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MINI Countryman Review & Prices

Mini's small SUV is bigger than ever and gets a funky, spacious interior, but the circular infotainment screen and textile upholstery could prove too quirky for some

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RRP £29,335 - £43,525 Avg. Carwow saving £2,093 off RRP
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£27,610
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Find out more about the MINI Countryman

Is the Mini Countryman a good car?

The new Mini Countryman is like a tall friend with an ironic nickname. Just as ‘Tiny’ is really 6’ 7” and coaches the local basketball team, there’s nothing very ‘mini’ about the Mini Countryman.

This is the third generation of the largest of the Mini family, and it has grown even further in size. The new model is taller and longer than the old Countryman, and should be on the shortlist of anyone thinking of buying an Audi Q2, BMW X1, or Mercedes GLA. For the first time, there’s also an electric version, dubbed Countryman Electric, but we’ll concentrate on the petrol-powered car here.

Importantly for a family SUV, the new Countryman gets more cabin space than before. There's plenty of room in the front, and even our basketball-playing friend Tiny should have enough legroom in the back seats. As an optional extra, the rear seats can move back and forth to prioritise passenger legroom or boot space as required.

Speaking of which, boot space has also increased. The capacity is now 460 litres with the back seats upright, which is more than you get in the Volvo XC40 and Volkswagen T-Roc, but less than a BMW X1 and Alfa Romeo Tonale.

Mini has added more tech as well as extra space. The new Countryman is the first Mini capable of Level 2 semi-automated driving. The driver can take their hands off the wheel at speeds of up to 37mph, so long as the driver is ready to take back control as needed. You’ll need to opt for the Driving Assistance Plus package for all the most advanced driver aids.

The infotainment has been updated, too, switching to the latest Mini operating system, which looks great and responds rapidly to your touch – though its circular shape could take some getting used to, and some of the new functions, such as AirConsole in-car gaming, are paid-for upgrades.

The Mini Countryman has a cool interior design, but the circular infotainment system could take some getting used to

The range starts with the 170hp Countryman C. This is the most fuel-efficient model and can return up to 46.3mpg in official tests. For a bit more power (218hp) and four-wheel drive, buyers can choose the Countryman S, though it's not available at launch. For hot-hatch performance in an SUV body, the Cooper JCW has 300hp and a 0-62mph time of 5.4 seconds. It returns up to 36.2mpg on the combined cycle, so it’s not too thirsty despite the power on offer.

You can alter the look of the Countryman by choosing between three individual trims. Classic comes with a choice of three paint finishes, two roof colour options, and three alloy wheel designs, with the Mini logo in Vibrant Silver. Exclusive trim adds more exterior design elements, including the option of a multicoloured roof.

Sport has a different front and rear bumper design, along with high-gloss black for the Mini logo and framing the front grille. Optional bonnet stripes add to the motorsport vibe.

We’ll have an in-depth review once our expert road testers have spent more time with the car, so check back for their verdict ahead of deliveries commencing around February 2024. For now, you can see how much you can save by browsing the latest Mini Countryman deals on Carwow. You can also take a look at used Countrymans as well as other used Minis. Want to sell your car? Well, Carwow can help with that, too.

How much is the Mini Countryman?

The MINI Countryman has a RRP range of £29,335 to £43,525. However, with Carwow you can save on average £2,093. Prices start at £27,610 if paying cash. Monthly payments start at £315.

Our most popular versions of the MINI Countryman are:

Model version Carwow price from
1.5 C Classic 5dr Auto £27,610 Compare offers

The Mini Countryman might be an upmarket SUV, but it’s actually priced very competitively among similar family cars. Entry level ‘Classic’ cars start at just under £30,000 and rise to £33,000 for the Sport trim. High-performance John Cooper Works models are much pricier at about £41,000.

That makes it similar in price to the less spacious Audi Q2 and Volkswagen T-Roc, but more affordable than a bunch of alternatives such as the BMW X1, Volvo XC40, Mercedes GLA and Alfa Romeo Tonale.

There are two petrol engines at launch, with a third coming at a later date. You have the high-performance JCW version at the top of the range, with the other two being a 170hp C-badged car, and a 218hp S-badged model, with each also being offered with three trim levels called Classic, Exclusive and Sport. There are also up to three levels of equipment packs – opt for a Sport model with the Level 3 kit and the price rockets up to about £40,000.

Space and practicality

Overall space is pretty good, but it’s a bit of a squeeze to get three people in the back

The Mini Countryman has grown in size, and as a result it’s roomier inside than the old model. For those in the front, that means more headroom and space to swing your arms about if the mood takes you. There’s loads of adjustability in the seat too, meaning you can sit really high for the full SUV experience. The wheel doesn’t move much though, so you don’t have as much range to get comfortable as you might think. Fortunately the slim dashboard means even taller drivers can get quite close without your knees getting in the way.

Storage is okay but nothing to write home about. The door bins are quite narrow but have a cutout for big bottles in the front. The armrest slides to give easier access to a small tray beneath it, and ahead of this is a covered bin that’s really nicely made and is possibly the first premium-looking bin you’ll have seen in a car. Quirky. There’s also a couple of cupholders, a shelf for wirelessly charging your mobile phone and two USB-C slots.

