MINI Cooper vs Mazda MAZDA3

Last redesigned for the 2019 model year, the Mazda 3 is getting old, yet aging gracefully. It still looks, feels, and drives better than some of its rivals. In Canada, GT and above trims get Amazon Alexa Built-in for 2025, while the Sport hatchback adds the new Suna Edition as the top model based on the GT Turbo.

Verdict: Available in four-door sedan and five-door hatchback body styles, there is a Mazda 3 to suit nearly anyone. Basic or upscale, turbocharged or not, and with front-wheel drive (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD), the common threads across all Mazda 3s are quality, refinement, sophistication, safety, and enjoyable driving dynamics. This is a terrific compact car.

The Mini Cooper is redesigned for 2025 with a host of alterations throughout. It’s a little bigger inside and out, while sporting all-new infotainment tech and quirky interior design to help maintain the badge’s fun personality. It still weighs less than 1,400 kilograms (3,000 pounds), too, and when combined with a potent turbocharged four-cylinder in the Cooper S, that makes for some truly hilarious fun-to-drive attitude.

Verdict: Although substantially larger than the original BMW Mini that reached North American shores in 2002, and no longer offering a manual transmission as standard, the new Mini Cooper continues to be a stylish and fun-to-drive way of getting around. And it will even return solid overall fuel economy in the process.