2025 Mini Countryman S Road Trip Review: Keep It In the City

• We like the Mini Countryman we have in our One-Year Road Test fleet in the city.
• But how is it if you wanted to do nearly 1,000 miles in less than two days? 
• We took it on a road trip from LA to SF to find out.

With the Countryman loaded up for just a few-day stay in the Bay, I headed out onto the road. The first few hundred miles were entirely uneventful, and by the time I made my first stop, I was feeling pretty good. Despite the name, the Mini has plenty of space for snacks, drinks, and the luggage of two adults. Plus there's just the right amount of shoulder room for two fully grown men to sit comfortably up front. 

As I wound my way up the rest of the 101 and the roads went from winding to dead straight, I popped on the Mini's optional adaptive cruise control system. Because the tech is supplied by BMW, Mini's parent company, it is a top-notch system. It keeps you in the center of the lane, perfectly manages the gap to traffic up front, and even handles curves without your input — just keep your hands on that wheel unless you really like warning chimes.

Though that system helps limit fatigue, as the miles wore on, the Mini's seats became a topic of conversation in the car, and not in a good way. Despite looking nice and being fine on day-to-day short drives, they lack enough support to keep you comfortable after a few hours. By the time I pulled the Countryman into San Francisco, my lower back was, well, there's no other way to put it, ticked off. 

The Mini's firm ride doesn't help either. Over anything less than a perfect surface, every single rut or bump gets translated straight from its too-big wheels into your spine. The result is discomfort that no adaptive cruise control  system can overcome.

Not only that, but those wheels require weeny-little rubber bands for tires, and the road noise is immense. Even on the smoothed-over stretches of the 101 that aren't too often traveled, the amount of tire roar is almost intolerable. I had to crank the radio to near-uncomfortable levels to drown it all out.

If there's one saving grace here, it's the Mini's efficiency. Over the course of almost 1,000 mostly highway miles to San Fran and back, the Mini averaged just over 32 miles to the gallon — spot on with the EPA's estimate. It didn't feel like we had to drive particularly conservatively to reach that figure either. Power was used when needed to pass, and we averaged a little over 70 mph, so we didn't have to cruise in the slow lane to match that figure, either. 

But with a ride so firm, tire noise so bad, and seats that just can't cut it on the long haul, it's safe to say the Countryman is best kept to city duty. You'll still get an efficient city runabout with ample space for the weekly shop. If you are considering a long journey in a Mini, maybe bring a back pillow and some earplugs.