It would be easy to say that Mini has lost the plot when it comes to the Countryman, its self-proclaimed crossover. Mini comes to America and fattens up like the rest of us instead of staying small, lithe, and true to its roots. But after wheeling our Countryman S ALL4 around L.A. for the past several months, I'd liken it more to a sports superstar at the tail end of their prime: bigger, thicker, and a little slower, but with more than enough guile and experience to make up for it.

Mini's been building fun-to-drive cars for more than a decade now and the Countryman has most of that DNA. It came in handy the other day while I was ripping along on SoCal's infamous I-405. A gangly body-panel piece suddenly appeared directly in my lane after coming around a corner, but instead of clipping it, I was able to quickly flick the heavy but responsive wheel while still in the lane and dart around it. Whew.


The Countryman's steering feel is one of its best qualities. Far from sluggish or sloppy, it makes the car responds in a hurry when you turn it. Things sharpen up further when you press the sport button -- the wheel gets a little heavier and gears hold longer. A manual would be better, but I have to admit that this six-speed auto is responsive and gearing has never been an issue other than when trying to work the relatively weak paddle shift setup. I've found it's better just to drop it into sport and let it hunt for the optimum rev range on its own.


As I've previously outlined, the Countryman S is also the only Mini I've ever driven where torque steer doesn't really come into play. Like a veteran who knows how to finally hit the curveball, the ALL4 system's best on-road quality is that its the wheel doesn't pull in one direction, an Achilles heel of many Minis, especially the high-powered John Cooper Works models. I'm really interested to see how the JCW Countryman feels with the added power and torque routed through the ALL4 all-wheel-drive.


Much as the big-time baller who's lost a step, the Countryman's a couple of ticks slower than its other S-badged stablemates, but it still blasts out of the gate quickly and hits the on-ramp gaps. Roll hard into a corner and you will notice its heft and a fair amount of body roll, but you feel in control of the car and there's predictably less understeer than in other Minis. You're not going to be able to toss it around as much on an autocross as its small-fry Cooper kin, but you wouldn't embarrass yourself either.

There is room in any lineup for a bigger, more experienced star who can handle still their business and deliver when called upon, and the Countryman is it for Mini. It's the designated hitter for Mini fans looking for that big bopper option.