BMW 1 Series vs MINI Countryman
A side-by-side comparison of the used BMW 1 Series and MINI Countryman — price, real monthly finance, running costs and MOT reliability, all from live UK stock.
Reviewed by the Motoring Today Editorial team · methodology in our editorial standards.
BMW 1 Series or MINI Countryman — which should I buy?
The MINI Countryman starts cheaper (BMW 1 Series from £8,650, MINI Countryman from £6,990), with illustrative finance from £209/mo and £185/mo respectively. On MOT reliability they score 95% and 90% first-time passes. The full spec, running-cost and deal breakdown is below.
- 1 Series from
- £8,650
- Countryman from
- £6,990
- In stock
- 9 vs 18
| Metric | BMW 1 Series | MINI Countryman |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest in stock | £8,650 | £6,990 |
| Median price | £11,491 | £14,295 |
| From (per month)Illustrative, from live stock | £209/mo (HP, 60 months, 16.9% APR) | £185/mo (HP, 60 months, 21.9% APR) |
| Road tax (VED)Typical car in stock | £200/yr | £200/yr |
| Median mileage | 60,700 mi | 50,015 mi |
| Median year | 2019 | 2019 |
| Median CO₂ | 119 g/km | 111 g/km |
| Typical power | 138 bhp | 189 bhp |
| Most common fuel | Petrol | Petrol |
| Most common gearbox | Automatic | Automatic |
| MOT first-time passDVSA history | 95% | 90% |
| Great/good deals in stockMotoring.Today price rating | 3 / 9 | 6 / 18 |
About the finance figures
Monthly payments shown are illustrative examples drawn from real quotes on cars currently in stock — the exact rate, term and APR depend on your circumstances, the lender and a credit check. They are not an offer of finance and are not a representative example of the total cost of credit.
Motoring.Today is a trading style of Motor Genius Group Ltd (FRN 960504), an appointed representative of The Compliance Guys Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 941360).
Motoring.Today is a credit broker, not a lender.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the BMW 1 Series or the MINI Countryman cheaper to buy?
- In current stock the MINI Countryman starts lower: the BMW 1 Series is available from £8,650 (median £11,491) and the MINI Countryman from £6,990 (median £14,295).
- What are the monthly finance payments on the BMW 1 Series vs the MINI Countryman?
- Illustrative finance starts from £209/mo (HP, 60 months, 16.9% APR) on the BMW 1 Series and £185/mo (HP, 60 months, 21.9% APR) on the MINI Countryman. These are examples from cars currently in stock, not offers of finance — the actual rate, term and APR depend on your circumstances, the lender and a credit check.
- Which is cheaper to tax, the BMW 1 Series or the MINI Countryman?
- The most common annual road tax (VED) across BMW 1 Series stock is £200/yr, versus £200/yr for the MINI Countryman — so the BMW 1 Series is generally cheaper to tax.
- Which is more reliable at MOT, the BMW 1 Series or the MINI Countryman?
- Based on DVSA MOT history across our stock, the BMW 1 Series averages a 95% first-time pass rate and the MINI Countryman 90% — the BMW 1 Series edges it on this measure.