Mini Countryman vs Mercedes-Benz EQB

What's the difference?

The new Mini Countryman John Cooper Works in Favoured trim offers everything you’d expect it to - the iconic Mini styling, a powerful driving performance and a well-equipped cabin. It’s a wonderfully quick urban dweller that you can park anywhere but is just as happy on the open-road. For me, this is pure fun and offers more personality than a lot of its rivals.

I really liked the combustion version of this car, the GLB, for its funky style and flexibility and I was pleased to find how easily Mercedes has made the conversion to a fully-electric layout for the EQB.

Despite a tall price, the EQB 350 is a compelling option for those seeking something a bit more luxurious than the Tesla Model Y, something a bit larger than the Volvo XC40 Recharge, and something a bit smaller than the Audi e-tron or the EQC.

The main trade-off for this 350 variant is the loss of the seven-seat layout in favour of more performance. Instead it offers a huge boot, has a sufficient range for city-based buyers, and offers surprising levels of fun, too. 

Just make sure you’ve considered its rivals which may potentially offer more range or features for the same money.

It's a case of the 'not-so-mini' when it comes to the new Countryman because it now stands at 4447mm in length, 1843mm in width and 1645mm in height. That's 170mm longer and 21mm wider than the previous generation!

But the Countryman still has all of the fun styling you’d expect in a Mini and it’s that iconic styling that sets this car apart from its rivals. It knows its fun and isn't afraid to show it.

Our Mini Countryman gets JCW badging across the body of the car, including its wheels but it's the chequered flag motif across the grille that reminds you what’s under the bonnet.

Unfortunately, our test model is finished in the rather boring 'Midnight Black II' but the range of colours and customisations available on the Countryman will help make it feel like your own.

Head inside and there's a hefty mix of materials in the cabin space. You’ve got a thick and rough-textured weave/knit across the dash, doors and tops of the sports seats but that’s then mixed with a black synthetic upholstery and plastics everywhere else.

The red stitching and accents won’t land with everyone but it certainly creates a fun atmosphere.

There are some lovely design highlights with rose gold metal accents in the door handles and air vents. A panoramic sunroof adds some much needed airiness and I adore the way you still get a ‘turn-key’ experience despite having keyless start with the starter knob.

The round media screen isn't as well-integrated as before but it looks gorgeous and the different drive modes give you a range of colours to further customise the cabin.

The EQB has a very predictable design in that it doesn't stray from the combustion car’s formula. At all.

The only evidence from the outside this is the electric version is the blanked out grille, and closer observers might notice the rear light bar which cuts across the boot lid is different from the split tail-light design which appears on the combustion car.

Still, to my eyes, the GLB is a cool design with its upright boxy look bucking the curvaceous trend of most EVs, and, indeed, the rest of the Mercedes line-up. 

Its rebellious streak makes it one of the most appealing SUVs in Mercedes’ current range, and it comes with a bit of toughness which is missing from the EQA. 

If nothing else, it’s a completely different look from Tesla’s amorphous Model Y, and this may be enough to appeal to some.

Inside is identical to other Mercedes models which sit on the MFA2 small car platform, immediately setting itself apart with the big high-resolution screens, glitzy ambient lighting, as well as an abundance of chrome and gloss black.

It’s designed to impress from the first time you hop in, and there’s no doubt it does, but it may be a bit over-the-top for some, particularly fans of the more conservative Mercedes designs of eras past.

The chrome in particular becomes a bit of a problem, as it has an annoying habit of catching the reflection of the sun and sending it directly into the driver’s eyes.

It all feels as plush as a circa-$100,000 luxury car should though, with the ‘Artico’ seat trim being one of the better synthetic options on the market, and soft-touch surfaces throughout the cabin selling the Mercedes promise. 

The GLB toughness is even reflected in the chiselled out finishes in the door, dash, and centre console, helping to set it apart from the tamer EQA.

The software is also fast, high resolution, and well presented, which bodes well given the amount of screen real-estate, and the amount of customization is impressive, too.

Again, there are many who will prefer its look and feel to the Apple-store chic of the Tesla Model Y, or the pared back Scandinavian approach of the XC40 Recharge, but also those who won’t. Like many new Mercedes products, it continues to polarise buyers.

