2023 MINI Cooper vs 2022 Volkswagen Jetta

The 2022 Volkswagen Jetta had been a steadfast performer in Volkswagen’s lineup, maintaining its popularity even amidst declining overall sales. In 2021, the Jetta and its performance variant, the Jetta GLI, accounted for over 61% of Volkswagen’s U.S. car sales, a figure that rose to 70% in the first quarter of 2022. Despite the dominance of Volkswagen’s SUVs, the Jetta outsold the rest of the VW car lineup combined. For 2022, the Jetta received a mild makeover, including an engine update, exterior styling tweaks, improved infotainment, more features, and a new Sport trim. The Jetta Sport replaced the outgoing R-Line model, and the SEL Premium was dropped, simplifying the lineup to four trims: S, Sport, SE, and SEL.

The exterior changes to the Jetta were subtle, requiring a keen eye to notice. The front fascia, bumper, and grille were redone with more chrome, and the grille now featured a chrome frame and two horizontal chrome pieces. The rear bumper was redesigned to be less squatty and more square, with a full-length chrome feature. New wheel designs and metallic colors were added to the paint palette. The interior updates were equally subtle but appealing, with new rhombus-patterned cloth seats and contrast stitching on all upholstery types. The 8-inch Digital Cockpit instrument cluster became standard across the lineup, with the Jetta SEL receiving the 10-inch Digital Cockpit Pro and an 8-inch touchscreen-navigation system.

The 2023 MINI Cooper, available as a two-door hatchback, four-door hatch, or two-door convertible, retained its unique and playful design. The third-generation model was larger than the original 2002 model but still smaller than a Mazda Miata. The Cooper’s design was simple and authentic, with a short rear end and flat roof. For 2023, the Cooper featured a gradient paint effect and 18-inch wheels with big red brake calipers and red mirrors. The interior of the test car sported Chesterfield leather seats with diamond-patterned double stitching and white piping. The giant circle on the dash with its inset touchscreen resembled a ship’s porthole, and the toggle switches added to the playful design.

The Cooper S and electric SE models could be ordered in the Resolute Edition, featuring Rebel Green paint, a white roof and mirror caps, special hood stripes, unique wheels, and bronze accents. The regular MINI Cooper SE, an all-electric model, was distinguished by yellow mirrors, a yellow accent around a covered grille, and four-spoke wheels. The JCW model, with its 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four engine producing 228 horsepower, was the quickest Cooper. The interior of the JCW was slightly more grown-up but still retained the playful and abstract design elements that MINI was known for.

The 2022 Volkswagen Jetta was powered by a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, replacing the previous 1.4-liter turbo-four. The new engine produced 158 horsepower, an increase of 11 hp, while torque remained at 184 pound-feet. Transmission options included a standard six-speed manual or an optional eight-speed automatic. The Jetta’s fuel economy was impressive, with the manual transmission rated at 29 mpg city, 43 mpg highway, and 34 mpg combined. Automatic transmission models had slightly different ratings, with S and Sport models achieving 31 mpg city, 41 mpg highway, and 35 mpg combined, while SE and SEL models were rated at 29 mpg city, 40 mpg highway, and 33 mpg combined.

During an 800-mile road trip, the Jetta averaged 46.9 highway mpg, requiring only two fill-ups for the roughly 1,000-mile journey. The Jetta offered a comfortable cockpit for cruising, with well-cushioned and supportive seats. However, the powertrain had some drawbacks, including a touchy throttle, turbo lag, and tepid dynamics. The Jetta offered Eco, Normal, Sport, and Custom drive modes, but the steering feedback was detached, and the overall acceleration was jumpy in stop-and-go traffic. On the highway, the power delivery was smoother, and the eight-speed automatic performed well.

The 2023 MINI Cooper JCW was the quickest Cooper, with a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four engine producing 228 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The engine, shared with front-wheel-drive BMW models, was smooth and powerful, with minimal turbo lag. The six-speed manual transmission had an abrupt clutch take-up, making it ideal for teaching manual driving but challenging for smooth launches. The long throws of the gearbox required memorization, but the Sport mode’s automatic rev-matching on downshifts provided smooth deceleration. An eight-speed automatic transmission was also available, offering engaging performance with hard rasps through the exhaust when shifting.

