2021 Dodge Charger vs 2020 MINI Cooper

The 2020 MINI Cooper stood out on the road with its unique design, featuring wide-eyed LED-ringed headlights, a grinning front grille, and vibrant color options. The Union Jack taillights were a crowd-pleaser, adding to the car's 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 Cooper S design but sat slightly higher to accommodate the battery cells. Inside, the MINI Cooper's design was dominated by circular elements, including the speakers, air vents, and a massive circular housing for the touchscreen infotainment system. The interior delivered a premium feel unmatched by other cars of its size.

The 2021 Dodge Charger, in its seventh generation since 2011, continued to be popular due to its numerous variants, including the top-tier SRT Hellcat Redeye. The Charger maintained a consistent design over the years, making it difficult for casual observers to determine the model's age. The widebody format, available on some models, gave the car a more athletic stance. The Charger offered a variety of tire, wheel, brake, and exterior color options, with halogen projector headlights and LED accents as standard. The interior had been updated over the years but still lacked some comfort and convenience features. The fit and finish improved, but the gauge cluster and climate controls revealed the model's age. The Charger had a fair amount of hard plastic and rubberized surfaces, with cloth seats standard on most trims and Nappa leather on higher trims.

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 placed it just below the Cooper S's 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine, which generated 189 hp and 207 lb-ft. The SE's immediacy in torque delivery made it feel just as quick as the Cooper S, despite a slight weight penalty due to the battery. The SE's regenerative braking system helped keep the battery charged, with an aggressive default setting that some drivers might find too abrupt. The SE maintained a low center of gravity, thanks to the battery's "T" shape beneath the floor, ensuring a planted feel in corners. Gas-powered Coopers used either a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission or an eight-speed automatic in the John Cooper Works trim. The SE employed a single-speed gearbox, with no manual transmission offered for 2020.

The 2021 Dodge Charger shone in performance, offering a range of engines across its various models. The SXT, SXT AWD, GT, and GT AWD were powered by a 3.6-liter V6 engine, delivering up to 300 horsepower and 264 pound-feet of torque. The R/T model featured a 5.7-liter HEMI V8 with 370 hp and 395 lb-ft of torque, providing a 1,000-pound towing capacity. The Charger Scat Pack models had a 6.4-liter HEMI V8, producing 485 hp and 475 lb-ft of torque. The SRT Hellcat boasted a supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI V8 with 717 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque, while the top-tier SRT Hellcat Redeye had a high-output version of the same engine, delivering 797 hp and 707 lb-ft of torque. The Charger offered a connected driving experience with configurable drive modes and Performance Pages for in-depth vehicle settings adjustments. The automatic transmission provided smooth upshifts, though downshifts could be clunky under heavy braking.

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, best suited for children. The two-door Cooper offered 8.7 cubic feet of cargo space, while the four-door variant provided 13.1 cubic feet. The Convertible had only 5.7 cubic feet. Dropping the rear seats in the SE trim increased cargo space to 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, chrome toggle switches, and high-quality materials.

The 2021 Dodge Charger functioned well as a family car, balancing speed and power with a spacious back seat and comfortable accommodations. The instrument cluster varied by model, with different speedometer readings based on the car's top speed. The steering wheel provided easy-to-reach buttons for in-car functions, and paddle shifters were available on all but the base model. A 60/40 split-folding rear seat expanded the already-spacious trunk for additional storage. Compared to other large cars, the Charger had about average cargo space.

The 2020 MINI Cooper SE featured an "eDrive" driver-information display connected to the steering wheel, displaying vehicle speed, time, mileage, remaining charge, and drive mode. The 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment display included Bluetooth connectivity, navigation, and Apple CarPlay. The SE Iconic trim offered an 8.8-inch screen, a wireless charging pad, and a head-up display.

The 2021 Dodge Charger came with standard features like push-button start, a rearview camera, rear parking sensors, a six-speaker audio system, four USB ports, Bluetooth, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, satellite radio, keyless entry, and a 7-inch infotainment touchscreen. Available features included a sunroof, dual-zone automatic climate control, an 8.4-inch touchscreen, premium audio systems, HD Radio, navigation, and a WiFi hot spot. The Uconnect infotainment system was easy to navigate but had some buried functions.

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 IIHS gave the 2020 MINI Cooper top marks, with "Good" scores in all crash tests.

The 2021 Dodge Charger received a four-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA. Standard safety features included brake assist, electronic stability control, hill start assist, rear park assist, rain brake support, and a tire pressure monitoring system. Adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning, and automatic headlights were available on some models.