2023 MINI Cooper vs 2024 Mazda MAZDA3

The 2023 MINI Cooper, available as a two-door hatchback, four-door hatch, or two-door convertible, stood out with its unique design that paid homage to its 1959 BMC Mini roots. Despite being larger than its predecessors due to modern safety regulations, it remained compact, even smaller than a Mazda Miata. The MINI Cooper's design was characterized by its bug-eyed, bulldog-like appearance, with tires stretched to the corners to maximize space. The playful design included features like stripes, multicolor roofs, and loud colors, making it a cute and authentic small car. The interior, while slightly more mature, maintained a playful vibe with Chesterfield leather seats and a giant circular dash with a touchscreen resembling a ship's porthole. The MINI Cooper offered high fit, finish, and quality, with unique features like a gradient paint effect and a variety of trims, including the electric SE model.

The 2024 Mazda MAZDA3, despite being last redesigned in 2019, maintained a modern and luxurious appearance. Its swooping lines and scalloped bodywork made it look at home among luxury vehicles, which was Mazda's intention. The front featured squinting headlights with LED turn signals and stylish round lighting elements, adding to its dramatic and expensive-looking design. Available in sedan and hatchback body styles, the Mazda3 offered six trim levels for each. The hatchback was considered the better-looking option, providing more storage space and better appointments without requiring a turbo engine upgrade. The Turbo Premium Plus trim, priced at $38,210, impressed with its material quality and value compared to luxury brands. The interior featured red leather upholstery, leather trimmings, and a beautifully designed driver’s seat, making it a well-furnished and attractive vehicle.

The 2023 MINI Cooper JCW was the quickest model, equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four engine producing 228 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. This engine, shared with BMW models, provided smooth revving and strong performance, with minimal turbo lag. The six-speed manual transmission had an abrupt clutch take-up, making it ideal for learning manual driving, though it required memorizing long throws. The automatic transmission was engaging, with hard rasps through the exhaust during shifts. Base models featured a 1.5-liter turbocharged inline-three with 134 hp, while Cooper S models had a detuned version of the JCW engine with 189 hp. The electric MINI Cooper SE offered 114 miles of range. The JCW's handling was enjoyable, with flat cornering and impressive brakes, though the steering lacked immediacy, detracting from the promised "go-kart" experience.

The 2024 Mazda MAZDA3 offered two engine options: a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder with 191 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque, and a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder with 250 horsepower and 320 pound-feet of torque. The turbo engine, available on the Carbon Turbo and Turbo Premium Plus trims, provided delightful performance in all driving scenarios. The Mazda3's intelligent AWD system managed traction well, though its low ground clearance made it less suitable for snowy conditions. Fuel economy varied by configuration, with the turbocharged powertrain achieving 23/32/27 mpg for the sedan and 23/31/26 for the hatchback. The Mazda3 excelled on back roads, with tight and precise steering, minimal body roll, and a stiff suspension that appealed to enthusiastic drivers. Despite the absence of the Mazdaspeed name, the turbo Mazda3 satisfied performance needs in a civilized manner.

The 2023 MINI Cooper offered good outward visibility and ample front seat legroom and headroom. However, the rear bench in the two-door model and the cargo hold, measuring just nine cubic feet, were less practical. The four-door models provided slightly more cargo space, with 13 cubic feet and 41 cubic feet with seats up and down, respectively. Convertible models had only eight cubic feet of cargo space, but the tailgate design allowed for unobstructed access. The convertible's roof rails allowed the fabric section to slide back like a sunroof, enhancing the driving experience. The instrument panel featured a matte finish to reduce glare, and the infotainment system included a touchscreen and console buttons, though the latter were inconveniently placed. The dashboard's glowing ring added a playful touch, responding to various controls and actions.

The 2024 Mazda MAZDA3, while a beautiful vehicle, was not overly practical. The hatchback offered 20.1 cubic feet of cargo space, competitive with some rivals, but rear passenger space was limited. Rear-seat legroom was tight, and headroom was also constrained. The sedan provided only 13.2 cubic feet of trunk space and similarly tight rear quarters. The hatchback's design created a significant blind spot at the C-pillar, and the rear window and lip spoiler further hindered rearward visibility. Despite these limitations, the Mazda3's interior was well-designed and furnished, offering a comfortable and attractive driving environment.

The 2023 MINI Cooper came standard with an 8.8-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, SiriusXM satellite radio, connected apps, LED headlights, and Union Jack-patterned taillights. Cooper S models in Signature trim added a panoramic moonroof and heated leatherette seats. The infotainment system used reskinned BMW iDrive software, though it was several versions old. The system included unique features like an Openometer and cartoonish sounds, but lacked the slick interface of newer BMW models. Navigation, automatic parking, wireless phone charging, and a head-up display were available on the Iconic trim.

The 2024 Mazda MAZDA3 featured a rotary controller for its infotainment system, which Mazda argued was safer than a touchscreen. The system required some adjustment but was better than some competitors' non-touchscreen solutions. The 2024 model introduced a new 10.25-inch screen in its top trims, offering touchscreen functionality for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The system included standard CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, with wireless functionality on higher trims. A wireless charging pad and Mazda Connect system with Wi-Fi, remote services, navigation, and roadside assistance were available. The Bose stereo in higher trims provided good sound quality, and the rotary controller was praised for its usability.

The 2023 MINI Cooper came standard with eight airbags, rear parking sensors, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and lane-departure warning. However, it lacked blind-spot monitoring and many safety features available in similarly priced cars. Adaptive cruise control was available on certain versions with the automatic transmission. The NHTSA had not rated the MINI Cooper, but the IIHS gave the structurally identical 2014 model the highest "good" rating in five out of six crash tests.

The 2024 Mazda MAZDA3 received five stars from the NHTSA and was named a 2024 Top Safety Pick+ by the IIHS. It offered a wide array of standard safety features, including automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, and lane-keeping assist. Adaptive Cruise Control with stop-and-go was included, and the Turbo Premium Plus trim added Cruising and Traffic Support, allowing the car to assist with steering in heavy traffic.