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2020 Mini Countryman Review & Buying Guide | The big Mini is still fun

The 2020 Mini Countryman manages to keep most of the fun character of the regular Mini Hardtop, but with the practicality and style of a small crossover. How small, though? It's definitely among what we'd classify as subcompact models, but given its level of engineering, interior quality and, perhaps most obviously, its price, the Countryman fits well above mainstream models like the Hyundai Kona or Kia Soul, but doesn't quite reach the luxury rungs where the Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class, BMW X1, and the Audi Q3 reside. Given that in-betweener status and its quirky design aesthetic, the Countryman is bit hard to classify or stack up with competitors on an apples to apples basis. Best to think of it as an alternative, then, and focus on the things it does well. Most of all, it’s one of the best handling, and most fun-to-drive subcompact crossovers on the market – luxury or otherwise. It can be had with a number of peppy turbo engines, including a certified hot hatchback-grade 301-horsepower engine for the John Cooper Works. It also has a roomy interior with solid quality and characterful details. And although it's very expensive when compared to the Souls of the world, with a base price of just under $30,000, it starts at thousands less than those luxury models. So it may be tough to classify, but it's still worth a look.  What's new for 2020? Two of the more niche Countryman models see significant updates. The John Cooper Works model gets the aforementioned new turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 301 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque. The Cooper SE Countryman plug-in hybrid gets longer electric range, going from 12 miles to 18 miles thanks to a higher capacity 9.6-kWh battery. Fuel economy with a drained battery also rises from 27 mpg to 29. On other Mini Countryman models, the manual transmission has been dropped altogether, leaving two different automatic transmission choices. What's the Countryman's interior and in-car technology like? The Mini Countryman has a cabin with as much whimsy as you would expect for the brand. Though the speedometer has long since moved to the steering column, the dash continues to have a giant center circular motif as a tribute to past models. Vents, door handles and more have funky shapes, and Mini employs a wide array of plastics of different grains and colors to keep things interesting and looking premium, even if the plastics themselves feel average to the touch.

Hands on with the 2016 Mini Clubman

When the original Mini Clubman debuted, it was marketed as a bigger, more versatile version of the popular Hardtop. But over the years, the British brand's lineup has grown both in terms of vehicle size and number of models on offer, leaving the original car's formula by the wayside. There are now two five-door models, in the form of the Countryman and Hardtop, both of which offer more versatility than the four-and-a-half-door Clubman ever could. For 2016, Mini has transformed the Clubman, making it once again the brand's most versatile model. To familiarize ourselves with the new six-door model – yes, there really are six doors – ahead of the car's official debut in Frankfurt next week, Mini USA's product planning manager, Patrick McKenna, walked us through both the interior and exterior changes for the brand's newest model. As McKenna tells it, the BMW-owned company has gone to great lengths to make the Clubman more than just a long-wheelbase car with barn doors. There are changes both inside and out that not only serve to better distinguish this new model from the brand's other five-doors, but from anything else in Mini's lineup. Check out our chat with McKenna at the top of the page, and stay tuned for more Clubman news next week.

David Brown's newest Mini Remastered is a tribute to James Bond's Lotus Esprit

England-based David Brown Automotive introduced a one-off version of its restomodded Mini Remastered built as a tribute to the Lotus Esprit Turbo driven by James Bond. It's a unique, unabashedly British creation that shares very few parts with the city car it started life as, and nothing but looks with the sports car that inspired it. Think of David Brown Automotive as the Singer of the classic Mini world. Its cars aren't cheap, especially when customers commission a one-of-a-kind build, but collectors get what they pay for. Its latest project resembles the Esprit Turbo that starred in the 1981 movie For Your Eyes Only thanks to a orange paint job with copper stripes above the rocker panels and gold-painted 13-inch alloy wheels shaped like the BBS units worn by the Lotus. The front end receives Cibie driving lights, while black paint on the wheel arches and the roof completes the look. The retro-flavored Hollywood inspiration is only skin-deep. Inside, the Mini gained white leather upholstery, walnut inserts on the dashboard, plus a 7.0-inch touchscreen compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Thicker carpet, more sound-proofing material and a push-button ignition integrated into a redesigned center console also appear on the build sheet. The extra equipment inevitably adds a little bit of weight. The average Mini Remastered tips the scale at approximately 1,630 pounds, which represents a 200-pound increase over a stock 1275 GT model, but it's nonetheless about 700 pounds lighter than a fourth-generation Mazda MX-5 Miata. Don't pay much attention to the turbo stickers on both sides; they were added to create an additional visual link between the Mini and the Esprit that inspired it. Lifting the tiny hood reveals a 1,330cc evolution of the Mini's naturally-aspirated four-cylinder tuned to 83 horsepower. It spins the front wheels via a five-speed manual transmission. It's bigger than the engine that powered the standard Mini, whose displacement never exceeded 1,275cc, and it receives a generous 20-horsepower bump that accentuates the go kart-like feeling. David Brown Automotive published a photo of television personality Simon Cowell behind the wheel of the Lotus-inspired Mini, which seemingly confirms he's the lucky enthusiast who commissioned it.