MINI Countryman review

Driving position

For the sort of person the MINI Countryman C is aimed at (those after clear visibility of the road ahead and a high seating position), finding your favoured driving position is a doddle. 

Our test car had the intuitive electric seats, which have a range of controls by their sides – for adjustment and even a massage function for the driver. 

There’s also plenty of adjustment in the steering with lots of reach and rake to find the best and most comfortable position for you. 

But unlike in the electric Countryman, we found the overall seating position to be much better, allowing us more headroom due to the lack of under-floor batteries. 

Tech and features

The inside of the new MINI is a proper tech fest, as is the case with all new MINIs, thanks to the impressive 9.4-inch circular OLED display. 

All the other new cars we’ve driven with this screen we’ve loved, and that’s because it looks smart and is a bit different to the usual stuck-on slabs of glass. Bonus points for it being a clear homage to the classic MINI’s speedometer. 

However, we discovered two minor flaws with it. The first is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which are limited to a smaller square in the centre of the screen. 

Admittedly, it’s third-party software, so not exactly MINI’s fault, but it doesn’t do the lovely screen justice.  

The other thing is changing any of the car’s settings, which often involves menu diving for a long time trying to find the setting you’d like to change. A little awkward, but something so many other modern cars also suffer from today. 

But let's not sound like old farts by complaining about modern tech and instead look at some of the better bits of the car’s in-built features. 

The car’s 360-degree parking camera system, for example, is some of the best we’ve ever seen. The rear parking camera alone feels like you’re staring through the viewfinder of a 4K camera (even if it does suffer the square window problem of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto).  

For owners, there’s also a nifty smartphone app that lets you see whether your car is locked and where it is on a map. You can also turn the lights on, see how much fuel is left, and pre-ventilate the cabin before you get in – all very clever stuff. 

Engines and power

Power comes from a 170hp 1.5-litre engine with front-wheel drive that has a real ‘get up and go’ attitude about it, but almost too much sometimes.  

The Countryman C has a very delicate throttle pedal and sharp brakes, which do take some getting used to. In its standard driving mode, there’s a delay between touching the accelerator and actually moving, making you appear hesitant at junctions and causing you to lurch a bit as the power comes suddenly. 

We found switching to ‘Go-Kart’ mode helped, but the driven front wheels still like to spin up on greasy road surfaces, even with just 50% throttle input. We thought that was just with the electric Countryman’s instant torque, but it seems to be the case in the petrol car too. 

We suspect ALL4 all-wheel drive versions may eliminate this, but we haven’t driven one, so can’t comment on that. 

While we’re on its appropriately named sport mode, the Countryman gets a few different ‘Expressions’ to choose from. 

They’re like drive modes that don’t only alter how the car drives but also change the look of the central screen. For example, Timeless makes it look like a classic 1960s MINI Cooper and Green acts as an eco mode with softer throttle responses, fuel-saving settings and green interior lighting. 

There are eight expressions in total, each of which does a different thing: Go-Kart, Balance, Trail, Timeless, Vivid, Core, Green, and Personal. 

But for normal driving, you’d keep it in the standard ‘Core’, ‘Green’ to save fuel or ‘Go-Kart’ mode for increased throttle response (and to hear the “yahoo!” Mario Kart-like sound it makes when you engage that mode).  

If you’re ever in one, we urge you to try it – as juvenile and silly as it may be, we don’t mind cars having a bit of fun, and that’s what MINIs are all about. 

Handling and ride comfort

Something the previous generation of Countryman suffered with was a very firm ride, and that’s coming from someone who experienced one post-knee surgery. 

It was a shame because the rest of the car was brilliant. At least we can safely say now that MINI has seriously improved the ride quality in the new one, keeping it softer on larger bumps in the road but still maintaining that MINI sportiness you get with the Hatch. 

The sacrifice is that the softer suspensions means more body roll on country lanes and roundabouts, but this is an SUV rather than a hot hatch, so it’s not the end of the world.  

It's no pickup truck, so doesn’t feel like it may fall over, but it certainly isn’t as well planted as some of its rivals in that respect. 

Boot space

MINI has upped the boot size for this model at 460 litres. Admittedly, that’s not as much as the likes of the Peugeot 3008 (520 litres) and BMW X1 (550 litres), but it does beat the Volvo XC40 (452 litres) and Audi Q2 (405 litres). 

If you need more boot space, the rear seats fold down in a 40:20:40 split to create up to 1,450 litres of space. Or simply fold down the middle seat to slide longer items through. 

Underneath, there’s added storage for items such as a first aid kit and tools, and this is quite a deep amount of space. 

There are also small pockets on the outer edges of the boot near the rear door to store anything from gloves to bottles and dog treats. 

Rear seats

Jump in the back and it’s a vast improvement over the old model again. There’s so much more space than before, enough for two to sit comfortably on a longer drive and up to three people for a shorter drive. 

During our test, we sat a 6ft 6 passenger back there who didn’t have any issues on a shorter drive around town and could benefit from the two USB-C phone chargers. 

You also benefit from ISOFIX child seat mounting points, so parents can fit two large child seats if needed.  

Storage solutions

Being a small SUV aimed at families, it’s pretty obvious the Countryman will come well-equipped for storing debris from day-to-day life, but what exactly does it get? 

In the centre of the cabin is a sliding armrest that doesn’t open up to reveal storage but instead ‘points’ you to a lidded box ahead of the front cupholders that’s ideal for wallets or keys.  

There’s also more space in front and behind that, as well as a wireless phone charger to keep your smartphone out of the way. 

Door bins themselves are nice and deep – plenty for a large water bottle, sunglasses, tissues, etc. 

The glovebox isn’t the largest in its class, but it’s plenty to store the car’s manuals and paperwork. 

Safety

The new MINI Countryman has not yet been independently tested by Euro NCAP, so it’s too soon to say exactly how safe it is, but the car’s onboard tech suggests it’ll score well. 

Fitted to the car as standard include all the usual features you’d expect, such as lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, and a reversing camera. 

But if you want more, you’ll need to opt for a car with the additional Level 2 or Level 3 upgrade packages, which bring added driver assistance technology. 

Fuel economy

MINI claims that the 1.5-litre FWD (front-wheel drive) Countryman, as we tested, is good for up to 47.9mpg and a tank of fuel will last about 500 miles.  

This is also the most eco-friendly petrol in the lineup, with CO2 emissions at 138-155g/km. 

Reliability

The MINI brand has had a bit of a chequered past in terms of reliability, but it’s getting better now as the brand continues to develop and grow under BMW’s watchful eye. 

Like is standard with most cars, the Countryman gets a three-year warranty but with unlimited mileage (not so standard, but very much welcomed). 

Insurance groups

There are a few different trims to choose from, so the insurance groups will vary. Our test car – the Countryman C – sits in insurance group 21, and it rises from here. But considering the luxury of the cabin and the collection of onboard features, this isn't bad at all.

• Classic – Insurance groups 20-25 

• Exclusive – Insurance groups 21-25 

• Sport – Insurance groups 21-26