- 14 hours ago
The new MINI Countryman U25 is bigger, more refined and more tech-focused—but is it a better car than the F60 it replaces? I compare the 2024 John Cooper Works U25 with my 2021 Countryman F60, exploring exterior design, boot space, rear-seat room, interiors, driving dynamics and off-road ability.
The U25 offers a roomier cabin, improved sound insulation and advanced driver-assistance features, while the older F60 makes a strong case with its practical details and sharper handling on winding roads. See how the two generations differ in everyday usability, performance and value, and whether upgrading makes sense. A detailed MINI Countryman comparison and test drive for anyone researching U25 vs F60, used Countryman models, compact SUVs or the latest MINI review.
The U25 offers a roomier cabin, improved sound insulation and advanced driver-assistance features, while the older F60 makes a strong case with its practical details and sharper handling on winding roads. See how the two generations differ in everyday usability, performance and value, and whether upgrading makes sense. A detailed MINI Countryman comparison and test drive for anyone researching U25 vs F60, used Countryman models, compact SUVs or the latest MINI review.
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00:00This is the new Mini Countryman U25, and this is my Mini Countryman F60.
00:05How has the Countryman changed, and is it worth upgrading from the second to the third generation?
00:10You'll find reviews of both of these cars on my channel, links in the video description.
00:15And if you're here for the first time, subscribe and press the bell icon to get notifications whenever I post
00:20new reviews and comparisons.
00:22Channel members get to watch new episodes weeks and sometimes even months before everyone else and without any ads.
00:30And now, let's compare the two not-so-small Minis.
00:48We will look at the exterior design, cargo compartment, rear space, cockpit handling, and off-road characteristics.
00:54Due to scheduling issues and availability of different engine versions in the press fleet,
01:00I'll skip the performance comparison because the test unit is a 300hp John Cooper Works and mine is a Cooper
01:06S All-Four, but the basics are all the same.
01:10The new Countryman has grown. It is 13cm longer, 2cm wider, and 8cm higher than its predecessor.
01:18The wheelbase is 2cm longer. The Countryman U25 is the size of the current generation BMW X1.
01:25The Countryman F60 was significantly smaller than the X1 of its time.
01:30The Countryman has always been my least favorite Mini in the model range, said a guy who has been dailying
01:37a Countryman for 3 years now.
01:38But the Countryman grew on me in specific circumstances, which I discuss in another episode.
01:43Link in the video description and on the screen.
01:47The new Countryman is, in my opinion, too much BMW and not enough Mini.
01:52I miss the fridge-style door handles, as well as the plastic cladding around the wheel arches that gave the
01:58previous generation a more rugged look.
02:01The new model is too flat in places for my liking, as I preferred the curvy 2nd gen.
02:07But I do appreciate the emphasized, so as not to say exaggerated, joining of the roof and the C-pillar.
02:14In the F60 it was almost invisible, while in the U25 it is clearly exposed and, depending on the version,
02:20can be personalized.
02:22Some even say it looks a bit like the Land Rover Defender.
02:26While the F60's taillights, when turned on, display the British flag motif, the U25 can display one of three themes
02:34on the front and rear.
02:36It's a gadget, but I appreciate that the rear lights are illuminated all the time and the theme is always
02:42visible.
02:48The boot in my Countryman officially has 450 liters in 5-seat configuration, 1390 liters with the 2nd row folded.
02:56What you see here is about 320 liters, that's above the floor.
02:59If I move the bench seat 13 centimeters forward, there is approximately 400 liters above the floor.
03:05450 is with the bench seat moved back, but with underfloor storage.
03:10Note that the plug-in hybrid version has a smaller underfloor storage compartment, because plug-in hybrid,
03:16and the sliding bench seat was an option, so pay attention when you're looking for a used car.
03:22Now, another accessory, which, at least for now, is unavailable on the new Countryman, is the picnic bench.
