Audi Q2 v MINI Countryman 2017 Comparison

The proposition
Looking at Australian new-car sales, it’s little wonder that car-makers are keen to include as many SUVs as possible in their model line-ups. It’s certainly where the action is.

And while it’s accepted that the term SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle) has grown to embrace a wide variety of car types today, it’s remarkable what some people think qualifies as such.

Take a small hatchback, add a bit of macho bodywork, and that’s about it for some. It certainly doesn’t need to offer all-wheel drive and, equally, what’s the point of a raised ground clearance if you’re never to go anywhere remotely off-road?

And forget about the tailgate spare wheel, the upright styling and the multi-purpose tyres…

Differing approaches
For these reasons, Audi’s fourth SUV – and its smallest so far – the Q2 (introduced in February this year), and the latest iteration of MINI’s Countryman (following in March), make interesting bedfellows: The sleekly-angular Audi has a strong emphasis on style and thus, to some extent, sacrifices practicality, where the MINI, even though it’s also styling-centric, is a combination of quirky bumps and bulges that add up to a more useful take on the theme.

Standard roof rails better fit with what most people expect of a small SUV, too.

Tellingly, the Audi Q2 is about the same size as that generic small car, the Toyota Corolla hatch. It’s a bit shorter, just 34mm wider, stands only 23mm higher in S line sport package form as tested here, and shares a virtually identical wheelbase. Its ground clearance is a mere 147mm – and even less with sport suspension, which brings it closer to the ground than a Corolla – while the Countryman rates a bit better at 165mm.

Both turn pretty tight too: The Q2 swings from kerb to kerb in 11.1m, while the Countryman is quoted at 11.4.

Conceptually, the MINI Countryman are remarkably similar. Both employ a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine and both factor-in all-wheel drive (although 2WD is used on lesser models) with a similar array of new-tech safety functions including low-speed autonomous emergency braking – although the Cooper SD Countryman does come with standard automated parking and adaptive cruise control.

The big differences come in the packaging: The latest-generation Countryman is a bigger car than its predecessor and, despite the fact it out-measures the Q2 in every body dimension, it actually weighs around 70kg less.

For this comparison we decided to look at the premium, diesel versions of both – the $47,900 (before on-roads) Q2 Sport TDI quattro and the $51,500 top-spec Cooper SD version of the Countryman.

Out with the tape measure
As you’d expect, the Countryman’s extra millimetres help.

Not only does it quote more generous load-carrying abilities, from a quite remarkable 450-litre boot to a fully-folded capacity of 1390 litres – shading the Audi’s 405/1050-litre capacity – it’s noticeably more accommodating for passengers too, in both the front and rear of the cabin.

Step into the Countryman’s back seat (rather than drop into it as is the case with the Q2) and you’re greeted by great legroom, heaps of headroom and surprisingly adequate shoulder space.

The Q2 does okay, but nowhere is there the sense of space offered in its rival – right down to the door bins which are nothing like as handy and spacious as the Countryman (which also makes better use of the centre console/armrest region). And even this top-spec Audi misses out on the rear-passenger air vents provided in the MINI.

Stepping around to the respective rear-ends with their power-operated tailgates, we submitted both to the mountain bike test: Yes, both will accept an adult-size treadly with the front wheels removed, except the Q2’s 20:60:20 split-fold rear seat (a $450 option) drops down a little more readily with easier to reach controls and paired outer right-side seats that drop down together. The Countryman’s releases are bit more difficult to work with, although there’s little in it – and here the 20:60:20 arrangement is standard, not optional.

The Countryman’s extra C-pillar glassware, and its deeper side windows, contribute to a slightly more airy sense than the Audi with its chunky C-pillars and elevated waistline.

And, as alluded to earlier, the Countryman’s slightly more elevated seats provide the driver with a subtle sense of command and assist passengers to enter and leave with dignity.

Internal aesthetics
Q2 and Countryman are entirely divergent in their approaches to interior decoration. Where the Q2’s futuristic interior mirrors its pleasing, edgy exterior, the Countryman is a showcase for the design language initiated when the first new-generation MINI arrived in 2002.

The Countryman leaps out to greet you with its massive circular colour LCD screen, its steering column-attached instrument dials and the rows of toggle switches, while the Q2 is less tricky, more restrained-Germanic and possibly less confusing initially.

Although it’s the MINI that grabs attention, the Audi’s tablet-style screen sitting atop the dash, and the less-complex siting of the controls will have more appeal for many. There was no argument that the Q2’s $2500 Technik package – which includes Audi’s Virtual Cockpit in which the driver is able to configure a supplementary 12.3-inch screen directly ahead of the steering wheel – adds an extra sense of premium, but opinions were divided on its merits.

When it comes to the crunch, these cars are pretty easily acquainted with. Both have an appropriately satisfying quality feel via rock-solid, precision-fit furnishings, plenty of soft-touch surfaces and nicely tactile controls.

