Subaru Solterra vs Mini Countryman

What's the difference?

The updated Subaru Solterra is now good enough to compete with rivals such as the Tesla Model Y and Zeekr 7X. The price is right as are the driving range and motor outputs.

There's room for improvement in terms of cabin packaging. The car doesn’t cater for taller, larger people up front, with the steering wheel placement and wide centre console. Cabin storage could also be much better.

Still, the Solterra is superb to drive. One of the best EVs I’ve piloted at this price.

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.

The Solterra is a mid-sized SUV with sporty coupe-like styling and this update has seen the front of the car receive a new look which to my eyes is better than the previous face. 

The rest of the car’s exterior remains mainly unchanged in the design.

If you aren’t a fan of the Solterra’s look then check out Toyota’s bZ4X, which is its twin and has slightly more conservative styling, and while I do like the Subaru’s face, I think Toyota’s tail-light treatment is cleaner.

The cabin is modern with a large central media screen, a high-placed instrument display and a wide centre console with dual phone chargers. But the squareish steering wheel steals the show, completing the futuristic vibe.

This update has seen the centre console re-designed with the dual chargers added and the gear-shifter moved backwards away from the media display.

The cabin doesn’t have much in the way of glitzy touches, with dark materials dominating throughout. Hard plastics abound, but the interior still looks and feels premium.

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 steering wheel’s square design is like that for a reason - it’s designed to provide the driver with a clearer view of the instrument cluster. But as noted in the past with other vehicles that choose this set up, the ergonomics don’t work for everybody - especially if you’re tall like me (I’m 189cm).

In my case the top of the steering wheel obstructs my visibility of the display, which shows vehicle speed among other crucial info. 

There’s also a problem with the clearance of the steering wheel and my legs. This is caused by a combination of my height, the low steering wheel and the limitations of how much it can be raised, the low-hip point in the seating position and the shape of the wheel. 

Add an overly wide centre console and space for larger and taller drives becomes even more cramped.

Moving the shifter back in this update also makes it more difficult to use for me and the mechanism is quite clunky.

Second row space is a much better story, with a flat floor, good headroom and lots of legroom even for me behind my driving position. The rear door aperture isn’t great and this has made installing child car seats and the corresponding child difficult.

Cabin storage could also be better. There’s no glove box, but there is space under the centre console, although this is now where the large driver’s manual lives. There’s a large centre console bin, big door pockets and four cupholders (two up front and two in the second row).

The second row has directional air vents and USB ports. There are USB ports up front, too.

Boot capacity isn't enormous at 421 litres in the entry-grade and 410 litres in the Touring. There’s no front boot, either. Under the bonnet is the Solterra’s front motor and electrical hardware.    

The Solterra is a five seater SUV, so no third row here.

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.

There are five versions of the new Mini Countryman, which includes a line-up of petrol and fully-electric powertrains.

For the petrol John Cooper Works (JCW), there are two trim levels available and our test model is the flagship Favoured variant.  It's priced from $73,990, before on road costs, making it an affordable high-performance small SUV compared to its Euro rivals.

The third-gen Mini Countryman JCW is built alongside the BMW X1 and because they share the same platform and engine, it directly competes against the X1 M35i xDrive which is priced from $92,300 MSRP.

So, if its the impressive engine outputs you’re after our JCW Favoured is the better pick. The Audi RS Q3 2.5 TFSI quattro is even more expensive at $101,215 but it does have better engine outputs.

Surprisingly, the John Cooper Works Favoured doesn’t add all that much to the ‘base’ Classic trim but the additions include 20-inch alloy wheels with performance brakes (including red calipers) and six extra paintwork options. You also get electric front seats, with memory and massage functions for the driver.

JCW models come with keyless entry and start, heated front seats, a panoramic sunroof, adaptive cornering LED headlights, dual climate control, powered tailgate with kick-function, heated steering wheel and velour floor mats.

The technology includes a round 9.4-inch OLED multimedia screen, dash cam recorder, a premium Harman Kardon sound system, digital radio, a head-up display, 'Spike' Mini Assistant, an interior camera (you can take selfies!), augmented satellite navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, a wireless charging pad, four USB-C ports and two 12-volt sockets.

While it's impressively more affordable than its peers, the JCW in Favoured trim misses out on a few top-grade features you'd expect at this level. Features like front seat ventilation and heated rear outboard seats or even a massage function on the front passenger seat.

The Solterra has two electric motors and as before there is one driving the front wheels, and one driving the rear wheels for all-wheel drive. Toyota’s bZ4X twin can be had in two-wheel drive and AWD.

The big news is the motors are now more powerful. Much more powerful. Combined output is 252KW (up from 160kW). That’s a huge increase but power is still less than the output of a Model Y or Zeekr 7X.

The front motor now makes 167kW/268Nm, while the rear motor produces 88kW/169Nm. Acceleration from 0-100km/h is about five seconds and that’s almost two seconds faster than the old version. 

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'.

The updated Soltera’s battery size has increased to 74.7kWh. That’s up from 71.4kWh and means driving range has increased. 

The new, larger lithium ion battery delivers a range of 566km (WLTP) in the entry-grade Solterra (up from 414km). That addresses a big concern about the old car. The Touring has a range of 517km and any range above 500km is acceptable in my book.

Also big news is the increase in maximum AC charging capacity from 11kW to 22kW. DC charging capacity is the same at 150kW with 0-80 per cent charge in about 30 minutes.

Consumption officially ranges from about 14.6kWh/100km in the entry-grade Solterra to 16.0kW/100km in the Touring. The Touring we tested was reporting 17.0kW/100km according to the trip computer after 163km of testing in mainly urban conditions. 

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.

The Solterra may slightly lag behind rivals in some areas such as range and power output, but where most rivals can barely touch it is when it comes to driving.

Currently there aren’t many electric vehicles that are good to drive, except for more prestige offerings from brands such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche. 

The Solterra is one of the best electric vehicles I have driven at this price point and it’s down to the outstanding platform it shares with the Toyota bZ4X which provides superb ride comfort, great handling and excellent steering.

Acceleration is strong and traction from the all-wheel drive is good.

Sure, while the driving position needs improvement, the car itself is excellent to drive.

Visibility is also good and sound intrusion is minimal. We noticed some materials making noises in the cabin. Although this is common, with no engine to mask it, it becomes more noticeable in EVs. 

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.

The new Mini Countryman hasn’t been assessed by ANCAP but features a healthy list of crash-avoidance safety features and has nine airbags, including a front centre bag.

Standard safety equipment includes driver monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, AEB, 'Cornering Brake Control', blind-spot monitoring, emergency e-call, lane keeping aid, lane departure warning, side exit assist, a dash cam recorder, tyre pressure monitoring, 360-degree view camera system plus front and rear parking sensors.

The adaptive cruise control is also well-tuned and one of the better systems I’ve sampled recently.

The rear seat has two ISOFIX child seat mounts and three top tether anchor points but two seats will fit best.

The Solterra is covered by Subaru’s five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty which is falling behind the seven-year warranty offered by many now. The battery is covered  by an eight-year, 160,000km warranty. 

There is also five years of capped price servicing with each yearly/15,000km service costing between $130-$300. That’s a very reasonable price.

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.