2014 Mini Cooper S vs. 2014 Fiat 500 Abarth

    These two tiny city cars are very cute, practical, and get good gas mileage. But one is Italian and one is British. So, two different personalities in a very similar package. But which is better?

2. Mini Cooper S

    The Mini Cooper has been around since the 60's and got a major facelift in 2000 and has received some minor changes since. The engine you get in the S trim level is a 184-hp turbocharged 2.0 liter 4-cylinder that propels the car from 0-60 in 6.4 seconds. So I guess it doesn't really "propel" the car, more like "moderately roll it in a laid-back fashion." But other than the slow acceleration, the car is extremely fun to drive. It isn't especially good on the track, but the experience on-road is one of the most fun to drive cars that aren't among Lamborghini and Ferrari supercars, which are very fun as well. But its performance is not as good as it should be, so it loses this comparison.

1. Fiat 500 Abarth

    The Fiat 500 has earned a place in my heart for being one of the most hip and stylish cars of the last 2 years, as well as being one of the cheapest good cars. The Abarth-spec 500 has a turbocharged 1.4 liter inline-4 that produces around 160 horsepower and 170 lb-feet of torque. A little less powerful than the Mini, but better performance. And anyways, who cares if it has 20 horsepower less than the Mini if it is more fun to drive and faster? 0-60 takes around 6.2 seconds and gets a very good EPA rating of 28/32 mpg. I think it is a better car than the Mini because it has most of Fiat's attention, where as with the Mini, their attention is spread out to many cars, like the Countryman and the Paceman.