MINI Countryman U25 v Mini Cooper F66 5-door v Aceman

The MINI Countryman is now in its third generation and it just got a Masters degree in Wumbology because this is the biggest MINI you can buy.

2025 MINI Countryman

With prices starting at £29,350 plus on-road costs, the all-new third-generation MINI Countryman is the biggest MINI ever made. With such size, it feels like it's no longer fit to be called a MINI, perhaps it should be called a Wumbo from now on. These folks behind this car did set it to Wumbo.

2025 MINI Countryman Electric

The first-generation Countryman in 2010 has an associate degree in Wumbology. The second-generation model is just a bachelor's degree. This all-new third-generation model earned the right to claim the Master's degree in Wumbology because this is the biggest MINI ever made. While donning a fresh new take on the familiar styling, the sizing is the proof.

2025 MINI Countryman interior

Like today's MINIs, the all-new Countryman adapts to the new MINI interior featuring a 240mm OLED screen in the middle that works as a speedometer also, backed by MINI Operating System 9. This OLED touchscreen features an onscreen mascot named Spike and he pops up upon using the rather annoying and Alexa-ish MINI Intelligent Personal Assistant feature.

There are switches below the screen that can control the power, the volume, the air conditioning, and of course, seven MINI Experience Modes that each have a specific user interface design that also affects the lighting inside the vehicle.

On the topic of boot space, the all-new Countryman can carry up to 450L of boot space with the rear seats present but if you fold the rear seats down, it goes up to 1450L. That's the biggest boot space of any Mini you can find.

2025 MINI John Cooper Works Countryman

The normal Countryman is offered a choice of a 1.5L 3-cylinder petrol engine for the front-wheel-drive C variant, and a turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder engine for the S ALL4 with 204HP of power. All are mated to a 7-speed gearbox and mild-hybrid technology.

The Countryman Electric, meanwhile, is offered a choice of a 204HP front-wheel-drive variant with up to 286 miles of driving range and the 313HP S ALL4 variant with up to 266 miles of driving range.

Those wanting more from the Countryman can go for the high-performance MINI John Cooper Works Countryman. With the 300HP 2.0L turbo engine, ALL4 4-wheel-drive system, and seven-speed AT to match, the can-go-anywhere JCW Countryman has a 0.62mph time of 5.4 seconds and an electronically-limited top speed of 155mph. This model is too cool to be ignored, even by the likes of people behind the Forza games.

Although it drives slightly better than the previous model, the U25 MINI Countryman is packed with numerous safety features such as autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and Remote 360, among others, not to mention the Parking Assistant and optional Parking Assistant Plus systems.

Less of a MINI, and more of a Wumbo. This all-new third-generation Countryman is taking shape in this brave new world it faces. Let's admit it with such sizing, it no longer deserves to be called a MINI. Thankfully, there is a MINI worthy of its name but with extra doors for practicality just like the latest Countryman.

2025 MINI Cooper 5-door

This is the five-door version of the Mini Cooper F66. With prices starting at £24,050, you can afford one rather than the Wumbo-fied Countryman.

Although it features several nooks and crannies from its 3-door equivalent, the extra doors at the back make it fit for family use or road trips with your mates. With boot space from 275 to 925L, it fits for almost everything.

The Mini Cooper F66 5-door has two versions; the C and the S. The Cooper C has a 1.5L turbocharged 3-cylinder engine that produces 181HP of power and it will go from 0-62mph in 8 seconds and a top speed of 140mph. The range-topping Cooper S, meanwhile, has a 2.0L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that produces 215HP of power. 0-62mph in 6.8 seconds and flat-out in 150mph seconds. All are mated to a 7-speed DCT.

Sadly, there's no five-door version of the J01 MINI Cooper at the moment so you might need to take a look for an alternative like this;

2025 MINI Aceman

This is the first-ever all-electric MINI Aceman. With prices starting at  £31,800 plus additional costs, it's £10,280 cheaper than the MINI Countryman Electric, a hard bargain for what's surprisingly known as the coupe-crossover equivalent of the said car.

