2020 Honda Accord vs 2020 MINI Cooper

The 2020 MINI Cooper stood out with its unique design, featuring wide-eyed LED headlights, a grinning front grille, and vibrant color options. The Union Jack taillights were a crowd-pleaser, adding to its charm without appearing wasteful or gaudy. Initially available as a two-door hardtop, the MINI Cooper evolved to include a convertible variant, a four-door body style, and an all-electric SE trim. The SE trim maintained the classic MINI design but sat slightly higher to accommodate the battery cells, and it offered unique paint schemes and EV-exclusive wheels.

Inside, the MINI Cooper's design was dominated by circles, from the speakers to the air vents and door handles. The massive circular housing for the touchscreen infotainment system between the front seats added to its premium feel. The SE trim, in particular, mimicked the design of the gas-powered Cooper S, with the key difference being its electric motor and battery setup. Despite the added weight from the battery, the SE maintained a low center of gravity, ensuring a planted feel in corners.

The 2020 Honda Accord was one of the most stylish Accords in history, with a sleek fastback design that belied its mainstream family sedan roots. The Sport and Touring trims, with their 19-inch wheels, added significant visual presence, while other trims featured 17-inch wheels that were more cost-effective in the long run. The Accord was available in LX, Sport, EX, EX-L, and Touring trims, with prices ranging from $24,270 to $36,400 MSRP. The Radiant Red paint and Ivory interior of the Touring trim gave it a luxurious look and feel, with high-quality materials and a well-designed cabin.

The Accord's interior was spacious and comfortable, with a 12-way power driver's seat, heated and ventilated front seats, and a well-designed dashboard. The back seat was exceptionally comfortable, with wide doors for easy access, a natural seating angle, and plenty of thigh support. The Touring trim added heated outboard positions and rear air conditioning vents. The trunk offered an impressive 16.7 cubic feet of space, making it perfect for long family road trips. The Accord's interior was a great place to spend time, with plenty of storage space, clear instrumentation, and ergonomic controls.

The 2020 MINI Cooper SE excelled in performance with its 181-horsepower electric motor and 199 pound-feet of torque, powered by a 32.6-kilowatt-hour battery pack. This setup provided a quick acceleration from a stop, nearly matching the 189 hp and 207 lb-ft of the Cooper S's 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine. The SE also outperformed the base Cooper, which had a 1.5-liter turbo three-cylinder engine making 134 hp and 162 lb-ft. The SE's regenerative braking system was aggressive, allowing for one-pedal driving, though it could be adjusted for less aggressive braking.

Despite the added weight from the battery, the SE maintained a low center of gravity, thanks to the battery's "T" shape beneath the floor. This design helped the car feel planted in corners, with direct steering, limited body roll, and wide-open sight lines. Gas-powered Coopers offered either a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission or an eight-speed automatic in the John Cooper Works trim. The SE used a single-speed gearbox, and for 2020, no manual transmission was offered, though a six-speed manual was set to return in 2021.

The 2020 Honda Accord offered a standard turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine with 192 horsepower and 192 lb-ft of torque, paired with a continuously variable transmission and front-wheel drive. This year marked the last availability of a six-speed manual gearbox with the Sport trim. The Accord's hybrid powertrain, producing 212 horsepower, impressed with an average of 42.6 mpg during a week of driving.

For those seeking more power, the turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, paired with a ten-speed automatic transmission, generated 252 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque. The Accord 2.0T featured Economy and Sport driving modes, paddle shifters, and an impressive 27.4 mpg during testing. The Accord Touring, equipped with adaptive dampers, provided excellent control over body roll, dive, and squat, while maintaining a compliant ride over pavement undulations. The steering was accurate and properly weighted, though the brakes could use some refinement.

The 2020 MINI Cooper hatchback was not ideal for carpooling, road trips, or home-improvement projects. Front-seat space was good, and the large greenhouse prevented a claustrophobic feel. However, the backseat was tiny and best suited for children. The two-door Cooper offered 8.7 cubic feet of cargo space, while the four-door version provided 13.1 cubic feet. The Convertible had only 5.7 cubic feet, and the SE trim maintained the same interior space as the gas-powered versions. Dropping the rear seats in the SE provided a maximum of 25.8 cubic feet, still less than half of what a Volkswagen Golf offered.

Despite limited space, the MINI Cooper was thoughtfully designed, with two-zone automatic air conditioning, an efficient heat pump, and fun-to-flick chrome toggle switches. The steering wheel was ergonomic, and the materials felt top-notch, reflecting BMW's investment in the MINI brand.

The 2020 Honda Accord was essentially a full-size car, offering significantly more rear-seat legroom and cargo space compared to the Toyota Camry. The Accord Touring's 12-way power driver's seat was comfortable, with plenty of thigh support, softly padded armrests, and both heating and ventilation. However, the front passenger seat lacked a height adjuster. The back seat was exceptionally comfortable, with wide doors, a natural seating angle, and plentiful thigh support. The Touring trim added heated outboard positions and rear air conditioning vents.

The Accord's trunk offered an impressive 16.7 cubic feet of space, perfect for long family road trips. Inside the cabin, Honda provided plenty of storage space, clear instrumentation, and ergonomic controls. The layered dashboard design made the car feel even bigger inside, and the overall interior was a great place to spend time, except for the front passenger seat.

The 2020 MINI Cooper SE featured a unique "eDrive" driver-information display connected to the steering wheel, which moved with the steering-wheel adjustments. The eDrive screen displayed vehicle speed, time, mileage, remaining charge, and drive mode. The SE's 32.6-kilowatt-hour battery provided an EPA-estimated range of 110 miles, which was less competitive compared to other electric cars but suitable for urban drivers.

The 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment display was housed in a circular center dash, featuring Bluetooth connectivity, navigation, and Apple CarPlay. The SE was available in three levels—Signature, Signature Plus, and Iconic—with the top-tier SE Iconic offering an 8.8-inch screen, wireless charging pad, and head-up display.

The 2020 Honda Accord's 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system was one of the best, featuring volume and tuning knobs, main menu shortcut buttons, lovely graphics, and sensible steering wheel controls. It included Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and text-messaging support. The EX-L trim added a ten-speaker premium sound system, while the Touring trim included HondaLink subscription services, a Wi-Fi hotspot, navigation, and wireless device charging.

The Accord's infotainment system lacked natural voice recognition, requiring specific prompts for accurate responses. The Touring trim's head-up display was visible even with polarized sunglasses. The Accord also featured a reversing camera with multiple viewing angles, enhancing visibility.

The 2020 MINI Cooper SE lacked advanced safety features, with only front and rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera included in the Iconic package. Forward-collision warning was standard, but automatic emergency braking was unavailable. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) did not rate the MINI Cooper, but the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave it top marks with "Good" scores in all crash tests.

The 2020 Honda Accord was named a Top Safety Pick by the IIHS and received five stars in every NHTSA assessment. Honda Sensing, standard on all trims, included forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-centering assist, adaptive cruise control, and traffic sign recognition. Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert was available on Sport 2.0T and EX trims or higher.

Honda Sensing could use some refinement, as the adaptive cruise control was not always smooth, and the forward collision warning and lane departure warning systems gave false alerts. The lane departure warning system wobbled the steering wheel, which could be improved with a vibration alert.