There were no qualms about connectivity functions either. Our testers liked the iDrive-style controllers set into the centre console of both Audi and MINI, which enabled the driver to move between functions intuitively while still keeping a close watch on the road.

The road trip
If there was a tendency to favour the MINI in terms of overall packaging, the tables were turned – in most ways – when we hit the road.

Instantly the Q2 felt more responsive, both via its remarkably-quick steering (minutely more than two turns from lock-to-lock) and – even though our test car was equipped with the $1500 optional S-line sport package – a slightly more absorbent ride.

The package stiffens up the suspension, lowers ride height by 10mm and is accompanied by upgrades to internal accoutrements including a flat-bottom steering wheel with shift paddles, plus various titillations including illuminated aluminium door sills and aluminium-accented floor pedals.

By comparison the less-optioned Countryman felt a bit more prone to moving around on its suspension, with suggestions it could easily transition into roll-oversteer under brakes on tight, twisting declines. The Q2 – admittedly helped by the sport suspension – simply hunkered down and evinced a confident feeling of predictability and stability. The MINI’s run-flat tyres contributed a little to its sensitivity to sharp road-surface impacts too.

As for the drive systems, both on-demand – dubbed ALL4 for the Countryman and quattro for the Q2 – there’s nothing to indicate their presence, either visually, or in a tactile sense. That is, unless you’re driving on a rain-slicked or muddy road where all-wheel drive is always going to be more secure than front-drive.

That the Cooper SD-spec Countryman had an edge on power supply there was no doubt, although both felt adequately responsive. For the record, MINI claims zero to 100km/h acceleration in 7.4sec, while Audi quotes 8.1.

Both offer a meaty mid-range coming in from as low as 1750rpm, although the Countryman has a definite edge: It produces a maximum 400Nm of torque against the Audi’s 340Nm and, again, is assisted by its lower weight.

The Audi’s seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch gearbox doesn’t have quite the silky-shifting characteristics of the conventional eight-speeder used in the Countryman but it does help with fuel economy: The claims are 5.0 and 5.2L/100km for Audi and MINI respectively, but we found the Q2 – although we never got anywhere near the official claims – was consistently less consumptive with computer averages suggesting 7.0 against 7.7L/100km for the Countryman.

The Audi’s slightly larger 55-litre fuel tank (51 litres in the MINI) helps with the cruising range too.

In the unlikely event you might wish to pull something behind your Q2 or Countryman, both quote a reasonable braked towing capacity of 1800kg.

The safety
As mentioned earlier, both Audi and MINI come with low-seed autonomous emergency braking as standard, but the Countryman sneaks ahead by also factoring in active cruise control and self-parking capability, both of which add to the price of the Q2.

Still, lane-departure warning, auto-steering to prevent wandering off-course and blind-spot monitoring are extra-cost on both.

So far, only Audi is quoting a EuroNCAP five-star safety rating for the seven-airbag Q2. As yet, the (six-airbag) Countryman doesn’t have a rating. The previous Countryman rated four stars – as does the current-generation MINI coupe – so we’ll have to wait.

The ownership
Naturally both Audi and MINI are keen to present the best possible face for a prospective buyer and the warranty/servicing arrangements diverge little from each other.

Both come with a three-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty including roadside assist. The servicing arrangements are similar except that the MINI runs with BMW’s variable-interval system in which servicing is calculated on individual vehicle use.

Also offered are MINI Service Inclusive pay-in-advance deals which cover the vehicle as far as five years ahead. The Audi asks to be serviced every year, or every 15,000km, whichever comes first, and is offered with a pay-in-advance Audi Service Plan arrangement similar to that of the Countryman.

The verdict
Initial expectations were turned on their head as, after a lot of deliberation, our team ended up giving the nod to the MINI Countryman.

While there’s nothing to choose between them in terms of quality, refinement and outright capabilities, the MINI negated its dynamic shortfalls with the far better deal it offers passengers, its bigger load capacity, slightly better safety credentials and its performance edge.

But are these SUVs, or merely small hatchbacks with the option of all-wheel drive?
Frankly, both Q2 and Countryman struggle to convince. Neither of our test cars could be pointed confidently at an even slightly rutted track and, despite the short overhangs, steep gutters – especially in the Q2 – can be cause for trepidation.

Not that any of this is likely to concern the defined target market.

These are clearly little more than premium-class urban runabouts. Whether or not they are able to deliver on the SUV promise is almost irrelevant.

However, if there are any aspirations to get your feet slightly dirty, or you have any care about passenger comfort/space or overall load-carrying ability, the Countryman will do a better job.

2017 Audi Q2 Sport TDI quattro pricing and specifications:
Price: $47,900 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 110kW/340Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch
Fuel: 5.0L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 131g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star (EuroNCAP)

2017 MINI Cooper SD Countryman pricing and specifications:
Price: $51,500 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 140kW/400Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 5.2L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 138g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: N/A

Related reading:
>> Audi Q2 Australian Launch Review
>> MINI Countryman Australian Launch Review