Compare the2025 BMW 4 Series ConvertibleVS 2025 MINI Cooper Convertible

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the BMW 4 Series Convertible have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. The MINI Cooper Convertible doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The 4 Series Convertible’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Cooper Convertible doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The 4 Series Convertible offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Cooper Convertible doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The 4 Series Convertible’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Cooper Convertible.

The 4 Series Convertible has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. A system to reveal vehicles in the Cooper Convertible’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the 4 Series Convertible has standard Cross Traffic Warning, helping the driver avoid collisions. MINI charges extra for Cross Traffic Warning on the Cooper Convertible.

Both the 4 Series Convertible and the Cooper Convertible have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The BMW 4 Series Convertible weighs 829 to 1153 pounds more than the MINI Cooper Convertible. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts. Crosswinds also affect lighter cars more.

There are over 3 times as many BMW dealers as there are MINI dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the 4 Series Convertible’s warranty.

The 4 Series Convertible has more powerful engines than the Cooper Convertible:

The 4 Series Convertible has 4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Cooper Convertible (15.6 vs. 11.6 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

An eight-speed automatic is standard on the BMW 4 Series Convertible, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a seven-speed automatic is available for the Cooper Convertible.

All wheel drive, available in the 4 Series Convertible, provides the best traction for acceleration in wet, dry, and icy conditions. In corners, all wheel drive allows both outside wheels to provide power, balancing the car. This allows for better handling. The MINI Cooper Convertible is not available with all wheel drive.

The 4 Series Convertible’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Cooper Convertible are solid, not vented.

For better traction, the 4 Series Convertible has larger standard tires than the Cooper Convertible (225/45R18 vs. 205/45R17). The 4 Series Convertible’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Cooper Convertible (F:225/40R19 & R:255/35R19 vs. 215/45R17).

The 4 Series Convertible’s optional 255/35R19 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Cooper Convertible’s optional 40 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the 4 Series Convertible has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Cooper Convertible. The 4 Series Convertible’s optional 19-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels optional on the Cooper Convertible.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires standard on the 4 Series Convertible can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Cooper Convertible doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the 4 Series Convertible’s wheelbase is 14 inches longer than on the Cooper Convertible (112.2 inches vs. 98.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the 4 Series Convertible is 3.3 inches wider in the front and 3.7 inches wider in the rear than on the Cooper Convertible.

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the 4 Series Convertible a Subcompact car, while the Cooper Convertible is rated a Minicompact.

The 4 Series Convertible has 7.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Cooper Convertible (84 vs. 76.9).

The 4 Series Convertible has a much larger trunk with its top down than the Cooper Convertible with its top down (10.6 vs. 5.2 cubic feet). The 4 Series Convertible has a much larger trunk with its top up than the Cooper Convertible with its top up (13.6 vs. 5.7 cubic feet).

With its convertible body style, valet key, locking rear seatbacks and remote trunk release lockout, the 4 Series offers cargo security. The Cooper Convertible’s non-lockable remote release defeats cargo security.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the 4 Series Convertible offers an optional power trunk, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button, or optionally by just waving your foot, completely leaving your hands free. The Cooper Convertible doesn’t offer a power tailgate.

The engine in the 4 Series Convertible is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Cooper Convertible. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

The Cooper Convertible’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The 4 Series Convertible’s optional adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the 4 Series Convertible keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Cooper Convertible doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

Compared to the MINI Cooper Convertible, the BMW 4 Series Convertible eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries with its standard integrated Homelink® universal remote controlled from the rear view mirror.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the BMW 4 Series has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Cooper Convertible.

The BMW 4 Series outsold the MINI Cooper Convertible by over 9 to one during 2024.