Land Rover Range Rover vs MINI Countryman

The 2025 MINI Countryman presented a charming blend of traditional Mini design elements and modern aesthetics. It featured wide-eyed headlights, a floating roof available in various colors, and vertical Union Jack taillights, all wrapped in contemporary sheet metal. Depending on the model and customization choices, the Countryman could appear as a conservative crossover or a performance-oriented SUV. The interior was stylish, with Vintage Brown artificial leather seats and a unique dashboard fabric made from recycled polyester, offering a sense of quality and sophistication. Despite some reservations about the faint gold tint on the trim and wheels, the Countryman made a bold statement with its Favoured style and 20-inch wheels.

In contrast, the 2025 Land Rover Range Rover maintained its classic design, subtly conveying its high-end status without the flashiness of some luxury competitors. The fifth-generation Range Rover, codenamed L460, retained a familiar look with updated headlights and taillights, aging gracefully. The interior emphasized simplicity, with a minimalist dashboard featuring a touchscreen, hidden air vents, and a subtle curve. While the long-wheelbase SE test car had a bit too much plastic for a luxury vehicle, the overall design showcased attention to detail. The Range Rover's ample size and minimal exterior detailing exuded elegance, making it instantly recognizable as a Range Rover.

The 2025 MINI Countryman Cooper S was equipped with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 241 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. It featured a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive, accelerating to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds with a towing capacity of 3,500 pounds. The Countryman offered different driving modes, including Core and Go Kart, which adjusted driving dynamics and the infotainment display. However, the vehicle lacked refinement, with a clunky dual-clutch transmission and a noisy ride on anything but smooth pavement. Despite these drawbacks, the Countryman was quick and nimble, providing an enjoyable driving experience in the right conditions.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover offered a range of powertrain options, all paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel drive. The entry-level option was a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six with a mild hybrid system, producing 395 horsepower. A plug-in hybrid version delivered 543 horsepower, while a BMW-sourced twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 offered 523 horsepower in SE and Autobiography models and 606 horsepower in the Range Rover SV. The Range Rover excelled in comfort and refinement, with excellent ride quality and body control. It remained a capable off-roader with features like a two-speed transfer case and height-adjustable air suspension, offering impressive ground clearance and water-wading capabilities.

The 2025 MINI Countryman provided seating for four adults, with a snug but comfortable rear seat. The front seats were comfortable, and the artificial Vescin leather added an upscale touch. The Countryman offered good outward visibility and an excellent surround-view camera system. Storage was generous, with a power tailgate revealing 25 cubic feet of cargo space, expandable to 56.2 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. However, clearance for a reverse-facing child safety seat was tight, and the rear doors required careful handling to avoid damaging neighboring vehicles.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover offered various seating configurations, with three-row models accommodating seven passengers and two-row models seating five. The long-wheelbase version provided unmatched second-row legroom, while the third-row legroom was competitive with other luxury SUVs. Cargo space was limited with the third row in place but expanded to 83.5 cubic feet with the second and third rows folded. The Range Rover featured a split tailgate and air suspension for easier loading and unloading. It could tow up to 8,200 pounds, matching expectations for its segment.

The 2025 MINI Countryman featured a 9.4-inch OLED touchscreen infotainment display, offering cloud-based navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The Harman Kardon premium audio system delivered excellent sound quality. However, the infotainment system's complexity and lack of physical controls frustrated users. The Intelligent Personal Assistant, Spike, was inactive in the test vehicle, and saving favorite SiriusXM stations proved challenging. The head-up display provided helpful information, compensating for the cluttered center display.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover came standard with a 13.7-inch digital instrument cluster and a 13.1-inch touchscreen. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were included, along with a 35-speaker Meridian audio system on higher trims. The Pivi Pro infotainment system had improved functionality, but the lack of physical controls made it challenging to use. The natural-language voice recognition system helped navigate the system, but drivers often relied on the touchscreen for adjustments. The gauge-cluster display was clear and easy to read, offering various views and information.

The 2025 MINI Countryman was well-equipped with safety and driver assistance features, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and blind-spot monitoring. It also offered adaptive cruise control with Assisted Driving and Assisted Driving Plus, providing varying levels of automation. However, the system required active steering input to satisfy safety requirements. The Countryman received a "Top Safety Pick" rating from the IIHS in 2024.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover included standard driver-assistance features such as automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, and adaptive cruise control with steering assist. The surround-view camera system was helpful, but the camera view didn't always appear automatically. The Range Rover lacked advanced systems like Super Cruise or BlueCruise, and crash-test ratings from the IIHS and NHTSA were unavailable at the time of publication.