Words by: Adam Allen
There was a time when automakers would announce they’d be building a forthcoming SUV that would make enthusiasts go apoplectic without fail. Porsche is planning to build an SUV? Cue obligatory frothing of the mouth. Rolls Royce is gonna do what? Find the closest paper bag to stave off hyperventilation. Aston Martin MUST be Joking, right? I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.
Way back in the dawn of the 2010’s when Mini told us that they’d be joining the party with a model to be called Countryman, we didn’t even bother to hurl the remote in angst. By that time, we’d become desensitized to proclamations that would threaten to destabilize the automotive world off its axis. With an ambivalent wave of our collective hands, we went back to populating our MySpace page.
When we finally drove one years later, we couldn’t wrap our heads around the Countryman’s size. Oh sure, it shared a platform with the BMW X1 with which we are quite familiar with, but those winged badges meant that we would have a hard time getting used to the relatively huge footprint. To us, the Mini brand started and ended with the Cooper, full stop. After logging a good number of kilometers, we found ourselves vibing with the nascent SUV. It still felt like a Mini in terms of driving feel and dynamics (thank goodness for that) even if it didn’t particularly look like one.
Fast forward nearly 15 years and the Countryman is now entering its third generation and while it’s still familiar so much has changed, as we’ll see. You still get the large vehicular footprint and SUV-like profile from before- the step in and exit height is high enough that you could never forget that what you are driving isn’t very Mini at all. You are also still privy to the ALL4 all-wheel drive and the joie de vivre that the Mini brand has always stood for. Your first clue that this is an all-new Countryman is in the way it looks, and yes, it is bigger than before.
The front and real lighting elements have been redesigned to look more ‘edgy’ than before- that descriptor was offered by one of our mothers-in-law who is the proud owner of a 2017 example. There’s a new styling flourish on the C-pillar that reminds everyone you’re packing all-wheel drive, and the 20” wheels are the snazziest we’ve seen a Countryman wear to date. Our tester’s particular spec looked understated yet still retained the funkiness that people want without being obnoxious.
The next bits of newness is found on the stuff you can’t see, specifically the new drivetrain. Mini installs the very same 2.0 turbo found in the X1 making an identical 241 horsepower. That’s great because BMW builds some of the silkiest and powerful 4-cylinder engines on the market. Give it the beans and the new dual clutch gearbox will happily drop a gear or two while a satisfying burr can be heard from beyond the firewall. Maybe someone should send the Mini engineers the tired facepalm gif because how they forgot to include a set of paddle shifters for a DCT gearbox is borderline unfathomable. While we’re kvetching, we think those calibrating the DCT’s relationship with that stellar engine could eliminate some of the hesitancy (with an alarming flat-footed behavior on step-off that appears when trying to shoot a gap in traffic) would go a long way in adding to the drivetrain’s overall smoothness and poise. There is a John Cooper Works high performance version of the Countryman, but we think the S offers more than enough gumption to get you moving along smartly through traffic.
Open the door and make yourself comfortable inside- an easy feat with the increased dimensions of the cockpit- again, not such a Mini vibe but great for those who appreciate airiness and the feeling of not being shoehorned into their cars. The large and impeccably rendered OLED display takes some getting used to but ultimately becomes a pleasure to use- except when you are trying to activate the seat heaters with your finger (a small area of real estate is devoted to turning it on and off) and the road surface doesn’t cooperate with bumps and jiggles trying to throw you off course that you will inevitably encounter thanks to our less than perfect patches of tarmac. We fell for the knit textile surfaces that set the Countryman apart from pretty much anything else out there- plus it’s made with recycled polyester, allowing for a little environmentally friendly flex. It’s all assembled with care and while we’ll dearly miss the old school toggle switchgear, we can’t deny that the Countryman’s cockpit is a pretty nice place to be. The seats, which look great and offer all-day comfort, deserve special mention.
By now it should be clear that the Countryman still packs the traits that make Mini’s such a blast to drive- go kart-like handling, whimsical interior appointments and an inherent cheekiness that people still relate to after all these years. The segment the Countryman does battle in is a busy one; shoppers are definitely spoiled for choice. And you could take the safe path and put one of the old stalwarts in your driveway like the dreary Mercedes Benz GLB or the insufferably boring Audi Q3 and no one would bat an eye. Or you could find yourself gravitating towards something much more fun and offbeat in the Mini as we found ourselves doing when our week with it came to an end. Heck, we even prefer the Countryman over the slightly stoic BMW X1 with which it shares a platform. Life is short folks: Let your hair down! Live a little! You’ll be happy you did and we’re sure that you will agree- the Mini Countryman, with its new for 2025 3rd generation and all its accompanying upgrades are indeed a refreshing change of pace.
2025 Mini Countryman S ALL4 – Specifications
- Price as tested: $53,890
- Body Type: 4-door, 5 passenger SUV
- Powertrain Layout: Front engine/all-wheel drive
- Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged inline 4, DOHC, 16 valves
- Horsepower: 241 @ 4,500 rpm
- Torque (lb-ft.): 295 @ 1,500 rpm
- Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch automatic
- Curb weight: 1,687 kg (3,777 lbs)
- Observed Fuel consumption: 11.4L/100km (20 mpg)