2020 Subaru Legacy vs 2020 MINI Cooper

The 2020 Subaru Legacy presented a conundrum with its styling. It was a handsome car, but it struggled to stand out amidst competitors like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. The Legacy had sharp angles and details, but its design felt smaller and less bold. The front end, in particular, looked compact, almost reminiscent of a Subaru Impreza. Inside, the Legacy featured a massive 11.6-inch touchscreen, but many controls were buried within the digital interface, complicating simple tasks like adjusting the climate or radio. The Legacy came in six trims, with the Premium trim offering a good balance of features, including 17-inch alloy wheels, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and a power moonroof.

In contrast, the 2020 MINI Cooper was a certified enthusiast machine with its unique styling. The wide-eyed headlights, vibrant color options, and Union Jack taillights made it stand out. Originally a two-door hardtop, the MINI Cooper evolved to include a convertible and a four-door body style, with the SE trim introducing an all-electric variant. The SE mimicked the design of the Cooper S but sat slightly higher to accommodate the battery cells. Inside, the MINI Cooper's design was dominated by circles, from the speakers to the air vents, and the materials felt premium. The SE trim maintained the classic MINI driving experience with its low center of gravity and direct steering.

The 2020 Subaru Legacy offered two engine options. The base, Premium, Sport, and Limited trims featured a 2.5-liter boxer 4-cylinder engine, producing 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque. This engine was paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and standard all-wheel drive (AWD). The Legacy was quick off the line, making it suitable for city driving, but it struggled to reach highway speeds without making significant noise. For those needing more power, the Limited XT and Touring XT trims came with a 2.4-liter turbocharged boxer 4-cylinder engine, delivering 260 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque. The Legacy's chassis provided precise cornering and refined ride quality, but the auto stop-start system was jarring and complicated to disable. Fuel economy for the base engine was impressive at 27 mpg city, 35 highway, and 30 combined, while the turbocharged engine achieved 24 city, 32 highway, and 27 combined.

The 2020 MINI Cooper SE excelled in performance with its electric motor producing 181 horsepower and 199 pound-feet of torque, powered by a 32.6-kilowatt-hour battery pack. This setup provided immediate torque delivery, making the SE feel quick off the line. The gas-powered Cooper S featured a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine with 189 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque. The SE's regenerative braking system was aggressive, allowing for one-pedal driving, but could be adjusted for less intensity. Despite the SE's additional weight due to the battery, its low center of gravity maintained the classic MINI driving experience. Gas-powered Coopers used either a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission or an eight-speed automatic in the John Cooper Works trim, while the SE employed a single-speed gearbox.

The 2020 Subaru Legacy offered solid trunk space for a sedan at 15.1 cubic feet, though it couldn't compete with crossovers. The backseat provided surprising head- and legroom, accommodating taller passengers comfortably. The front seats were supportive, and the cabin featured deep door pockets and a fold-down center armrest with cupholders. However, the center stack's tray was small, making it difficult to plug in USB cables.

The 2020 MINI Cooper hatchback was not ideal for carpooling or long trips. Front-seat space was good, and the large windows prevented a claustrophobic feel. The backseat was tiny, best suited for children. Cargo space in the two-door Cooper was limited to 8.7 cubic feet, expanding to 13.1 cubic feet in the four-door variant. The Convertible offered only 5.7 cubic feet. Folding the rear seats in the SE trim provided a maximum of 25.8 cubic feet, still less than a Volkswagen Golf. Despite limited space, the MINI Cooper featured thoughtful design elements like two-zone automatic air conditioning, chrome toggle switches, and high-quality materials.

The 2020 Subaru Legacy's 11.6-inch Starlink infotainment system was a mixed bag. While the icons were large and easy to read, basic functions like adjusting heated seats or climate controls required multiple steps. The portrait orientation of the screen scrunched Apple CarPlay into a third of the display. The system was found in all trims except the base, which had its own set of issues with a dual-screen setup.

The 2020 MINI Cooper SE featured an "eDrive" driver-information display that moved with the steering wheel adjustments, which could be annoying. The display showed vehicle speed, time, mileage, remaining charge, and drive mode. The SE's 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system included Bluetooth, navigation, and Apple CarPlay. The top-tier SE Iconic trim offered an 8.8-inch screen, a wireless charging pad, and a head-up display.

The 2020 Subaru Legacy came standard with Subaru’s EyeSight suite of driver-assistance features, including forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning, and adaptive cruise control. The system used a head-up light system for alerts and included a feature that notified the driver when the car in front started moving. Other standard safety features included front- and side-impact airbags, traction control, a reversing camera, and a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS).

The 2020 MINI Cooper SE lacked many advanced safety features. It included front and rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera system, but automatic emergency braking was unavailable. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) had not rated the MINI Cooper, but the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave it top marks with "Good" scores in all crash tests.