The 2025 Mini Countryman S Is Just Shy of a JCW

Mini’s Countryman SUV is new for 2025, and like the outgoing model, it’s being offered in both S and John Cooper Works guises, the latter of which we already drove in Portugal this past February. We just wrapped up a three-day stint of driving, following along with this year’s edition of the Mini Takes the States road rally, where we were able to sample the JCW again and also drive the new Countryman S for the first time. And the two feel more closely related than you might think.

While the JCW sounds a bit ruder and moves with a bit more hurry, the Countryman S doesn’t feel too far off. Its 241-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four makes 71 fewer horsepower than the JCW’s 312-hp unit, but the two share a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and all-wheel drive system.

Mini estimates the Countryman S will hit 60 mph in 6.2 seconds versus the JCW’s 5.2-second estimate, and that delta feels about right in our experience. Still, the S confidently charged up the winding mountain roads on our drive from Grand Junction, Colorado, to Salt Lake City, Utah.

The Countryman has grown a fair bit for 2025. It’s over five inches longer, almost an inch wider, and close to four inches taller than the 2024 model. With its extra mass, the new Countryman feels far larger on the road than a Mini ought to. That was also evident when seeing it parked among the hundreds of previous-generation Coopers, Clubmans, and Countrymans that turned out for the rally.

While it was possible to forget you were driving an SUV in the last-gen Countryman, the new model’s tall-in-the-saddle feeling never fades. You can sense the higher center of gravity more in the S than in the JCW, but you have to be moving quite briskly to notice.

Steering is quick and fairly communicative, although neither of the SUVs satisfies quite like the new Cooper S hatchback in this metric. The ride is good though, and the Countryman S feels more compliant than the JCW and less antsy at highway cruising speeds.

A comprehensive interior makeover has elevated the 2025 Countryman’s panache while still leaving some of Mini’s characteristic playfulness. The circular infotainment display, for example, lets you choose from a variety of themes, including one that emulates the gauge cluster of a vintage Cooper. Textile-covered panels on the dash and upper door panels look rich, and there’s more attention paid to storage cubbies and ergonomics this time around. There’s also a sizable cargo hold and a rear seat that can easily fit two adults for an extended road trip without complaints; we fit three abreast for a short commute back from dinner, but it was a squeeze.

Of course, you get all that with the JCW too, and for some buyers, the extra horsepower will be a big draw to that top model. But the price difference is substantial, and those who choose to forgo the $8000 upcharge by sticking with the S aren’t compromising on fun.

But perhaps prospective buyers would rather spend some of that difference on features instead of power. Our test car was a loaded Iconic-trim model with the Favoured appearance package, which added handsome 20-inch wheels and sport seats with driver-side massaging. It also had a Harman/Kardon stereo system and the Comfort Package Max, which includes a wireless smartphone charging pad, augmented-reality navigation, and adaptive cruise control with lane centering. At $44,295, that represents $4400 in options or just a little more than half the cost to upgrade to the base JCW.

With its newfound refinement and extra interior space, the Countryman S also finds itself in a better position to compete with the likes of the BMW X1, the Mercedes-Benz GLB-class, and the Volvo XC40. The new Countryman is a more well-rounded product than before, and the effort and attention to detail that Mini has made during this latest redesign is obvious no matter which version you drive.

Source: Reviews - aranddriver.com