MINI Countryman vs Volkswagen Golf
A side-by-side comparison of the used MINI Countryman and Volkswagen Golf — 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.
MINI Countryman or Volkswagen Golf — which should I buy?
The MINI Countryman starts cheaper (MINI Countryman from £6,990, Volkswagen Golf from £6,995), with illustrative finance from £185/mo and £156/mo respectively. On MOT reliability they score 90% and 86% first-time passes. The full spec, running-cost and deal breakdown is below.
- Countryman from
- £6,990
- Golf from
- £6,995
- In stock
- 18 vs 11
| Metric | MINI Countryman | Volkswagen Golf |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest in stock | £6,990 | £6,995 |
| Median price | £14,295 | £14,995 |
| From (per month)Illustrative, from live stock | £185/mo (HP, 60 months, 21.9% APR) | £156/mo (HP, 60 months, 12.9% APR) |
| Road tax (VED)Typical car in stock | £200/yr | £200/yr |
| Median mileage | 50,015 mi | 50,781 mi |
| Median year | 2019 | 2018 |
| Median CO₂ | 111 g/km | 117 g/km |
| Typical power | 189 bhp | 147 bhp |
| Most common fuel | Petrol | Petrol |
| Most common gearbox | Automatic | Automatic |
| MOT first-time passDVSA history | 90% | 86% |
| Great/good deals in stockMotoring.Today price rating | 6 / 18 | 2 / 11 |
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 MINI Countryman or the Volkswagen Golf cheaper to buy?
- In current stock the MINI Countryman starts lower: the MINI Countryman is available from £6,990 (median £14,295) and the Volkswagen Golf from £6,995 (median £14,995).
- What are the monthly finance payments on the MINI Countryman vs the Volkswagen Golf?
- Illustrative finance starts from £185/mo (HP, 60 months, 21.9% APR) on the MINI Countryman and £156/mo (HP, 60 months, 12.9% APR) on the Volkswagen Golf. 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 MINI Countryman or the Volkswagen Golf?
- The most common annual road tax (VED) across MINI Countryman stock is £200/yr, versus £200/yr for the Volkswagen Golf — so the MINI Countryman is generally cheaper to tax.
- Which is more reliable at MOT, the MINI Countryman or the Volkswagen Golf?
- Based on DVSA MOT history across our stock, the MINI Countryman averages a 90% first-time pass rate and the Volkswagen Golf 86% — the MINI Countryman edges it on this measure.