2009 MINI Cooper

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Safety - What the Auto Press Says

The MINI Cooper is very well equipped for safety, given its size and class. In addition, it receives good, but not excellent, safety scores from the federal government and insurance industry.

Crash Tests

• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gives the 2009 MINI Cooper four out of five stars for front impact tests, five stars for the driver's protection in side crashes,s and four stars for the rear passengers' protection in side impact crashes. The MINI Cooper also earns a five-star rollover rating. The Cooper Convertible was not crash tested, but also received a five-star rollover rating.
• The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gives the 2009 Cooper a "Good" rating in frontal offset tests and an "Acceptable" rating in side impact tests.

Safety Features

The MINI's standard accident avoidance equipment includes dynamic stability control, anti-lock brakes, electronic brake force distribution and a Brake Assistant that builds maximum brake pressure during an emergency situation. The 2009 MINI Cooper also has six standard air bags, and an accident sensor that unlocks doors and turns on interior and hazard lights. The MINI's fuel pump automatically shuts off when air bags have been deployed, to lessen the chance of a vehicle fire.

• "MINI offers a standard of crash safety quite unique to its segment. In the even of a collision, optimized load paths within the body structure serve to effectively divert forces acting on the car, despite the short overhangs in the front and rear." -- The Auto Channel
• "A big plus for me is that the Mini is relatively safe for such a tiny car. It comes standard with side curtain airbags that run the length of the cabin." -- BusinessWeek