2025 MINI Aceman

2025 MINI Aceman interior

At first glance, the Aceman looks and feels just like today's Countryman but because being the coupe-crossover equivalent, the boot space can accommodate up to 1,005L of boot space. That's less than what you get from the Countryman but more than what you get from the five-door Mini Cooper F66.

Being an FWD-only all-electric coupe crossover, the Aceman features two different electric powertrains. The E with the 38.5kWh battery has 184HP of power and can go from 0-62mph in 7.9 seconds with a driving range of up to 192 miles. The SE, meanwhile, has a 49.2kWh battery pack that produces 218HP of power. It can go from 0-62mph in 7.1 seconds and has a driving range of 251 miles.

The MINIs of the new normal are not as MINI as they were in the past as demonstrated by the all-new Countryman. Even with the F66 or the coupe-crossover Aceman, they're still deemed not worthy to be called MINIs. It hurts but that's maturity for you. They grow up so fast.

Photo: MINI

Forza Horizon 4 - Year of the MINI Part 2

The Winter Playlist of the Series 9 update of Forza Horizon 4 brought us the last two of the four new Minis added in this update and having fought my way to obtain the latter half of the four new Minis of this update, feels like it's the perfect time to talk more about those Minis as part of its 60th year celebration.



The first one is not the kind of Mini you would want to drive it but for those who are fans of the Dakar rally raid cars are delighted to give it a go for a change. This is the John Cooper Works Buggy and its made in collaboration with the X-Raid team to compete at the 2018 Dakar Rally alongside the JCW Rally car. It has a 3.0L six-cylinder diesel engine producing 340hp of power and 800Nm of torque and a CFRP/Kevlar bodywork built to sustain torturing conditions like the ones in the Dakar Rally.



Last year, this Buggy never made it to the top spot at the Dakar Rally where the Rally version nicked the fifth place spot. But in the 2019 Dakar Rally, it became part of the top 5 finishers, which is rather impressive for a monster Mini like this but after checking things out, it's time to stir things up with the JCW Buggy to see if it lives up to its character.



After enjoying the JCW Buggy, I've check out the other one and it's basically a hot version of the second-generation Mini Countryman.



For starters, I don't even like the Mini Countryman because with so many cars to choose from in the world, there is a clear reason why some picked the Countryman because it's for the kind of person who has a lot of reasons why he hates ultra-expensive luxury cars. Given the choice then, I would have picked expensive luxury cars than this one. This, however, is the second-generation Countryman and after righteous indignation, it's starting to shave off the image of the once-hateful predecessor possess and made it even more Countryman than it was. In this JCW version with its ALL4 control system, 2.0L petrol engine generating 231PS of power and 320Nm of torque, and race-derived dynamics, it's a whole new kind of ball game for anyone who wants to batter up on and off the road.

This is definitely the Coutnryman I want to be with rather than the first one I remembered years ago and speaking of ball game...



...the all-weather, all fun to drive Countryman is all set up for a revue to remember, hence the image of a baseball-loving farm girl who is all kitted out for a revue audition, and with its battle dress ready, it's showtime for the most versatile Mini ever made as it takes on the dirtiest revue yet. It's showtime!



Now with all of the four Minis appeared in this series update, which one I think is the best? For me, the Mini I once hate is now the Mini I love to drive because of such righteous indignation. I'm talking about the JCW Countryman and it's like me, being Homer Simpson, backing off EA to get it. Needless to say, a Mini like this can be unappreciated at first but when it evolves into something different while staving off the image of the one they hate, they will love it and that is why the JCW Countryman is one of my favorite Minis I've obtained from this series update.

Happy 60th anniversary, Mini! Enojy these Minis while you can for the rest of the update!

