-Sn!PeR- Posted May 30, 2020 Posted May 30, 2020 Pros Individualistic personality Cheerful design Variety of powertrains Fun to drive Practical for its size Cons Still a Mini in terms of its size vs. competitors Lacks numerous modern driving-assist systems Price quickly soars with options and higher trims Base 3-cylinder engine returns slower acceleration What’s New this Year? Revised front-end design LED headlights and fog lights become standard LED rear lights get Union Jack design 5-inch digital cockpit display optional People Also Ask Is the Mini Cooper Countryman all-wheel drive? Any Mini Cooper Countryman that has ALL4 in its name is equipped with all-wheel drive. Is the Mini Countryman a good family car? Though it is the largest Mini in exterior size and offers more rear-seat legroom than any other model in the company’s lineup, the Countryman is still a small vehicle with limited cargo space. Furthermore, it does not earn a Top Safety Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Is the Mini Countryman bigger than the Clubman? Longer, wider, and taller on the outside, the Mini Countryman is bigger than the Mini Clubman. Inside, the Clubman offers more front legroom, while the Countryman has more rear legroom and shoulder room. Headroom is a little better in the Countryman, but with most trim levels, cargo space is a hair better in the Clubman. Is a Mini Cooper expensive to maintain? Among small and compact SUVs, the 2020 Mini Cooper Countryman was estimated to cost about 60 cents per mile to own during the first five years, according to KBB. That’s 10 cents more per mile than the top-ranked 2020 Subaru Forester. Overview The 2021 Mini Cooper Countryman is the biggest model from the British brand known for its small and lively vehicles. Relative to other subcompact crossover SUVs like the Volvo XC40, Audi Q3, and even its own cousin the BMW X1 (Mini is part of the BMW brand), the Countryman is on the small side and remains an outlier. Still, the Countryman appeals to drivers who love Minis but simply need something larger and more practical. In that respect, the Mini Countryman has seating for five, moderate cargo space and offers all-wheel drive for enhanced traction in foul weather and light off-roading. As with other Minis, the Countryman is spunky. It is fun to drive – especially if you opt for one of the optional turbocharged 4-cylinder engines instead of the standard 3-cylinder – and even has a plug-in hybrid model for the eco-conscious. The Mini Cooper Countryman’s sub-$30,000 price is attractive compared to other premium compact SUVs, but a loaded model can reach nearly $50,000. For fans of the brand, the Countryman has its charms. But compared to even mainstream compact SUVs it lacks the active safety and driver-assistance systems that are becoming standard. For example, while the Countryman has automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control costs extra, and features like blind-spot monitoring and lane-keeping assist aren’t even available. All of those can be had on a Hyundai Kona or the alluring new Kia Seltos for much, much less money. Driving the 2021 Mini Countryman From our experience in past Countryman models, it’s safe to say they all have athletic handling and an affinity for cornering. Acceleration and overall power will depend on which engine you choose. The base 3-cylinder turbo with 134 horsepower is only adequate for daily commutes. With a 0-60 mph time of 9.3 seconds for front-wheel drive (FWD) or an even more laggardly 9.6 seconds with all-wheel drive (AWD), this is unfortunately one Mini we’d have to label as slow. Unless the majority of your driving is in the city running errands, we’d recommend stepping up to a Cooper S model. It brings substantially more power – 189 hp – and much better acceleration. With that model, 60 mph arrives in 7.2 seconds with FWD and 7flat with FWD. Better still is the John Cooper Works (JCW), with a snorting, 301 hp. It is seriously fast, zipping from 0-60 mph in just 4.9 seconds. But it also starts around $42,000, quite the premium. Driving enthusiasts should note that a manual transmission is not available in the 2021 Mini Countryman. All models use an automatic transmission, ranging from a 6-speed in the plug-in hybrid and 7-speed dual-clutch in FWD models, to an 8-speed in AWD variants. Stay tuned for further impressions after we get behind the wheel of the 2021 Mini Cooper Countryman. Favorite Features SECOND-ROW SEATING Unlike the Mini Hardtop, the Countryman offers a comparatively roomy and comfortable rear seat, with decent legroom. The 40/20/40-split seat slides fore and aft, and it can fold, recline and tilt. JOHN COOPER WORKS MODEL We’ll call this the “go big or go home” edition of the Countryman. This top-end model isn’t cheap, but it’s the most rewarding to drive. With 301 horsepower, standard all-wheel drive, and sport-tuned suspension, the JCW Countryman is a blast. 