Small hatchbacks offer a lot of space and features with small footprints and price tags, but some also offer loads of performance. The 2019 Ford Fiesta and 2019 Mini Cooper 4-Door Hardtop offer the former and latter. Which one is better for our Jacksonville area subcompact shoppers? Continue reading to find out.
Exterior
The Ford Fiesta is getting a little long in the tooth, as its last redesign came in 2011. Despite this aging body, it still looks sharp for its economy-focused class with its hard body lines and windswept headlights. Where the Fiesta really stands out is in its ST-Line and ST trims, which include ground effects, spoilers, larger wheels, and other look-fast bits to make it look sportier. Combine this look with the ST trim, and you have a car that performs like it looks.
The Mini Cooper 4-Door Hardtop has long been one of the more stylish subcompact cars with its unique bug-eye front end, swooping body lines, and unique taillights. It continues this look in 2019 after a 2014 redesign. Though not as aggressive as the Fiesta ST, the Cooper has a sportier side too with its the S trim that includes larger wheels and other look-quick bits.
In terms of size, the Fiesta and Cooper are tiny, but the Cooper is smaller in every key measurable, except wheelbase. The larger wheelbase gives the Mini a better footprint for handling corners.
| Measurement | 2019 Ford Fiesta Hatchback | 2019 Mini Cooper Hardtop 4-Door | Difference |
| Length | 159.7 to 160.1 inches | 157.4 to 158 inches | +2.1 to +2.3 inches |
| Width | 67.8 inches | 68 inches | -0.2 inches |
| Height | 57.2 to 58.1 inches | 56.1 inches | +1.1 to +2 inches |
| Wheelbase | 98 inches | 101.1 inches | -3.1 inches |
| Ground Clearance |
|
5.7 inches |
|
| Curb weight | 2,536 to 2,720 pounds | 2,750 to 2,930 pounds | -214 to -210 pounds |
Advantage: 2019 Mini Cooper 4-Door Hardtop
- Unique looks
- Sporty S trim
- Plenty of options and paint schemes
Advantage: 2019 Ford Fiesta
- Larger and roomier
- Wild-looking ST trim
- ST-Line adds look-good bits without a huge price hike
Interior
The 2019 Ford Fiesta’s cabin shows its older looks inside, with its simple center stack, large steering wheel center, and tall shifter. Despite its older look, the Fiesta is far from basic with its available SYNC 3 infotainment system, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, 6.5-inch touchscreen, and more, though its base SE trim is more budget-focused with its limited tech that includes a 4.2-inch display screen and little else. The Fiesta shows off its uniqueness in the ST trim with its ST sport steering wheel and bolstered front seats.
The 2019 Mini Cooper is sharp regardless of its trim level with its round center screen surround, toggle switches, sporty steering wheel, leatherette upholstery, and contrasting accents. It also beats the Fiesta in standard tech with a 6.5-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, and more, but it comes at roughly a $7,000 premium.
In terms of cabin space, the 2019 Cooper 4-Door Hardtop is roomier than the Fiesta in every key measurable other than legroom and shoulder room in the front.
| Measurement | 2019 Ford Fiesta | 2019 Mini Cooper Hardtop 4-Door | Difference |
| Front headroom | 39.1 inches | 39.9 inches | -0.8 inches |
| Front legroom | 43.5 inches | 41.4 inches | +2.1 inches |
| Front shoulder room | 52.7 inches | 51.2 inches | +1.5 inches |
| Front hip room | 50.6 inches |
|
|
| Rear headroom | 37.2 inches | 37.5 inches | -0.3 inches |
| Rear legroom | 31.2 inches | 32.3 inches | -1.1 inches |
| Rear shoulder room | 49 inches | 49.6 inches | -0.6 inches |
| Rear hip room | 49.2 inches |
|
|
| Cargo room | 10.1 to 26 cubic feet | 13.1 to 40.7 cubic feet | -14.7 to -3 cubic feet |
Advantage: 2019 Mini Cooper 4-Door Hardtop
- Premium-looking cabin
- Optional upscale materials
- Standard 6.5-inch touchscreen
- Roomier cabin
Advantage: 2019 Ford Fiesta
- Sporty seats in ST trim
- Easy-to-use optional SYNC 3 infotainment system
- Big-time value in all trims
Performance
Subcompact hatchbacks are not known for their performance, but the Fiesta and Cooper toss a wrench in this old line of thinking. The Cooper lineup is peppy no matter what trim level you pick with its standard turbocharged 134-horsepower three-cylinder engine that sprints it to 60 mph in 7.6 seconds. In its S model, the Cooper gains a turbo 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that cranks out 189 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque and sprints this small hatchback to 60 mph in just 6.5 seconds.
