2019 Hyundai Elantra vs 2020 MINI Cooper

The 2019 Hyundai Elantra underwent a significant redesign, featuring new styling elements forward of the windshield and front doors, along with redesigned wheels, a new trunk lid, taillights, and rear bumper. This kaleidoscopic design was a departure from its previous conservative yet upscale look. Inside, the Elantra saw subtle improvements, such as new air vents, a carbon-texture finish on some plastic housings, and revised dashboard controls, which added excitement to the cabin. The interior was high-quality, with a robust shifter feel, although some materials felt inexpensive, which was typical for a compact car. The Elantra was available in various trims, with the Ultimate trim offering advanced features like adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, and a larger touchscreen display.

The 2020 MINI Cooper stood out with its unique styling, featuring wide-eyed LED headlights, a grinning front grille, and vibrant colour options. The Union Jack taillights were a crowd-pleaser, and the car exuded charm without being wasteful. The MINI Cooper evolved from a two-door hardtop to include a convertible and a four-door body style, with the introduction of the all-electric SE trim. 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, with circular speakers, air vents, and a massive circular housing for the touchscreen infotainment system. The interior delivered a premium feel, unmatched in cars of its size.

The 2019 Hyundai Elantra, equipped with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, produced 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque. It featured a six-speed automatic transmission powering the front-wheel drive. While acceleration was acceptable, the driving dynamics did not inspire much excitement. The Elantra offered Normal, Sport, and Smart driving modes, with Sport mode adding unwelcome weight to the steering. Fuel efficiency was rated at 7.4 litres per 100 kilometres in combined driving, with the car achieving 7.3 L/100 km during a week of testing. Handling was decent, but the ride quality was affected by the torsion-beam rear-axle suspension.

The 2020 MINI Cooper SE excelled in performance with its electric motor producing 181 horsepower and 199 lb-ft of torque, powered by a 32.6-kilowatt-hour battery pack. The SE felt quick due to the immediacy of the electric motor's torque delivery. It used regenerative braking to help keep the battery charged, with an aggressive default setting for one-pedal driving. The SE weighed 135 kilograms more than the Cooper S but maintained a low centre of gravity, providing a planted feel in corners. Gas-powered Coopers used either a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission or an eight-speed automatic, while the SE used a single-speed gearbox.

The 2019 Hyundai Elantra offered good front-seat comfort, with height-adjustable seats in every trim level. Heated front seats were standard in Canada, and higher trims included a heated and leather-wrapped steering wheel. Backseat comfort was less impressive, with hard plastic front seatbacks and no air conditioning vents or USB ports. Interior storage was decent, with a good-sized centre-console storage bin and a sizable glove box. The Elantra's trunk offered 408 litres of cargo space, with a hands-free trunk release feature on most trims.

The 2020 MINI Cooper hatchback provided good front-seat space, but the backseat was tiny and best suited for children. The two-door Cooper offered 246 litres of cargo space, while the four-door hatchback provided 371 litres. The MINI Convertible had only 161 litres of cargo space. Dropping the rear seats in the SE tester provided a maximum of 730 litres. The MINI Cooper featured thoughtful design elements, such as two-zone automatic air conditioning and chrome toggle switches on the dashboard. The materials felt top-notch, reflecting BMW's investment in the MINI brand.

The 2019 Hyundai Elantra came with a rear-view camera and Bluetooth connectivity as standard. Most trims featured a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Ultimate trim offered an 8-inch display screen, an Infinity premium sound system, and an on-board navigation system. The infotainment system was user-friendly, with a good balance of knobs and buttons. The Elantra also provided a free five-year trial subscription to Hyundai Bluelink services, offering safety and convenience functions.

The 2020 MINI Cooper SE featured an "eDrive" driver-information display connected to the steering wheel, displaying vehicle speed, time, energy consumption, and remaining charge. The SE had a 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment display with Bluetooth connectivity, navigation, and Apple CarPlay. The SE Premier+ trim included an 8.8-inch screen, a wireless charging pad, and a head-up display. The infotainment system was housed within a circular design, catching the eye but not the most efficient use of space.

The 2019 Hyundai Elantra included important driver-assistance features as standard on most trims, such as forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking and lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assist. The Ultimate trim offered adaptive cruise control and a pedestrian-detection enhancement. The Elantra received top marks from the IIHS, except for an Acceptable rating for LATCH child-seat anchors. The NHTSA gave the Elantra a four-star overall rating.

The 2020 MINI Cooper SE lacked advanced safety features, with only front and rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera included in the Premier+ package. Forward-collision warning was standard, but automatic emergency braking was unavailable. The NHTSA did not rate the MINI Cooper, but the IIHS gave it top marks, earning "Good" scores in all crash tests.