How does the Fiat 500 compare to the MINI Cooper?

Although there are some major similarities between the FIAT 500 and the MINI Cooper, the two cars differ substantially in one area: price. While the FIAT 500 starts at just $17,900, the MINI is $21,700 before options -- a 20 percent difference at this level. read more

The hotter versions (Mini Cooper S, Mini Cooper JCW and Fiat 500 Abarth) are geared towards performance, and you will end up making regular trips to the filling station. The diesel editions (Mini Cooper D and Fiat 500 1.3 Multijet) do bring much-improved economy on longer runs, albeit with a trade-off in refinement. read more

Base-level MINI Cooper, which is the rough equivalent of the 500 Sport model, starts at $20,100. That’s decent $2,100 more than the Fiat 500 in its base trim. Over and above the Fiat's standard features, the MINI Cooper has the aforementioned independent rear suspension, a telescoping steering wheel, satellite and high-definition radio, a theft-deterrent system and alloy wheels. read more

Although there are some major similarities between the FIAT 500 and the MINI Cooper, the two cars differ substantially in one area: price. While the FIAT 500 starts at just $17,900, the MINI is $21,700 before options -- a 20 percent difference at this level. read more