Mini owners love the “small car, nimble handling” philosophy, but generally there’s a point in the lives of car owners that space and practicality take preference over novelty: it’s usually after having kids, and in the case of traditional Minis, it’s meant that buyers have had to shop elsewhere. The all-new 2025 Mini Countryman seeks to change that reality by increasing in size from the previous generation. Not only is the Countryman bigger than ever before, it also gets more impressive technology that has never before been seen in a Mini, and a bump in power.
The US market will only receive three versions of the Countryman at launch: an electric SE (which we will review separately at a later date), the gas-powered S, and the John Cooper Works Countryman, which is the benchmark performance model. CarBuzz had an early opportunity to drive the JCW model in Portugal to find out how this new Countryman stacks up against past Mini models and other subcompact performance crossovers. As we found out, there’s a lot to love, and more than a bit to question.
Exterior: Edgier Cuteness
This is the largest car Mini has ever produced, measuring over five inches longer than the previous Countryman. That being said, it’s still a relatively small crossover at just 175 inches in length. For reference, an Alfa Romeo Tonale is just over 178 inches long, and a BMW X2 surpasses 179 inches.
The latest Countryman is a departure from Minis of old, hardening some of the curvy lines in favor of a boxier shape. Even the round headlights, once a Mini staple, have now become more contemporary polygons. At the back, small rectangular taillights look more mature than the oval units on the outgoing model. Speaking of the lights, Mini has taken its trademark customization that previously included elements like the roof color and wheels into the digital realm. Drivers can now select three modes – Classic, Favoured, and JCW – for the headlights and taillights, changing which parts of the units illuminate to create different patterns.
The Countryman S and JCW have the same colors, including Chili Red, British Racing Green Metallic, Midnight Black, Nanuq White Metallic, Melting Silver Metallic, Blazing Blue, and Smokey Green. Buyers can spice things up with a red, silver, or black roof. 19-inch wheels are standard, but our tester rode on optional 20-inch wheels with little checkered flag-pattern spokes that match the pattern in the grille.
Interior: Material Differences
While the exterior takes a small step forward with a more aggressive design, the interior feels more like a massive leap: A brand that once lagged behind on technology is now embracing the future. A new 9.4-inch circular OLED screen acts as the centerpiece, bringing classic Mini design elements into a new era. Continuing the theme of digital customization, the screen features eight design modes, including Core, Green, Vivid, Balance, Timeless, Personal, Trail, and GoKart. Not only do these modes change the color themes on the screen for elements such as the speedometer, but they also adjust elements of the car, like the throttle tuning. Balance even turns on the driver’s massage seat to create a more peaceful driving experience.
Voice command has been given a Mini touch, with two options for an on-screen personal assistant. You can choose from a stylized Mini Cooper or Spike, an adorable English bulldog. The voice command can be triggered by a button, or by saying “Hey Mini,” but the operating system felt laggy during our test drive. It’s a shame because we love the infotainment on paper. We hope customer cars will have smoother software.
This new Countryman upholds Mini’s premium status and pushes it nearly into luxury territory. The JCW gets more aggressive sport seats finished with vegan leather and premium cloth on the headrests. Red accents appear throughout the cabin, including the recycled fabric dash.
Practicality: Mini To The Max
When asked why they left the Mini brand, many customers told the automaker that they simply outgrew the models that were offered. This new Countryman grows in every dimension to rectify that issue. The rear seats are more spacious than ever and they even feature slide/recline adjustment for additional comfort. Rear air vents and USB-C ports complete the premium amenities in the back seat.
In terms of carrying capacity, the area behind the seats grows to 25 cubic feet. With the seats folded, the growth is even more impressive at 57 cubes (up from around 47). This makes the Countryman more spacious than an Alfa Romeo Tonale or a Subaru Crosstrek. It’s on par with a BMW X1, with which it shares a platform, although the X1 has less with the seats stowed.
Performance: JCW Meets BMW M
Power comes from a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 312 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque – a rather nice step up from the Countryman S, which only delivers 241 hp and 295 lb-ft. That makes this the most powerful production Mini thus far. In fact, the US-spec JCW Countryman has the same rated output as the BMW X2 M35i and 12 hp more than the ones in Europe will produce. Drive goes out through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission to ALL4 all-wheel-drive, resulting in a 0-60 mph sprint of 5.4 seconds.
The dual-clutch does a great job mimicking a torque converter automatic in traffic with smooth shifts and no clunkiness in stop-and-go. It shifts quickly during sporty driving, but seems to prefer being left to its own devices rather than being controlled manually. Pulling on a paddle shifter results in a slight delay before the requested gear arrives, though the shift itself is managed quickly when it does finally happen.
Fuel economy has not been published yet, but we assume it will be close to the outgoing model’s 24 mpg city and 30 mpg highway ratings. The JCW also adds high-performance brakes and a sound extension to enhance the engine sound through the speaker system.
Driving Impressions: Compliant Crossover
Being the largest Mini comes with numerous benefits, but that increase in size doesn’t come without a few growing pains. The JCW Countryman is a far cry from the “go-kart handling” one might expect from a Cooper, but it’s still on the more enjoyable end of the crossover spectrum. The small steering wheel delivers quick responses, though we’d personally like a little more feedback to the driver. Even in JCW guise, the Countryman delivers a compliant ride that feels firm without beating up passengers when the road gets rough.
Putting the Countryman into GoKart mode triggers enhanced engine sounds through the speakers, which give the car a “fuller” note during hard acceleration. We don’t mind the idea of fake engine noise, since the four-cylinder is pretty quiet on its own, but we were taken aback when the speakers started emitting fake exhaust cracks and pops. It sounded like someone on stage doing a mic test by tapping their finger on it. It feels likely that Mini couldn’t tune actual pops into the exhaust due to stricter European noise regulations, so this was the solution – but this simply feels like a bridge too far. If there was a way to eliminate the pops and just have the enhanced engine growl, we’d be fine with it, but it’s either fully on or fully off.
Pricing & Verdict: Unique Position
The 2025 Countryman occupies a unique place in the market, far above mainstream compact crossovers in price but significantly below luxury contemporaries. In the US, pricing for the Countryman S ALL4 will start at $38,900, meaning it’s comfortably cheaper than its BMW X1 platform stablemate at $40,500. The JCW Countryman is significantly pricier at $46,900, which is still less than the comparable X1 M35i at $49,900.
Outside the BMW Group, the Countryman doesn’t face any direct competitors. We could loosely compare it to the Volkswagen Golf GTI and Golf R, which are smaller and will cost around $34,000 and $45,000, respectively. The Golf is slightly more fun to drive, but the Countryman offers more space, a more premium cabin, and a higher ride height. Of course, if you can live without the premium features and performance, there is no shortage of mainstream crossovers from Honda, Toyota, Subaru, and others that are cheaper. The Mini brand is more about style and emotion over value.
If Mini can solve the software issues, the Countryman could open the brand up to a wider market than ever before. It’s more spacious, more tech-focused, and it retains Mini’s fun-to-drive ethos.
