What We Like
Comfortable, spacious cabin
Delightful 2.0-litre engine
New touchscreen infotainment system is a much-needed upgrade
Invokes a sense of fun and joy that's rare in SUVs
What We Dislike
There are cheaper SUV alternatives out there
Will likely only appeal to MINI fans
Are you a cool dad? The MINI Cooper S Countryman may just be the perfect car for you.
The new Countryman represents an important step forward for the MINI brand. It's a car for MINI fans who have grown older and need a larger MINI to accommodate the family, while still retaining all of the core MINI qualities.
But whatever the brand values may be, the reality is that MINIs appeal to a relatively smaller group of people. It comes with a particular kind of reputation that a select crowd will embrace - the cool kids, the hipsters, or however you want to define them.
In effect, the Countryman seeks to keep these MINI fans within the folds of the brand, rather than having to look to its competitors when the need to upsize comes about.
Upsize and upgrade
As we have pointed out when reviewing the Cooper variant, the Countryman certainly has family-friendly credentials. The interior is comfortable and fairly spacious. Our test car also came with a particularly tasty Chesterfield British Oak leather interior.
The Countryman S also comes standard with a new 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system - it takes the best part of BMW's iDrive system and glosses it up with some typical MINI design touches. It's a big step up from the MINI infotainment systems of old - more screen real estate, sharper graphics, more responsive operation, and of course greater accessibility with the touchscreen.
Additionally, this model can also be specced with a head-up display, a $2,400 option available on indent basis. It puts key information within your eye-line, so that you can always keep your eyes on the road. It's also quite helpful as the MINI dashboard is on the smaller side.
Even with its more grown-up attitude, the Countryman hasn't lost its MINI playfulness. The graphics on the infotainment system still retain the same cute symbols, and the screen (along with the circular LED ring around the central console) changes colour according to the menu function you have selected. You also have a bunch of ambient lighting options to play around with.
S is for Sound
However, what sets this model apart is the lovely 2.0-litre engine that you now find across all the Cooper S models in the MINI range. It is a delectable engine that delights us everytime we drive one of the Cooper S MINIs, and it is absolutely no different in the Countryman S.
The new Countryman represents an important step forward for the MINI brand. It's a car for MINI fans who have grown older and need a larger MINI to accommodate the family, while still retaining all of the core MINI qualities.
But whatever the brand values may be, the reality is that MINIs appeal to a relatively smaller group of people. It comes with a particular kind of reputation that a select crowd will embrace - the cool kids, the hipsters, or however you want to define them.
In effect, the Countryman seeks to keep these MINI fans within the folds of the brand, rather than having to look to its competitors when the need to upsize comes about.
Upsize and upgrade
As we have pointed out when reviewing the Cooper variant, the Countryman certainly has family-friendly credentials. The interior is comfortable and fairly spacious. Our test car also came with a particularly tasty Chesterfield British Oak leather interior.
The Countryman S also comes standard with a new 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system - it takes the best part of BMW's iDrive system and glosses it up with some typical MINI design touches. It's a big step up from the MINI infotainment systems of old - more screen real estate, sharper graphics, more responsive operation, and of course greater accessibility with the touchscreen.
Additionally, this model can also be specced with a head-up display, a $2,400 option available on indent basis. It puts key information within your eye-line, so that you can always keep your eyes on the road. It's also quite helpful as the MINI dashboard is on the smaller side.
Even with its more grown-up attitude, the Countryman hasn't lost its MINI playfulness. The graphics on the infotainment system still retain the same cute symbols, and the screen (along with the circular LED ring around the central console) changes colour according to the menu function you have selected. You also have a bunch of ambient lighting options to play around with.
S is for Sound
However, what sets this model apart is the lovely 2.0-litre engine that you now find across all the Cooper S models in the MINI range. It is a delectable engine that delights us everytime we drive one of the Cooper S MINIs, and it is absolutely no different in the Countryman S.
On the go, you do feel the weight of the Countryman - it's not that the car is slow (it certainly isn't), but the pickup lacks the instantaneous peppiness you'd associate with the smaller MINI hatchbacks. That said, it's still a sweet driving engine with a broad torque band, paired to a lovely bassy and sonorous soundtrack. It's also quite a lot of fun to take your foot off the gas and hear the exhaust crackle and pop.
As cliche as it may sound, this particular 2.0-litre engine (BMW's B48 turbocharged straight-four engine, part of a modular engine family) has a certain invigorating quality about it that just makes the driving experience always pleasurable.
As with the Cooper variant we drove recently, it's easy to forget that you are driving a compact Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) when you are in the driver's seat. The only indication is that you sit slightly higher than in a regular MINI. The ride quality is excellent, and the higher ground clearance means that you never have to worry when going over humps.
One happy family
This car, then, is for the dad who still wants an entertaining drive - the dad that had his fun in his little hot hatch and can't bear to fully give that up yet.
We realise that a lot of manufacturers like to talk about how their compact crossover-SUVs have sporty credentials and what not, but the Cooper S Countryman is one of the few that actually manages to capture that hot hatch-like quality. It offers enough in the way of engagement, power and smile-inducing fun when you want it. Yet, on a day-to-day basis, it's just a comfortable, easy-to-drive and highly practical family SUV that gets the job done.
The MINI Cooper S Countryman is a great compromise for the cool dad - it's got noise, adequate performance and joyous fun, while still packing more than enough sense and functionality to keep the missus happy. And if daddy's happy, mommy's happy, and the kids are seated comfortably in the back, isn't that a jolly perfect family?
As cliche as it may sound, this particular 2.0-litre engine (BMW's B48 turbocharged straight-four engine, part of a modular engine family) has a certain invigorating quality about it that just makes the driving experience always pleasurable.
As with the Cooper variant we drove recently, it's easy to forget that you are driving a compact Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) when you are in the driver's seat. The only indication is that you sit slightly higher than in a regular MINI. The ride quality is excellent, and the higher ground clearance means that you never have to worry when going over humps.
One happy family
This car, then, is for the dad who still wants an entertaining drive - the dad that had his fun in his little hot hatch and can't bear to fully give that up yet.
We realise that a lot of manufacturers like to talk about how their compact crossover-SUVs have sporty credentials and what not, but the Cooper S Countryman is one of the few that actually manages to capture that hot hatch-like quality. It offers enough in the way of engagement, power and smile-inducing fun when you want it. Yet, on a day-to-day basis, it's just a comfortable, easy-to-drive and highly practical family SUV that gets the job done.
The MINI Cooper S Countryman is a great compromise for the cool dad - it's got noise, adequate performance and joyous fun, while still packing more than enough sense and functionality to keep the missus happy. And if daddy's happy, mommy's happy, and the kids are seated comfortably in the back, isn't that a jolly perfect family?
