Toyota Corolla vs Mini 5D Hatch
What's the difference?

Toyota Corolla

$29,990 - $46,990

2025 price

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Mini 5D Hatch

—

2020 price

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Mercedes-Benz A-Class

Mercedes-Benz A35

Mercedes-Benz A45

Mercedes-Benz CLA

Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

Summary

2025 Toyota Corolla

2020 Mini 5D Hatch

By Tim Nicholson

By Andrew Chesterton

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Inline 4, 1.8L

Turbo 4, 2.0L

Fuel Type

Unleaded Petrol/Electric

Premium Unleaded Petrol

Fuel Efficiency

4.0L/100km (combined)

6.0L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Fuel efficient
Fun to drive
Cheap to run

Potent engine
Tons of grip
Funky cabin ambience

Dislikes

Cabin not as practical as rivals
Tiny boot volume
Ageing interior

Ride can be harsh
Jittery drive experience
Cabin tech overly user friendly

2025 Toyota Corolla Summary

Up until 2024 when its title was nabbed by the Tesla Model Y, the humble Toyota Corolla has been the world’s best-selling car for quite some time.

A reputation for reliability, affordability, efficiency and in its current guise, being fun to drive, the Corolla has seen off all comers to retain the title of the most popular small car on Earth.

The current twelfth-generation Corolla is now seven years into its life cycle having landed in mid-2018. In that time scores of buyers have moved across into small SUVs, and the Corolla’s competitor set has shrunk dramatically as car brands pull out of the small passenger car segment.

But as we gear up for the next-gen Corolla, is the existing one still worth considering against some newer rivals? And should you look at this instead of a small SUV?

I lived with the mid-range Corolla SX hatchback for a week to find out.

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2020 Mini 5D Hatch Summary

That the 2020 Mini Clubman John Cooper Works is the most powerful Mini to have landed in Australia isn’t all that surprising. After all, parent company BMW has squeezed the thumping four-cylinder engine from the M135i under its bonnet, and that thing creates a snarling beast of any vehicle it finds a home in.

What is a surprise, though, is that having now driven this angry, crackling, snarling hot hatch, what with its burbling exhaust and properly rapid acceleration, is that it took Mini this long to get around to doing it.

So does the engine upgrade now put the Clubman JCW on the same pedestal as the best European hot hatches? There's only one way to find out.

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Deep dive comparison

2025 Toyota Corolla 2020 Mini 5D Hatch

Verdict

The final score for this review makes it look as though the Corolla is a middling effort. The scores for each individual section of the review are well considered and fair. The Corolla does lack the practicality of some of its rivals. A lack of an ANCAP rating isn’t great and the powertrain is just okay. But it remains one of the most fun-to-drive hatchbacks on the market today, even seven years into its life, and I would wholeheartedly recommend the Corolla to anyone looking for a small car. If you can forgive some of the quirks, it is a reliable, adorable, fun and efficient small car favourite.

Verdict

The Mini Clubman JCW is quirky in a lot of the right ways, and now has a hard-charging engine to up the adrenalin factor. If you were already sold on the idea of joining the Clubman club, this one will steal your heart more than any other.

Toyota Corolla vs Mini 5D Hatch What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Toyota Corolla vs Mini 5D Hatch
What's the difference?