Video Review: Driving the 2025 MINI Countryman JCW Through Big Sky Country

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Our first leg of MINI Takes the States was set-up to be the perfect scenario to test the all new 312 HP MINI Countryman JCW. Winding through Utah, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana we had a chance to drive over endless highway miles, mountain switchbacks and rally stages masquerading as dirt roads. Here’s what we found.

MINI Takes the States is an amazing event for MINI owners. But it’s just as an amazing way to test new MINIs. This year it was made even better by what had to be the most epic route ever in the history of the event. And of our three days at MTTS this year, we had one that really stood out for the length and challenge of the route. Perfect for the new 312 HP Countryman JCW we thought.

This isn’t the first time we’ve tested the new top of the range Countryman. But as much as our first test gave were left wanting more time and more miles behind the wheel. So we set out from downtown Salt Lake City with plenty of coffee and the sun yet to crest over the mountains.

The route, from Salt Lake City to Bozeman Montana (via Yellowstone) started with long stretches of high-speed highways that quickly evolved into tight tarmac and gravel backroads. It all felt like the perfect proving grounds for a 312 HP all wheel drive crossover.

On the smooth Portuguese roads of our first test the new Countryman felt surprisingly comfortable and composed. But on the worn pavement we found in the Rockies, we were genuinely shocked at how it soaked up imperfections. It’s a huge improvement over the previous Countryman which was already the most comfortable MINI ever made.

Naturally this is not specific to the JCW but to the entire new Countryman range. On the often broken highway roads of Idaho, the Countryman’s new suspension calibration was a revelation. Add to that a noticeably quieter cabin and you have a small crossover that feels as quiet and relaxing as a BMW X5 from not that long ago.

Helping this was the Countryman’s new ADAS system (Advanced driver-assistance systems). While there wasn’t an enormous amount of straight roads even on the highway, the new autonomous driving features helped the miles fly by and ultimately made an 8 hour day feel much less taxing.

Heading into the Bridger Mountains just east of Bozeman

but where this car came alive was in the mountains. The quicker, more natural steering combined with better damping made the Countryman more confident in corners and more enjoyable at the limit. This was especially the case on tight tarmac and dirt mountain roads.

Where the previous generation felt overly synthetic in its steering, this new generation has a more natural build up in resistance and weight. Just as important was the way the suspension kept the car composed over rough surfaces allowing for more grip, more of the time. It all allowed the Countryman JCW to feel less flustered and more confident.

If you combine the improved handling and suspension traits with the updated tech and interior design, new Countryman JCW feels like a more honed, sophisticated package that is both more comfortable and capable.

Not exactly the route we took but you get the idea.

But not all was perfect. The new 7 speed dual clutch transmission felt slow to respond to some manual shifts and (at times) even its actual gear changes felt less snappy. Having been recently put a lot of miles on two different 2024 Clubman JCW with the 8 speed auto, it was an easy and interesting comparison to make. While the new DCT is clearly more refined, it also felt like a step backward in how quick it swapped gears under hard acceleration. Gone are the snap-like shifts and in their place smoother but slower ones.

The slow-speed lurching that could be felt with the old 8 speed (in sport mode) has been eradicated, but then so too is some of drama. This coupled with the fact that the new Countryman JCW is down 36 ft lbs of torque and it’s clear that some performance has been traded for everyday livability. While the transmission issues can theoretically be fixed with over the air software updates, the torque deficit has to do with the DCT not being able to cope with more than 295 ft lbs.

Another area that software could be improved was the responsiveness MINI OS9. Interestingly every new MINI we drove during MTTS were all a bit different in their various glitches. Of the three new MINI we drove, Countryman JCW was the best with just a few lags in inputs. The worst we experience was in our Countryman S test car which had frustratingly slow reactions in certain scenarios. When talking to MINI representatives about these issues they promised that over the air software updates were coming to address issues like this as well as add functionality like Personal Mode.

The most fun we had all day was on the well groomed dirt roads between Bozeman and Paradise Valley

Outside of these two issues we found a lot to love on this new Countryman JCW. It’s a more premium product that delivers a better driving experience while providing more comfort and capabilities. The quicker, more natural steering, better suspension calibration made the car better in corners while being more comfortable on the highway.

Perhaps most importantly it feels like a true premium product that’s not just fun to drive but easy to live with. Compared to MINIs of the past, that might be the true revelation.

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