Compare the2022 Audi e-tronVS 2022 MINI SE Countryman

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics

Safety

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The e-tron’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The SE Countryman doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Audi e-tron 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 SE Countryman doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests front crash prevention systems. With a score of 6 points, IIHS rates the Pre Sense Front in the e-tron as “Superior.” The SE Countryman scores only 3 points and is rated only “Advanced.”

An active infrared night vision system optional on the e-tron helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera and near-infrared lights to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The SE Countryman doesn’t offer a night vision system.

The e-tron offers an optional Top View Camera System to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The SE Countryman only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

The e-tron’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 SE 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 e-tron’s standard rear 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 SE Countryman doesn’t offer a cross-path warning system.

Both the e-tron and the SE Countryman have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and available four-wheel drive.

The Audi e-tron weighs 1779 to 2088 pounds more than the MINI SE Countryman. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

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 standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the e-tron its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2021, a rating granted to only 76 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The SE Countryman last would have qualified as only a standard “Top Safety Pick” in 2017.

Warranty

There are almost 3 times as many Audi dealers as there are MINI dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the e-tron’s warranty.

Reliability

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than MINI vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 9 places higher in reliability than MINI.

Engine

The e-tron’s standard electric motors produce 181 more horsepower (402 vs. 221) and 206 lbs.-ft. more torque (490 vs. 284) than the SE Countryman’s 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder hybrid. The e-tron S’ standard electric motors produce 275 more horsepower (496 vs. 221) and 433 lbs.-ft. more torque (717 vs. 284) than the SE Countryman’s 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the Audi e-tron (base engine) is faster than the MINI SE Countryman:

	e-tron	SE Countryman
Zero to 60 MPH	5.1 sec	5.9 sec
Quarter Mile	13.7 sec	14.6 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	102.4 MPH	88.3 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the e-tron gets better mileage than the SE Countryman running on electricity:

			MPGe
e-tron
	AWD	Electric Motors	78 city/77 hwy
		S Electric Motors	72 city/75 hwy
SE Countryman
	AWD	Electric Motor	74 city/72 hwy

On the EPA test cycle the e-tron gets better mileage than the SE Countryman running its gasoline engine:

			MPGe
e-tron
	AWD	Electric Motors	78 city/77 hwy
		S Electric Motors	72 city/75 hwy
SE Countryman
			MPG
	AWD	Electric Motor	29 city/30 hwy

The e-tron’s maximum EPA estimated driving range is 181 to 222 miles on a full charge. The SE Countryman can only travel about 18 miles before it has to start its internal combustion engine.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Audi e-tron higher (10 out of 10) than the MINI SE Countryman (3). This means the e-tron produces up to 36.3 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the SE Countryman every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

The e-tron’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the SE Countryman are solid, not vented.

The e-tron stops much shorter than the SE Countryman:

	e-tron	SE Countryman
60 to 0 MPH	128 feet	150 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the e-tron has larger standard tires than the SE Countryman (255/50R20 vs. 225/50R18). The e-tron’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the SE Countryman (265/45R21 vs. 225/50R18).

The e-tron’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the SE Countryman’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the e-tron has standard 20-inch wheels. Only 18-inch wheels are available on the SE Countryman. The e-tron offers optional 21-inch wheels.

Suspension and Handling

The front and rear suspension of the e-tron uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the SE Countryman, which uses coil springs. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

The e-tron has a standard driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The SE Countryman’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The e-tron has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The e-tron’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The SE Countryman doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the e-tron’s wheelbase is 10 inches longer than on the SE Countryman (115.1 inches vs. 105.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the e-tron is 3.7 inches wider in the front and 3.8 inches wider in the rear than the track on the SE Countryman.

The e-tron Chronos Edition handles at .80 G’s, while the SE Countryman pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The e-tron Chronos Edition executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the SE Countryman (26.6 seconds @ .71 average G’s vs. 27.5 seconds @ .63 average G’s).

Chassis

The design of the Audi e-tron amounts to more than styling. The e-tron has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .3 Cd. That is lower than the SE Countryman (.33) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the e-tron get better fuel mileage.

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

Passenger Space

The e-tron has .4 inches more front legroom, 3.8 inches more front shoulder room, 1.6 inches more rear headroom, 1.5 inches more rear legroom and 3.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the SE Countryman.

Cargo Capacity

The e-tron has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the SE Countryman with its rear seat up (28.5 vs. 17.2 cubic feet). The e-tron has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the SE Countryman with its rear seat folded (56.4 vs. 47.4 cubic feet).

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the e-tron’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The SE 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 e-tron. The SE Countryman doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

The e-tron has a 4000 lbs. towing capacity. The SE Countryman has no towing capacity.

Ergonomics

The e-tron 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 SE Countryman doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors optional at extra cost in the SE Countryman, the e-tron Prestige has a passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

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 e-tron’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the SE 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 e-tron has standard extendable sun visors. The SE Countryman doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the e-tron to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The SE Countryman doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

Both the e-tron and the SE Countryman have standard heated front seats. The e-tron also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the SE Countryman.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the e-tron Premium Plus/Prestige keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The SE Countryman doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The e-tron Prestige has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the SE Countryman.

The e-tron 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 SE Countryman.