2021 Mini Countryman Interior The Mini Countryman shares a wheelbase measurement with the Mini Clubman, but it has more rear-seat legroom. This makes it a better choice if you want the Mini for a family vehicle or routinely plan to have friends in back. Long-legged drivers should note that the Clubman offers more front-seat legroom, though. The Clubman slightly edges the Countryman in cargo space, bringing 47.9 cubic feet to the party vs. the Countryman’s 47.6. Since the Countryman sits higher off the ground, it’s easier to get into and out of thanks to a taller seating hip point. There’s plenty of classic Mini design in this Countryman, from its round gauges and displays to its classic retro toggle switches. The quality of the materials is first-rate, and you can customize this Mini’s appearance with different colors of leather, types of trim, and ambient lighting. A panoramic glass roof is standard, while smartphone charging, a head-up display, a navigation system, and a premium sound system are options. New for 2021 is an optional 5-inch digital cockpit instrument cluster. That pales compared to the slick and dominating digital instrument panels from Volvo, VW, Audi, and BMW – Mini’s cousin — but it’s a start. 2021 Mini Countryman Exterior In Mini’s lineup of diminutive cars, the Countryman looks the least like the traditional 2-door Hardtop that re-introduced the brand to America nearly two decades ago. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t look like a Mini. Envision what the Hardtop might look like when stretched and lifted, and you have a good approximation of the Countryman’s styling. It may be more practical and accommodating, but there’s no denying its fun-loving looks. A light freshening for 2021 gives the Countryman redesigned front end and grille, with bright LED headlights and fog lights now standard. In back, the LED rear lights get the Union Jack design of the U.K. flag. And in the Mini tradition, you can choose from a variety of paint and roof color combinations, plus several wheel designs. You can further personalize the Countryman with a long list of stripe types, mirror covers, side scuttle designs, and more. 2021 Mini Countryman Standard Features When you buy a 2021 Mini Countryman, you must first decide among Cooper, Cooper S, Cooper SE, and John Cooper Works model variants. These define which powertrain the SUV has. Make sure to select ALL4 if you want all-wheel drive (AWD), which is standard with the SE plug-in hybrid and high-performance JCW. Next, you get to choose trim: Classic, Signature, or Iconic. Keep in mind that to access the majority of options, you’ll need the Signature trim at a minimum. If you choose the least expensive Countryman (Cooper Classic), you will get a turbocharged 3-cylinder engine, a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, front-wheel drive (FWD), and 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels. A panoramic sunroof is also standard on every 2021 Countryman, along with LED headlights, LED fog lights, and roof rails. Inside, the Cooper Countryman includes black simulated-leather upholstery and a sliding rear seat. The standard infotainment system has a static 6.5-inch display, Bluetooth, a USB port, Mini Assist eCall, and a rearview camera. Rear-parking-assist sensors are also standard, along with Attentiveness Assist drowsy-driver detection and an Active Driving Assistant with forward-collision warning and automatic emergency braking. 2021 Mini Countryman Options Unlike even a basic Hyundai, Kia or Honda, you’ll have to pay extra for features like Apple CarPlay. Android Auto integration is not available in the Mini Countryman, but Amazon Alexa is for 2021. Stepping up to the Signature trim adds larger 18-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, passive keyless entry, a power liftgate, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats, and a touch-sensing 6.5-inch screen for the infotainment system. The Iconic trim adds 19-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, power-adjustable front seats wrapped in leather, piano-black interior trim with ambient lighting, and a sport steering wheel. Additionally, the Iconic versions include a larger 8.8-inch touch-screen infotainment display with Apple CarPlay, satellite radio, navigation, natural voice-recognition technology, wireless smartphone charging, and Mini Connected Drive Services. A Harman Kardon premium sound system is also standard with the Iconic trim, along with an auto-dimming interior rearview mirror and power-folding exterior mirrors. Choose Signature or Iconic trim for the greatest access to optional paint colors, wheel designs, interior trims, and equipment packages. Highlights include a semi-autonomous parking-assist system, a head-up display, adaptive cruise control, rear-seat tablet computer holders, a programmable garage-door opener, and more. While all Mini Countryman models include forward-collision warning and automatic emergency braking, other safety features such as lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assistant and blind-spot monitoring are not available. That’s a shame in 2021, when all those features can easily be had on a Kia Seltos costing about half as much as a high-end Mini Countryman. 