2017 Mini Cooper S Countryman ALL4 cockpit

With its higher center of gravity, the Countryman S All4 we sampled exhibited more body roll than our similarly equipped long-term Clubman S All4. It still handles well for a crossover on the street, however, and the grip provided by the All4 all-wheel-drive system will make you look forward to curvy freeway onramps. The ride is smooth and comfortable, aided partially by the longer wheelbase. The turbocharged 2.0-liter I-4 of the S model provides 189 hp and 207 lb-ft of torque, which is plenty to move the Countryman All4's 3,644-pound bulk around town. On the highway, the eight-speed automatic is sometimes slow to kick down to a lower gear, which can make passing more of an ordeal. Click the gear selector over to the sport position, however, and things improve. For total control, the responsive steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters are your best bet because they allow you to swap cogs quickly on demand. If you need more grunt, it's available in the John Cooper Works version of the Countryman that makes 228 hp and 258 lb-ft.

In acceleration testing, the Countryman wasn't left in the dust by its higher-powered competitors. The Countryman S All4 hit 60 mph from a standstill in 7.2 seconds and completed the quarter mile in 15.5 seconds at 88.1 mph. Its platform-mate the BMW X1 xDrive28i, which is powered by the same 228-hp engine as the Countryman JCW, managed to do 0-60 mph in 6.8 seconds and finish the quarter mile in 15.2 seconds at 90.5 mph. A Mercedes-Benz GLA250 4Matic, packing a turbocharged 2.0-liter making 208 hp and 258 lb-ft, sprinted to 60 mph in 6.9 seconds and reached the end of the quarter mile in 15.3 seconds at 89.8 mph.

2017 Mini Cooper S Countryman ALL4 side in motion

2017 Mini Cooper S Countryman ALL4 rear badge

The Countryman took 26.8 seconds to complete our figure-eight course at an average of 0.64 g. That matches the result for the X1 and is slightly quicker than the GLA (27 seconds at 0.66 g). The Countryman needed more room to stop from 60 mph (126 feet versus 122 for the BMW and 110 for the Mercedes). However, road test editor Chris Walton noted that the brakes have good initial bite and fairly good brake-fade resistance. In our Real MPG tests, the Countryman recorded 18.7/31.6/22.9 mpg city/highway/combined. The city result falls well short of the EPA's 22-mpg estimate, though highway mileage is slightly better than the 31 mpg advertised.

The 2017 Mini Countryman S All4 starts at $31,950, but our tester came with $6,550 worth of options. But even at $38,500, the Countryman is cheaper than its competitors when comparably equipped. It's also the only one available with a six-speed manual. The Countryman is just small enough to live up to the badge on the hood and big enough to be a practical option for crossover shoppers looking for something a little different.

2017 Mini Cooper S Countryman All4
BASE PRICE	$31,950
PRICE AS TESTED	$38,500
VEHICLE LAYOUT	Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door wagon
ENGINE	2.0L/189-hp/207-lb-ft turbo DOHC 16-valve I-4
TRANSMISSION	8-speed automatic
CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST)	3,644 lb (58/42%)
WHEELBASE	105.1 in
LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT	169.8 x 71.7 x 61.3 in
0-60 MPH	7.2 sec
QUARTER MILE	15.5 sec @ 88.1 mph
BRAKING, 60-0 MPH	126 ft
LATERAL ACCELERATION	0.85 g (avg)
MT FIGURE EIGHT	26.8 sec @ 0.64 g (avg)
REAL MPG, CITY/HWY/COMB	18.7/31.6/22.9 mpg
EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON	22/31/26 mpg
ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY	153/109 kW-hrs/100 miles
CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB	0.77 lb/mile

2017 Mini Cooper S Countryman ALL4 front three quarter in motion e1504048581915