The base Fiesta and the ST-Line trim are more like the typical subcompact hatchbacks you’d expect with a 120-horsepower four-cylinder that sprints it to 60 mph in 9.1 seconds. The Fiesta ST is a great match against the Cooper S with its turbocharged 1.6-liter four-pot that pumps out 197 horsepower and 202 pound-feet of torque for a 6.9-second 0-to-60 sprint. What’s more, this performance comes in over $13,000 cheaper than the Cooper S 4-Door Hardtop.
| 2019 Ford Fiesta | 2019 Mini Cooper Hardtop 4-Door | Difference | |
| Standard engine | 1.6-liter 4-cyl | 1.5-liter turbo 3-cyl |
|
| Horsepower | 120 hp at 6,350 rpm | 134 hp at 4,400 rpm | -14 hp |
| Torque | 112 lb-ft at 5,000 rpm | 162 lb-ft at 1,250 rpm | -60 lb-ft |
| Standard transmission | 5-spd manual | 6-spd manual |
|
| Optional transmission | 6-spd automatic | 6-spd automatic |
|
| Driveline | FWD | FWD |
|
| 0-60 time | 9.1 seconds | 7.6 to 7.7 seconds | +1.4 to +1.5 seconds |
| MPG City | 27 mpg | 28 to 29 mpg | -2 to -1 mpg |
| MPG Highway | 35 to 37 mpg | 37 to 40 mpg | -5 to +0 mpg |
| MPG Combined | 30 to 31 mpg | 31 to 33 mpg | -3 mpg to +0 mpg |
| Optional engine | 1.6-liter turbo 4-cyl | 2.0-liter turbo 4-cyl (Cooper S) |
|
| Horsepower | 197 hp at 6,000 rpm | 189 hp at 4,700 to 6,000 rpm | +8 hp |
| Torque | 202 lb-ft at 4,200 rpm | 207 lb-ft at 1,250 rpm | -5 lb-ft |
| Standard transmission | 6-spd manual | 6-spd manual |
|
| Optional transmission |
|
6-spd automatic |
|
| Driveline | FWD | FWD |
|
| 0-60 time | 6.9 seconds | 6.5 to 6.6 seconds | +0.3 to +0.4 seconds |
| MPG City | 25 mpg | 24 mpg | +1 mpg |
| MPG Highway | 32 mpg | 34 mpg | -2 mpg |
| MPG Combined | 28 mpg | 27 mpg | -1 mpg |
Advantage: 2019 Mini Cooper 4-Door Hardtop
- More standard power
- Quicker to 60 mph in all trims
- Better fuel economy
- More advanced transmissions
Advantage: 2019 Ford Fiesta
- Potent ST trim
- More power for the dollar
Pricing and Features
The 2019 Ford Fiesta has three trim levels — SE, ST-Line, and ST — and their starting prices range from $15,790 to $21,340.
The 2019 Mini Cooper 4-Door Hardtop has six trim levels: Cooper Classic, Cooper S Classic, Cooper Signature, Cooper S Signature, Cooper Iconic, and Cooper S Iconic. The Cooper 4-Door Hardtop’s starting prices range from $22,900 to $34,900.
2019 Ford Fiesta Key Features and Pricing by Trim
SE: $15,790
- 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine
- Five-speed manual transmission
- Front-wheel drive
- Front disc and rear drum anti-lock brakes
- 15-inch Sparkle Silver-painted wheels
- Quad-beam halogen headlights with auto-on/off
- Chrome headlight bezels
- Body-color power mirrors
- Body-color bumpers
- Body-color door handles
- Tinted windows
- Carbon Black lower grille
- Chrome upper grille and surround
- Variable-intermittent windshield wipers
- Rear window wiper
- Rear spoiler
- Front 12-volt power port
- Auxiliary audio input
- Black-painted center bezel
- Black-painted center stack
- Manual climate control
- Metallic-painted climate control vent bezels
- Rear seat heat ducts
- Upgraded cloth door inserts
- Black inside door handles
- Black floor console
- Carpeted front floor mats
- Four-way manual driver’s seat
- Two-way manual passenger’s seat
- Upgraded cloth seating
- 60/40 split-folding second-row seats
- Front center console with armrest
- Power windows with one-touch-up/down driver’s
- Black shifter bezel
- Black, soft-touch shifter knob
- Tilt and telescoping steering wheel
- Steering-wheel-mounted controls
- Manual windows
- Power door locks
- SYNC infotainment system
- Enhanced voice recognition
- 4.2-inch infotainment screen
- AppLink
- 911 Assist
- One smart-charging USB port
- Six-speaker AM/FM/MP3 audio system
- Cruise control
- Remote keyless entry
- Hill-start assist
- Perimeter alarm
- Rearview camera
- Ford MyKey
ST-Line: $17,625
- All SE features, plus
- 16-inch black-painted aluminum wheels
- High-gloss-black-painted upper grille
- Body-color lower sill extensions
- Body-color rear fascia extensions
