MINI Countryman Cooper S 2017 Review

I’m officially giving the MINI Countryman the family friendly seal of approval.

In 2006 I owned a MINI Cooper S, the three-door body style. Child-free and seemingly carefree, my compact MINI was perfect for my city-based driving and pack-light weekends away. I didn’t mind the jiggly ride (because not so much of me jiggled back then) and rarely had passengers occupying the tight second row seat.

Fast forward eleven years - two kids, more gear than sense and more discerning taste and the larger, more flexible MINI Countryman looks to have my revised needs in mind, while retaining the brand’s hallmark original retro appeal.

Storage is king
Fitting of its upsized dimensions, the Countryman’s in-cabin storage has also lifted. There are two easily accessed cup holders in front of the gear shift and a large oddment storage spot to the front of them. A glove box, lidded centre console and in-door storage complete the package up front.

The second row continues the theme with back-of-seat pockets, generous in- door storage and a centre armrest with provision for two cups. And while in- door storage and seat back pockets might not excite everyone, they’re particularly useful when road tripping with children.

Barely one week into the school holidays, the amount of paraphernalia your car has accumulated is unfathomable – drink bottles, magazines, colouring pages and textas just for starters. Having somewhere (other than the floor) to store such stuff is great.

Functional and flexible
I regularly wax lyrical about my love for 40:20:40 split fold seating… which the growing-in-appeal Countryman has. When you’re a small car punching above your weight, such flexibility matters.

With the second row in play, you’ve got a generous 450 litres (100 more than its predecessor) at your disposal. This grows to 1390 litres with the second row of seating folded flat. And in this form, the MINI Countryman happily swallowed three bikes (two kids and one adult size) plus a mix of large overnight bags. The low load height and large electrically-operated hatch opening also made packing a breeze.

The rear seat features two ISOFIX points and three child seat anchors – and the Countryman’s generous second row proportions are fit for the range of possibilities, from baby capsules to booster seats.

Good visibility from the second row keeps passengers happier for longer.

The Countryman also has a braked tow capacity of 1500kg, should the opportunity present itself.

And if you’re wondering how the rest of the MINI stable ranks on function and flexibility, check out our MINI space test.

Tech smart
On a longer than usual drive, the Countryman’s driver assist technology was a welcome feature. Adaptive cruise control is my hero on Melbourne’s many long, boring stretches of freeway. The speed limit sign recognition technology also came in handy given the never-ending roadworks we encountered.

Autonomous emergency braking is standard, as is satellite navigation, park assist and a reversing camera.

The MINI’s Bluetooth connectivity worked well and the sound system is excellent. But I wish it had Apple Carplay/Android Auto because the more I use it, the more I want it.

Family friendly approved
Ticking many of the boxes we need in order to function with as little fuss as possible, the Countryman got the family friendly seal of approval.

General consensus was that we’d happily live with this vehicle. It appears the MINI has changed as much as our needs have – and, where looks are concerned, has aged significantly better.

2017 MINI Countryman Cooper S pricing and specifications:
Price: $51,750 (as tested, plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 141kW/280Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 6.5L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 149g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP, 2017

Related reading:
>> MINI Countryman 2017 Review (Long-Term Introduction)
>> MINI Countryman 2017 Review (Update #1)
>> MINI Countryman 2017 Review (Update #2)