Mini Countryman (F60)

Once the Mini I am not very interested to have one not just for its hunk of sizing and the fact that Mini is becoming one with the crossover craze but for some backstories I only know about, the Countryman has underwent a full model change and it's now the biggest Mini ever offered, quite an irony demonstrated here, but as the name suggests, it was still made for the countrymen who want to treat this one rough, something reminiscent of the legendary Mini Moke of the last century. So, let's investigate the new model to see what's what.

2017 Mini Countryman

This is the brand new Mini Countryman, ladies and gents. And while it looks slightly similar to the old Countryman, it's now the biggest Mini ever offered, much to the dismay of Mini fans everywhere, especially me. With prices start at 26,500 Euros plus delivery, it's slightly more expensive than the Off-road look version of the Fiat 500X, its main rival. This could become a clear choice between the lesser of two evils here because while they're essentially larger than their originators, what matters most is the features at their disposal and I can expect that the new Countryman, being city car/crossover for the posh yuppies, delivers more stuff than the 500X.

2017 Mini Countryman

2017 Mini Countryman interior

Carrying more stuff aside, because this is the biggest Mini ever offered, the new Countryman is now slightly longer and wider compared to the previous model, so there's going to be some space in the inside, am I right? That added dimensions really put personal space to its advantage but the downside is that when you're driving it on tight spots in places like Italy or the one in Northern France, it's going to be quite a challenge to get it back on the road while getting stuck in the maze like a guinea pig. While it still has the dashboard of today's Minis, there's still some time to toy around with the connectivity features while you're at it before heading off to your points of interests.

What's under the hood, the new Mini Countryman offers a choice of petrol, diesel, and an all new PHEV variant called the Cooper S E. Starting with the normal Countryman variants, the most powerful is the turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder petrol engine from the Cooper S variant, producing 192PS of power and 281Nm of torque. The most efficient, as always, the PHEV variant called the Cooper SE. Thanks to its combination of the three-cylinder turbocharged engine, the electric motor, and the 7.6kWh li-ion battery, it promises a fuel consumption of 2.1L/100km and 49g/km of CO2 emissions while the electric range can be up to 40km. All models can be mated with either a 6-speed manual or an 8-speed Steptronic but the Cooper SE is fitted exclusively with a 6-speed automatic.

2018 Mini John Cooper Works Countryman

If you're a speedo boy, the Countryman you might have been interested in, probably, is the high-performance variant called the MINI JCW Countryman. Like all of today's JCWs, it's powered by a 2.0L petrol engine generating 231PS of power and 320Nm of torque as well as race-derived dynamics. Just like the JCW Clubman, the JCW Countryman comes with the ALL4 control system, which adapts to the road with the ideal blend of power distribution between the front and rear wheels. With either a 6-speed manual or an 8-speed Steptronic, it does 0-100kph in six and a half seconds and onwards to 234kph, which sounds quick for a crossover of that size. It can be yours for just 38,800 Euros so come on, don't be shy having a Countryman that goes like a rocket while it can go anywhere, well just about.

2017 Mini Countryman

So, what can I say about the new MINI Countryman, well this is still the MINI I'm not particularly interested with, it's still a mini SUV for those who think compact crossovers like the Fiat 500X, the Jeep Renegade, or the Mercedes-Benz GLA aren't that kind of type, although the GLA can make this one well-ridiculed just about anywhere. While this is very big for a Mini, the Countryman is all about the rough stuff it can do just to keep its MINIMALISM in check and while its sizing just can't squeeze through the tight gaps, its roomy creature comforts really surprises the customers as are the tech that flooded through it, although unsure what it is. You can thank BMW for the Countryman's full model change but for now, I have some moping up to do about those backstories.

Photo: MINI

FH2 Storm Island: The Gauntlet #03

If you happen that if you won eight championships in your Storm Island journeys, that means you have access to the third Gauntlet event and should you win this Gauntlet challenge, you can advance to the next tier and continue on your quest to the Island Finale. For this Gauntlet, you'll be driving a MINI Monster Energy ALL4 Racing X-Raid onto the East Valley Rush race. Like most Gauntlets you've faced, the severe weather conditions and nighttime may hamper your visibility, thus exercising extreme caution while driving through the rough terrains as you need to prioritize different strategies to outrun your opponents in such an extreme weather.