- Shadow Black roof
- Shadow Black side mirrors
- Power mirrors
- Twin chrome-tipped exhaust
- Fog lights
- Keyless entry keypad
- Mesh grille insert
- Body-color side rocker moldings
- Shadow Black rear spoiler
- ST-Line front door-sill plates
- Ambient lighting
- Leather-wrapped steering wheel with red accent stitching
- Aluminum pedals
- Leather-wrapped shifter knob with chrome insert and red characters
- SiriusXM radio
- Sync 3 with App Link
- 6.5-inch touchscreen
- Two smart-charging USB ports
- Apple CarPlay
- Android Auto
- Front sport seats with ST-Line logo
ST: $21,340
- All ST-Line features, plus
- 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine
- Six-speed manual transmission
- Four-wheel disc brakes
- Sport suspension
- 17-inch Radio Gray-painted aluminum wheels
- Performance summer tires
- Three-mode electronic stability control
- Body-color mirrors with power and integrated turn signals
- High-mounted roof spoiler
- Unique ST logo front door-sill plates
- Chrome interior door handles
- Keyless access and ignition
- Leather-wrapped steering wheel with an ST logo and red stitching
- Sony AM/FM/HD Radio/ CD audio system
- Four-way manual passenger’s seat
- Six-way manual driver’s seat
- Cloth sport seats with ST logos
2019 Mini Cooper Hardtop 4-Door Key Features and Pricing by Trim
Cooper Classic: $22,900
- 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine
- Six-speed manual transmission
- Front-wheel drive
- Four-wheel disc brakes
- 15-inch alloy wheels
- Body-color roof
- Body-color mirrors
- Racing stripes
- Roof rails
- Heated front seats
- Carbon Black leatherette upholstery
- Leather-wrapped steering wheel
- Steering-wheel-mounted controls
- Hazy Gray interior surface
- Carbon Black color line
- 6.5-inch touchscreen
- SiriusXM radio
- Ambient lighting
- Rear parking sensors
Cooper S Classic: $27,400
- All Cooper Classic features, plus
- 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine
- Six-speed manual transmission
- 16-inch alloy wheels
Cooper Signature: $25,900
- All Cooper Classic features, plus
- 16-inch alloy wheels
- White turn signals
- Heated front seats
- Leather sport steering wheel
- Panoramic sunroof
- Dual-zone automatic climate control
- Anthracite headliner
- Piano-black interior surfaces
- Navigation
- 6.5-inch touchscreen
- Universal garage door opener
- Alarm
Cooper S Signature: $30,900
- All Cooper Signature features, plus
- 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine
- Six-speed manual transmission
- 17-inch wheels
- Forward-collision alert
- Automatic emergency braking
Cooper Iconic: $30,900
- All Cooper Signature features, plus
- 17-inch alloy wheels
- LED headlights with cornering lights
- Sport seats
- Premium leather upholstery
- Chrome Line interior trim
- Active Driving Assistant
- 8.8-inch touchscreen
- Navigation
- Apple CarPlay
- Harman/Kardon audio system
Cooper S Iconic: $34,900
- All Cooper Iconic features, plus
- 18-inch alloy wheels
- LED taillights
- Premium leather upholstery
Who Should Buy the 2019 Mini Cooper 4-Door Hardtop?
Buyers looking for a truly unique ride will find it in the stylish and sporty Cooper. This sharp hatchback also delivers a more upscale cabin and great performance in its S level, but this all comes at a huge price hike over the Fiesta.
Who Should Buy the 2019 Ford Fiesta?
Looking for an inexpensive hatchback that delivers loads of value? The 2019 Ford Fiesta is the ride for you. It delivers the same value in its performance-oriented ST version, giving performance enthusiasts a ton of bang for their buck.
Whether you need a thrifty commuter car, a cheap first car for your kiddo, or a low-cost race car for weekend track days, the 2019 Ford Fiesta can handle it all. Head down to Garber Automall serving the Jacksonville, Orange Park, and Fleming Island areas today to test drive the 2019 Fiesta. Can’t make it by today? Navigate to our online inventory page to see all our in-stock 2019 Fiesta models, choose one that suits your needs, and schedule a future test drive.