The cabin of the Mini Countryman doesn't feel like it belongs in a small SUV. The legroom is still best up front but the second row offers more than enough space for taller adults. It will be most comfortable for four rather than five adults, though.

The electric front seats have large side bolstering and decent padding but they are on the firmer side. You get a little bit of fatigue on a longer trip but around town they’re great and the massage function on the driver's seat is strong.

The rear seat is even firmer than the front and set like a stadium seat, so it won't be as comfy for adults on a longer trip. The fold-down armrest adds some bolstering.

While the storage looks a little odd at first, all of the cubbies are quite functional. There's a lot of them, too, and the dual shelves underneath the starter-knob are particularly handy for your larger 'small' items, like phones and sunnies case. This is where the wireless charging pad is, too.

The glove box can fit a manual and the little centre console is kind of adorable but still fit all of my keys and wallet.

The sliding armrest is a nice touch and there's a couple of USB-C ports underneath it. There are two large cupholders, two drink holders and small storage bins in the doors.

In the rear you get a drink bottle holder in each door, two map pockets, two USB-C ports and two cupholders.

The circular multimedia screen looks great and once you get used to how the menus are accessed and the little shortcuts, it’s a fairly simple system to use while on the go.

The touchscreen is fairly responsive but you'll need to do wide swipes across to switch the menu screens.

I’m not a massive fan of having to access a screen for most of your functions but do like the way climate control remains on the screen at all times and it's just the fan function that needs a couple of extra toggles.

The multimedia system is run by Android Automotive and has wired and wireless phone mirroring. The Apple CarPlay maintained a steady connection this week with my iPhone 15 Pro Max and the built-in sat nav is easy to use.

Rounding out the interior is the large 505L boot and if you want more storage options, the back row has a 40/20/40 split-fold.

The loading space has a small lip, and a handy storage compartment underneath the floor which holds the tyre repair kit and other items you don’t want rolling around. JCWs get a hands-free powered tailgate, which is always handy after a big shopping trip.

This should be the GLB’s calling card. It’s a car with an ideal footprint, not as wide or as long as most mid-size SUVs, whilst also offering a larger cabin and boot.

The big drawback for this variant in particular is the lack of a seven-seat option, as the all-wheel drive requires the under-floor space which is required to give rear occupants legroom. 

It’s a shame, too, because I found the two rear seats in this car’s GLB combustion equivalent to be surprisingly accommodating for even adults.

As a result of these missing seats, though, the full volume can be exploited in the boot, which comes in at a whopping 495 litres.

It’s rivalled by the Model Y, which also has a cavernous boot, although it has a much larger storage area than the Volvo XC40. 

As an added bonus, there is a decent under-floor storage area which has enough space for all your charging cables, although there is no so-called ‘frunk’ with what is normally the engine bay taken up by cooling and auxiliary hardware. 

At first glance there’s so much going on under there, you’d be forgiven for thinking the EQB has an actual engine!

The cabin is also enormous as well as configurable. The EQB has massive rear doors (as it’s designed to be a seven-seater) to make it easy to get in and out of, and once you’re settled in, the amount of space for me (at 182cm) behind my own driving position is very impressive, with ample leg, arm, and headroom.

Rear passengers score the same nice synthetic leather seat and door trim as the front passengers, a bottle holder in each door, as well as two in a flip-out caddy on the drop-down armrest, two nets on the backs of the front seats, dual adjustable air vents, and power outlets on the back of the console. There is also a separate section of the split sunroof to benefit those in the back seat.

Up front the cabin is equally flexible, although it immediately seems odd that the front seats are manually adjustable. Almost unforgivable in a $100,000 car. 

At least the trim is comfortable, and again, the space is configurable for people of all shapes and sizes. 

Storage options include large bins in each door, a split-opening armrest console with USB-C outlets inside, a slide-open area underneath the climate unit, which houses a wireless phone charger and additional power outlets, as well as the usual glove box arrangement. 

Soft trims continue into the doors, although one small annoyance is the excess of chrome trim which has the unfortunate habit of reflecting harsh Australian sun into your eyes if it hits at the wrong angle.

The software is nice and quick, but can be cumbersome and over-complicated to operate at times, particularly when using the centre touchpad, or adjusting the dash with the small touch elements on the wheel. 