MINI's ALL4 Racing is based on the Countryman, which is one of my least favorite Minis ever, in an effort to challenge Mini in the world of the Dakar Rally. Powering this rally raid car is a 3.0L BMW Twinpower Turbo Diesel engine developing 320PS of power and 800Nm of torque. Top speed is around 180kph. The gearbox is a Sadev 6-speed low-range gearbox suitable for rally raid in mind while coupled with an AP Racing Clutch and a Xtrac differential. The brakes are air-cooled in the front and air and water cooled at the back. The chassis is made of spaceframe and carbon kevlar body, resulting to a weight of 1953kg. With all of the essential equipment armed and ready, the ALL4 Racing is a Mini perfect enough for the rough terrains it traverses.

Okay, now let's see how did I fare this MINI well in this Gauntlet challenge.



With this Gauntlet cleared, I now scored 9 wins and I need three more to access the Island Finale. I have to keep going...

Mini John Cooper Works Countryman

We start off with the MINI COUNTRYMAN. Sadly though, I really really hate this car because of numerous reasons. One, it's targeted for those who have a Playstation3. Two, it's for those who got tantalized over the PS3-only DLC costumes on THE IDOLM@STER 2 such as Stratos Butterfly, Burning Performer, White School Swimsuit, Cutie Insect, Rainy Suzuran, Dressy Alice, Random Color Beauty, Digital Spacecraft, Full Bloom Yukata Dress, and Devilkin Swimming Suit. Three, it's for those who got busy watching anime shows on Crunchyroll on their PS3. And worst of all, it's also for Whovians. Bowties are cool, fezzes are cool, stetsons are cool, bunk beds are cool, glasses are cool, hmph. Sorry if I have to waste the whole day about why I hate this car but now, there's a hotter version which I hate it in every different way...

2013 Mini JCW Countryman

This is the Mini John Cooper Works Countryman, the car I really hate has now been spiced up a bit. First of all, it comes from the hot John Cooper Works models, which are known to be the hotter MINIs for the serious enthusiasts but for the first time, JCW with ALL4 all-wheel-drive system as standard is definitely calling out as the road-going version of the Countryman WRC car. It seems that with the know-how of the rally car, the JCW Countryman is like a different kind of wild animal...wearing a fez really.

2013 Mini JCW Countryman interior

But still, this is the bulkiest MINI I have ever encountered because it has four doors or maybe because of its 4WD layout. It takes a single half-765 Productions producer, half-Gallifreyan to understand this car of this size and for this one, this gets worse. The turbocharged 1.6L engine produces 218HP of power, a wibbly wobbly timey wimey 0-60mph time of seven seconds and a top speed of 225 km/h (140 mph) for the manual and 223 km/h (139 mph) for its automatic sibling. Sounds intriguing but for a real fun, it might be best to drive if you're putting on either of your Stratos Butterfly, Burning Performer, White School Swimsuit, Cutie Insect, Rainy Suzuran, Dressy Alice, Random Color Beauty, Digital Spacecraft, Full Bloom Yukata Dress, or Devilkin Swimming Suit.

