You’ll by no means confuse this automobile for the rest, besides one other Mini, possibly.
Andrew Krok/Roadshow
Mini’s Oxford trims are supposed to present nice worth for brand new automobile consumers with out breaking the financial institution. New for 2021, the Mini Countryman Oxford Edition wraps these efforts in a compact SUV shell, giving consumers additional house with out a vital footprint. Trouble is, while you strip away the fripperies that Mini shoehorns into its costlier variants and begin evaluating it to the competitors, what stays would not precisely really feel like a terrific worth.
LikeUnique aestheticsDecently roomy
Don’t LikeIncorrigible nickel and dimingAsthmatic inline-3Uncomfortable journey
The 2021 Mini Countryman is a unusual little factor. In a world of ever-sharpening creases and aggressive styling, the Mini’s Hardtop-but-stung-by-a-bee curvature provides a friendlier aesthetic different. The headlights are anime-character huge and the Union Jack design within the taillights is enjoyable. The Oxford Edition rides on 18-inch wheels (the bottom mannequin will get 17s), making the entire shebang look rather less entry-level than it’s.Inside, the Countryman’s aesthetics once more separate it from the pack, however on the identical time, it feels a little bit meh for a automobile carrying a $30,000 price ticket. None of the softer plastics really feel notably premium, however they do a terrific job at choosing up and holding onto extra mud than more durable supplies typically would. The huge swath of trim throughout the center layer of the dashboard appears to be like cool on costlier variants, however the Oxford’s shiny grey piece appears to be like sort of boring and low-cost. It’s higher than piano black, although, as a result of this one no less than hides fingerprints higher. Then there’s the aviation-style switchgear, which can endlessly stay probably the most rewarding toggles to flip within the auto trade.
2021 Mini Countryman Oxford Edition has a recent, pleasant face
See all pictures
Despite its small kind issue, the Countryman is decently practical. The tray forward of the cup holders is nice for stashing a telephone or a masks, whereas an uncovered tray below the armrest is sizable sufficient for a small purse. Visibility is strong, too, because of tall glass and styling that does not sacrifice a lot for a horny roofline. The Countryman’s form additionally means there’s ample inside house for adults throughout each rows.The 2021 Mini Countryman shouldn’t be with out its drawbacks, although. The cargo space has a low load ground, which is good, however its general capability of 17.6 cubic toes behind the second row lags behind almost each possible competitor, from premium choices just like the Volvo XC40 (20.7 cu. ft.) to mass-market subcompacts just like the Kia Soul (24.2) and Hyundai Kona (19.2). The single USB-A port up entrance smashes your cable in opposition to no matter’s within the cup holders. The inside door handles are the alternative of ergonomic, a characteristic I’ve disliked from the start. Perhaps most galling, although, is the second-row heart armrest, which does not exist with out a $850 Convenience Package that is not even out there on the bottom trim.
BMW’s dedication to squeeze each milliliter of blood from the stones which might be its prospects’ wallets extends to the Mini Countryman’s in-car tech. As a younger, strapping new-car purchaser, maybe you have heard of those little issues known as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Perhaps you have observed that they are now normal tools in a staggering variety of new automobiles throughout the socioeconomic spectrum. While the Oxford Edition does supply an 8.8-inch touchscreen show that is bigger than the usual 6.5-inch getup, you’ll be able to’t get it with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto or navigation. It’ll nonetheless play music out of your app of alternative by way of USB or Bluetooth, however when you’re driving someplace unfamiliar, you are caught making an attempt to stare at a tiny Google Maps display down within the cup holder. Considering you get CarPlay normal in a Chevrolet Spark, Mini’s determination to lock value-seeking consumers out of a typically important technological inclusion is, frankly, silly and pointless; certain, it is out there on different trims, which makes the omission right here really feel totally pointless. The huge, LED-bedecked round bezel across the display makes it laborious to press the tiny icons alongside the touchscreen’s edges, however typically, this iteration of BMW’s iDrive software program is okay.
Since the Oxford Edition is supposed as a no-haggle, what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of trim, security methods are restricted to probably the most notable ones. This Countryman comes normal with forward-collision warning, automated emergency braking and rear parking sensors. If you need entry to adaptive cruise management, a head-up show or self-parking help, you will have to maneuver to a costlier trim and throw a $1,250 package deal into the combination. If you are searching for lane-departure warning, lane-keeping help or blind-spot monitoring, you will have to take a look at a special automobile totally.The Mini’s inside hasn’t modified an excessive amount of over time.
Andrew Krok/Roadshow
That leaves us with the driving expertise. Guess what? That’s underwhelming, too. The Countryman Oxford’s sole engine providing is the bottom 1.5-liter inline-3 that produces 134 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque. It’ll generate sufficient oomph to dart via city visitors with ease, but it surely feels useless beneath the belt in wider-open suburban and exurban settings. Constantly sounding as if it is performing below duress, this three-banger doesn’t just like the freeway, and even one thing so simple as accelerating from 70 to 80 mph requires planning. The scenario is dire even on paper, with my all-wheel-drive tester set to achieve 60 mph in a leisurely 9.6 seconds.The seven-speed dual-clutch transmission is at its greatest when it would not want to vary gears; pushing off from a stoplight feels clunky, deceleration incurs low-speed driveline vibrations and the stop-start system is so annoyingly apparent that I’m keen to pay the additional gasoline cash to maintain it off completely. It’s not very environment friendly, both, providing simply 23 miles per gallon metropolis and 32 mpg freeway because it tries to shove round 3,300-plus kilos with 4 pushed wheels. Oh, and it requires premium gasoline.Maybe the journey is OK? Nah, fam. In its personal web site copy, Mini refers back to the Oxford Edition’s fastened suspension as “super-tight,” which is correct to the advantage of no person. The Countryman is perennially stiff, transferring all method of bumps and humps on to the occupants’ skeletons, and in city areas the place the inline-3 thrives, meaning the journey will virtually all the time be uncomfortable. Sure, its dealing with is flat as a pancake, which might make for some thrilling occasions on curvy roads, however not when an engine this weak has to maneuver this a lot mass with a transmission that’s loath to behave with any diploma of haste.Mini’s little three-cylinder engine could also be advantageous in purely city environments, however as soon as the roads open up, it is laborious for this little man to take care of tempo.
Andrew Krok/Roadshow
I might forgive plenty of this if the 2021 Countryman Oxford truly offered a strong worth, however BMW’s affect bleeds into the worth, too. Including $850 in vacation spot costs, my all-wheel-drive tester rings in at $29,350, which I really feel is about $4,000 too excessive given what you’ll be able to’t get. Yes, there’s some worth inherent in among the normal tools, which incorporates automated local weather management, heated entrance seats and the bigger touchscreen, however while you line this wannabe-premium providing up in opposition to mass-market subcompact rivals just like the Hyundai Kona or Mazda CX-30, it is laborious to suggest the Mini when its rivals supply a lot extra. Slightly costlier base-trim variants of the Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class and Volvo XC40 really feel way more totally baked, too, even when the window sticker asks a bit extra out of your paycheck.That’s the difficulty with the 2021 Mini Countryman. Even in its Oxford Edition trim, making an attempt to face out from the gang is not sufficient to outweigh an undermotivated powertrain and unusual characteristic packaging with some very notable omissions. If you merely should worm your means into the BMW life-style earlier than possessing the monetary means to place a Roundel in your storage, the Countryman will serve its mission, however while you take quite a lot of different components (and automobiles) into consideration, its luster fades rapidly.
Climb within the driver’s seat for the newest automobile information and critiques, delivered to your inbox twice weekly.