2011 MINI Cooper Countryman Review

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A MINI crossover might seem like a sin, just like when Porsche decided to develop the Cayenne SUV. But let’s face it, the brand cannot continue being sustainable by selling miniscule yet fun-to-drive hatchbacks. So, spawning more models in the MINI brand has no choice but to make sense.

The Countryman has just arrived, and it’s already selling at about a third of combined Cooper Hatch, Clubman and Convertible models. MINI’s new crossover is bigger in every dimension than all its aforementioned family members. It’s actually very similar in size to the also-new Nissan Juke, yet there’s more space inside, especially in the back seat.


Open the rear door and sit down on one of the individual seats; we’re amazed at how much space is found back there, and we assume you’ll have the same impression. The centre rail can accommodate various accessories available in the MINI dealership, including cupholders, sunglasses holder, ashtray, music player holder, tissue box, etc. A three-passenger bench seat could also be offered at some point, but for now, the Countryman is a 4-person hauler.

Cargo space is rated at 350 litres, a volume that only bests the Juke. Flip down the rear seats, and you get 1,170 litres of space; not that great, but keep in mind that we’re talking about a MINI here. Lots of people don’t need all that space anyway, with kids or without.

The Countryman gets the same powertrain choices as all the other Cooper models. The base trim we’re testing here is equipped with a 1.6-litre 4-banger that cranks out 121 horsepower and 114 pound-feet of torque. Connected to the 6-speed manual, the 0-to-100 km/h marathon is cleared in a leisurely 10.5 seconds; the 188-hp Juke can run circles around the base Countryman, so if you’re concerned about stoplight sprints, you’d better choose the 181-horse, turbocharged S trim instead.

Personally, I don’t mind the base powerplant. I don’t drive in search-and-destroy mode all the time, especially if the kids are on-board. It may be short on firepower, but it’s still a MINI and it’s still fun to drive.


Okay, it’s obviously not as tossable as a Cooper hatch, but it’s still very adept at clinging on to the tarmac on highway on-ramps and twisty country roads. The speed-sensitive, electric-assist power steering is nicely weighted at speed, a little too heavy during parking-lot manoeuvres.

On the highway at 100 km/h, the engine is spinning at 2,500 rpm, which is very tolerable and provides low fuel consumption. Our average of 8.4 L/100 km is, in our opinion, very good, and obviously lower than what we observed in the turbocharged, all-wheel drive Countryman S ALL4. Too bad premium fuel is required.

But MINI’s crossover doesn’t quite get the unanimous thumbs-up around the office. Some think the squared-off schnoz doesn’t represent the brand’s corporate face very well, while others (like me) understand that to please the dudes, you need to give your trucklet a little more visual muscle. Overall, though, the Countryman is unmistakably a MINI, and on a personal note, I think the company did a good job in the styling department.


The entry price for the base model is $27,850 before you get slapped by taxes as well as freight and delivery charges. Our tester also includes no-cost white roof and mirror caps, the $1,900 Comfort Package (sunroof, heated seats, USB port), the $450 Style Package (chrome and piano black trim), the $1,200 Tech Package (multimedia interface, MINI Connected) and $750 Convenience Package (alarm, intelligent key, front armrest, climate control). Total: $32,150.

If you ask me, I could live without all of these packages, although it’s a shame that the seat heaters and centre armrest can’t be chosen as standalone options.

So, has MINI created a niche of its own, or does the Cooper Countryman have any serious rivals? Well, for about the same price as this base version of the MINI, you can get a Nissan Juke SL AWD, a Mitsubishi RVR GT 4WD, a Kia Sportage EX or a Volkswagen Tiguan 2.0L Trendline. All four are more powerful, but only two of them (Juke and Sportage) are arguably as noticeable on the road as the Countryman.

It may not be the best deal, it may not be the most entertaining to drive and it may not be the cheapest to service and maintain, but the Countryman has its charm. A MINI is different in several aspects; showing yourself off in a MINI is a way of telling the world that you’re someone special, that you hate conformism, that your middle finger is the one you exhibit the most often and, an important detail, that your kids sitting in the back seat will grow up with the same values. Try doing that in any other compact crossover.