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MINI Cooper vs Subaru BRZ

2026 MINI Cooper vs 2026 Subaru BRZ — two rivals compared on efficiency, size, safety and reliability.

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2026 MINI Cooper

Subcompact Cars
VS2 – 3Subaru BRZ wins 3 of 5 categories
Subaru BRZ

2026 Subaru BRZ

Minicompact Cars

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The short version

The MINI Cooper is more fuel-efficient: 32 vs 25 MPG combined in its best version.

That works out to about $750 a year less in fuel for the MINI Cooper (EPA estimate, 15,000 miles).

The Subaru BRZ is the bigger car, about 15 inches longer.

Across all model years since 2005, the Subaru BRZ has had fewer recall campaigns (5 vs 29).

The two cars

The 2026 MINI Cooper is a subcompact car offered with a 2.0L 4-cyl turbo engine and front-wheel drive. It measures about 153 inches long and 69 inches wide on a 98-inch wheelbase, with a curb weight of roughly 3,142 lb (2dr Convertible).

The 2026 Subaru BRZ is a minicompact car offered with a 2.4L 4-cyl engine and rear-wheel drive. It measures about 168 inches long and 70 inches wide on a 102-inch wheelbase, with a curb weight of roughly 2,815 lb.

Buying used? The 2018 Cooper and the 2023 BRZ have the fewest problems in our data; avoid the 2015 Cooper and the 2018 BRZ.

Basics

Subcompact Cars
Class
Minicompact Cars
Premium Gasoline
Fuel
Premium Gasoline
2.0L 4-cyl turbo
Engines
2.4L 4-cyl
Front-Wheel Drive
Drivetrain
Rear-Wheel Drive

Efficiency

32 MPG
Best combined MPG
25 MPG
28 city
City / highway MPG (best)
21 city
$2,550
Fuel cost per year (EPA)
$3,300

Performance & space

152.8 in
Length
167.7 in
68.5 in
Width
70.1 in
57.1 in
Height
51.6 in
3,014 lb
Curb weight (lightest)
2,815 lb

Safety & reliability

1
Recalls (2026)
0
29
Recalls, all years since 2005
5
3
Owner complaints (latest year)
0

Interest

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Wikipedia views, 30 days
24,021

Buying used

2018
Best used year
2023
2015
Year to avoid
2018

Green = clearly better. Prices are not included. How we calculate this →

Which one should you choose?

Choose the MINI Cooper if…

  • You want lower fuel bills (32 vs 25 MPG)
  • You want something easier to park (15 in shorter)

Choose the Subaru BRZ if…

  • You want more room (15 in longer)
  • You put reliability history first (5 vs 29 recalls since 2005)

Pros & cons of each

2026 MINI Cooper

  • Excellent fuel economyUp to 32 MPG combined — 33% better than the average 2026 subcompact car (24 MPG).
  • Premium fuel requiredEvery gasoline version is rated for premium, which raises running costs.

2026 Subaru BRZ

  • Excellent fuel economyUp to 25 MPG combined — 23% better than the average 2026 minicompact car (20.3 MPG).
  • Premium fuel requiredEvery gasoline version is rated for premium, which raises running costs.

Full 2026 MINI Cooper specs →Full 2026 Subaru BRZ specs →Compare fuel costs for your driving →Compare size & garage fit →