03:28It takes up some space under the floor, and I use it mainly to show off on YouTube, like here,
03:33but I'm glad I have it.
03:36There will now be a lot of numbers, so I'll just display them on the screen.
03:39The boot is about 100 centimeters wide between the wheel arches, but closer to the edge of the boot,
03:45I can squeeze a golf bag across.
03:48Depth is 75 centimeters, plus 13 centimeters, if you slide the rear seat forward.
03:54The boot height is 45 centimeters above the floor, and 65 centimeters with storage under the floor.
04:02There are two shopping bag hooks, two lights, and a 12-volt outlet.
04:06The boot can be closed with gesture, remote control, or a button on the lid.
04:11There's also a separate button to close the tailgate and lock the car, so you don't have to wait for
04:16it to close.
04:17The new Countryman is bigger and, of course, has a larger boot.
04:21Even if on paper, it's still 450 liters, and I don't know what's wrong with it.
04:25My measurements show that it's about 380 liters above the floor with the bench seat back.
04:32Move it forward, and it's about 450 liters.
04:35Move it back again, but open the underfloor storage, and we got like 550 liters,
04:39but that's only in the JCW version, because all other ICE versions, we're not talking about electric cars today,
04:47are mild hybrids, and about half of this space is occupied by the additional battery pack.
04:54The boot width is also about 100 centimeters between the wheel arches,
04:58and closer to the edge, a golf bag fits easily, as the side niches are deeper than in the previous
05:03generation.
05:05Boot depth is 82 centimeters plus 13 centimeters, with the bench seat moved all the way forward.
05:11Height is 47 centimeters above the floor, 69 centimeters, including underfloor storage.
05:18There are two shopping bag hooks, only one light, and a 12-volt outlet.
05:23You can also close the boot with gesture, remote control, and a button on the boot lid,
05:27including a separate button to lock the car.
05:31There is also a button to open and close the tow hitch, and here's an interesting fact.
05:36When I configured my Countryman, I didn't order a factory tow hitch.
05:40I figured that I could easily add one later, if needed.
05:43It turns out that something that would have cost me about 1,000 euro to order at the configuration stage,
05:49costs 3-4 times that as a dealer installed option.
05:53Why?
05:54It turns out, without a factory tow hitch, the car comes with a standard cooling fan,
05:59and if a dealer wants to do it by the book, they need to replace the fan.
06:05While homologation data for my car shows I can still tow the same amount, without the more efficient fan,
06:10I'd be exposing myself to problems if anything broke during the warranty period.
06:15So, if you plan any towing, order a factory hitch,
06:18or check the conditions for installing an aftermarket solution before you complete your configuration.
06:25I don't know why, but BMW, and therefore also MINI, doesn't cover the sills.
06:32But that's one of my very few reservations about the old Countryman.
06:36There are huge door pockets.
06:38There are pockets in the backs of the seats.
06:42There's an armrest with some cup holders,
06:44and the backrest splits 40-20-40,
06:47but the sliding seat splits 40-60.
06:52I am 175 centimeters tall,
06:55and in my Countryman I have 17 centimeters of legroom
06:58behind the driver's seat set to my driving position,
07:00and with the bench seat pushed all the way back.
07:03However, take into account
07:05that the back of the front seats have these indentations for knees.
07:09I also have 7 centimeters of headroom,
07:13but I can have more if I recline further.
07:15The backrest angle is adjustable.
07:17There is a tunnel running through the middle,
07:20which limits legroom for the middle passenger.
07:22There is an AC vent,
07:24and two USB-C ports.
07:26The seat width is about 110 centimeters,
07:29at its narrowest point,
07:31which is where the seat meets the backrest,
07:34and about 125 centimeters around the thighs.
07:38There are two Isofix anchor points in the rear,
07:41and an additional one on the front passenger seat.
07:47In the new Countryman,
07:48in which doors also don't cover the sills,
07:50I noticed more than once
07:52I have to slam the doors to close them,
07:55just like on compact Mercedes models in recent years,
07:58and no, that's not a compliment.
