Review: MINI Countryman C

Mini Countryman C

Price: £28,500 (£40,300 as tested)

Engine: Three cylinder 1.5-litre, petrol

Power: 167bhp

Torque: 206lb/ft

Transmission: Seven-speed automatic

Top speed: 132mph

0-62mph: 8.3 seconds

Economy: 44mpg

CO 2 emissions:164g/km

Like most motorists of my generation I‘ve owned a Mini or two.

My first experience though was as a learner driver. A very brave aunt agreed to take me out in her cherished Mini.

I’ve no idea what model it was but I seem to recall it was red. It was not a success. I terrified the poor woman to such an extent that she never volunteered to accompany me again. She still mentions it occasionally more than 40 years later.

Time moved on, I passed my test and acquired a blue Mini of dubious origin. It was a bonus if it started and even more so if it kept going for any length of time.

When it rained water squirted through the holes in the floor pan and I kept a large bottle in the footwell to bash the battery terminals when they became disconnected. The folly of youth.

Of course the new generation of MINIs are nothing like their predecessors - only the name remains, albeit spelled in capitals.

I was a bit nonplussed at first in 2001 when BMW reimagined the fondly remembered car of my youth but in the intervening years I’ve come to love it.

The version on test here is the Countryman - a bigger version that has been around in some form since 2010 (now in its third generation).

It soon took off and became a much-loved variant. More practical and comfortable as an everyday car while still retaining the styling cues so beloved of MINI devotees.

The interior is dominated by an enormous round infotainment screen which measures some 240mm. I should have spent more time learning how to use it though before venturing out on my initial drive as it does take some fathoming.

I found the sat nav instructions confoundingly complicated to follow. As you approach a junction the screen changes to a camera view. I didn’t know where to look. Should I follow the image or the map? The result was I got lost in Halifax after a night at the theatre.

That said, I loved everything else about the Countryman. It has a nice solid presence with short overhangs and bonnet, large wheels and wheel arches and a slightly curved roof.

Is smart and functional and has a number of innovative features I like.

In particular the MINI Experience modes which change the screen graphics and cabin lighting to suit (Core, Green, Go-Kart, Personal, Vivid, Timeless, Trail and Balance) and three driving modes. You can even change how the headlights and rear lights look.

The interior is smart and the knitted trim has a nice feel to it. There is plenty of space in the front and the rear seats are surprisingly roomy.

We had the entry level C model with a starting price of £28,500. It was stacked up with thousands of pounds of extras - £11,800 to be exact and too numerous to mention here.

There’s barely space to mention the driving experience which was splendid. Whether hustling along country lanes or getting lost in urban streets it was a joy to drive.

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