Mini Countryman JCW Review: The Car You're Not Supposed To Like (But Will)

With a big increase in power and a surprisingly playful chassis, the Countryman JCW is the strongest small, sporty crossover out there
Mini Countryman JCW Review: The Car You're Not Supposed To Like (But Will)

The Mini Countryman John Cooper Works is one of those vehicles us car people aren’t supposed to like. As a crossover, it’s not off to the best start, and then we have to consider that it’s stretching and bloating the aesthetic of the well-known, beloved ancestor - the Austin Mini - almost beyond all recognition. I don’t think you’ll find many people who consider it pretty.

But as I’m terrible at keeping secrets, I might as well come out with this: I really like the Countryman JCW. And not just because I’m weird: it’s a tremendous thing to drive. Surprised? So am I. And it’s all because of the core ingredients of the Countryman.

Mini Countryman JCW Review: The Car You're Not Supposed To Like (But Will)

The platform, engine, all-wheel drive system and gearbox are all shared with the BMW X2 M35i, which was probably the dullest supposed performance car I drove all last year. But somehow, the guys at the Mini end of BMW towers have taken the same box of bits and come up with a car that feels like it’s actually interested in showing you a good time. Primarily, it seems to do this by being less polished than the BMW.

Chuck the BMW into a corner a little faster than you perhaps should, and it’ll feel secure, stable and capable. And utterly boring. With the Mini, the front will give up a bit earlier than you expect, meaning you’ll probably lift off. And at this point, the rear will be mighty keen to come forward.

Mini Countryman JCW Review: The Car You're Not Supposed To Like (But Will)

Keep your foot planted instead, and the all-wheel drive system will quite suddenly lob a load of torque to the back, giving a similar result. Over time, the Big Boi of the JCW family encourages you to tap into its propensity to move around mid-corner.

There are adaptive dampers fitted as standard, and although they’re clearly doing something - judging by the way the ride gets noticeably worse in Sport mode - the extra stiffness isn’t enough to stop the Countryman leaning more than the average modern performance crossover. Again, though, it’s this sense of the Countryman JCW being a little wayward that works in its favour.

Mini Countryman JCW Review: The Car You're Not Supposed To Like (But Will)

Sport mode also makes the 2.0-litre engine a touch more vocal, with a satisfactory helping of pops and bangs that don’t stray into OTT territory. It’s a strong unit, too - with 302bhp, the inline-four turbo gives the current JCW a massive 71bhp boost over its predecessor. 0-62mph happens in 5.1 seconds, and the top speed is 155mph. It’s even pokey enough to give the odd tug of torque steer.

Speaking of which, the steering isn’t remarkable in any way, but it deserves a mention because it’s a more successful setup than in the JCW’s aforementioned BMW cousin. Here, the weighting is noticeably much better.

Mini Countryman JCW Review: The Car You're Not Supposed To Like (But Will)

The retro-style cabin won’t be to everyone’s tastes, but the sense of flair and fun makes it a far more interesting space than any of its rivals. It’s awash with cool little details, like the aircraft-style toggle switches and the light ring around the infotainment screen, which illuminates in tandem with the engine speed. Plus, you get - praise be - real dials, a feature fast becoming a rarity thanks to the modern obsession with digital instrument clusters. Instead, you get little LCD screen at the bottom of the speedometer, which provides all the information you’ll ever realistically need.

The price for all this is £35,550. And as this is a Mini we’re talking about, there are plenty of wallet-clobbering opportunities to personalise. The car you see here, for instance, comes in at £39,525. For that, you could get a VW T-Roc R with a few modest options added - tempting, given that the VW is the dynamically superior car. Plus it’s better looking.

Mini Countryman JCW Review: The Car You're Not Supposed To Like (But Will)

But next to Mini, it just seems a little too serious. A C-segment hot hatchback is another obvious alternative, but if it has to be something Mini branded, that’s not an especially helpful suggestion. Nor is that going to cut it if you’re set on having a crossover.

The Mini Countryman JCW, then, is a sporty crossover that can be heartily recommended. Just be prepared to explain to all your car-loving mates why they’re wrong.

Comments

🎺🎺thank mr skeltal

So is it a lowered version of a lifted Mini?

02/08/2020 - 14:44 |
22 | 0

Yes. Which sounds stupid, but it does work…

02/08/2020 - 16:52 |
8 | 0

Lowered Version of a big, small car

02/08/2020 - 16:58 |
4 | 0
Matthew Henderson

The car I’m not supposed to like that I do like to me is the Mazda CX30. It’s just… so nice. In Graphite grey (to sort of “hide” the plastic trim) with the black wheels it even looks a little like a Jag i-Pace. Except… well… with the weird body shape and sharp edges.

02/08/2020 - 20:14 |
2 | 0
Martin Burns

This would look epic speced out for Rally.. and actually has the guts to go do it too.

I like this

02/08/2020 - 20:28 |
4 | 0

The previous version had a rally car.

02/08/2020 - 22:33 |
4 | 0
Anonymous

My mom has a 2014 countryman and she loves it and it hasn’t had a single problem in the last year and a half and 25k km since we got it

02/09/2020 - 01:12 |
0 | 0
Olivier (CT's grammar commie)

I’ve never had the problem I have for other crossovers with the Countryman. Maybe it’s the size, maybe it’s the height, maybe it’s the shape, but I’ve never really seen it as an actual crossover. Maybe it’s due to the (very) redundant Mini line-up (5-door Cooper, Cooper Clubman and Cooper Countryman), but I don’t really see it as a crossover as much as competitors. Even the 500L and 500X feel more like crossovers to me than the Clubman and the Countryman.

Obviously I prefer the first gen Clubman, but I’d have no problem with a Countryman if I’d have to get something in that size.

02/09/2020 - 02:53 |
6 | 0
Anonymous

It’s a suv, so fuск it

02/09/2020 - 03:21 |
4 | 2
Niko Ala-Rämi 🇫🇮

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Suv ok, crossover bad

02/11/2020 - 06:22 |
0 | 0
Andrés Cely Herazo

I understand that the market is demanding more crossovers day by day. But I, as a petrolhead find pointless the idea of creating “sport” platforms of lifted versions of city daily drivers. So, if you ask me if I would buy a crossover: No. I would not. But if you ask me if I’d sell them as a manufacturer. Yes. I would, but definitely with a different approach. Not by creating a wannabe mini cooper S…

02/09/2020 - 17:36 |
0 | 0

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