So there really isn’t anything in a name, is there? I mean, we often think that a name like, oh, I don’t know. . . Mini, for example, implies a certain type of vehicle. The name is known the world over as a smaller version of something else, or in car circles, conjures up images of the famous Mini Cooper which was one of the first (and one of the most successful) micro cars ever produced. The original British marque has been part of BMW in 2001, and since then has not only been a hit but is continuously sprouting new variants that take the Mini name to places it’s never been before. And, wonder of wonders, this even means the land to of the SUV and the Mini Countryman, which is a properly pumped-up Mini that still has the general aspect but looks like a charge into the bush (intended, this time) is certainly not completely out of the question. Sporting a larger size, more ground clearance and available with All Wheel Drive, the Countryman might initially make you think the standard Mini has suffered an allergic reaction to some shellfish, or at least Shell gas.

But once you get used to the proportions what you have is a big Mini, and it makes the car much roomier and with the optional ALL4 All Wheel Drive system you have all-weather capability and the possibility of venturing off the road as much as you think your nerves will allow (this is still a British sports compact, and not a Range Rover). I sampled a Cooper S Countryman with the AWD drivetrain, and found it to be an eccentric, but very fun, and undeniably unique, SUV.  There’s no locking center differential or low range on the test mule, but it does have good all-road capability which is what I think they’re really driving at to begin with. 

And as driving in a spirited manner is what the whole Mini thing is really about, you have to have a proper drivetrain such as a stout little Inline Four with a twin-scroll turbocharger, which in the engine room of this Countryman displaces 1.6 liters and summons forth 181 horsepower. You can get a 6-speed manual gearbox, while my CountryDude was armed with the latest in STEPTRONIC automatic transmission hardware with 6-speeds and paddle shifters on the steering wheel for the manual mode. Shifts are crisp in either manual or automatic mode, and the turbo is very smoothly integrated into the power delivery without any abrupt peaks or valleys. The “wheel at every corner; I’m still a go-cart I just like fried food” architecture makes the Countryman fun to hustle around, and although it is carrying more mass it’s still light on its feet. Better suspension compliance is another benefit of the higher SUV-ish chassis as it allows for a bit more wheel travel, or so it seems anyway. 

Inside there’s a truly accessible and serviceable rear seat, no doubt the roomiest of any Mini to date. With the rear seats folded you have 41 cubic feet of load space. So this Mighty Mini is very competitive in the class in terms of room, but offers it’s own unique personality and way of doing things (like that speedometer that is only slightly smaller than a garbage can lid). The controls still have the typical Mini toggle switch madness but the NAV display in that huge speedo is unusually sharp and attractive. It’s properly spooled-up wee Inline Four delivered 28.4 MPG in mixed driving, which is very good for the class. 

I have no idea how appealing the Countryman is in your neck of the woods, but here in the Northeast I see a fair number running around so there’s definitely a desire for a true Four-Season Mini with more room and yet still the same overall personality and economy with much more utility. The sticker on my very well-optioned tester came to $36,350, which certainly isn’t cheap but you do get something pretty unique for your money.