It is also notable the Apple CarPlay as-tested only took up a centre portion of the screen, and is not set-up for widescreen mode to take full advantage of the hardware.

Minor complaints aside, though, the EQB follows its combustion GLB twin in having by far one of the most flexible and configurable cabins in its class.

The EQB range kicks off from $87,800, before on-road costs, for the base 250, but the car we’re looking at for this review is the top-spec 350 4Matic, which wears a price-tag of $106,700.

There’s no doubt it’s a hefty price, even for an EV, and especially for a sort-of ‘small’ SUV. There’s more to consider, too. As I mentioned in the intro, the all-wheel drive system precludes the seven-seat layout in this top-spec car, and it has less range than the front-wheel drive model, too, dropping from 371km to 360km.

On the upswing, the dual-motor powertrain is far preferable to the so-so front-wheel drive option, and the 350 also gains an AMG-spiced bodykit and flat-bottomed steering wheel, as well as a panoramic sunroof.

Outside of the extra flair, the EQB 350 is almost as well equipped as you could hope, with the flashy dual-10.25-inch 'MBUX' screen set-up, Nappa leather steering wheel and interior appointments with Mercedes’ signature 'Artico' synthetic seat trim, LED headlights, ambient interior lighting with fully customisable RGB controls, dual-zone climate, a wireless phone charger, 20-inch alloy wheels, as well as keyless entry and push-start ignition.

Given the EQB’s dimensions it would seem its most direct rival is the Tesla Model Y, although it may not be a favourable comparison. 

At over $100,000 the EQB 350 is still more expensive than the top-spec Model Y Performance, which is even more powerful than our Merc here.

Other more indirect rivals include the Volvo XC40 Recharge (from $74,490 in twin-motor form), or less performance-oriented Lexus UX300e ($80,691 for the top-spec Sports Luxury), although neither are as large as the EQB, and the Lexus has about half the performance.

The JCW Countryman is an all-wheel-drive with a seven-speed dual-clutch auto transmission. It has a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-petrol engine that produces up to 233kW of power and 400Nm of torque. This model has a 0-100km/h sprint time of just 5.4-seconds!

There are eight drive 'experience' modes you can choose from, comprising 'Core', 'Green', 'Go Kart' (very fun), 'Personal', 'Timeless', 'Vivid', 'Balance' and 'Trail'.

While the EQB 350 loses its valuable third-row seats, it gains a much more impressive drivetrain than the lesser EQB 250 variant. 

While that car has a so-so front-motor set-up producing 140kW/385Nm, the top-spec 350 sports a much more capable 215kW/520Nm dual-motor system.

This allows a 0-100km/h sprint time of 6.2 seconds, and while it’s not as fast as the entry-level Tesla Model 3, it’s still impressive for a 2153kg SUV.

The all-wheel drive capability also adds a level of confidence which can’t be matched by a front-drive, more on this in the driving section of this review.

For a performance SUV, the JCW Favoured has a lowish official combined (urban/extra-urban) fuel cycle figure of just 7.7L/100km and a large 54L fuel tank, giving you a theoretical driving range of up to 701km, which isn’t bad for such a little go-getter.

After doing a few bigger road trips this week, plus a long weekend in the city, my real-world usage has popped out at 7.9L/100km, which is excellent but expect it to be higher if you only do city driving.

Regardless of which version of the EQB is chosen, the SUV has a 66.5kWh lithium-ion battery pack, and in the case of our all-wheel drive 350, this grants it a 360km WLTP-rated driving range between charges.

My car was reporting around 350km of range at or near a full charge, while my week of testing produced a dash-reported consumption figure of just 18.2kWh/100km.

This is surprising for two reasons. Firstly, I subjected the EQB 350 to a significant amount of freeway testing during my time with it, which usually produces worse consumption numbers for EVs, but it actually bested its official 21.0kWh/100km official figure by a decent margin.

Secondly, I’m puzzled to find this car outperformed the smaller and lighter EQA 250 I had on test in 2021 in terms of overall consumption, and by a significant margin. Very odd.

When it comes to charging up, the EQB can be charged at a rate of 100kW on a fast DC charger, for a 10-80 per cent charge time in a claimed 30 minutes. 