08:01Guess what?
08:02I'm still 175 centimeters tall,
08:04and the driver's seat in the U25 Countryman
08:07is set to my driving position,
08:08leaving me, this time,
08:10with about 20 centimeters of legroom.
08:12The bench seat is pushed all the way back.
08:14I also have about 12 centimeters of headroom,
08:17with the option to recline the backrest further
08:20and increase headroom.
08:22The front seat bags don't have indentations,
08:24like in the previous generation,
08:25so there's just more legroom across the entire width
08:28without any tricks.
08:30The bench seat is split 40-60,
08:32the backrest's 40-20-40.
08:35There are cup holders in the armrest,
08:36the middle part folds,
08:37giving you a huge ski hatch.
08:39The door pockets are larger.
08:41There are also two Isofix anchor points
08:44in the rear,
08:45and one on the front passenger seat.
08:48The air conditioning vents
08:50and the USB-C ports are above the tunnel,
08:52and there's space to slide your feet underneath them.
08:55The seat width is about 114 centimeters
08:58at its narrowest point,
09:00and about 127 centimeters around the thighs.
09:05The F60's cockpit
09:06is sort of the last stretch
09:08of what Mini presented first
09:10in the R50 hatch in 2001.
09:12There is now a digital-ish display,
09:17but the tachometer remained analog.
09:19There's also a heads-up display
09:21showing speed, speed limit,
09:22and navigation directions.
09:24The central speedometer
09:25was replaced by a rectangular infotainment system
09:29embedded in a round frame.
09:33There was never Android Auto
09:35on the second generation.
09:35Only Apple CarPlay appeared
09:37for the last couple of model years.
09:39Now, this car has an aftermarket Android Auto added on.
09:43I have an episode about it.
09:44The link is in the video description.
09:47Fun fact.
09:48While writing the script for this episode,
09:50I had to check if the display was touch-sensitive.
09:53It is, but I still operate it exclusively
09:56with the iDrive controller,
09:57also because the touch functionality
09:59doesn't work in the aftermarket Android Auto.
10:01I like that Mini left a lot of physical switches,
10:05including for the lights to operate the climate control
10:08and the basic vehicle functions.
10:10The only empty space is the driving mode switch,
10:13which could still be deleted in 2021.
10:16I decided I'm not going to use it,
10:18since Mini defaults to normal mode anyway.
10:22There are large door pockets,
10:24two cubbies,
10:25good cup holders.
10:27There's a wireless charger in the armrest,
10:29but it seems to have been designed
10:30back in the days of the iPhone 3G.
10:33The glove box is as small as that wireless charger.
10:38The seats are comfortable
10:39and have adjustable lumbar support
10:41as well as seat length.
10:44The latter comes in handy for Anna,
10:46who would otherwise hit the fire extinguisher
10:48or the seat slider lever with her shins.
10:51Now, that lever was better designed
10:53in the pre-facelift model
10:55and these are not standard seats,
10:58but optional ones
10:59resulting from the choice of upholstery.
11:02There is a new interior concept
11:04in the new Countryman.
11:05There is no instrument cluster
11:07in front of the driver,
11:08only a head-up display.
11:09All the settings are on the 24 cm central round display
11:14and it's really round.
11:16I made a separate episode
11:18about the Mini OS 9 infotainment,
11:20link in the description.
11:23I like that some settings
11:25can be accessed in several ways.
11:27For example, vehicle settings
11:28can be pulled up with a button
11:30under the display,
11:31from the main menu
11:32or by clicking the gear icon on the display.
11:34I appreciate this approach
11:36because I can choose what's logical for me
11:39and not what's logical for someone else.
11:41This is the JCW version,
11:43so the seats have integrated headrests.
11:45I don't like the angle of the headrests,
11:48but you can get regular seats in other trims.
