I also love the beautiful brushed-metal vent controls, door handles and the A-pillar speakers for the Harman Kardon audio system. That rather splendid sound set-up comes as part of the Level 3 option pack, which adds a selection of extra equipment. Some bits are visible, such as the panoramic sunroof and a head-up display that stands proud on the spartan dashboard. Others, for example the active driver’s massaging seat, driver’s assistant Pro safety tech and the larger 54-litre fuel tank, are less obvious.
My last long-term test vehicle was last year’s Auto Express Car of the Year, the Hyundai Kona. That cost around £3,000 more than our 1.5-litre Petrol Countryman, but the difference in cabin quality is huge, since the MINI is far closer to the £74,000 Lexus RZ that I drove before that. The Countryman feels every bit a premium SUV, like climbing behind the wheel of a mini Range Rover. So it was little surprise that it scooped the Premium Small SUV of the year at our 2024 New Car Awards the other week.
I know all things are relative, but I have to say that the Countryman doesn’t actually feel that small, with plenty of space for my tall family, two child seats and luggage.
Behind the wheel, the Countryman has been fine. Days out have been fun and effortless. The automatic gearbox can stutter a little toward roundabouts and on occasion when pulling away from junctions, and the car feels like it ought to have a manual transmission, but that’s no longer an option. The tiny switch to go forwards or backwards is little joy compared with a gearstick, but otherwise it’s all straightforward.
