Compare the2024 MINI CountrymanVS 2023 Volkswagen Taos

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The MINI Countryman has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Taos doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Countryman’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Taos.

The Countryman has standard Park Distance Control to help warn the driver about vehicles, pedestrians or other obstacles behind or, optionally, in front of the vehicle. The Taos doesn’t offer a front parking aid.

The Countryman’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 Taos doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Countryman and the Taos have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, rearview cameras and available all wheel drive.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rates the general design of front seat head restraints for their ability to protect front seat occupants from whiplash injuries. The IIHS also performs a dynamic test on those seats with “good” or “acceptable” geometry. In these ratings, the Countryman is safer than the Taos:

	Countryman	Taos
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Head Restraint Design	GOOD	GOOD
Distance from Back of Head	21 mm	38 mm
Dynamic Test Rating	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Seat Design	Pass	Fail
Torso Acceleration	12.7 g’s	13.3 g’s
Neck Force Rating	Low	Low
Max Neck Shearing Force	0	0
Max Neck Tension	287	334

(Lower numerical results are better in all tests.)

For its top level performance in all IIHS frontal, side, rear impact and roof-crush tests, and its standard front crash prevention system, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Countryman the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2017, a rating granted to only 231 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Taos was not even a “Top Safety Pick” for 2016.

Warranty

The Countryman’s corrosion warranty is 5 years and unlimited miles longer than the Taos’ (12/unlimited vs. 7/100,000).

MINI pays for scheduled maintenance on the Countryman for 1 year and 16000 miles longer than Volkswagen pays for maintenance for the Taos (3/36,000 vs. 2/20,000).

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Countryman’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the Taos’ camshafts. If the Taos’ belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

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 Countryman’s reliability 49 points higher than the Taos.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that MINI vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks MINI above average in initial quality. With 70 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that MINI vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks MINI above average in long-term dependability. With 19 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Volkswagen is rated below average.

Engine

The Countryman S’ standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 31 more horsepower (189 vs. 158) and 22 lbs.-ft. more torque (206 vs. 184) than the Taos’ 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder. The JCW Countryman’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 143 more horsepower (301 vs. 158) and 147 lbs.-ft. more torque (331 vs. 184) than the Taos’ 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Countryman S 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Volkswagen Taos:

	Countryman	Taos
Zero to 60 MPH	7.4 sec	8.5 sec
Quarter Mile	15.7 sec	16.5 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	86.7 MPH	83.9 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

Regenerative brakes improve the Countryman’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Taos doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The Countryman has 2.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the Taos FWD’s standard fuel tank (16.1 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Countryman has 1.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the Taos AWD’s standard fuel tank (16.1 vs. 14.5 gallons).

Transmission

The Countryman JCW’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Taos doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Countryman’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Taos:

	Countryman S	JCW Countryman	Taos
Front Rotors	13 inches	14.2 inches	12.3 inches
Rear Rotors	11 inches	13 inches	10.7 inches

The Countryman stops much shorter than the Taos:

	Countryman	Taos
70 to 0 MPH	157 feet	185 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	120 feet	130 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	130 feet	134 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Countryman has larger tires than the Taos (225/55R17 vs. 215/50R18).

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the Countryman can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Taos doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the MINI Countryman has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Taos 4x2 has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Countryman has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Countryman flat and controlled during cornering. The Taos 4x2 suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The Countryman offers an optional 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 Taos’ suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Countryman is 1.1 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Taos.

The Countryman S handles at .88 G’s, while the Taos SEL pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Countryman S ALL4 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.1 seconds quicker than the Taos SEL (27.2 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.3 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

Chassis

The Countryman is 6.1 inches shorter than the Taos, making the Countryman easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Countryman’s rear seats recline. The Taos’ rear seats don’t recline.

Flexibility is maximized at the game, campground or a drive-in theatre in the Countryman when its optional tailgating rear seats are deployed, allowing people to sit facing out of the liftgate. (Do not use while vehicle is in motion.) The Taos doesn’t offer tailgating seats.

Cargo Capacity

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Countryman’s power liftgate can be opened or closed just by waving your foot, leaving your hands completely free. The Taos doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening liftgate.

Servicing Ease

The Countryman uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Taos uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that MINI service is better than Volkswagen. J.D. Power ranks MINI fourth in service department satisfaction. With a 40% lower rating, Volkswagen is ranked 28th.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the Countryman, the optional memory system makes it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position, power steering assist, outside mirror angle, climate settings and radio stations. The Taos doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Countryman offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Taos doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

If the windows are left open on the Countryman the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Taos can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Countryman’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Taos’ passenger power window switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Countryman’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Taos’ standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Countryman to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. Heated windshield washer nozzles cost extra on the Taos.

To better shield the driver and front passenger’s vision, the Countryman has standard dual-element sun visors that can block glare from two directions simultaneously. The Taos doesn’t offer secondary sun visors.

The Countryman’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Volkswagen charges extra for heated mirrors on the Taos.

When the Countryman with available tilt-down mirrors is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The Taos’ mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Countryman’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Taos offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the Countryman and the Taos offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Countryman has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Taos doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

The Countryman’s optional Parking Assistant can parallel park by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Taos doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the MINI Countryman, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Volkswagen Taos isn't recommended.

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