Compare the2026 BMW iXVS 2025 MINI Countryman SE

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

Both the iX and Countryman SE have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The iX has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Countryman SE’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The BMW iX’s optional Surround View offers available integrated front and rear camera washers, ensuring clear, all-weather visibility without the need for manual cleaning. In contrast, the MINI Countryman SE lacks camera washers, requiring you to manually clean the cameras for optimal performance.

Both the iX and the Countryman SE have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The BMW iX weighs 979 to 1261 pounds more than the MINI Countryman SE. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

There are over 3 times as many BMW dealers as there are MINI dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the iX’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that BMW vehicles are better in initial quality than MINI vehicles. With 22 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks BMW higher than MINI.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that BMW vehicles are more reliable than MINI vehicles. J.D. Power ranks BMW above average in long-term dependability. With 13 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, MINI is rated lower.

The iX xDrive45’s standard electric motors produces 94 more horsepower (402 vs. 308) and 152 lbs.-ft. more torque (516 vs. 364) than the Countryman SE’s electric motors. The iX xDrive60’s standard electric motors produces 228 more horsepower (536 vs. 308) and 200 lbs.-ft. more torque (564 vs. 364) than the Countryman SE’s electric motors. The iX M70’s standard electric motors produces 342 more horsepower (650 vs. 308) and 447 lbs.-ft. more torque (811 vs. 364) than the Countryman SE’s electric motors.

On the EPA test cycle the iX gets better mileage than the Countryman SE:

The iX can travel longer on a full charge than the Countryman SE on a full charge:

The iX’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 SE are solid, not vented.

The iX stops much shorter than the Countryman SE:

For better traction, the iX has larger standard tires than the Countryman SE (235/60R20 vs. 225/55R18). The iX’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Countryman SE (275/40R22 vs. 245/45R19).

The iX’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Countryman SE’s optional 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the iX xDrive45/60 has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Countryman SE. The iX’s optional 23-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels optional on the Countryman SE.

The iX offers an available 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 Countryman SE’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The iX has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The iX’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 Countryman SE doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the iX’s wheelbase is 12.1 inches longer than on the Countryman SE (118.1 inches vs. 106 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the iX is 3.5 inches wider in the front and 4.7 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Countryman SE.

The iX xDrive60 handles at .88 G’s, while the Countryman SE pulls only .85 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For greater off-road capability the iX has a 1.4 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Countryman SE (8.8 vs. 7.4 inches), allowing the iX to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The front grille of the iX 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 SE doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The iX has .8 inches more front headroom, 4.3 inches more front hip room, 5.8 inches more front shoulder room, 2.2 inches more rear headroom, 3.8 inches more rear legroom, 3.8 inches more rear hip room and 3.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Countryman SE.

The iX has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Countryman SE with its rear seat up (35.5 vs. 24.8 cubic feet). The iX has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Countryman SE with its rear seat folded (77.9 vs. 56.2 cubic feet).

Pressing a switch automatically lowers the iX’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Countryman SE doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The iX’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Countryman SE’s (3500 vs. 2646 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the MINI Countryman SE is only 2646 pounds. The iX offers up to a 6834 lbs. towing capacity.

A Trailer Stabilization Control is standard on the iX, using the Dynamic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. A trailer sway program costs extra on the Countryman SE.

The iX’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. An easy entry system costs extra on the Countryman SE.

The iX’s standard Comfort Access allow you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the vehicle, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Comfort Access standard on the Countryman SE doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

Laser headlights, optional on the iX, produce their light by firing blue lasers through phosphorus, a process that uses one-half the power of the Countryman SE’s LED headlights. Laser headlights can have double the range of LEDs with a much smaller surface area.

The Countryman SE’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The iX’s optional 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.

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

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

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

Compared to the MINI Countryman SE, the BMW iX eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries with its standard integrated Homelink® universal remote controlled from the rear view mirror.

The BMW iX outsold the MINI Countryman by 30% during 2024.