Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class vs MINI Cooper: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class burns about $600 of fuel annually against $700 for the MINI Cooper. That $100 yearly gap compounds to roughly $500 over five years and $800 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 and highway economy: the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class leads in both cycles — 127 mpg city and 124 mpg highway against 119 and 100 mpg — so its fuel-efficiency advantage holds whether you commute in traffic or cover long highway miles.

Powertrain choice: the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class is recorded with 3 distinct engine configurations (SIDI; Mild Hybrid, SIDI, SIDI; FFV), the MINI Cooper with 3 (SIDI & PFI, SIDI, 1.6). Across 55 recorded Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class configurations and 135 for the MINI Cooper, 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 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class is offered with All-Wheel Drive, Rear-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive, the MINI Cooper with 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 Compact Cars and Subcompact 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 Cooper emits 272 g/mile of CO2 versus 273 g/mile for the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.