Compare the2022 Honda HR-VVS 2022 MINI Countryman

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Honda HR-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 HR-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 HR-V’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Countryman’s airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests front crash prevention systems. With a score of 6 points, IIHS rates the Collision Mitigation Braking System optional in the HR-V as “Superior.” The Countryman scores only 3 points and is rated only “Advanced.”

The HR-V’s blind spot mirrors use wide-angle convex mirrors mounted in the corner of each side view mirror to reveal objects that may be in the driver’s blind spots. The Countryman doesn’t offer a system to reveal objects in the driver’s blind spots.

Both the HR-V and the Countryman have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive and lane departure warning systems.

Honda’s powertrain warranty covers the HR-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 9 times as many Honda dealers as there are MINI dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the HR-V’s warranty.

The engine in the HR-V has a single overhead cam for simplicity. The engines in the Countryman have dual overhead cams, which add to the number of moving parts and the complexity of the cylinder heads.

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 HR-V’s reliability 45 points higher than the Countryman.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than MINI vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 18 places higher in reliability than MINI.

The HR-V’s 1.8 SOHC 4-cylinder produces 7 more horsepower (141 vs. 134) than the Countryman’s standard 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder.

The HR-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.

The HR-V stops much shorter than the Countryman:

The HR-V EX-L AWD handles at .84 G’s, while the Countryman ALL4 pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The HR-V EX executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Countryman ALL4 (27.8 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 28.3 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the HR-V has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Countryman (6.7 vs. 6.5 inches), allowing the HR-V to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The HR-V Sport’s minimum ground clearance is .4 inch higher than on the Countryman (6.9 vs. 6.5 inches).

The Honda HR-V may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 450 to 650 pounds less than the MINI Countryman.

The HR-V Sport/EX/EX-L 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 HR-V has 3.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Countryman (100.1 vs. 96.9).

The HR-V has .8 inches more front legroom, 4.9 inches more front shoulder room, 1.7 inches more rear legroom and 9.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Countryman.

The HR-V has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Countryman with its rear seat up (24.3 vs. 17.6 cubic feet). The HR-V has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Countryman with its rear seat folded (58.8 vs. 47.6 cubic feet).

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the HR-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.

Consumer Reports rated the HR-V’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Countryman’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The HR-V’s available headlights were rated “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Countryman’s headlights are rated “Marginal” to “Poor.”

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

Insurance will cost less for the HR-V owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the HR-V will cost $625 less than the Countryman over a five-year period.

The HR-V will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the HR-V will retain 52.22% to 53.55% of its original price after five years, while the Countryman only retains 50.05% to 51.36%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the HR-V is less expensive to operate than the Countryman because it costs $173 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the HR-V than the Countryman, including $119 less for a water pump, $235 less for a muffler, $48 less for front brake pads, $67 less for fuel injection, $143 less for front struts, $233 less for a timing belt/chain and $69 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Honda HR-V will be $7688 to $12118 less than for the MINI Countryman.