Compare the2022 Honda CR-V HybridVS 2022 MINI Countryman

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Honda CR-V Hybrid 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 CR-V Hybrid deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The CR-V Hybrid’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 in the CR-V Hybrid as “Superior.” The Countryman scores only 3 points and is rated only “Advanced.”

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the CR-V Hybrid. But it costs extra on the Countryman.

The CR-V Hybrid’s blind spot warning system uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. The Countryman doesn’t offer a system to reveal objects in the driver’s blind spots.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the CR-V Hybrid’s standard cross-path warning system uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The Countryman doesn’t offer a cross-path warning system.

Both the CR-V Hybrid and the Countryman have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors and available rear parking sensors.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its available headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the CR-V Hybrid the rating of “Top Pick” for 2021, a rating granted to only 128 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Countryman last would have qualified as a “Top Pick” in 2017.

Honda’s powertrain warranty covers the CR-V Hybrid 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 CR-V Hybrid’s warranty.

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 CR-V Hybrid’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 78 more horsepower (212 vs. 134) and 70 lbs.-ft. more torque (232 vs. 162) than the Countryman’s standard 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder. The CR-V Hybrid’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 23 more horsepower (212 vs. 189) and 26 lbs.-ft. more torque (232 vs. 206) than the Countryman S’ standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Honda CR-V Hybrid is faster than the MINI Countryman turbo 3 cyl.:

On the EPA test cycle the CR-V Hybrid gets better mileage than the Countryman:

The CR-V Hybrid has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Countryman doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Honda CR-V Hybrid higher (7 out of 10) than the MINI Countryman (3 to 7). This means the CR-V Hybrid produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Countryman every 15,000 miles.

The CR-V Hybrid 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 CR-V Hybrid stops much shorter than the Countryman:

For better traction, the CR-V Hybrid has larger tires than the Countryman (235/60R18 vs. 225/55R17).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the CR-V Hybrid EX/EX-L has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Countryman.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the CR-V Hybrid is 1.2 inches wider in the front and 1.7 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Countryman.

The CR-V Hybrid Touring handles at .81 G’s, while the Countryman ALL4 pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For greater off-road capability the CR-V Hybrid has a 1.7 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Countryman (8.2 vs. 6.5 inches), allowing the CR-V Hybrid to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The front grille of the CR-V Hybrid uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Countryman doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The CR-V Hybrid 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 CR-V Hybrid has 6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Countryman (102.9 vs. 96.9).

The CR-V Hybrid has .9 inches more front legroom, 6 inches more front shoulder room, .8 inches more rear headroom, 2.8 inches more rear legroom and 10.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Countryman.

The CR-V Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Countryman with its rear seat up (33.2 vs. 17.6 cubic feet). The CR-V Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Countryman with its rear seat folded (68.7 vs. 47.6 cubic feet).

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the CR-V Hybrid’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Countryman doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the CR-V Hybrid. The Countryman doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The CR-V Hybrid has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Countryman doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the CR-V Hybrid 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 CR-V Hybrid’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 CR-V Hybrid’s available headlights were rated “Good” 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 CR-V Hybrid has standard extendable sun visors. The Countryman doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The CR-V Hybrid has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning costs extra on the Countryman.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Honda CR-V Hybrid and the MINI Countryman, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The CR-V was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Five/10Best Trucks” for 3 of the last 20 years. The Countryman has never been a Car and Driver “Top Five/10Best Truck” pick.

Motor Trend selected the CR-V as their 2018 Sport Utility of the Year. The Countryman has never been chosen.