When it comes to small bundles of joy on the road, you can’t go wrong with the MINI Cooper S and the Fiat 500 (whether it’s the convertible model, Abarth or any other version). They are both small, fun and enthusiastic, all the time.
The guys from Autoguide took them for a spin to see which one is better both on twisty roads and as usual, day-to-day commuters. On the spec sheet they are strikingly similar.
The Cooper S uses a 1.6-liter turbocharged 4-pot that puts out 184 HP and 177 lb-ft of torque, whilst the Abarth uses a 1.4-liter turbocharged unit with 160 HP and 170 lb-ft of torque. Both testers came with manual gearboxes, the Fiat using an older 5-speed unit.
On the road, the MINI pushes ahead with its usual handling characteristics while the Fiat makes up in a better interior. Overall, the two are separated by little but the Brit pulls ahead of the Italian, at least in this comparo. Watch the video below for the complete test.
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