2021 MINI Countryman

For people who’ve always wanted a Mini Cooper but can’t pack their lifestyle into that tiny machine, the Mini Countryman may be a tempting proposition. It has the style and spirit of a Mini Cooper, but in a taller, 18-inch-longer package, with room for four adults and optional all-wheel drive (AWD). The Countryman shares its solid platform with a direct competitor, the BMW X1/X2, along with BMW-based powertrains and infotainment. (Germany’s BMW owns the British Mini brand). Yet these models couldn’t be more different in terms of style, inside and out. 

Certain small-crossover shoppers—the ones eyeballing, say, a Volvo XC40, the Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class, the X1 or Audi’s Q3—may not see the Countryman’s appeal. But that’s the British Mini brand in a (tiny) nutshell: Minis tend to be litmus-test cars. People either fall in love with their classic shape and spunky personality or pass them by entirely.

To close a sweetheart deal, Mini is offering a special Oxford Edition for 2021: This Countryman adds bonus standard features including heated seats, automatic climate control and 18-inch wheels with run-flat tires, for a $27,350 price that actually undercuts the “base model” at $29,950. An earlier Mini Cooper Oxford Edition was available only for registered college students, but 2021 versions have no such restriction; Mini says the discounted price is possible because there are no incentivized leases, rebates or price haggling on Oxford Editions. 

The only downside is that the Oxford Edition (and other starter models) feature a 134-horsepower, three-cylinder, 1.5-liter engine that struggles to motivate a maxi-sized Mini that weighs more than 3,500 pounds. For anyone expecting frisky Mini performance, the Countryman S models—with a turbocharged, 189-horsepower 2.0-liter engine—are a must. 

There’s also a fuel-sipping, plug-in hybrid Countryman SE, with a larger lithium-ion battery that boosts electric-only range from 12 to 17 miles. It’s priced from a dismaying $42,350, though a $5,002 federal tax credit softens the blow. For the most gonzo Mini fans, a high-performance Countryman John Cooper Works version brings a massive 301 horsepower, 331 pound-feet of torque and a blazing 4.5-second dash to 60 mph. That niche version also starts from $42,350.

The most compelling Countryman models are found in the middle, with S versions that start from $32,750. They scoot from 0-60 mph in a peppy 6.8-seconds, quicker than many competitors. Mini’s All4 AWD system adds $2,000 to any Countryman, and brings an excellent, eight-speed automatic transmission versus seven speeds for other models. 

Upgrades for 2021 include reworked front and rear bumpers, new LED headlamps, Union Jack-pattern taillamps and piano-black trim inside. Mini’s latest 8.8-inch touchscreen, wrapped in a signature, circular bezel with light-up LED elements, is now standard. That screen runs a version of BMW’s solid iDrive infotainment interface, with a large, tactile rotary console control knob. 

We drove a Countryman S All4 in sharp Thunder Gray metallic paint, with an optional silver roof, quilted Chesterfield gray leather and 19-inch “Turnstile spoke” two-tone alloy wheels. A breathtaking range of paints, trims and personalized accessories—from contrasting roof colors to newly available indigo blue or malt brown leathers—is a Mini signature. It makes for a car with overachieving style, including a charming interior with a saucer-shaped, LED-lit touchscreen housing, toggle switches and a chunky, leather-wrapped sport steering wheel. It also makes for Minis whose price can get out of hand if shoppers don’t exercise self-restraint. 

Our Countryman featured an $8,000 Iconic package that included adaptive, driver-selectable dampers, a panoramic sunroof, Harman/Kardon premium audio, power-folding mirrors and a Navigation package that groups navigation, Apple CarPlay (not a standard feature) and wireless device charging. Notably Android Auto isn’t available. Add $500 for tinted privacy glass and $200 for the natty silver roof and bonnet stripes, and you’re looking at a $43,450 Mini. 

That’s still a few thousand dollars less than its comparably equipped BMW X1 cousin, but rather dear for such a petite crossover. The Countryman is also missing many active safety features compared to the X1, and even many cheaper crossovers. Forward automatic emergency braking and collision warnings are standard and adaptive cruise control is optional, but that’s it. Mazda’s CX-30, a sporty if not quite premium alternative, comes with a vast suite of active safety gear standard, including adaptive cruise, rear cross-traffic alerts, lane keeping assist and blind spot monitoring.

Compared with a standard Mini Cooper, the Countryman will happily accommodate four adults, or five in a pinch. It also holds a surprising load of gear, with 17.2 cubic feet of space behind the rear seat (split 40/20/40) and 47.4 cubes with seats folded. With four passengers aboard, that’s double the behind-the-seat stowage of a two-door Mini Cooper. Total cargo space matches a Volvo XC40, but falls about 20 percent shy of the BMW X1, the segment’s roomiest player with 59.7 cubic feet.

Still, the Countryman strikes its intended balance between practicality and performance, as we learned on a road trip down the Eastern Seaboard. Wide-bolstered, luxuriously upholstered sport seats were all day comfortable, including a manual thigh extender for extra support. An upright driving position and generous window glass create better outward visibility than in some slope-roofed crossovers. 

The Countryman isn’t a caffeinated sprite like the Mini Cooper; there’s just no getting around its taller stance, larger footprint and 700-pound weight handicap. But the steering remains quick and communicative, the engine and paddle-shifted transmission eager, the tires grippy and confident. The brakes are fantastic, showing their BMW roots with a firm initial bite, a sensitive pedal and face-stretching stopping power.   

Ultimately, the Countryman is the square peg of its segment. It’s too big to be considered a hatchback, too small to be an SUV, too quirky and British to fit in with more-sober luxury crossovers. If it were a band, it’d be the Spice Girls, while the CX-30 and XC40 are closer to Daft Punk. But Mini fans with grown-up needs will fling open the doors, pop the tailgate and instantly recognize the Countryman as a scaled-up version what they already love.