2023 MINI Countryman John Cooper Works Classic ALL4

　　

2023 MINI Countryman John Cooper Works Review

byReese CountsVehicle Test Editor

　　Reese Counts has worked in the automotive industry since he started as an intern at zzdcar in 2015. He has written or edited thousands of car-related articles and tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Reese is a vehicle test editor at zzdcar and has also contributed to Autoblog. Reese has also been featured on Yahoo! Finance, Engadget and AOL reviewing cars and covering automotive technology, auto shows and more. Reese learned to drive in his father's C4 Chevrolet Corvette and now owns his grandfather's 1999 Mercedes-Benz C43 AMG. A love for cars runs deep in his family.

　　, rating written byReese CountsSenior Vehicle Test Editor

　　Kurt Niebuhr has worked in the automotive industry since 2005. A automotive photographer by trade, Kurt is now one of zzdcar' high-performance test drivers. He's driven and photographed hundreds, if not thousands, of vehicles all over the world, so Kurt's library of automotive experiences would certainly make for a good book. When not dreaming about getting his racing license or trying to buy out-of-date film for his cameras, Kurt can usually be found cursing at his 1966 Mustang.

　　The 2023 Mini Countryman is a stylish compact crossover that's simultaneously the British automaker's largest model and one of the smallest SUVs on the road today. The Countryman's small size does make it less practical than most other SUVs, but in return you get an SUV that's easier to park and maneuver. It's also distinctive inside and out and fun to drive thanks to nimble handling and quick acceleration from the Cooper S and John Cooper Works versions.

　　Mini also offers a plug-in hybrid version of the Countryman called the SE All4. It provides a short amount of all-electric range — about 17 miles. After that, it switches to typical hybrid operation. It's a neat idea in theory but 17 miles isn't much for a plug-in these days. Plus, once the battery runs out, the SE All4 gets about the same fuel economy as the Cooper S even though it's a hybrid.

　　The Countryman gets a new special edition for 2023, the so-called Untamed Edition. Like the Resolute Edition and Untold Edition packages available for the Cooper Hardtop and Cooper Clubman, respectively, the Countryman Untamed Edition adds more visual flair to an already stylish vehicle. Also know that Mini stopped offering the base Countryman Cooper, the one with the three-cylinder engine, midway through the 2023 model year as well as the base Classic trim level.

　　We like the Countryman but its appeal mostly comes down to being different rather than being great. The Buick Encore GX, Mazda CX-30 and Volkswagen Taos are more well-rounded picks for an extra-small crossover. For more info on the Mini Countryman, check out our test team's Expert Rating below.

　　zzdcar Expert Rating

　　Our VerdictThe zzdcar Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.

　　Good

　　7.8

　　out of 10

　　zzdcar TESTED

　　Rated for you by America's best test team.

　　

Performance

8.5/10

　　How does the Countryman JCW drive? We tested the John Cooper Works version. It absolutely lives up to its sporting heritage and delivers by far the most engaging and fun driving experience in the class. Our test Countryman JCW made the 0-60 mph sprint in an impressively quick 5.2 seconds. The brakes are also strong should you need to make a panic stop, though it can be a little tricky to stop smoothly in routine driving.

　　Handling, another strong suit in Minis, isn't lost in the Countryman JCW. It changes direction in a hurry yet feels grippy and stable under most circumstances.

　　

Comfort

7.5/10

　　How comfortable is the Countryman JCW? Considering its sporting intentions, the Countryman John Cooper Works is pretty civilized. It comes with an adaptive suspension that, in its default setting, does a nice job of absorbing broken city roads while providing good body control at higher speeds.

　　Putting the Countryman JCW in Sport should be reserved for driving along a smooth and twisty road because the firmer ride is a bit too much for typical driving. Likewise, the extra engine and exhaust noise in Sport mode can grate after a while since the Countryman is usually fairly quiet.

　　The cloth seats in our JCW test car were very firm but still reasonably comfortable. They had good bolstering for your torso but surprisingly little for your legs.

　　Continue reading zzdcar Expert Rating below