11:50Also, on warm days,
11:52I stick to this faux leather upholstery.
11:56The voice assistant is available in English
11:58and a handful of other languages,
12:00not particularly useful
12:01as you could just click on the screen.
12:04Below the display,
12:05we have several physical switches.
12:07That's the gear selector,
12:09the on-off switch,
12:10and yes, you turn it to start the car,
12:13the drive mode switch,
12:15the volume knob,
12:17below are buttons for the vehicle settings menu,
12:20parking, including cameras,
12:22hazard lights,
12:23and front and rear window defroster.
12:25All the essentials are available
12:27without you having to click on the screen.
12:31Further down is a wireless charger
12:32for something larger than an iPhone 3G.
12:35It took a while.
12:37Two cubbies
12:38and a box instead of a storage under the armrest.
12:41The armrest slides.
12:43The cup holders seem to be
12:45for American XXXL cups.
12:47Maybe it is possible to buy some inserts
12:50that will make them more usable in Europe.
12:53The glove box is small.
12:54The door pockets are decent sized,
12:56but smaller than in the previous generation.
13:15We chose the Countryman,
13:16not just based on its practicality,
13:19but also we wanted a car to look interesting
13:22and to be fun to drive.
13:23We review dozens of cars every year,
13:25so we don't want a car we don't enjoy driving
13:28after we hand over the press car.
13:30We already have a Mazda MX-5,
13:32so in an overstretched budget,
13:34we were left with a Mini and a Mini.
13:38The Countryman has two personalities,
13:40that of a practical shopping trolley
13:42and that of a road hooligan.
13:43I just have to put the gearbox into sport
13:45and this completely transforms the car.
13:48The Countryman S-04
13:50is powered by a 2.0-litre, 178-horsepower petrol engine.
13:55It used to have more, but emissions.
13:58It's neither particularly fast nor economical.
14:01Also, because I drive it on all-terrain tires
14:03in the summer,
14:05I like the look of them,
14:06and for the same reason,
14:07I have an accessory roof rack.
14:10Speaking of the roof rack,
14:11at around 70-80 km per hour,
14:13there's some whistling noises around it.
14:15Depends on the wind.
14:16If I drive faster or slower,
14:17it disappears.
14:18On all-terrain tires,
14:20and with the roof rack,
14:21my Countryman uses 8-9 litres per 100 km combined.
14:23On regular road tires,
14:25and without the rack,
14:26it should be around 6-7 litres.
14:29Even without the roof rack,
14:30the soundproofing was never this model's strong point.
14:34Over almost three years,
14:35I drove the Countryman less than 25,000 km.
14:37I had the first service around 15,000 km.
14:40And as of this recording,
14:41the computer shows me the next service is due in a couple of months.
14:46The suspension is stiff,
14:47and even on 17-inch rims,
14:49and with off-road tires,
14:50the Countryman is capable of quick cornering.
14:53The steering is precise.
14:54In Sport mode,
14:55the transmission works quickly,
14:57because otherwise,
14:58the computer tries to thwart the engine
15:01and the transmission to reduce emissions.
15:05Compared to the new model,
15:06visibility is better, in my opinion,
15:08especially around the A pillars.
15:10But there is no doubt,
15:12the F60 debuted in 2016.
15:14Back then,
15:14BMW kept its entry model cars basic,
15:18and the same was true for their many counterparts.
15:20Adaptive cruise control works only up to 140 km per hour.
15:24There is no blind spot warning or lane keep assist.
15:27There is only a warning when you cross the line.
15:30Fortunately,
15:30it's a vibration on the steering wheel,
15:32not some sort of a beeper.
15:34A 360 camera?
15:36Forget it.
15:38There is a parking assist feature,
15:41but in almost three years,
15:42I can't remember if I managed to activate it
15:44when I actually needed it,
15:46or whether it was just for video.
15:48In fact,
15:48I couldn't find such a shot in my archives,
15:50so perhaps it didn't even work on camera.
