MINI Countryman - Engines, performance & drive

The blurb would like you to believe that the MINI Countryman has ‘go-kart’-like handling, MINI even naming one of the Experience driving modes as such. The reality is far from that, though.

That’s not to say the Countryman doesn’t provide a decent drive. Driven as most people normally would, it offers enough ride comfort and competent, if hardly fun, handling. 

What is the MINI Countryman like to drive? 

In town

You might think that the larger size of the Countryman might put it at a disadvantage in town, but the tall driving position and relatively short overhangs mean the Countryman is fairly easy to place on the road.

In order to limit body lean, the suspension is a bit on the firm side to keep things controlled, but we wouldn’t suggest it’s uncomfortable. We would say that the quick steering of the Countryman is a little at odds for something this tall, with small inputs causing the car to dart around, making it difficult to place the car in a bend, sometimes leading you to make multiple steering corrections mid-corner. It’s a particular problem with the high-performance JCW version, which tends to tramline across all but the smoothest of surfaces. 

Unfortunately, the standard-fit automatic (especially when fitted to the entry-level 168bhp engine) is very hesitant when pulling away, so it’s advisable to give yourself a bigger gap when merging onto a busy roundabout. Alternatively, you could choose the all-electric version, which has snappier responses. Our experience of the four-wheel drive, dual motor SE suggests it has all the punch you’d need to nip out of junctions around town, or squirt between corners on a fast country road.

On A- and B-roads

Country roads are generally a good fit for the smaller models in the MINI range, but this isn’t the case for the bigger Countryman – even if you try its sharpest Go Kart mode that comes as part of the eight ‘Experiences’ available. 

The automatic gearbox used in petrol versions can actively hamper your fun, too. While its shifts are smooth and it is responsive enough (once on the move), the lack of manual controls on the gear lever or steering wheel paddles in non-Sport versions means you have little say over which forward gear the gearbox is in, robbing you of some control and putting you at the mercy of the car’s electronics.

We’d also like to see a more settled ride on JCW models. Despite having adaptive suspension (also provided as standard on Sport trim), the ride on the JCW with its larger wheel sizes (19- or 20-inches) tends to bounce you from bump to bump and never settles, no matter the speed. The chassis can’t quite keep up with your inputs – intentional or otherwise – at the wheel, so it feels as if it's getting out of shape rather drastically, even if you’re not pushing the car all that hard.

On the motorway

While the Countryman suffers from a little wind noise around the door mirrors at speed, it isn’t so great that it becomes annoying or can’t be drowned out by the sound system. The ride is still firm, but ultimately more forgiving at higher speeds than it is when trundling around town. 

Engines, 0-62mph acceleration and top speed

Despite having the least power, the 168bhp 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo manages to get the MINI Countryman from 0-62mph dash in a respectable 8.3 seconds, while the four-wheel drive 215bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo cuts this down to 7.1 seconds. The fastest Countryman is the John Cooper Works (JCW), with a very healthy 296bhp that’s also deployed through each of the four wheels to give a 5.4-second sprint time.

We shouldn’t discount the electric versions, though. The two-wheel drive 201bhp E will get to 62mph in 8.6 seconds, while the four-wheel drive 309bhp SE takes 5.6 seconds.