Compare the2026 Volkswagen TaosVS 2025 MINI Countryman

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Volkswagen Taos 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 Volkswagen Taos 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.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Taos deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Taos’ side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Countryman’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Volkswagen Taos achieved a “Acceptable” rating - the second highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The MINI Countryman has not been tested.

Both the Taos and the Countryman have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and rear parking sensors.

There are over 6 times as many Volkswagen dealers as there are MINI dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Taos’ warranty.

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

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Volkswagen Taos uses regular unleaded gasoline. The JCW Countryman requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Volkswagen Taos higher (7 out of 10) than the MINI Countryman (5 to 6). This means the Taos produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Countryman every 15,000 miles.

An eight-speed automatic is standard on the Volkswagen Taos, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a seven-speed automatic is available for the Countryman.

The Taos stops shorter than the Countryman:

For better maneuverability, the Taos 4Motion®’s turning circle is 3.3 feet tighter than the Countryman S’ (34.8 feet vs. 38.1 feet). The Taos’ turning circle is 3.6 feet tighter than the JCW Countryman’s (35.1 feet vs. 38.7 feet).

The Volkswagen Taos may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 400 to 600 pounds less than the MINI Countryman.

The Taos has .8 inches more front shoulder room, .7 inches more rear headroom, .9 inches more rear legroom and .4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Countryman.

The Taos has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Countryman with its rear seat up (27.9 vs. 25 cubic feet). The Taos has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Countryman with its rear seat folded (65.9 vs. 56.2 cubic feet).

The Countryman’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The Taos SE/SEL’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’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side window, the Taos has a standard extendable sun visor. The Countryman doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Taos SEL 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 Taos is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Countryman doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

The Volkswagen Taos outsold the MINI Countryman by almost six to one during 2024.