16:19So perhaps it didn't even work on camera.
16:21The Mini Countryman U25
16:23can be powered by an internal combustion engine
16:26or an electric motor.
16:27There's even a cheeky 163 horsepower diesel
16:31with a mild hybrid.
16:33All ICE options,
16:34except John Cooper Works,
16:36are mild hybrids.
16:36In addition to the Countryman D,
16:39there is also Countryman C,
16:41Countryman S all four,
16:43JCW all four,
16:44E,
16:44SE all four,
16:45so all-wheel drive is only
16:46for the more powerful petrol and electric versions.
16:49The EVs have a claimed range
16:50of more than 400 kilometers.
16:52The 300 horsepower Countryman
16:54picks up speed way too fast,
16:56so be careful not to use your...
16:58use?
17:00lose your driver's license.
17:01ESA or Intelligent Speed Assist
17:03can be turned off like in a BMW
17:04by long pressing the set button
17:06on the steering wheel.
17:07The promised fuel consumption
17:09is around 8 liters per 100 kilometers combined
17:11and this value is achievable
17:12as long as you don't take advantage
17:14of JCW's capabilities.
17:18The engine is a modified B48 2.0 liter unit
17:22from BMW.
17:24Now, compared to the previous generation,
17:26the new Countryman is much better soundproofed
17:28and the suspension has better damping.
17:30It would be even better on smaller rims,
17:32but this is a JCW,
17:33so it has to look the part
17:34as well as ride the part.
17:36The new Countryman now has
17:3720 centimeter ground clearance,
17:38which makes it seem like a car
17:40that could be finally taken off tarmac.
17:43But higher ground clearance
17:44and the fact that the car
17:46is 8 centimeters taller
17:48than the previous generation
17:48makes the new Countryman handle
17:51not as good as the outgoing model.
17:53On the same twisty road,
17:54my old Countryman
17:55with lower center of gravity
17:57rolls less.
17:58It's just better.
17:59Having said that,
18:00the new Countryman,
18:01JCW,
18:02I don't know about the other versions,
18:03has some tricky electronic diff,
18:05or maybe it's the all-wheel drive setup,
18:07which makes the car turn in tighter.
18:10There's a marginal delay
18:11that gives this kind of dancing on tiptoes feeling.
18:15I like it.
18:16Driver assistance systems,
18:17as it is the case with BMW Group products,
18:20are top-notch,
18:21and now,
18:22as BMW's entry-level models
18:24are getting proper driver aids,
18:25so does the Mini.
18:27There's a 360 camera,
18:28there is a proper working park assist feature,
18:32like on a BMW.
18:33There's navigation with augmented reality.
18:35There's adaptive cruise control
18:36with lane change assist,
18:38and adaptive cruise control recognizes
18:40intersections, roundabouts,
18:42slows down before them.
18:43Same with maneuvers
18:44planned en route in the navigation.
18:47So,
18:47all this is great.
19:08Over these few years,
19:09I barely used the Countryman of the Beaten Path,
19:12although I did film a few attempts
19:14for various episodes.
19:15For example,
19:16I tried to get up a hill
19:17where Land Rover Defender
19:18and Jeep Wrangler
19:19performed with no issue,
19:21but these are capable off-road vehicles
19:24with low-range and diff locks.
19:27The Jeep Renegade Trailhawk
19:28couldn't make it up
19:29over a route sticking out of the ground,
19:31there was no place for it
19:32to pick up some speed,
19:33and the wheels were too small.
19:35The Renegade Trailhawk
19:37has a 21cm ground clearance
19:39and off-road mode
19:41in which the gearbox simulates
19:42low-range gear ratio.
19:44You can also lock it
19:45in permanent all-wheel drive.
19:46Meanwhile,
19:47the Mini Countryman
19:48has 16.5cm ground clearance
19:51and no off-road mode whatsoever.