2013 Mini JCW Countryman

The recipe of making a JCW Countryman is simple. First, start off with everything why I hate the Mini Countryman beginning with the outfits I mentioned several times. I got a huge washing machine which I will do some ridiculous things serving as a tortured metaphor for this car. (Insert Top Gear V8 invention joke here) Put those PS3-only IM@S 2 outfits such as Stratos Butterfly, Burning Performer, White School Swimsuit, Cutie Insect, Rainy Suzuran, Dressy Alice, Random Color Beauty, Digital Spacecraft, Full Bloom Yukata Dress, and the Devilkin Swimming Suit in the washing machine. These will serve as the bodywork for the JCW Countryman. Next, let's put something such as Tiny TARDIS Pies, Sonic Screwdrivers, Radioactive-Spuds with Cool Avocado Cream, K-9 Dogs with Mustard Onions, Ginger Companions, Fish Fingers (and Chips) with Custard, Mini Chocolate Dalek Cakes, those kind of snacks when you're planning for a Doctor Who viewing party. These will serve as the turbocharged engine that powered the 1.6L Turbo engine for the JCW Countryman. What's next? Oh yeah! Bowties! Fezzes! Stetsons! Glasses! I should put it too and these will serve as the JCW Countryman's coolness. For an added bite, some bovril, beef, and brick. (laughing) Set the LOAD SIZE to SUPER, TEMPERATURE to COOL, pull knob to start, and wait for 1 hour....

While waiting for an hour. Who should I be? I should be dressed either as the 9th, Rose, the 10th, Martha, The Master, Donna, the 11th, Amy, Rory, River, or any Doctor Who character I know. If I chose which Who character I'd be, preferably the 11th because he's cool, I should head back to the washing machine and for the finished product. Serve it in and enjoy...

Well, obviously, the finished product will leave my Gallifreyan cardiovascular system (two hearts) pulse faster and blow my skull into bits but as a taste sensation, I'm not sure if it works because basically, I got the name for it! THE BLOODY AWFUL!!!

This is often the way cars are meant to be "IT'S MORE FUN IN GRAN TURISMO", they have the weirdest of ingredients but there's no heart, there's no fun, and worst of all, quite shocking and dangerous. This isn't shocking or dangerous but there is one big drawbacks. First of all, it was the price, the JCW Countryman will cost you about 34,800 Euros for the one with 6MT while the one with the 6AT may cost you 36,340 Euros. Another drawback to this car is its 4WD. Because it's heavy, handling the JCW Countryman is as hard as you've been wrestled down a panda in sumo wrestler's attire. Sports suspension works fine on racetracks but on the road, it's a bit nasty and uncomfortable. And lastly, well, being a Mini Countryman, I really hate it for being "IT'S MORE FUN IN GRAN TURISMO". I once drove the MINI COOPER S COUNTRYMAN in GT5 and I have to say that this is the kind of car I really hate for being, well, you get the idea.

To sum up then, the spiced-up version of the Countryman is definitely not a good car to keep it in your garage. This car might be best if you were living in either Leadworth or Cwmtaff.

A GT5 Mini Countryman/Crossover Getaway

Song played in my Personal BGM: リゾラ by Iori Minase (CV: Rie Kugimiya)

From the album: THE IDOLM@STER MASTER ARTIST 2 -SECOND SEASON- 01 Iori Minase

This is freaking sweet. I've never tried the MINI Countryman (known in Japan as the MINI Crossover) before but thanks to Gran Turismo 5's 3rd DLC, it made me possible to try out the all new MINI Countryman/Crossover on this game and this car's about to say "Hey Diddle Diddle" because this cow's about to jump over the moon! Or maybe just throw it.

Hey Diddle Diddle! This Countryman's about to
jump over the sun! Or maybe just throw it.

Not bad driving at the snow...

Despite being an FF car, the MINI Countryman can perform well on dirt and snow because the SUV look really make it up to its name. However, despite it's offroad fun, the Countryman finds it struggling on wet courses and a little Scandinavian Flick won't do a thing either. Remember, don't overcook it unless you're a professional MINI Countryman owner at GT5 because the handling is too delicate to overcook it or it will ruin it.

Mini Countryman meets the original Mini Cooper S

What makes the MINI Countryman differ to the 2011 Mini Cooper S is its weight. You see, the 2011 Mini Cooper S weighs 1140kg, the MINI Cooper S Countryman weighs about 1310kg, that's 170kg heavier than the original despite they're both equipped with the 1.6L engine that produces 181HP of power and 177.2ft-lb of torque.

