2025 Mini Countryman S First Drive: Easy to Like, Tough to Love

• The Countryman S is the least expensive version of Mini's updated SUV.
• Standard all-wheel drive and turbocharged engine are a good combo.
• This Mini is fun to drive but a hassle to use.

Our other reviews mention that the Countryman has grown, but for the sake of context, it's now close in size to a Honda CR-V. While shorter overall, it's nearly as tall and wide as the Honda, has an almost identical wheelbase, and actually weighs a couple hundred pounds more.

Fine, every car is bigger and heavier than its predecessor. But surprisingly, it's not the extra size that detracts from the newest Countryman's driving experience.

It's still (mostly) fun

You notice the Countryman's added size, but it's still way more fun than that CR-V could ever dream of being. The Mini scoots around town just fine, the quick steering feels lively, and the firm suspension encourages freeway on-ramp aggression but doesn't make the rest of your drive uncomfortable. Paddle shifters aren't available anymore, but they aren't missed.

On the downside, the Countryman S stumbles when taking off from a stop. Put your foot down and the Countryman sometimes hesitates before moving out, regardless of whether or not the stop-start system is active. Mini's toggle-like gear selector requires a deliberate hand; go too quick and it won't register that you've switched from reverse to drive. It's also odd that you can't select park without also engaging the parking brake.

Style wins the day

This is a slick-looking little SUV. The British Racing Green paint looks great, and Mini continues to modernize its styling cues without everything looking weird, unlike its parent company, BMW.

Our test car's blue-on-brown interior is just as stylish, and we like how the blue fabric on the dash transitions to brown on the door panels, even if the fabric itself is too rough to the touch. Mini's "Vescin" vegan-friendly leathery stuff on the seats feels authentic enough, and the big round OLED screen in the middle has sharp graphics and a vivid backup camera.

The ample cargo space has a recessed floor, and the seatback splits three ways, letting you carry long objects and four people without much compromise. As for small items, don't carry too much extra. You get bottle holders in the doors, trays on the center console, and a small compartment below the screen — something that's barely big enough for your wallet and sunglasses.

But style gets in the way

The minimalist design forces many functions into the touchscreen, which is as laggy to use as it is pretty to look at. For example, you can toggle between eight different screen interfaces — we prefer the parchment color and serif fonts in Timeless mode — but the changes take a couple heartbeats to happen. Taps on the screen take a frustrating moment to register as well. Even simple things like shutting off the engine's stop-start function, turning on seat heaters, or adjusting the climate control temperature require the screen. Apple CarPlay or Android Auto are just as sluggish, and those interfaces are confined to a small square inside the big round screen, making the icons small and hard to tap, especially when driving.

The touchscreen isn't the only victim of style over substance. The chunky lumps on the steering wheel actually discourage proper hand placement, and the air-conditioning vents either freeze or cook your knuckles as you drive. Weirdly, the audio system keeps playing until you close and lock the doors, even after you shut the car off. Even if there's a setting to change it (we couldn't find it), why is that silly behavior the default?

A thoroughly mixed bag

Our loaded test car's $44,295 price tag (including destination) accounts for 20-inch wheels, a broad array of driver assist features, power front seats, navigation and more. That's not a terrible price for a loaded small SUV from a premium brand, and it's notably thousands less than a similarly equipped BMW X1, which is based on the same mechanicals.

Should you get it? That's a tough one. On one hand, the new Countryman looks cool inside and out, is fun enough to drive and has plenty of space for passengers and cargo. But the touchscreen and other quirks make it hard for anybody but the most smitten of Mini fans to love.