Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class vs MINI John Cooper Works: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the MINI John Cooper Works burns about $2,550 of fuel annually against $2,900 for the Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class. That $350 yearly gap compounds to roughly $1,750 over five years and $2,800 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 MINI John Cooper Works leads in both cycles — 27 mpg city and 37 mpg highway against 24 and 31 mpg — so its fuel-efficiency advantage holds whether you commute in traffic or cover long highway miles.

Powertrain choice: the Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class is recorded with 2 distinct engine configurations (SIDI; Mild Hybrid, SIDI), the MINI John Cooper Works with 2 (SIDI & PFI, SIDI). Across 27 recorded Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class configurations and 56 for the MINI John Cooper Works, 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 CLS-Class is offered with All-Wheel Drive, 4-Wheel Drive, Rear-Wheel Drive, the MINI John Cooper Works with Front-Wheel Drive, All-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 John Cooper Works emits 288 g/mile of CO2 versus 334 g/mile for the Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.