For this second chapter, we assess if our 2021 Mini Countryman Cooper S long-termer delivers on space and practicality.
- The configurability of the rear space
- Decent rear passenger room
- Large boot space capacity
- No way of folding rear seats from the boot
- Larger iPhones don’t fit in the wireless charge pad
- Pop-up head-up display can sometimes impact seating position
I’ve got the keys to a Mini Countryman for three months – a good amount of time to get to know the ins and outs of a vehicle. There are days where I find something new that I never even knew existed, and other days it’s as if I’ve had it in my garage forever.
It’s a pretty easy vehicle to live with, and that’s what I’m here to talk about. I’ve already given you all of the facts about this small SUV in my introduction piece, but this instalment is to assess its practicality.
First, let me recap the basics. The Mini I’ve got my hands on is the 2021 Mini Countryman Cooper S Mini Yours, it’s finished in British Racing Green, and starts from $61,400 plus on-roads.
It’s the largest offering in the Mini range, and while it may be a small SUV, size really doesn’t matter if the layout is executed well.
Speaking of which, the Mini Countryman measures in at 4297mm long, 1822mm wide and 1557mm high with a ground clearance of 165mm. To put this into context, that’s 89mm longer, 28mm wider and 49mm higher than the Audi Q2 – sitting higher than its rival by 21mm.
Small, maybe not so much.
| Key details | 2021 Mini Countryman Cooper S Mini Yours |
| Price (MSRP) | $61,400 plus on-road costs |
| Colour of test car | British Racing Green |
| Options | Metallic paint – no cost Black bonnet stripes – no cost Satellite Grey Chester interior – no cost British Spoke 19-inch alloy wheels – no cost |
| Price as tested | $61,400 plus on-road costs |
| Rivals | Volvo XC40, | Audi Q2 |
Sitting in the cabin, you’re greeted with that Mini quirkiness – the ambient lighting, the funky-looking toggles, and the Union Jack badging throughout. It really feels like, well, a Mini. But beyond all that, there’s a great sense of space when sitting in the driver’s seat.
Up front is where they’ve nailed the practicality brief, with more than enough storage than you’d expect for an SUV of this size.
The door bins are large enough to fit my oversized water bottle, while there’s an additional storage cubby near the two cupholders – something I always rely on for my keys and in this case my phone.
This is its one shortfall – the wireless charger for your phone is located in a compartment on top of the armrest, but if you have a larger iPhone like I do, it unfortunately doesn’t fit. Something for Mini to update in the future, perhaps.
Other than the size mishap, the centre armrest is handy if you need to store bigger items underneath, as it can swing up out of the way.
The front row also has access to two USB-C ports, for charging and media streaming, plus wireless Apple CarPlay, but sorry Android users, you miss out here as Android Auto isn’t fitted.
In terms of functionality – the Apple CarPlay has had its moments, but the thing to take away from here is the ergonomic design of the cabin as a whole. Accessing the vast array of functions is simple, whether it’s via steering wheel controls or the nifty rotary control conveniently positioned within intuitive reach in the centre console.
Within the system lies inbuilt navigation, DAB+ digital radio, Bluetooth, and online connectivity – capable of providing daily news highlights and weather. It’s all straightforward, and it doesn’t take long to get used to the menus, complete with some funky graphics.
What’s more, various functions, such as music and phone information, sit on the pop-up head-up display, enabling you to scroll through on the move.
However, the design of the flip-up head-up display meant there have been moments where I’ve found myself having to adjust my seat positioning or the steering wheel height to capture all of the information on the display screen ahead of me.
| 2021 Mini Countryman Cooper S Mini Yours | |
| Seats | Five |
| Boot volume | 450L seats up / 1390L seats folded |
| Length | 4297mm |
| Width | 1822mm |
| Height | 1557mm |
| Wheelbase | 2670mm |
In the way of rear space, occupants aren’t at all restricted. In fact, it’s quite a nice place to be with all of the standard niceties you’d expect from a luxury offering.
These include dedicated air vents, two USB-C ports, seat back pockets, decent-sized door bins, and considerable head and leg room. I’ve managed to fit three adults in the back, granted, it’s a little crammed, but two is a more than comfortable ride from the back seat.
The rear of the Mini is perhaps one of its greatest assets and configurable for a multitude of needs. The rear seats fold with a 40:20:40 division, meaning they’re capable of splitting three ways. This means that when you have longer items, you can fold the middle seat down and keep the outboard spots upright for passengers.
It’s nice to have the option. However, if there’s one thing I need to make mention of, and it really irks me, there’s no way to pop the seats down from the boot. You have to venture around through the back doors to access the handles. Something I still haven’t overcome and continue to forget on a daily.
The Countryman’s boot is substantial, offering 450L with the seats up and 1390L with the seats down. In comparison, the Audi Q2 provides 405L with a maximum capacity of 1050L, so the Mini has the Audi covered. However, it doesn’t win the seats-up battle against the Volvo XC40 which boasts 460L of cargo space, or 1336L with seats folded.
What’s more, the Mini’s boot can be accessed via a power tailgate and also contains a handy folding floor mat with storage underneath. And as it sits on run-flat tyres, there’s no spare in the boot.
So far, I’ve put this Mini to the ultimate test. It’s been my companion on Christmas shopping outings and on weekends away – packing it with my many suitcases.
Rewind a couple of months when I initially met the Countryman, I wasn’t convinced that this modern take on a small SUV would have an abundance of necessities on offer – space, functionality and versatility. It’s ticking a lot of boxes so far.
Stay tuned for my next chapter where I’ll be testing the Mini out on the road – not just as an urban runabout, but for longer trips too.
MORE: Long-term report one: Introduction
MORE: All long-term reviews
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