Compare the2026 Volkswagen Jetta GLIVS 2025 MINI Cooper Hardtop 4 Door

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Volkswagen Jetta GLI have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The MINI Cooper Hardtop 4 Door doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Volkswagen Jetta GLI are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The MINI Cooper Hardtop 4 Door doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The Jetta GLI’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 Hardtop 4 Door.

The Jetta GLI 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 Hardtop 4 Door’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Jetta GLI has standard Rear Traffic Alert and automatically engage the brakes. MINI charges extra for Cross Traffic Warning on the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door.

Both the Jetta GLI and the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, 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 and rearview cameras.

There are over 6 times as many Volkswagen dealers as there are MINI dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Jetta GLI’s warranty.

The Volkswagen Jetta GLI’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s engines use an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

The Jetta GLI’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 67 more horsepower (228 vs. 161) and 74 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 184) than the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The Jetta GLI’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 27 more horsepower (228 vs. 201) and 37 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 221) than the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door S’ standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

The Jetta GLI has 1.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door (13.2 vs. 11.6 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Jetta GLI’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 Hardtop 4 Door are solid, not vented.

For better traction, the Jetta GLI has larger tires than the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door (225/45R18 vs. 215/45R17).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Jetta GLI has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door.

The Jetta GLI has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Jetta GLI’s wheelbase is 4.5 inches longer than on the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door (105.6 inches vs. 101.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Jetta GLI is 1.6 inches wider in the front and 1.8 inches wider in the rear than on the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door.

The Jetta GLI’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (58.6% to 41.4%) than the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s (61% to 39%). This gives the Jetta GLI more stable handling and braking.

The Jetta GLI has .2 inches more front hip room, 4.7 inches more front shoulder room, 5.1 inches more rear legroom and 4.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door.

The Jetta GLI’s standard Keyless Access allow you to unlock the doors from either front door handle, open the trunk, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. start/stop switch standard on the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door only offers hands-free access for the ignition, none to unlock the car.

The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The Jetta GLI’s standard 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.

To shield the driver’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side window, the Jetta GLI has a standard extendable sun visor. The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Jetta GLI keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Jetta GLI has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

To keep a safe, consistent following distance, the Jetta GLI has a standard Adaptive Cruise Control, which alters the speed of the vehicle without driver intervention. This allows the driver to use cruise control more safely without constantly having to disengage it when approaching slower traffic. The Cooper Hardtop 4 Door doesn’t offer an adaptive cruise control.

Compared to the MINI Cooper Hardtop 4 Door, the Volkswagen Jetta GLI eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries with its optional 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 Volkswagen Jetta GLI has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Cooper Hardtop 4 Door.

The Volkswagen Jetta outsold the MINI Cooper Hardtop 4 Door by over 22 to one during 2024.