MINI Countryman SE ALL4 JCW long term test: a mid-size SUV that’s actually fun

Verdict

Our MINI Countryman SE JCW is clearly not a cheap model, but it does feel premium throughout. We love the sporty styling, rapid performance and now-familiar MINI tech. So far it has coped with everything my brood has thrown at it, and with a great sense of fun.

• Mileage: 3,042
• Efficiency: 3.4 miles per kWh

When it comes to building a brand, few have done it better than MINI. And I’m not just talking about logos, brochures or showrooms; it’s the whole package. Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle said: “Give me a child until he is seven and I will show you the man.” I suggest that, if you drove that child in a MINI, you’d have them hooked by four. Both of my grandchildren are totally sold on our Countryman, and the youngest is just two. 

The buzzwords to activate the sat-nav’s voice assistant are ‘Hey MINI’, and both children call this out so much that, last week, the infotainment set-up called time and told us it was disabling that phrase. It’s got to the point that, when the kids are playing on their MINI racer (£99 from the MINI store), they say “Hey MINI, take me to Center Parcs” – or the sweet shop, or to see Santa or wherever – before setting off on whichever imaginary trip takes their fancy. They enjoy the toy car, but it’s born from their love of the real thing. 

Like them, the Countryman’s infotainment graphics are very cute. We drive around town in Eco mode and the little ones love the flapping wings of the hummingbird when I drive efficiently. But they also like the leaping big cat when I’m less efficient. At the other extreme, both get very excited by the boost button on the steering wheel, which activates a multi-coloured on-screen countdown illustrating the 10-second power boost that provides rapid acceleration. Great fun. 

We also found an icon in the infotainment system that plays an animated sequence, which includes a dog dancing to music and poking its nose out of the display. That too has since disappeared as an option – perhaps again due to over-use on our part. I haven’t dared show the kids the selection of games that can be downloaded from the MINI connect store. From a grown-up perspective, I’m taken with the branding in a more stylised way.

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The front and rear lights both have sequences that can be personalised with programmes that include a Union Flag in the rear lights, and winking front headlamps. Then there are the smartphone app and driver profiles. I can check the car’s remaining range and charging status from the comfort of home or a cafe, and when I get into the car, it recognises me and sets up my driving preferences.

It all helps to make life with the MINI more enjoyable, as was demonstrated when my family took the car for a weekend away to the Kent coast. The 540-litre boot in our SE is the biggest in the Countryman range, and it took a buggy, two suitcases, assorted food, toys and our MINI racer without too much effort, although I did remove the parcel shelf. I also covered the flap in the boot floor that

I keep the charge cable under. Thankfully, that wasn’t an issue, because we were able to do the 150-mile round trip (and lots of driving in between) on one charge, despite some crowd-pleasing uses of that boost button. Even with that, according to the readout in the car, our overall efficiency is currently between 3.4 and 3.5 miles per kWh. That figure is based primarily on driving around town in Eco mode, but also taking full advantage of the performance whenever I get the chance. 

Some recent longer work trips alone have been thoroughly enjoyable. Music synced from my phone sounds fantastic on the Harman Kardon surround-sound audio system. I love the ability to select and scroll through tracks using a dial on the steering wheel.

MINI Countryman SE ALL4 JCW: fleetwatch

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The hot MINI Countryman SE ALL4 JCW gets a bigger boot than other versions of the popular SUV

You probably won’t buy the electric JCW version of the MINI Countryman if you’re concerned with practicality, right? Wrong! Surprisingly, our JCW has more boot space than other versions due to the lack of mild-hybrid tech in the back. So I’ve got 505 litres rather than the 460 litres in the standard BEV (or 450 litres in the ICE version). That’s more than enough to swallow buggies, bikes, boots and toys, plus even decking after a DIY store visit. 

MINI Countryman SE ALL4 JCW: first report

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We swap our petrol MINI Countryman for an electric one – but which one do we like more?

• Mileage: 2,065
• Efficiency: 3.4 miles per kWh

Clearly I’m still just a kid at heart. I knew the plan was to swap powertrains midway through our six-month MINI Countryman loan, but I was rather surprised – and excited – to be greeted with our Chilli Red ALL4 SE JCW on arrival at BMW’s UK HQ.

After three very enjoyable months behind the wheel of our 1.5-litre petrol C Exclusive, moving to an electric car would be done in style – but would the car be as enjoyable and practical as our family-friendly Small SUV of the Year had proven to be?

Let’s get the cost out of the way first. It’s not cheap. The base list price for the MINI Countryman SE ALL4 is over £6k more than our option-laden petrol Countryman C Exclusive with Level 3 option pack. After adding that same Level 3 Pack, with all its bells and whistles and the Sport Pack bolted on, our new model comes in at a hefty £56,200.  

Oblivious to this at first, I enthusiastically jumped into the front seat and its familiar premium surroundings. JCW-branded sports seats, and dark grey and red textured trim stand out as the obvious differences over our previous MINI, as does the steering wheel with its JCW badge and curious boost button. The excellent sat-nav system seems the same though, except for some extra screens with EV details like charging readouts and battery info. 

