Compare the2025 Subaru ForesterVS 2024 MINI Countryman

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

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Subaru Forester 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 Countryman doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Subaru Forester 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.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Forester are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Countryman doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Forester has standard Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Countryman doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Forester (except Base/Premium) offers optional Reverse Automatic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Countryman doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

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

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Forester Premium/Sport/Limited/Touring’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Countryman doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

The Forester Touring has a standard 360-Degree Surround View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The 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 Forester (except Base)’s optional 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 and moves the vehicle back into its lane. 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 Forester (except Base)’s optional Rear Cross Traffic Alert uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The Countryman doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

Both the Forester and the Countryman have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and available driver alert monitors.

Warranty

Subaru’s powertrain warranty covers the Forester 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 6 times as many Subaru dealers as there are MINI dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Forester’s warranty.

Engine

The Forester’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 46 more horsepower (180 vs. 134) and 16 lbs.-ft. more torque (178 vs. 162) than the Countryman’s standard 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder.

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Forester lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability without compromising ground clearance. The Countryman doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Forester gets better mileage than the Countryman:

			MPG
Forester
	AWD	2.5 DOHC flat-4	26 city/33 hwy
		Sport/Touring 2.5 DOHC flat-4	25 city/32 hwy
Countryman
	FWD	1.5 turbo 3-cyl.	26 city/32 hwy
		S 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	24 city/33 hwy
	AWD	JCW Countryman 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	24 city/30 hwy
		1.5 turbo 3-cyl.	23 city/31 hwy
		S 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/31 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Subaru Forester uses regular unleaded gasoline. The JCW Countryman requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

Environmental Friendliness

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

Transmission

The Forester 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.

Brakes and Stopping

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

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Forester Sport/Touring’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Countryman (235/50R19 vs. 225/55R17).

Suspension and Handling

For better maneuverability, the Forester’s turning circle is 2 feet tighter than the Countryman’s (35.4 feet vs. 37.4 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Forester has a 2.2 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Countryman (8.7 vs. 6.5 inches), allowing the Forester to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The front grille of the Forester 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.

Passenger Space

The Forester has 13.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Countryman (110.8 vs. 96.9).

The Forester has .7 inches more front headroom, 2.9 inches more front legroom, 2.9 inches more front shoulder room, 1.3 inches more rear headroom, 1.8 inches more rear legroom and 2.7 inches more rear shoulder room than the Countryman.

The front step up height for the Forester is 1.3 inches lower than the Countryman (15.5” vs. 16.8”).

Cargo Capacity

The Forester has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Countryman with its rear seat up (29.6 vs. 17.6 cubic feet). The Forester has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Countryman with its rear seat folded (74.4 vs. 47.6 cubic feet).

The Forester’s cargo area is larger than the Countryman’s in every dimension:

	Forester	Countryman
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	36.5”/70.7”	29.2”/61”
Max Width	51.2”	49”
Min Width	43.3”	39.9”
Height	34.9”	31”

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the Forester Limited/Touring’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Countryman doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Towing

The Forester has a 1500 lbs. towing capacity. The Countryman has no towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the Forester uses the Vehicle Dynamics Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Countryman doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Forester is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Countryman. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

The Forester Premium/Sport/Limited/Touring 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.

The Forester Touring’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Countryman doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Forester 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.

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

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

Both the Forester and the Countryman offer available heated front seats. The Forester Touring also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Countryman.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Forester Touring keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Countryman doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Forester 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.

Recommendations

The Subaru Forester outsold the MINI Countryman by over 12 to one during 2023.