2025 MINI Countryman C Sport in British Racing Green
Discussion
Our Volvo V40 D4 had been starting to throw up a few problems recently and my better half decided that she (reluctantly) wanted to replace it. The remit was that the replacement must not have a bigger footprint and that the boot be no smaller than the V40. It also had to be an automatic with a similarly high spec to the Volvo and preferably less than 6 months old. A car that snuck under the higher road tax threshold would also be a bonus. I was also keen to avoid Diesel this time. It sounded pretty easy and I started searching along with us both arranging test drives. Cars that were looked at & driven included:
Audi Q2
Audi Q3
VW Tiguan
Skoda Karoq
Cupra Formentor
Mercedes GLA
Kia Sportage
Volvo XC40
Renault 4
Renault Symbioz
All of the VAG contenders were dismissed mainly because they are all based on very old platforms now and they felt it. The Karoq ticked a lot of boxes but it felt like an awful lot of money for a pretty old car. The Kia was good but ultimately, the dimensions couldn’t be ignored. We thought the Volvo XC40 was relatively poor VFM – especially next to the XC60. The Renault 4 was excellent and we were very close to doing a deal on one but the lead time would have made things awkward and we ultimately decided that we weren’t really ready to make the move to electric.
The Mini had never really been on my radar at the beginning as I just thought it would be too small – even the Countryman. But I was wrong and it’s actually pretty bl**dly big, especially height-wise but the footprint is virtually the same as the Volvo. I’d obviously not really clicked that most cars are now trying to be SUV’s in one way or another.
So, the Mini has a lofty driving position and you don’t feel like you’re sitting an awful lot lower down when next to things like Range Rovers & X5’s etc at traffic lights. But despite its height, it still handles really well and its actually quite fun on twisty B roads. It has loads of grip as it has 245 section tyres all round on 19” wheels but the ride isn’t crashy at all – it’s way better than its predecessor which was on 18” wheels with less rubber.
This car is the lowly 3 cylinder 1.5 petrol version along with a tiny electric motor but it’s surprisingly brisk for what it is and it sounds pretty good as long as you don’t delve into the top end of the rev range. There is a bit of delay when stepping off at a junction which I think is exacerbated when the auto hold is engaged but you soon learn to drive around it. The Magna gearbox is quick and seamless and feels a bit like a DSG. I’m not keen on the toggle switch on the dash which is the drive selector but that’s probably just me. You can also use manual mode with the steering wheel paddles – if you pull the left hand paddle (boost), you get 10 seconds of extra performance with everything going a bit mental and the huge central screen turns into a countdown timer etc. There’s also different driving ‘experiences’. Go Kart mode changes the displays with different sounds etc and even has a G Force meter. It’s all very fun orientated – I noticed the other day that on the Power Meter, if you’ve lifted off or you’re coasting, a tiny spinning daisy appears. If you accelerate sharply, a tiny little rocket with flame appears.
Despite the fun side of things, it’s a very refined & grown up car to live with – possibly even quieter than my 440 at motorway speeds. It’s also very grown up in terms of practicality with the rear seating area/space being pretty massive and plenty of storage everywhere.
As usual, virtually everything being buried within a screen is annoying/frustrating but I’m starting to find that voice control/hey Mini gets you to most things so that’s getting easier. But it’s still a shame that things have gone that way. I also hate the ‘logging in with your profile’ set up.
This car has the Level 2 pack which gives you HUD but instead of this being projected onto the inside of the windscreen, another little screen appears from the dashboard in the driver’s line of sight and retracts when not in use. This of course means that you’re not constantly looking at the central screen as impressive as it is. Theres also a 12 speaker Harman Kardon system within the pack which sounds really good along with a fully opening panoramic roof.
Some of the other tech is pretty impressive like the adaptive cruise control which also has a steering function above a certain speed. You also get corner severity information & a parking assistant etc.
The car puts on an impressive exterior light display at night when you unlock it (front & back) and also projects a huge Mini logo onto the pavement as you approach. This maybe sounds very gimmicky but there are lots of neat little touches & it also feels like a lot of thought has gone into the design of the car (apart from virtually everything being controlled through the screen of course…).
I also appreciate that the looks of the latest Mini family are quite challenging but it’s growing on me
Overall, despite some foibles, we’re really liking it so far.
Coldplaya said:
Actually think the countrymans not a bad looking thing after originally not liking the new design language. They especially look good in green as yours is here - looks great and well specced!
Thanks! We ve been really surprised by the amount of positive comments the car gets when out and about. They re not even that rare a sight now I seem to see them all over the place.I ve spent a bit of time with the car this weekend and the tech is continuing to be very impressive (although maybe I m just used to older stuff). I ve mentioned the impressive voice control before but I m finding I use it more & more to circumvent the need to find the control that I want within the screen. It s really versatile and can actually do more than I initially realised - things like adjusting the climate control, switching the heated seats on and off and/or the heated steering wheel. You can also switch to things like Go-Kart mode, ask about the weather or even ask Spike to tell you a joke. The voice control will also open/close the sunroof, or the sunroof blind on its own along with opening and closing the window (I must remember to try the passenger windows the next time I m in it).
No real negatives so far. It s only averaging 39mpg so far but that's mainly around town in a lot of heavy traffic. The Comfort Access tailgate sensor is very hit and miss and requires a very specific kicking motion to make it work it makes you look a bit daft trying to pull it off so better to use the button
I test drove the electric Countryman E earlier this year and was very impressed. Wife won t let go of her 1.5 F60 Countryman though so swapping my 22 plate 3 door SE for a JCW Aceman in Legend Grey. Been watching lots of YouTube videos of the Mini OS9 system and fairly confident that I will be familiar with the operating system when I pick up the Aceman next week.
Edited by Mark-ri571 on Wednesday 22 October 18:19
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