Space in the back seats

The back seats are just as spacious, with loads of headroom and legroom even if you have a tall passenger in front with their seat pushed back. Shoulder room is a touch tight beside the door, and it’ll be a squeeze to get three in the back, but it’s plenty spacious enough for two.

Storage is, again, so-so, with narrow door bins, a pair of cupholders in the armrest and pockets in the back of the front seats. You also get two more USB-C slots in the back.

All that room means that it’s easy to fit a bulky child seat, and the ISOFIX mounting points are really simple to access beneath flip-up plastic covers. However, the doors don’t open very wide and the aperture is quite small, so it could be quite fiddly to get the seat in in the first place.

Boot space

The boot is a bit bigger than in the old model at 460 litres, but it’s still nothing special, sitting around the middle of alternative offerings. The BMW X1 has a huge 550 litres, while you could also consider a Peugeot 3008 (520 litres) or Alfa Romeo Tonale (500 litres) if space is key. The Mini has more space than the Volvo XC40 (452 litres), Volkswagen T-Roc (445 litres) and Audi Q2 (405 litres), though.

Despite its middling capacity, the space should be enough for most families, and has a useful square area that’s easy to make the most of. You can also fold the rear seats into a more upright position to free up a little more space and make your game of luggage Tetris a bit easier. There’s some useful under-floor storage, too.

Fold the seats flat and you free up 1,450 litres, which is about average among alternatives. There’s no ridge when you do so, making it easy to push long items through, but the seats don’t fold fully flat meaning there’s a slight ramp that items could slide back down.

Interior style, infotainment and accessories

A responsive infotainment system and solid build quality are good, but the circular screen and odd textile materials could take some getting used to

You want your Mini to be a bit quirkier than your average SUV, and the interior delivers. The first thing you’ll notice is that massive central display, which is circular in homage to the central speedo seen in the original Mini. Here it’s a high-tech OLED display that’s really quick to respond to touches and has a satisfying feel when dragging items and maps around.

The high-definition system also comes with ‘experience’ modes. Some are similar to traditional drive modes that can make the car feel more sporty or comfortable as desired – for example ‘go-kart mode’ replaces ‘sport’ and improves throttle response – but some just change the vibe in the car. This includes things like the ambient lighting and the design of the display. It’s a bit of a gimmick, but a fun one, at least.

That said, the central screen also includes your driving information such as speed, because there’s no instrument display behind the wheel. On the plus side, only the base Classic trim goes without a head-up display, which projects that information onto the screen ahead of you (and is available as an optional upgrade if you want it), but otherwise you’ll be constantly glancing left at the screen to see how fast you’re going.

Something else that could take some adjusting to is the dashboard material. It’s a sustainable textile that looks great but has a rough texture. It doesn’t feel cheap, but it doesn’t feel like a typical premium car, either.

What does feel suitably premium, though, is the synthetic leather upholstery. It’s soft and really comfortable to sit on. If you didn’t know it was fake you would never guess it wasn’t real cow.

MPG, emissions and tax

There are three petrol engines available on the Countryman, as well as a separate zero-emission Countryman Electric.

The petrol range starts with the 170hp C-badged car. This has front-wheel drive and the best fuel efficiency in the range at up to 46.3mpg, as well as the lowest CO2 emissions at 138-155g/km. The 218hp S is not available at launch, but when it does go on sale you’ll get all-wheel drive, official fuel economy of 41.5mpg and CO2 emissions of 155-169g/km.

At the top of the range is the high-performance John Cooper Works model, which has all-wheel drive and a 300hp engine. Fuel economy drops to an official 36.2mpg and CO2 emissions are fairly high at 177-188g/km.

Company car drivers will be best-served by the electric version because it has the lowest benefit-in-kind rate by a long way. Mini is no longer offering a plug-in hybrid engine with the Countryman, which would have otherwise also been a tempting company car option. The C offers the lowest Vehicle Excise Duty rate, with road tax rising fairly steeply to the S and JCW models.

Safety and security

The new Mini Countryman has not yet been safety-tested by Euro NCAP. However, recent BMW models, with which the Mini shares much of its construction and technology, have scored well.

You get all the expected driver assistance kit as standard, though the inclusion of a lane-keeping assistant with a blind spot warning, adaptive cruise control, and a reversing camera, are nice to have on all models. Upgrading to the Level 2 and Level 3 option packs brings extra driver assistance technology, such as the ability to keep up with stop/start traffic using the cruise control system.

Reliability and problems

Mini doesn’t have a great reputation for reliability, but it does seem to be clawing that back in recent years. Hopefully that continues to improve for the newer models, with the outgoing Countryman proving to be one of the brand’s most reliable cars.

You get three years of warranty cover, which is about standard for the industry, but with the added bonus of being unlimited mileage. However, the likes of Hyundai, Kia, MG and Toyota offer longer cover.

Buy or lease the MINI Countryman at a price you’ll love
We take the hassle and haggle out of car buying by finding you great deals from local and national dealers
On Sale
RRP £29,335 - £43,525 Avg. Carwow saving £2,093 off RRP
Carwow price from
Cash
£27,610
Monthly
£315*
Ready to see prices tailored to you?
Compare new offers
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