CarPlay:
N/A
Automatic Parking:
N/A
Captain's seat:
N/A
Cooled/Ventilated Seats:
N/A
Front Bench Seats:
N/A
Heated Steering Wheel:
N/A
Internet Radio:
N/A
Massage Seats:
N/A
Panoramic Sunroof/Moonroof
N/A
Power Lift Gate:
N/A
Quad Seats:
N/A
Roadside assistance:
N/A
Roof Rack:
N/A
Trailer Hitch:
N/A
Wifi:
N/A
Wireless Smartphone Charging:
N/A
Standard/Optional Features
Alloy wheels:
Standard
Bench Seats:
Standard
Keyless Entry:
Standard
Keyless Ignition:
Available
Leather Upholstery:
Available
Power outlet:
Standard
Satellite radio:
Available
Bluetooth:
Standard
Heated Seats
Available
Navigation System:
Available
Paddle Shifters:
N/A
Parking Sensors:
Available
Sunroof/Moonroof:
Available
Voice Recognition:
Available
Adaptive Cruise Control:
N/A
Air Suspension:
N/A
Android Auto:
Available
Apple CarPlay:
Available
Automatic Parking:
N/A
Captain's seat:
N/A
Cooled/Ventilated Seats:
N/A
Front Bench Seats:
N/A
Heated Steering Wheel:
N/A
Internet Radio:
N/A
Massage Seats:
N/A
Panoramic Sunroof/Moonroof
N/A
Power Lift Gate:
N/A
Quad Seats:
N/A
Roadside assistance:
N/A
Roof Rack:
N/A
Trailer Hitch:
N/A
Wifi:
N/A
Wireless Smartphone Charging:
N/A
Safety Features
360-Degree Camera:
N/A
Backup camera:
N/A
Blind Spot Monitoring:
N/A
Driver Attention Monitoring:
N/A
Forward Collision Warning:
N/A
Lane Departure Warning:
N/A
Lane Keeping Assist:
N/A
Pedestrian Detection:
N/A
Rear Cross-Traffic Alert:
N/A
Rear Seat Reminder:
N/A
Safety Features
360-Degree Camera:
N/A
Backup camera:
Standard
Blind Spot Monitoring:
Standard
Driver Attention Monitoring:
N/A
Forward Collision Warning:
N/A
Lane Departure Warning:
N/A
Lane Keeping Assist:
N/A
Pedestrian Detection:
N/A
Rear Cross-Traffic Alert:
Standard
Rear Seat Reminder:
N/A
Interior Dimensions
Front Head Room:
38.8 inches
Front Leg Room:
41.4 inches
Front Shoulder Room:
50.3 inches
Rear Head Room:
37.6 inches
Rear Leg Room:
29.9 inches
Rear Shoulder Room:
44.7 inches
Cargo Space:
5.7 cubic feet
Overall Interior Volume:
81.7 cubic feet
Interior Dimensions
Front Head Room:
39.4 inches
Front Leg Room:
41.3 inches
Front Shoulder Room:
55.3 inches
Rear Head Room:
37.1 inches
Rear Leg Room:
31.4 inches
Rear Shoulder Room:
49 inches
Cargo Space:
15.4 cubic feet
Overall Interior Volume:
100.5 cubic feet
Exterior Dimensions
Curb Weight:
2568 lbs
Width:
75.8 inches
Height:
55.4 inches
Length:
145.6 inches
Wheelbase:
97.1 inches
Ground Clearance:
Not yet available
Exterior Dimensions
Curb Weight:
3045 lbs
Width:
71.9 inches
Height:
58.6 inches
Length:
168.8 inches
Wheelbase:
100.1 inches
Ground Clearance:
5.7 inches
Standard Wheel/Tire Information
Wheel Size:
15.0 x 5.5 inches
Wheel Type:
aluminum alloy
Tire Size:
175/65R15
Standard Wheel/Tire Information
Wheel Size:
16.0 x 6.5 inches
Wheel Type:
aluminum alloy
Tire Size:
215/60R16
Exterior Colors
Beige
Sparkling Silver Metallic
Black
Midnight Black Metallic
Blue
Horizon Blue Metallic / Ice Blue / Laser Blue Metallic
Brown
Hot Chocolate Metallic
Green
British Racing Green II Metallic
Orange
Spice Orange Metallic
Red
Chili Red
Silver
Pure Silver Metallic / Velvet Silver Metallic / White Silver Metallic
White
Pepper White
Yellow
Interchange Yellow
Gray
Not available
Exterior Colors
Beige
Not available
Black
Deep Black Pearl
Blue
Silk Blue Metallic
Brown
Not available
Green
Not available
Orange
Habanero Orange Metallic
Red
Tornado Red
Silver
White Silver Metallic
White
Pure White
Yellow
Not available
Gray
Platinum Gray Metallic
Interior Colors
Beige
Polar Beige Gravity Leather
Black
Carbon Black Checkered Cloth / Carbon Black Leatherette / Carbon Black Lounge Leather / Carbon Black Punch Leather
Brown
Toffee Leather Cross Check / Carbon Black Cloth
Green
Classic Green Lounge Leather
Red
Rooster Red Leather / Carbon Black Cloth
Interior Colors
Beige
Not available
Black
Titan Black
Brown
Not available
Green
Not available
Red
Not available
