I drove the Mini Cooper Countryman EV for a week — here’s my pros and cons

Every once in a while, I come across an electric car that somehow manages to surprise me. The Mini Cooper Countryman EV is one of those electric vehicles I didn’t care much about, until I actually got inside of one for the first time.

Most of the Mini Coopers on the road instantly draw attention, due in part to their compact size and distinct looks. However, the 2025 Mini Cooper Countryman SE All4 distinguishes itself as a bigger vehicle because it’s a compact crossover SUV. For an EV it’s undeniably attractive with a base price of $45,200.

After driving it for a week, I have to say it’s one of the most memorable rides I’ve tested. This comes after other crossovers I’ve driven, like the Nissan Ariya, Hyundai Ioniq 5, and Honda Prologue.

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2025 Mini Cooper Countryman SE All4: specifications

2025 Mini Cooper Countryman SE All4: Testing Summary

I drove 298.3 miles in total with my week’s worth of testing the Mini Cooper Countryman SE All4, reaching an average efficiency of 3.2 mi/kWh. Given its sporty drive, I didn’t have high expectations that it would exceed 3 mi/kWh — so you can imagine the surprise I was greeted with when I was done testing it out.

Even though it’s not the best efficiency I’ve achieved with a crossover SUV, I’m astounded because of how it’s a much more thrilling ride than everything else I’ve tested around this price point. With my long distance driving test, it achieves an efficiency of 3.5 mi/kWh traveling a distance of 41.8 miles.

Speaking of its performance, its tight steering and zippy acceleration makes for a fun drive. In fact, it comes close to matching the BMW i4 M50 Gran Coupe. On the highway, its tight steering makes bends on the road a breeze to handle, while getting to top speed is no problem thanks to its 308hp performance.

In 10.45 hours of Level 1 charging at home, it added back 31 miles of range — which comes to about a rate of 2.96 mi/hr. That’s better than average for what I normally get with Level 1 charging, but I did set the charging current to not exceed 15A. I didn’t go beyond that for safety reasons, but if you intend on driving a lot each day, I suggest getting a Level 2 charger.

2025 Mini Cooper Countryman SE All4: What I Like

Tight handling, strong performance

I wasn’t joking when I said that the Mini Cooper Countryman SE All4 is the most fun I’ve had driving so far this year. Much like its smaller siblings, this crossover SUV offers excellent acceleration and tight steering — making it feel more like a sports car than an SUV. The only thing better in my opinion is the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, which has a boost mode that makes it fly from a complete stop.

Circular OLED display

I’ve seen some cool looking displays, like the holographic display in the Genesis GV70 or the roll-out display of the Lucid Air Pure, but the Mini Cooper Countryman EV has a 9.4-inch circular OLED display smack in the middle of the dashboard. Not only is it exceptionally bright, but it’s also vivid. Colors have such a rich tone to them, which makes the colors in other displays appear muted.

Retracting head-up display

The 2025 Mini Cooper Countryman SE All4 doesn’t have a traditional cluster display above the steering wheel. Instead, it features a neat head-up display that comes up from the inside of the driver’s side dashboard. Surprisingly, it’s bright and visible enough — all while remaining discreet looking at night.

High quality cameras

Just like today’s best camera phones, EVs should also have high-quality cameras. The Countryman SE All4 doesn’t disappoint here because it rivals the cameras in the Rivian R1T, which effectively uses HDR to better draw out detail in high-contrast scenes. Not only can I better make out details while backing up, but the cameras are also effective at neutralizing bright spots that help out its driving assistance features.

Winking unlock sequence

I've seen some EVs with ornate light shows when unlocking them, like on the Cadillac Lyriq and Acura ZDX Type-S, and the Countryman has its own performance. There’s a lot of character with this EV from the moment I unlock the vehicle with the FOB.

That’s because of the charming sequence it goes through that quickly flashes the headlights on and projects the Mini logo on the sides of the SUV. If that’s not enough, it ends the sequence by ‘winking’ at you.

Outstanding surround sound system

I like my music heavy and loud, so a good sound system is important. Even though the Rivian R1T still has my favorite sound system, the 2025 Mini Cooper Countryman SE All4 comes in at a solid second place.

Boasting a Harman Kardon Premium Sound System, it does this magical thing in making the music surround you — much like you’re in the middle of a live concert. This experience is also amplified by the amount of bass that the 6 speakers deliver, which complements its fun driving style.

Assisted driving plus

The Mini Cooper Countryman SE All4 is perfect for long distance driving thanks in part to its assisted cruise control system. Meaning, it’ll maintain its lane and speed when it’s activated — while also applying the necessary braking and acceleration.

But it’s the assisted driving plus feature that makes the driving experience more seamless, largely due to how it reacts for me. When enabled, it leans on camera and radar-based driver assistance systems to react to my driving. For example, if I don’t start applying the brakes as I near the vehicle in front of me, it’ll automatically apply a soft brake.

Stunning lights everywhere

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When it gets dark out, the headlights and brake lights of the Mini Cooper Countryman EV continue to make sure it gets noticed. Small details like how the brake lights are essentially two halves of the U.K. flag make it special, while the inside gets treated to unique ambient lights that get projected from a light source onto the fabric textured dashboard.

Panoramic sunroof

Panoramic sunroofs never get old, but the nice thing about it on the Mini Cooper Countryman is that it comes standard with the base trim. Similar to others, it’s a sprawling glass rooftop that gives your passengers something to look while passing the time. For warmer weather, it also opens to let in a breeze through the interior space.

2025 Mini Cooper Countryman SE All4: What I Don't Like

Short range

As much as I love driving this EV, the only downside to it is the short 212 miles you get from its 64.7 kWh battery. This is much less than what you’d get on a Subaru Solterra or Toyota bZ4X. In fact, the only EV that my colleagues and I have tested in the last year with less range is the Fiat 500e EV at 139 miles. Commuters with long drives might find this problematic, but I personally don’t since my daily commute comes out to under 40 miles daily.

2025 Mini Cooper Countryman SE All4: bottom line

I could see myself driving the Mini Cooper Countryman SE All4 because of its excellent driving performance, better than expected efficiency, premium features, utility, and surprising value. The trim I tested adds in another $3,200 to the price, but comes with parking assistance, the Harmon Kardon premium sound system I mentioned, an interior camera, powered front seats, and more.

All told, the $48,400 total for the Countryman has more value in my opinion than the Nissan Ariya and Hyundai Ioniq 5 I’ve tested. Add in the fact that this Mini Cooper is a crossover, its deep trunk space and ample legroom in the backseats also makes it an ideal family car that’s fun to drive and looks stunning on the road.

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