MINI Countryman Review

Motors and Performance

Now, a Mini wouldn’t be a Mini unless it was fun to drive… and the Countryman most definitely is. We drove the Countryman SE ALL4, which has a punchy 313bhp, all-wheel drive and takes 5.6 seconds to get to 62mph.

We haven’t tried the Countryman E, yet, which is usefully cheaper and makes do with front-wheel drive and 201bhp for a 0-62mph of 8.6 seconds. We’ll report back when we’ve had a go.

Of course, you have various modes to opt for; Green is the one if you want maximum range and efficiency, and there’s the wonderfully named Go-Kart mode, which sharpens up the throttle response, gives a bit more weight to the steering and generally stiffens up the feel of the car. It does all come together to feel surprisingly sporty. 

Drive and Handling 

The Countryman has a really lovely balance about it. On the one hand it’s comfortable and stable (even though you can’t have adaptive dampers on the electric Countryman) yet at the same time you feel nice and connected. It’s peppy, there’s loads of grip, and it takes a corner well even if you’re pushing it. 

You can really get a feel what’s going on with the front wheels, so it all just feels fun yet easy to live with, and it really suits being electric. Do stick with smaller wheels, though, if you can. The bigger wheels look cool, but they also make the Countryman a bit more bumpy and jarring over poor road surfaces.