MINI Countryman vs Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid was reminiscent of a pair of "dad jeans"—practical and offering great value, yet lacking modern flair. Despite a refresh in 2021, its design appeared outdated compared to newer crossovers like the Hyundai Palisade or Kia Sorento. The Santa Fe's exterior featured a handsome grille and flush-mounted headlights, but its overall silhouette was soft and lacked the chiseled strength of contemporary SUVs. The vehicle's length, at 188.4 inches, placed it awkwardly between compact and three-row crossovers, resulting in a two-row midsize configuration. Inside, the Santa Fe Hybrid prioritized function over style, with a center console filled with physical buttons and knobs, making it easy to use but not particularly stylish.

In contrast, the 2024 MINI Countryman embraced its playful and classic Mini styling, with features like a wraparound windshield, floating roof, and Union Jack tail lights. The Countryman offered a variety of paint and wheel options, allowing for personalization. The lineup included Cooper, Cooper S, Cooper SE, and John Cooper Works models, each with distinct powertrains. Our test vehicle, a Cooper S with Iconic trim, boasted premium leather, power-adjustable front seats, and a head-up display. The interior design was unmistakably Mini, with a retro flair and a dual-panel moonroof that brightened the cabin. The Countryman's unique styling and interior design made it stand out in a sea of bland small SUVs.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid delivered a balanced blend of performance and efficiency with its 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine paired with a 44.2-kW electric motor, producing a combined 226 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque. It achieved impressive fuel economy estimates of 33 mpg city, 30 mpg highway, and 32 mpg combined. The hybrid powertrain was managed by a six-speed automatic transmission, and the HTRAC AWD system could distribute power between the front and rear wheels as needed. While not the quickest, the Santa Fe Hybrid offered a quiet and comfortable ride, with noise insulation and a compliant suspension that absorbed road imperfections effectively.

The 2024 MINI Countryman offered a range of powertrains, with the John Cooper Works model standing out for its performance. It featured a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 301 horsepower and 331 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed sport automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. The JCW could accelerate to 60 mph in just 4.9 seconds. The Cooper S model, with 189 horsepower and 206 pound-feet of torque, provided a zippy and athletic driving experience, reaching 60 mph in 7.2 seconds. While the Countryman excelled in daily driving scenarios, it wasn't designed for off-road adventures. The Cooper S achieved an EPA fuel economy rating of 28 mpg combined, though our test averaged 25.4 mpg.

Inside the 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid, a shift-by-wire, push-button transmission freed up space below the center stack, though the stack itself remained large with limited storage. The rear seats offered 40.8 inches of legroom, comparable to other midsize crossovers, and the cargo area provided 36.4 cubic feet of space, expanding to 72.1 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. The Santa Fe Hybrid's interior featured heated and ventilated front seats with real leather upholstery, and the SEL Premium trim introduced H-Tex leatherette upholstery.

The 2024 MINI Countryman accommodated four adults comfortably, with enough legroom and foot space in the rear seats. The Iconic trim added dual-zone automatic climate control, premium leather upholstery, and power-adjustable heated front seats. While the Countryman had seatbelts for five, squeezing in a fifth passenger was challenging. The cargo area offered 17.6 cubic feet of space, expandable to 47.6 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. The interior storage was reasonable, though the smartphone charging pad blocked access to the tray beneath it.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid came equipped with a 10.25-inch touchscreen offering Over-The-Air map updates and dynamic voice recognition. The infotainment system supported Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, though both required a wired connection. A 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster provided essential driving information, and the Hyundai digital key allowed for remote start and locking/unlocking via a smartphone app. The Limited trim featured a 12-speaker Harmon Kardon audio system.

The 2024 MINI Countryman wasn't a technology powerhouse but offered useful features. It had a small digital instrumentation display and a head-up display projecting information on a small screen. The 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, housed in a round casing, used BMW's iDrive technology with multiple interaction methods, including a touchscreen, control knob, and voice recognition. However, it lacked Android Auto connectivity, offering only Apple CarPlay. The Iconic trim included a 12-speaker Harman Kardon sound system.

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid prioritized safety with features like a surround-view monitor and blind-spot view monitor on the SEL Premium and Limited trims. Standard safety equipment included adaptive cruise control, forward collision avoidance, blind-spot collision avoidance, and rear cross-traffic collision avoidance. The Santa Fe Hybrid received a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ designation from the IIHS.

The 2024 MINI Countryman had limited advanced driving assistance systems, with Active Driving Assistant providing forward-collision warning, pedestrian detection, and automatic emergency braking. Rear parking sensors and an emergency SOS call button were standard, while adaptive cruise control was optional. The Countryman lacked blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. The IIHS rated the Countryman as Good in crashworthiness evaluations.