The MINI arrived fully charged, but with a predicted range of only 200 miles, my Cheshire Cat smile was beginning to fade. Filling up the petrol car would give a predicted range of 550-600+ miles (admittedly with a larger fuel tank option) and no range anxiety.

Anyway, after some photography and closer inspection of the exterior JCW graphics, badges and rather smart 20-inch Flag Spoke two-tone alloys (£600) I jumped in and got it moving. Behind the wheel, the Cheshire Cat smile returned and has been there ever since.

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Not only is the EV quicker than the petrol car, it’s smoother, too. There’s none of the hesitation at junctions and roundabouts that I got with the auto box in the petrol model. It’s responsive and fast, with sports seats giving comfort and support, and it sounds lovely.

Clearly, there’s no engine noise, but it does have an electric whirr that increases in pitch as you speed up. I’m not always sold on artificial noises, but it seems right for the car.

As somebody brought up on nights out in the north-east in an old friend’s original Mini Clubman, I know what to expect in terms of character. The size, sound and speed of our Countryman may be worlds away, but they’re closer in feel in the electric model than I found with the petrol version.

Hitting the boost button is a real crowd-pleaser. The nav-screen switches to a red, black and white chequered countdown from 10 to one and boosts acceleration. I’m not sure it’s quicker than popping the car into Sport Mode and flooring it, but it’s fun. 

Despite the enthusiastic demands of my grandchildren, the rule has become that it’s only to be used on motorways, because it’s not suitable for built-up areas with 20mph limits. Plus it wrecks my efficiency. I’ve gone from 3.0 miles per kWh on collection to a more respectable 3.4 within a month. However, I have seen improvements in predicted range when charging. Figures change according to temperature, but the best was 265 miles, and the average is 240 miles, although that may well drop with the cold – and the boost button!

MINI Countryman C Exclusive: final report

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Can a MINI really pass muster as a family car?

• Mileage: 5,080 miles
• Economy: 35mpg

It's funny how things go around, because this is not the first time that I’ve run a MINI Countryman long-term test car. Back in 2011, I had a diesel Countryman ALL4 for a nine-month loan and I struggled to give the keys back. I remember that it was refreshing to be able to drive the MINI brand, but in a more usable ‘family focused’ vehicle with my children.

Fast forward 13 years and it’s now my eldest son’s children that populate our Countryman test car on weekends away. A lot has changed in that time, mind you. Child car seats, buggies and, frankly, all of us have grown in size.

Thankfully, this hasn’t presented the new Countryman with too many issues. It has 450 litres of boot space, so we’ve been able to throw pretty much everything at the load bay, while the area beneath the floor has been used recently to store a fold-out sun tent and picnic blanket – handy for days out with the grandchildren – and there’s still room for the folded cargo net and the kits for first aid and tyre repairs.

Because the Countryman has a flat rear tailgate, we haven’t encountered any problems fitting in heavier, boxier items, either; and the near-vertical rear window means that the car has even been able to accommodate the flight cases that contain my son’s heavy musical equipment.

The rear passenger space is as comfortable as the front, thanks to excellent headroom along with air-con controls and USB-C charging points. The panoramic sunroof on our C Exclusive edition lets the summer light flood in, too. Granted, the bulky child seats can occasionally be a challenge, but I’ve found that if my move my grandson’s seat onto the front ISOFIX points, that frees up enough space in the second row for two adults to travel alongside my granddaughter’s larger fixed-base car seat.

Initially, I had reservations about the MINI’s admittedly quite lovely textured interior finish, and its ability to withstand children’s sticky fingers. But my fears have proven unfounded, because lollies and fruit residue have just washed away with no serious marks left. The Vescin dark-petrol faux leather looks as wonderful as it is comfortable – although I’ve found that it can get very hot if you forget to close the sunroof blind.

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MINI’s styling has evolved a great deal in 13 years, and especially over the past 12 months. The latest wave has a totally overhauled cabin, and although I’d still prefer a few more physical buttons, I’ve learned my way around the complex (and technically advanced) circular OLED display in the centre of the dash. I now know what I need to press and where to find it.

The rest of the front cabin works ergonomically, too; the sliding centre armrest offers good support and my long legs don’t knock against anything uncomfortable, despite decent-sized door bins for drinks and child-targeted snacks. The wireless phone charger is in a great position and there’s even space for two pairs of driving glasses.

So you can see why the Countryman has been a fantastic companion on our summer trips out and about. Even when the traffic has ground to a halt, I’ve thrown myself at the mercy of the built-in navigation and found that its live updates are genuinely useful, steering me around hot spots and roadworks. The augmented-reality display on the screen has proved too distracting, though, so I’ve just turned it off.

It may still have petrol power but there’s not really too much to tie this Countryman’s driving experience to the point-and squirt character that made the original MINI such a smash hit. It’s been fine, I suppose, but I’d like the automatic gearbox to be a bit more snappy, particularly when pulling out of junctions. And the car’s computer claims it’s achieving just under 35mpg, which is probably respectable for a petrol car that’s doing a lot of miles in suburban south London, but hardly stellar.