Base MINI Cooper models had a 1.5-liter turbocharged inline-three engine with 134 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque, while Cooper S models had a detuned version of the JCW engine with 189 horsepower and 206 pound-feet of torque. The three-cylinder engine excelled in fuel economy, with the two-door Hardtop manual rated at 27 mpg city, 37 mpg highway, and 31 mpg combined. The JCW’s handling was enjoyable, with flat cornering and a stiff suspension, but the steering felt a beat or two behind the desired angle, detracting from the “go-kart” experience. The ride was firm, and the brakes were impressive, providing strong stopping power.

Despite its compact proportions, the 2022 Volkswagen Jetta offered ample passenger space for four adults, with the ability to accommodate five if needed. The seats were comfortable, though the front seats’ bottom cushion had a slight incline that might not be appreciated by those with shorter legs. The cabin was driver-centric, with buttons for climate control, audio, and heated and ventilated seats easily accessible. Storage space was available in the form of door pockets, a center console bin, a slot next to the cupholders, and a sunglass holder. The center storage bin, while not large, was usable, though the lack of a latch on the compartment cover was unusual.

The 2023 MINI Cooper offered good outward visibility and plenty of legroom and headroom in the front seats. However, the rear bench on the two-door model was best avoided, as was the cargo hold, which measured just nine cubic feet. With the seats folded, the cargo space expanded to 34 cubic feet. The four-door Cooper models offered more cargo space, with 13 cubic feet and 41 cubic feet with the seats up and down, respectively. Convertible models had only eight cubic feet of cargo space before folding the rear seats, but the tailgate’s helpful features made loading easier. The convertible’s roof rails allowed the fabric section to slide back like a sunroof, providing a pleasant open-air experience.

The MINI’s instrument panel had a matte finish to reduce glare, but the central display was tougher to read. The infotainment system used both a touchscreen and buttons on the console, though the buttons were located too far down and out of sight. The glowing ring on the dashboard porthole, which housed the touchscreen, responded to various actions, such as revving the engine or adjusting the climate controls, providing a helpful visual cue.

The 2022 Volkswagen Jetta received an upgrade in the technology department, with all models equipped with the Digital Cockpit digital instrument cluster. The Jetta SEL featured the Digital Cockpit Pro version, with a 10.25-inch display, three views, and more widgets for navigation, phone history, and driver-assist systems. The standard infotainment system in Jetta S, Sport, and SE trims was a 6.5-inch Volkswagen MIB2 system, with capacitive-touch sensors, App-Connect for Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and MirrorLink integration, Bluetooth, two USB-C ports, and an SD card multimedia interface. The Jetta SEL received the newer 8-inch MIB3 system, adding navigation, wireless App-Connect, wireless device charging, multi-phone pairing, and enhanced voice recognition.

The 2023 MINI Cooper came standard with an 8.8-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, SiriusXM satellite radio, connected apps, LED headlights, Union Jack-patterned taillights, rain-sensing wipers, and manual seats. Cooper S models in Signature trim added a panoramic moonroof and heated leatherette seats. Navigation, automatic parking, wireless phone charging, and a head-up display were available on the Iconic trim. The infotainment system used reskinned BMW iDrive software, with a home screen that could show the map and music side by side. The MINI Cooper also featured an Openometer, a “checkup” with a MINI wearing sunglasses, and cartoonish sounds and chimes.

The 2022 Volkswagen Jetta came standard with IQ.Drive, Volkswagen's umbrella term for driver-assistance tech. The Jetta S and Sport were equipped with blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and forward-collision warning with automatic braking and pedestrian recognition. A Driver Assistance package was available for automatic transmission models, adding adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, lane-keep assist, Travel Assist, and Emergency Assist. The full IQ.DRIVE safety list was standard on Jetta SE and SEL trims. The 2022 Jetta had yet to receive crash safety ratings from the NHTSA and IIHS, but the 2021 Jetta received a five-star rating from the NHTSA and mostly “Good” grades from the IIHS.

The 2023 MINI Cooper came standard with eight airbags, including two front knee airbags, rear parking sensors, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and lane-departure warning. However, blind-spot monitoring and many other safety features available in similarly priced cars were not available. Adaptive cruise control was available on certain versions with the automatic transmission. The NHTSA had not rated the 2023 MINI Cooper, and the IIHS last published safety ratings for the 2014 model, giving it the highest “good” rating in five out of six crash tests.