Compare the2025 Honda CR-VVS 2025 MINI Countryman

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Honda CR-V have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. The MINI Countryman doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Honda CR-V are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The MINI Countryman doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the CR-V deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The CR-V’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Countryman’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Honda CR-V achieved a “Acceptable” rating - the second highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The MINI Countryman has not been tested.

Both the CR-V and the Countryman have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

Honda’s powertrain warranty covers the CR-V 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than MINI covers the Countryman. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Countryman ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 11 times as many Honda dealers as there are MINI dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the CR-V’s warranty.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Honda CR-V’s reliability 11 points higher than the Countryman.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than MINI vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda above average in initial quality. With 1 more problems per 100 vehicles, MINI is rated lower.

On the EPA test cycle the CR-V gets better mileage than the Countryman:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Honda CR-V uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended with the 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder engine for maximum performance). The JCW Countryman requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The CR-V has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Countryman doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Honda CR-V higher (6 to 7 out of 10) than the MINI Countryman (5 to 6). This means the CR-V produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Countryman every 15,000 miles.

The CR-V has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Countryman doesn’t offer a CVT.

For better traction, the CR-V has larger tires than the Countryman (235/60R18 vs. 225/55R18).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the CR-V is 1.1 inches wider in the front and 1.8 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Countryman.

For better maneuverability, the CR-V’s turning circle is .8 feet tighter than the Countryman S’ (37.3 feet vs. 38.1 feet). The CR-V’s turning circle is 1.4 feet tighter than the JCW Countryman’s (37.3 feet vs. 38.7 feet).

For greater off-road capability the CR-V has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Countryman (8.2 vs. 8 inches), allowing the CR-V to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Honda CR-V may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs up to about 300 pounds less than the MINI Countryman.

The front grille of the CR-V uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Countryman doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The CR-V uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Countryman doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The CR-V has .9 inches more front legroom, 2.2 inches more front shoulder room, 4 inches more rear legroom and 1.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the Countryman.

The CR-V has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Countryman with its rear seat up (39.3 vs. 25 cubic feet). The CR-V has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Countryman with its rear seat folded (76.5 vs. 56.2 cubic feet).

While the Countryman JCW is not recommended to tow, any CR-V can tow a minimum of 1000 pounds.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the CR-V has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Countryman only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the CR-V has standard extendable sun visors. The Countryman doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The CR-V is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Countryman doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Honda CR-V and the MINI Countryman, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The CR-V was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “5Best Trucks/10Best” for 2025 and 5 more times in the last 24 years. The Countryman has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.

Motor Trend selected the CR-V as their 2018 Sport Utility of the Year. The Countryman has never been chosen.

The Honda CR-V outsold the MINI Countryman by almost 35 to one during 2024.