On the slower but cheaper-to-install AC standard, the EQB has an 11kW inverter, allowing a convenient ‘slow’ charge time of 4.1 hours. Expect between 25 and 30 hours on a standard wall socket.

Even if you don’t love the design, the power and performance of the turbo-petrol engine will win you over. It’s just pure unadulterated fun on the open road and in the city. You get a total hot-hatch experience, despite the Countryman being an SUV. 

The adaptive suspension feels a little stiff when you’re going over uneven road surfaces at higher speeds and road noise also creeps in, but around town this is a comfortable ride. 

Visibility is great, even in heavy rain with a child's car seat installed in the rear (we had a mix of weather on test). Thanks in no small part to the all-wheel drive system it felt sure-footed in the wet and I felt confident this car would do everything I asked of it.

The firm steering makes for a nimble on-road experience no matter the situation and you have gear-shifting paddles on the steering wheel.

There’s also a 'Boost' mode that wrangles the top performance out of the suspension, steering and engine for when you want more control.

You can park the Countryman just about anywhere and the 360-degree camera view system is excellent quality. It’s easy to park, even in small, tight car parks.

This is where the 350 version of the EQB shines. This car is a beast to drive with plenty of power available at your right foot, and incredible amounts of traction to match from its torque-vectored all-wheel drive system. 

This lets it be rapid, but not scary, and despite its square and upright body, might surprise you when it comes to carving a few corners.

Like many EVs, the EQB’s weight feels low and centred, but it appears the suspension has been adjusted to remove any bouncy quality, which might come with the additional weight added over the combustion variants, with nearly 500kg of lithium batteries under the floor.

In fact, the ride is also one of the things which impressed me most about the EQB. It even has huge 20-inch AMG wheels, yet it dealt with bumps of all shapes and sizes in an impressive manner, keeping the body under control, and communicating remarkably little in terms of vibration or unpleasantness into the cabin.

The steering offes a nice balance of feel and electrical assistance, a trait which combines with the EQB’s convenient size to make for an easy SUV to park and manoeuvre.

When it comes to the EQB’s traits as an electric car, there are several modes available to alter the experience. 

Using the paddle shifters, there are several regenerative braking settings to choose from. While none of them are a ‘single pedal’ mode, the D- mode is pretty strong, and clearly contributed to the EQB’s surprisingly good energy consumption in my time with the car.

Activating D+ mode, which can be combined with a sporty driving setting, tones down the regenerative setting almost completely and feels as though it unleashes more potential from the potent electric motors. 

While the sportier settings made the 2WD EQA I tested last year feel a little twitchy and prone to wheelspin, the all-wheel drive system keeps this well under control in the larger EQB for impressive acceleration characteristics.

The breadth of this SUV’s ability is perhaps its most impressive attribute. It can feel comfortable and tame around town, with alarming speed and tenacity when attacking the open road should you so desire. 

Sure, it’s not as whiplash-inducing as some of its rivals, particularly the Volvo XC40 Recharge or Tesla Model Y, but for a luxury SUV like this it’s more than what you could ask for. 

The EQB scores a thorough suite of active safety equipment including freeway-speed auto emergency braking (7.0-200km/h), lane keep assist with lane departure warning, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, as well as one of the best adaptive cruise systems on the market.

In the event of an impact, the EQB scores dual front, side, and head curtain airbags (the side and curtain bags cover both rows) as well as a driver’s knee airbag. There are the usual dual outboard ISOFIX child seat mounting points on the rear row, as well as three top-tether points.

The EQB scored a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating to the current 2022 standards, but this rating only covers the base 250 variant. It scored highly across all criteria.

The Countryman is offered with a five-year/unlimited km warranty which is pretty standard fare for a Euro model. You can pre-purchase a five year or up to 80,000km servicing plan for $2250, which is very competitive for the class.

Servicing intervals are condition based, so your Mini will tell you when it needs to visit the workshop.

Mercedes offers a five year and unlimited kilometre warranty, with five years of roadside assist. The high-voltage battery components are also covered by a separate and industry-standard eight-year and 160,000km warranty.

Service intervals are once every 12 months or 25,000km and the service plan costs an average of $440 a year for the life of the warranty which is expensive for an EV, especially considering Polestar offers free servicing for the first five years, and Volvo’s electric offerings are around half the cost over the same period.