MIni Countryman: driven

The pre-launch hype had it that Mini had miraculously invented a whole new species of vehicle. But privately, the Countryman's designers say they simply made something for people who want a car that looks like a Mini but need more space. And in that respect it's a success.

The Countryman's engineers say they made a car that drives like a Mini. Unfortunately, they couldn't.
Because it's higher than a normal Mini and has more supple suspension, the Countryman rolls more in corners and feels comparatively soggy. Oh, it's a lot better than most crossovers, but the agility of the normal Mini hatch is just a distant memory.
And the extra height and width and weight increase the drag and weight. Sure enough, even the Cooper S version doesn't have the get-up-and-go you'd expect. It has a bit of a drink problem, too.