Stig takes a day-off with the Mini Countryman in Italy

Yes! Stig's coming home!

For a pint-sized crossover, the MINI Countryman is all about being adventurous and with that being featured in Gran Turismo 5, I wonder what adventures will the Countryman take, especially when it takes on the top speed at Special Stage Route X or set a lap time at the Top Gear Test Track! When your online players saw your Countryman, they'll think you're more annoying than orange! 

I'm glad that this is the first time driving the MINI Countryman right here on GT5, and that made me as adventurous as an explorer. MINI's first 4-door crossover is definitely big reason why you're calling it the "Hey Diddle Diddle" because you just want to find a dirt course to make a leap for it. Sadly though, this MINI Countryman is not track-ready and it needs some professional care to make it more fast and agile as the original MINI but a bit more sensible to annoy your pals.

Philippine Getaway...?

BMW MINI Crossover '11

Whether if its ready to take flight, take an emergency getaway when your baby's about to pee, order some sushi and slide it on the multi-functional center rail, looking for some wool, or just to multiply this car for the flow, you can't blame it on the BMW Mini Countryman (known in the JDM market as the BMW Mini Crossover).

Slated for an April Fool's Day release (April 1, which explains a lot), official Mini distributor, British United Automobiles, announced the pricing of this Mini Crossover starting at 2.38 million Philippine pesos for the Mini Cooper Countryman (chassis code: ZA16) up to 3.15 million Philippine pesos for the range-topping Mini Cooper S Countryman ALL4 (Chassis Code: ZC16).

Scoop: http://www.topgear.com.ph/news/mini-countryman-pricing-revealed

Smells expensive but whatever. It's ready to getaway for April Fools!

MINI Countryman

MINI Countryman

It may be its first crossover utility vehicle that defies the MINI nameplate, but the MINI Countryman is built for the most active people who are getting used to their active lifestyles, especially from work.

The design of the MINI Countryman was based on the MINI Crossover Concept as seen on the 2008 Mondial D' Automobile at Paris, France, taking a new approach from the MINI lineup consisting from the original, the cabriolet, and the odd-looking Clubman. If looks can be distinctive, the MINI Countryman has three different forms; the base One variant offers an entry-level experience, suited for the starters while the Cooper variant offers a balance of sportiness and cuteness inside and out. The flagship Cooper S variant offers the best looks and it comes with MINI's first ALL4 four-wheel drive system, which brings excitement to the next level.

To add fun for the MINI Countryman, the interior comes with the multi-functional center rail that allows its amenities to be slided, great for those who are hungry for sushi and ask them for your order, then slided for you. Aside from the center rail, the MINI Countryman is the first MINI to have five doors for easy access.

On the MINI One Countryman, this base variant comes with a petrol (98 PS) engine, and the diesel (90 PS) engine. The Cooper variant also comes with the petrol (122 PS) engine and the diesel (112 PS) engine. The flagship Cooper S Countryman is available only with the high-performance, turbocharged, direct-injection, four-cylinder petrol engine with 184 PS of power output.

Most car enthusiasts prefer the Cooper S variant because of such sporty performance thanks to the turbocharged engine but for those who are interested in eco-cars prefer the MINI One variant because of its fuel efficiency.

My thoughts about the Countryman:


From the airport, the countdown before the baby's unexpected jingle, the sushi bar, to sheep's clothing, this MINI is all-round fun no matter which situation you are facing while having fun with the brand's first dedicated crossover utility vehicle. If I would choose between the MINI Countryman and the BMW X1, I would rather switch to the X1 because of the luxury amenities offered. If the pricing is the issue on these two, the MINI Countryman is a winner because of the suggested retail price of 20,200 Euros for the MINI One Countryman to 29,440 Euros for the MINI Cooper S Countryman with ALL4. This car will be on sale all over Europe this September and as expected, the MINI Countryman will come to our shores if MINI Global City announced when this crossover would come to our shores. I am sure that this crossover will come late next year or sooner.