Compare the2023 Volvo XC40 RechargeVS 2022 MINI SE Countryman

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

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Volvo XC40 Recharge have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The MINI SE Countryman doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The XC40 Recharge’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 Volvo XC40 Recharge 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 XC40 Recharge has a standard Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS), which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the WHIPS allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. At the same time the pretensioning seatbelts fire, removing slack from the belts. The SE Countryman doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests front crash prevention systems. With a score of 6 points, IIHS rates the City Safety in the XC40 Recharge as “Superior.” The SE Countryman scores only 3 points and is rated only “Advanced.”

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The XC40 Recharge has a standard CTA Auto Brake that use rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The SE Countryman doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The XC40 Recharge Plus/Ultimate has a standard 360-Degree Surround View Camera 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 XC40 Recharge’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 XC40 Recharge’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.

The XC40 Recharge’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The SE Countryman doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the XC40 Recharge and the SE Countryman have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems and rearview cameras.

The Volvo XC40 Recharge weighs 755 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 XC40 Recharge its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 95 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 Volvo dealers as there are MINI dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the XC40 Recharge’s warranty.

Reliability

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Volvo vehicles are more reliable than MINI vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Volvo 5 places higher in reliability than MINI.

Engine

The XC40 Recharge’s electric motors produces 181 more horsepower (402 vs. 221) and 202 lbs.-ft. more torque (486 vs. 284) than the SE Countryman’s 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the Volvo XC40 Recharge is faster than the MINI SE Countryman:

	XC40 Recharge	SE Countryman
Zero to 60 MPH	4.2 sec	5.9 sec
Quarter Mile	12.8 sec	14.6 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	107.7 MPH	88.3 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the XC40 Recharge gets better mileage than the SE Countryman running on electricity (92 city/79 hwy vs. 74 city/72 hwy MPGe).

On the EPA test cycle the XC40 Recharge gets better mileage than the SE Countryman running its gasoline engine (92 city/79 hwy MPGe vs. 29 city/30 hwy).

The XC40 Recharge can travel with zero emissions on a full charge for 223 miles. The SE Countryman has to start its internal combustion engine after only 18 miles.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Volvo XC40 Recharge higher (10 out of 10) than the MINI SE Countryman (3). This means the XC40 Recharge produces up to 36.3 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the SE Countryman every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

The XC40 Recharge stops much shorter than the SE Countryman:

	XC40 Recharge	SE Countryman
60 to 0 MPH	118 feet	150 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the XC40 Recharge has larger tires than the SE Countryman (F:235/50R19 & R:255/45R19 vs. 225/50R18).

The XC40 Recharge’s standard 255/45R19 rear 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 standard 50 series tires. The XC40 Recharge’s optional 235/45R20 front and 255/40R20 rear tires have a lower 45 series front and 40 series rear profile than the SE Countryman’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the XC40 Recharge has standard 19-inch wheels. Only 18-inch wheels are available on the SE Countryman. The XC40 Recharge offers optional 20-inch wheels.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the XC40 Recharge’s wheelbase is 1.3 inches longer than on the SE Countryman (106.4 inches vs. 105.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the XC40 Recharge is 1.4 inches wider in the front and 1.9 inches wider in the rear than on the SE Countryman.

The XC40 Recharge handles at .84 G’s, while the SE Countryman pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The XC40 Recharge executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.2 seconds quicker than the SE Countryman (26.3 seconds @ .7 average G’s vs. 27.5 seconds @ .63 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the XC40 Recharge has a 1.1 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the SE Countryman (6.9 vs. 5.8 inches), allowing the XC40 Recharge to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Passenger Space

The XC40 Recharge has 2.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the SE Countryman (98 vs. 95.4).

The XC40 Recharge has .5 inches more front legroom, 1.9 inches more front shoulder room, 1.3 inches more rear headroom and 2.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the SE Countryman.

Cargo Capacity

A control in the cargo area automatically lowers the XC40 Recharge’s optional 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 XC40 Recharge. The SE Countryman doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

The XC40 Recharge has a 2000 lbs. towing capacity. The SE Countryman has no towing capacity.

Optional Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) on the XC40 Recharge uses the Dynamic Stability and Traction Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The SE Countryman doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the XC40 Recharge has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the SE Countryman only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The XC40 Recharge’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the SE Countryman’s standard halogen headlights. LED lights also light instantly and last over twenty times longer than halogen.

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 XC40 Recharge’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the SE Countryman’s headlights are rated “Marginal” to “Poor.”

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The XC40 Recharge offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The SE Countryman doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The SE Countryman’s optional cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The XC40 Recharge Ultimate’s standard adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

Both the XC40 Recharge and the SE Countryman have standard heated front seats. The XC40 Recharge 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.

The XC40 Recharge 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.

Recommendations

J.D. Power and Associates rated the XC40 Recharge second among small premium suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The SE Countryman isn’t in the top three.

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