This review first appeared in the February 2025 edition of the Cruisin' News, "Oregon, Nevada and California's classic auto news & marketplace."
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Sacramento, California -- C'mon, admit it. When you're out there shopping for a small sport-utility vehicle, your eyes can get weary wading through the blizzard of offerings on the market.
Maybe you want something different. Maybe you want something Euro.
You want different? How about rear lights that form a British Union Jack pattern? The centered screen display in the cabin is a large oval, about the size of a serious dinner plate. The gear shifter is about the size of a typical key ignition on a 1990s American model.
I could go on and on, but it would spoil the fun of opening these various Euro surprises.
And that Euro part is a little tricky.
Traditionally British Mini is now under the BMW ownership umbrella, which explains the tester's final assembly point of Leipzig, Germany.
Frankly, it doesn't matter who built it. It's an attractive, head-turning model with a fireball under the hood.
That would be the 2-liter turbo-4 rated at 241 horsepower. That power plant is a joyful blast on the open road. Blazing down freeway entrance ramps, the tester dug in and zipped into tight spots with ease. Accelerations from a standing start got my pulse racing.
The vehicle's tight wheelbase made for agile handling on crowded city streets. The tester darted in and out of small gaps with just a touch on the accelerator. Definitely fun.
The fold-down seats provide a surprising amount of room for cargo. And fuel mileage is pretty fine at 24 miles per gallon in the city and 32 mpg on the highway.
My tester was dressed up extra fancy -- including a Harman Kardon surround-sound audio system -- bringing the bottom line to $44,295.
I should note that buyers have several styles -- Classic, Favoured, and John Cooper Works -- to choose from. Each features brand-specific exterior/interior touches.
This Countryman was an enjoyable machine on several fronts. In the end, I appreciated its versatility. I saw it as a fun suburban workhorse, and just as much fun as a road trip rambler for those who like spur-of-the-moment adventures.
Either way, the Euro elements are a plus.
