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The 2021 Mini Cooper Countryman is a supersized version of the little cars that made the British brand famous for being fun to drive. It provides the largest amount of cargo-and-passenger space found in any Mini, which makes it especially useful. With a trio of ascending powertrains that include a plug-in hybrid, the Countryman has wide range of performance. It's considered a subcompact crossover, but it drives more like a station wagon. The cabin is decorated with peculiar-to-Mini details, and the company provides a plethora of personalization options. Although its uneven ride quality and missing driver assists detract from the experience, the 2021 Countryman offers a lot of character and convenience.

Its unmistakable appearance is now even more distinctive due to a restyled front end. LED lighting elements promote its British heritage through a Union Jack motif on the taillights. There's now a Piano Black Exterior option that replaces the Mini's chrome trim with gloss-black pieces. A set of fresh wheel designs as well as White Silver and Sage Green metallic paint colors are new too. Inside, the infotainment system's housing is redesigned with gloss-black material. The Countryman is also now compatible with Amazon Alexa voice assistant. There's a new version of the fancy MINI Yours Interior Style, a new range of leather trims and interior surfaces, and a newly optional digital gauge cluster that's mounted on the steering column. Mini has also expanded its value-oriented Oxford Edition trim to the Countryman for 2021, bundling desirable equipment into the base front-wheel drive model at a discounted price. Its turbocharged four-cylinder provides an extra 55 horsepower. There is also a bad-weather traction of the optional ALL4 all-wheel drive Signature trim. It adds an 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, dual-zone automatic climate control, forward-collision warning and automated emergency braking, heated seats, and passive entry. Mini offers all-season tires as a replacement for the standard performance set and the Driver Assistance package includes adaptive cruise control and a head-up display.

The Countryman offers several powertrain combinations and either standard front-or optional all-wheel drive. Apart from the plug-in model, frontdrive versions feature a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission; those with all-wheel-drive have an eight-speed automatic. The base engine is a 134-hp turbocharged three-cylinder that simply lacks the power to move the Countryman's 3,300-plus pounds with any authority. The Cooper S model is equipped with a more powerful 189-hp turbocharged four-cylinder. The plug-in hybrid model (known as the Cooper S E) is the quickest Countryman we've tested, but it's also the most expensive. It uses a version of the three-cylinder gas engine driving the front wheels through a sixspeed automatic transmission in combination with a rear-drive electric motor fed by a 9.6-kWh battery pack. It can charge at either a 120-volt or a 240volt outlet. A full charge requires seven hours on standard 120-volt house current and a bit more than three hours on 240 volts. The plug-in model's brake pedal had a long dead spot at the top of its travel, which takes some getting used to.

The most fuel-efficient Countryman is the plug-in hybrid Cooper S E model, which earned an EPA rating of 73 MPGe from the EPA. Among the nonhybrid offerings, the front-wheel drive three-cylinder model delivers the highest ratings of 26 mpg city and 33 mpg highway; all-wheel drive drops those ratings to 23 mpg city and 32 mpg highway. The more powerful four-cylinder S model earns ratings of 24 mpg city and 33 mpg highway, or 23 and 31 with all-wheel drive.

The Countryman's interior is typically Mini in its design, including an infotainment system set in a large circular housing in the center of the dash and toggle switches for controlling items such as the interior lights, ignition, and the standard automatic stop/start system. There's a lot to like about the Countryman's cabin, which is assembled from high-quality materials and offers adequate passenger space. The rear bench seat offers enough space for long-haul comfort, although adding a rear-seat armrest requires the purchase of the Convenience package. A number of storage nooks provide the Countryman with sufficient space for stashing smaller items; however, the cargo area offers less space than some smaller competitors. The Countryman does have a large underfloor storage space in the rear but opting for the available space-saver spare tire takes up most of that.

The Countryman comes standard with a 6.5-inch screen for its infotainment system, an 8.8-inch touchscreen setup with Apple CarPlay capability and navigation is available as part of a package. Controlled by either touch inputs, a control knob behind the shifter, or with voice commands.