So, once again, I’m about to hand back the keys to a Countryman – and this time after a very brief three months with it. But to soften the blow, I’m swapping it for a fully electric example that I’ll run until late autumn. I’m already familiar with so much of the package and in-car tech that I should be able to boil down, quite quickly, the differences (both good and not so good) between ICE and EV power.

MINI Countryman C Exclusive: first report

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The new MINI Countryman’s phone app eases setting up infotainment 

• Mileage: 4,366 miles
• Economy: 34.8mpg

Our MINI Countryman arrived back in May and instantly blew me away with its simplified design and jump in quality. First impressions are key, and the welcoming wink from the headlights as the car unlocks, along with the crystal-clear parking light proudly displaying the simple MINI logo, set the tone.

Once inside, the stripped-back cabin oozes class, too, with textured materials that I just want to touch. Perhaps that’s because there is so little else to play with beyond the massive circular infotainment screen. Even my four-year-old grandson has mentioned the unusually tactile interior design, and likes to touch the two-tone door fade (but that might cause some issues with his sticky fingers further down the line).

I also love the beautiful brushed-metal vent controls, door handles and the A-pillar speakers for the Harman Kardon audio system. That rather splendid sound set-up comes as part of the Level 3 option pack, which adds a selection of extra equipment. Some bits are visible, such as the panoramic sunroof and a head-up display that stands proud on the spartan dashboard. Others, for example the active driver’s massaging seat, driver’s assistant Pro safety tech and the larger 54-litre fuel tank, are less obvious.

My last long-term test vehicle was last year’s Auto Express Car of the Year, the Hyundai Kona. That cost around £3,000 more than our 1.5-litre Petrol Countryman, but the difference in cabin quality is huge, since the MINI is far closer to the £74,000 Lexus RZ that I drove before that. The Countryman feels every bit a premium SUV, like climbing behind the wheel of a mini Range Rover. So it was little surprise that it scooped the Premium Small SUV of the year at our 2024 New Car Awards the other week.

I know all things are relative, but I have to say that the Countryman doesn’t actually feel that small, with plenty of space for my tall family, two child seats and luggage. 

Behind the wheel, the Countryman has been fine. Days out have been fun and effortless. The automatic gearbox can stutter a little toward roundabouts and on occasion when pulling away from junctions, and the car feels like it ought to have a manual transmission, but that’s no longer an option. The tiny switch to go forwards or backwards is little joy compared with a gearstick, but otherwise it’s all straightforward. 

My only worry has been the huge round infotainment display. I’m a bit old school and not a massive fan of smartphones or touchscreens in cars, so the sight of a circular iPad-style tablet in the centre of the dash was daunting, to say the least. I’m aware that it’s a personal thing, though. While my grown-up children think it’s great and the grandchildren love it, none of them is having to actually drive about while attempting to access sub-menus.

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So I headed over to MINI HQ in Farnborough, Hants, to meet with product manager Chris Fryer and get some inside information on how to get the most out of the infotainment with minimum effort. It turns out that the key to success is quite simple and involves setting up a driver profile using the MINI smartphone app. 

Once you’ve done that, the app can sync to the car with a QR code. Then it’s just a case of setting up personal preferences through the sub-menus that the car will recognise whenever you enter and apply. These choices can be anything from the infotainment settings to the seating position and head-up display angle, so it’s ideal for different-sized drivers with their own MINI profiles. 

Chris told me: “It’s a little bit more work when you first begin, but once set up, it makes your life super-easy.” That’s especially true when on the move. He explained that the layout of the screen mirrors that of a smartphone, with elements that stay in the same place regardless of the sub-menus. This helps aid navigation, so you are never more than a press from the home screen.

I’ve become far more familiar with the set-up with time and have taken Chris’s advice on holding the edge of the circle with my fingers to steady my hand while pushing the actual screen with my thumb. This prevents wobbly fingers from hitting the wrong part of the display while driving. 

Personally, I don’t like the augmented-reality video that appears over the sat-nav screen when approaching a junction. It takes my eyes away from the road towards the centre of the car, which I’m uneasy with. Chris mentioned that it’s excellent for night driving when following an unfamiliar route and I don’t dispute that, but with clear directions on both the head- up display and navigation screen (when switched off), I feel far more relaxed.

Chris also pointed out MINI Connect, which brings real-time traffic info and the ability to record 360-degree dash-camera footage. It can also hook up entertainment, and while gaming isn’t really my thing, music certainly is. So the option to stream Spotify directly from the car and have hi-res album artwork, with matching interior colours, does appeal. 

Two months into driving the MINI Countryman, I find I’m looking forward to weekend days out or any reason to jump behind the wheel. I’m sure that I mentally mirror the voice that exclaims ‘Whoo-hoo’ when you switch to Go Kart (Sport) mode, as I jump in and drive off. It’s fun!

Features of the well rounded infotainment

*Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points.