2021 Mini Countryman Engines The Countryman offers a choice of turbocharged engines, ranging from rather paltry to downright powerful. The base 2021 Cooper Countryman is powered by a 1.5-liter 3-cylinder engine that makes 134 horsepower. That isn’t a lot of oomph, and it takes well into the 9-second range to reach 0-60 mph with this engine. That’s slow by today’s standards. A better choice is the Cooper S Countryman with its turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder that makes a more appropriate 189 horsepower. That returns 0-60 mph times in the low 7-second range. For the money, this is our favorite Countryman engine given its blend of power and fuel economy. The higher-priced John Cooper Works (JCW) is the most powerful Countryman. Its 2.0-liter 4-cylinder has been tuned to make 301 horsepower. It can rocket from 0-60 mph in 4.9 seconds. Finally, there is the Countryman SE plug-in hybrid. It pairs the Cooper’s turbocharged 1.5-liter 3-cylinder engine with a rear-mounted electric motor for a combined 224 horsepower. The combination creates an electronic version of ALL4 AWD with a battery-only driving range of up to 17 miles. Total range is estimated at 300 miles. All 2021 Mini Countryman models use an automatic transmission. Here’s how it plays out: Front-wheel drive (FWD) models use a 7-speed dual-clutch. ALL4 all-wheel-drive (AWD) models have an 8-speed automatic. And the SE plug-in hybrid uses a 6-speed automatic. 1.5-liter turbocharged inline-3 (Cooper Countryman) 134 horsepower @ 4,400 rpm 162 lb-ft of torque @ 1,250 rpm EPA city/highway fuel economy: 26/33 mpg (FWD, automatic), 24/33 mpg (AWD, automatic) 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 (Cooper S Countryman) 189 horsepower @ 5,000 rpm 207 lb-ft of torque @ 1,350 rpm EPA city/highway fuel economy: 24/33 mpg (FWD, automatic), 23/31 mpg (AWD, automatic) 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 (John Cooper Works Countryman) 301 horsepower @ 5,200 rpm 331 lb-ft of torque @ 1,450 rpm EPA city/highway fuel economy: 23/30 mpg (AWD, automatic) 1.5-liter turbocharged inline-3/electric motor assist (SE ALL4 Countryman) 224 horsepower (combined) 284 lb-ft of torque @ 1,350 rpm (combined) Combined EPA city/highway fuel economy: 29 mpg, 73 MPGe How Much Does the 2021 Mini Countryman Cost? Depending on drivetrain and trim selection, expect the 2021 Countryman to cost anywhere from around $29,000 to $49,000. Within the standard Cooper lineup, prices should run from roughly $29,000 for Classic trim and front-wheel drive to about $39,000 for Iconic trim and ALL4 AWD. The more powerful Cooper S lineup is expected to span from about $32,500 to $43,000. Performance doesn’t come cheap, as evidenced by the John Cooper Works lineup, which zooms from about $42,000 to over $49,000. Pricing for the Mini Countryman SE plug-in hybrid is expected to remain over $38,000. Taking some of the sting out of the price is a federal tax credit. In 2020, that was worth $5,002. Given the Countryman’s pricing spectrum, competitors range from mainstream alternatives such as the driver-focused Mazda CX-30 and adventure-minded Subaru Crosstrek to the Audi Q3 and Volvo XC40. The Countryman plays primarily in the white space between mainstream and luxury brands, where it struggles to deliver value or cachet and can’t match leaders in either segment when it comes to the latest features or resale value. Personality is what drives Mini, and if you find the Countryman irresistible, check out KBB.com’s Fair Purchase Price to see what other people in your area are paying for this SUV. Which Model is Right for Me? 2021 Mini Cooper Countryman 134-horsepower turbocharged inline-3 Panoramic glass roof SensaTec simulated-leather upholstery 6.5-inch infotainment-system display 2021 Mini Cooper S Countryman 189-horsepower turbocharged 4-cylinder 18-inch aluminum-alloy wheels Sport seats 2021 Mini John Cooper Works Countryman ALL4 301-horsepower turbocharged inline-4 John Cooper Works sport seats All-wheel drive 2021 Mini Cooper SE Countryman 3-cylinder engine + battery-electric powertrain All-wheel drive 2021 Mini Countryman Safety Technology Active Driving Assistant Standard on all 2021 Countryman models, Mini Active Driving Assistant equips the Countryman with forward-collision warning and automatic emergency braking. Mini Assist eCall Included with Mini Connected Services, Mini Assist eCall provides an SOS button you can use to contact the Mini response center. In a collision, the system can automatically contact Mini, which can send first responders to the scene. Active Cruise Control Available with Signature and Iconic trims, this adaptive cruise-control system maintains a set speed and a safe distance from traffic ahead.
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