Where each one leads
Mazda MX-5
- Against cars of the same age, the Mazda MX-5 comes out better at its first MOT test (passes 14% more often than average) than the MINI Cooper (passes 7% more often than average).
- Against cars of the same year, the Mazda MX-5 comes out better in New York safety inspections (fails 51% less often than average) than the MINI Cooper (fails 22% less often than average).
- Measured by the cars' own fuel meters, the petrol Mazda MX-5 uses 6.8 l/100 km on the road, the MINI Cooper 7.1.
MINI Cooper
- Fewer MINI Cooper cars in the Netherlands carry an illogical odometer record (2.5% against 9.6%).
- On Canada's official test the most frugal 2026 MINI Cooper uses 7.4 l/100 km, the 2026 Mazda MX-5 8.0.
- New MINI Cooper cars registered in Europe in 2022 average 129 g/km of CO₂ on the WLTP test, against 150 for the Mazda MX-5 in 2022.
Only measures that do not depend on how many cars were sold: pass and failure rates against cars of the same age, ratings, fuel use and CO₂. How we compare
At a glance
| Mazda MX-5 | MINI Cooper | |
|---|---|---|
| Model years in the US safety record | 2006–2026 | 2001–2026 |
| New cars registered in Europe | 112,227 (2010–2022) | 799,739 (2010–2022) |
| Licensed in the United Kingdom | 79,525 | 509,288 |
| On the road in the Netherlands | 12,970 | 77,946 |
| In traffic in Finland | 645 | 2,681 |
EEA new-car registrations (CC BY 4.0) · DVLA licensed vehicles (OGL v3.0) · RDW (CC0) · Traficom (CC BY 4.0) · generations: Wikidata (CC0).
Reliability and problems
| Mazda MX-5 | MINI Cooper | |
|---|---|---|
| UK MOT first-time pass rate | 74% | 84% |
| … against cars of the same age | +14% | +7% |
| New York safety inspections failed | 0.8% | 1.9% |
| … against cars of the same year | −51% | −22% |
| Illogical odometer records (NL) | 9.6% | 2.5% |
| US owner complaints | 155 | 2,236 |
| Most complaints about | Power train | Steering |
| Model year with most complaints | 2016 (34) | 2005 (372) |
| US recall campaigns | 6 | 27 |
| Manufacturer service bulletins | 3,927 | 2,719 |
| NHTSA defect investigations | — | 18 |
Complaint, recall and bulletin counts grow with the number of cars sold and are not adjusted for it. UK MOT: DVSA anonymised MOT results (OGL v3.0); New York: DMV inspections; complaints, recalls, bulletins and investigations: NHTSA (public domain); odometer: RDW (CC0).
Fuel, emissions and price
| Mazda MX-5 | MINI Cooper | |
|---|---|---|
| Official combined fuel use, Canada | 8.0 l/100 km (2026) | 7.4 l/100 km (2026) |
| Real-world use in Europe, petrol | 6.8 l/100 km | 7.1 l/100 km |
| Official CO₂ of new cars in Europe | 150 g/km | 129 g/km |
| Average power of new cars in Europe | 121 kW (162 hp) | 100 kW (134 hp) |
| Average mass in running order | 1,106 kg | 1,294 kg |
| Dutch list price when new (median) | €34,590 | €33,498 |
| Average odometer in Finland | 137,000 km | 168,000 km |
Canada: NRCan Fuel Consumption Ratings, most frugal version of the latest year (OGL Canada). Europe: EEA monitoring of new-car CO₂ and on-board fuel meters (OBFCM), CC BY 4.0. Price: RDW catalogue price (CC0). Finland: Traficom (CC BY 4.0).