19:54On my diagonal approach test,
19:56the Countryman All-4
19:57performs better
19:58than many other crossovers,
19:59but this is just a brief engagement
20:01of the all-wheel drive system.
20:02On a sandy hill,
20:04tires helped to make it up the hill,
20:06but the ground clearance
20:07was a problem again.
20:08Good thing I had another car
20:09with a winch.
20:11Now,
20:12I suspect my Countryman
20:13has done more challenging
20:14off-road driving
20:15than 99%
20:17of all other Countrymans
20:18on the road.
20:19Or is it
20:20Countrymen M-E-N?
20:23Anyway,
20:23I didn't break anything
20:24and the car
20:25never felt broken
20:26or abused
20:27upon returning on tarmac.
20:29The U25 test car
20:31is the John Cooper Works
20:33on sporty road tires
20:34with 20cm ground clearance
20:37and on all-terrain tires
20:38I suspect
20:39it would do better off-road
20:40than my F60,
20:42but
20:42the new Mini Countryman
20:44only has a mode
20:46that helps you start
20:47on slippery surfaces.
20:48ESP can be only turned off
20:51in sport mode.
20:52In normal mode,
20:53the car does best.
20:54In hill assist mode,
20:56there's a bit of slip
20:57and with ESP off
20:59there's still some intervention
21:00so I think
21:01if you're in a pinch
21:03it's best to leave the car
21:04in normal mode
21:05and if that doesn't do the trick
21:06call for help.
21:08When I ordered my Countryman
21:10prices started
21:11around 27,000 Euro.
21:13My configuration
21:14with a more powerful engine,
21:16all-wheel drive
21:16and options
21:17was about twice that.
21:19However,
21:20there were
21:20much more customization options
21:22with the F60
21:23than there are now
21:24with the U25.
21:26which may be why
21:27the new Mini Countryman U25
21:28is competitively priced
21:31and starts at
21:3239,900 Euro
21:33for the base trim Countryman C.
21:35The cheapest diesel
21:36costs 42,900 Euro,
21:40the S-All-4
21:41starts at 45,900 Euro
21:43and EVs
21:44start from
21:4543,500 Euro.
21:47This JCW-All-4
21:49test car
21:50with options
21:51costs
21:5265,450 Euro.
21:56The family is changing,
21:57the kids are growing up,
21:58but they haven't left home yet.
22:00That's why Mini
22:00made the Countryman bigger
22:02and I'm not going to argue with that.
22:03If I could,
22:04I would gladly rip out the screen
22:06from the new model
22:06and install it in my car,
22:07but that's about it.
22:08I'm still happy
22:09with my Countryman
22:10because my needs
22:11haven't changed
22:12all that much
22:13to start looking
22:14for another model.
22:16And how do you like
22:17the new Countryman?
22:17Are you thinking
22:18of upgrading
22:19from one of the
22:20previous generations?
22:21Or perhaps
22:22the Countryman
22:23has only now
22:24appeared on your radar?
22:25Or are you looking
22:26for a reasonably
22:27priced used example
22:28and no,
22:28I'm not selling mine?
22:29Let me know
22:30in the comment section
22:30below.
22:33The new Countryman
22:34is larger
22:35and of course
22:36has a bigger boot.
22:37Even if on paper
22:38it's only 450 liters.
22:40Now,
22:41I don't know
22:41what's wrong with it,
22:42but my measurements
22:43show that above the floor
22:44it's 380 liters.
22:47you mother...
22:50If you like
22:51my sarcastic,
22:52down-to-earth
22:52and possibly
22:53mildly amusing
22:54car reviews,
22:55join me every Friday
22:56at 3 p.m.
22:57Central European time
22:58and don't forget
23:00to subscribe
23:00and like this video
23:01as it helps me
23:02with the YouTube algorithm.
23:04Thanks for watching
23:05and I will see you
23:06in the next one.
23:14I'll see you in the next one.
23:15Bye.