Compare the2026 Subaru OutbackVS 2025 MINI Countryman

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Subaru Outback 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 Outback 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.

The Outback 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.

The Subaru Outback’s rear backup camera has a standard washer for maintaining a clear view under various conditions. In contrast, the MINI Countryman does not offer a rear camera washer, meaning its effectiveness relies on manual cleaning by the user when necessary.

Both the Outback 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, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, 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.

Subaru’s powertrain warranty covers the Outback 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 Outback’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are better in initial quality than MINI vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Subaru above average in initial quality. With 31 more problems per 100 vehicles, MINI is rated below average.

The Outback XT/Wilderness’ standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder produces 19 more horsepower (260 vs. 241) than the Countryman S’ standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Outback lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability (That’s why Porsche uses boxer engines.). The Countryman doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

On the EPA test cycle the Outback 2.5i 2.5 DOHC flat-4 gets better fuel mileage than the JCW Countryman 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder (25 city/31 hwy vs. 23 city/30 hwy).

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Subaru Outback uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended on Outback XT/Wilderness for maximum performance). The JCW Countryman requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Outback has 3.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the Countryman (18 vs. 14.3 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Outback 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.

The Outback’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.

The Outback Wilderness has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Countryman; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which has mileage and speed limitations, or roadside assistance and a tow-truck.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Outback’s wheelbase is 2.1 inches longer than on the Countryman (108.1 inches vs. 106 inches).

For better maneuverability, the Outback’s turning circle is 1.6 feet tighter than the Countryman S’ (36.5 feet vs. 38.1 feet). The Outback’s turning circle is 2.2 feet tighter than the JCW Countryman’s (36.5 feet vs. 38.7 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Outback has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Countryman (8.7 vs. 8 inches), allowing the Outback to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Outback Wilderness’ minimum ground clearance is 1.5 inches higher than on the Countryman (9.5 vs. 8 inches).

The front grille of the Outback 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.

The Outback has .3 inches more front headroom, 2.6 inches more front legroom, 2.2 inches more front shoulder room, 1.4 inches more rear headroom, 2.5 inches more rear legroom and 2.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Countryman.

The Outback has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Countryman with its rear seat up (34.6 vs. 25 cubic feet). The Outback has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Countryman with its rear seat folded (80.5 vs. 56.2 cubic feet).

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

While the Countryman JCW is not recommended to tow, any Outback can tow a minimum of 2700 pounds.

A Trailer Stability Assist is standard on the Outback, using 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. A trailer sway program costs extra on the Countryman.

The engine in the Outback 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.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Subaru service is better than MINI. J.D. Power ranks Subaru third in service department satisfaction. With an 8% lower rating, MINI is ranked fourth.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Outback’s exterior PIN entry system. The Countryman doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Assist eCall can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

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

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

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

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

Both the Outback and the Countryman have standard heated front seats. The Outback Limited/Touring/Wilderness also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Countryman.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the Outback 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.

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

The Subaru Outback outsold the MINI Countryman by over 14 to one during 2024.