Dodge Charger vs MINI Countryman: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Dodge Charger burns about $800 of fuel annually against $800 for the MINI Countryman. That $0 yearly gap compounds to roughly $0 over five years and $0 over eight — often more than the price difference between two trims of the same vehicle, and the single largest running-cost line item separating these two.

City versus highway split: the Dodge Charger is the stronger commuter at 104 mpg city, while the MINI Countryman pulls ahead on the interstate at 94 mpg highway. If most of your driving is stop-and-go traffic the city figure is the one to weigh; for long-distance highway mileage the reverse is true, and the two vehicles effectively swap places depending on how you drive.

Powertrain choice: the Dodge Charger is recorded with 4 distinct engine configurations (SIDI, 3.6, 5.7), the MINI Countryman with 4 (SIDI & PFI, SIDI, SIDI; PHEV). Across 85 recorded Dodge Charger configurations and 75 for the MINI Countryman, the wider the engine spread the more the real-world fuel efficiency depends on which version you actually buy, so check the specific model year and drivetrain rather than the headline number.

Drivetrain and class: the Dodge Charger is offered with All-Wheel Drive, Rear-Wheel Drive, the MINI Countryman with All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive. All-wheel drive typically costs one to two mpg combined against the same vehicle in front- or rear-wheel drive, which is worth remembering when the gap between these two is small. The EPA classes them as Large Cars and Midsize Cars respectively — the class drives the interior volume, cargo space and passenger space each one is measured against.

Tailpipe emissions: at their cleanest configurations the MINI Countryman emits 175 g/mile of CO2 versus 389 g/mile for the Dodge Charger. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.