Is the MINI Countryman or the Volkswagen Polo cheaper to buy?

In current stock the MINI Countryman starts lower: the MINI Countryman is available from £5,491 (median £17,495) and the Volkswagen Polo from £7,995 (median £11,475).

What are the monthly finance payments on the MINI Countryman vs the Volkswagen Polo?

Illustrative finance starts from n/a on the MINI Countryman and £364/mo (HP, 60 months, 10.9% APR) on the Volkswagen Polo. 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 Polo?

The most common annual road tax (VED) across MINI Countryman stock is £200/yr, versus £200/yr for the Volkswagen Polo — so the MINI Countryman is generally cheaper to tax.

Which is more reliable at MOT, the MINI Countryman or the Volkswagen Polo?

Based on DVSA MOT history across our stock, the MINI Countryman averages a 49% first-time pass rate and the Volkswagen Polo 11% — the MINI Countryman edges it on this measure.

Side by side

MINI Countryman vs Volkswagen Polo

A side-by-side comparison of the used MINI Countryman and Volkswagen Polo — 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 Polo — which should I buy?

The MINI Countryman starts cheaper (MINI Countryman from £5,491, Volkswagen Polo from £7,995). On MOT reliability they score 49% and 11% first-time passes. The full spec, running-cost and deal breakdown is below.

Countryman from: £5,491
Polo from: £7,995
In stock: 9 vs 6

MINI Countryman versus Volkswagen Polo on price, running costs and MOT reliability, from live UK stock. The best value in each row is highlighted.
From live stock	★ Best value overall MINI Countryman 9 in stock · from £5,491	Volkswagen Polo 6 in stock · from £7,995
Cheapest in stock	£5,491★ lowest	£7,995
Median price	£17,495	£11,475★ lower
From (per month)Illustrative, from live stock	—	£364/mo (HP, 60 months, 10.9% APR)
Road tax (VED)Typical car in stock	£200/yr	£200/yr
Median mileage	49,424 mi★ lower	50,264 mi
Median year	2020★ newer	2020
Median CO₂	115 g/km	109 g/km★ cleaner
Typical power	134 bhp★ more	93 bhp
Most common fuel	Petrol	Petrol
Most common gearbox	Automatic	Automatic
MOT first-time passDVSA history	49%★ more reliable	11%
Great/good deals in stockMotoring Today price rating	1 / 9	3 / 6★ more
	View all 9 Countryman →	View all 6 Polo →

Motoring Today score

Our 0–100 vehicle-intelligence score: reliability is from real DVSA MOT pass rates, the rest from manufacturer specs (MPG/CO₂, insurance group, Euro NCAP, dimensions). Higher is better — the stronger side is highlighted.

Score	MINI Countryman	Volkswagen Polo
Overall	74/100	75/100
Reliability	71	69
Running costs	78	78
Family & practicality	85	78
Insurance	60	74

A guide, not a guarantee — based on the sample of stock and MOT/spec records we hold for each model.

Specs, side by side

Manufacturer specifications across the MINI Countryman and Volkswagen Polo trim range. The stronger figure is highlighted where there's a clear better/worse direction (dimensions are shown for reference only).

Spec	MINI Countryman	Volkswagen Polo
MPG (combined)	32–67 mpg	0–83 mpg
CO₂ emissions	40–185 g/km	82–216 g/km
Insurance group1 (cheapest) – 50	Group 8–38	Group 1–30
Euro NCAP safety	5 stars (2017)	5 stars (2022)
0–60mph	4.9s	6.3s
Power	88–301 bhp	45–204 bhp
Seats	5	5
Doors	5	5
Length	4299 mm	3970 mm
Width	2005 mm	1901 mm
Height	1557 mm	1461 mm

How we compare. The “best value overall” column and the cells marked ★ are chosen from live market data, running costs, DVSA MOT history and manufacturer specs — the side that wins the most comparable rows leads. Deal ratings come from the Motoring Today price model. Our methodology →

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 Polo cheaper to buy?: In current stock the MINI Countryman starts lower: the MINI Countryman is available from £5,491 (median £17,495) and the Volkswagen Polo from £7,995 (median £11,475).
What are the monthly finance payments on the MINI Countryman vs the Volkswagen Polo?: Illustrative finance starts from n/a on the MINI Countryman and £364/mo (HP, 60 months, 10.9% APR) on the Volkswagen Polo. 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 Polo?: The most common annual road tax (VED) across MINI Countryman stock is £200/yr, versus £200/yr for the Volkswagen Polo — so the MINI Countryman is generally cheaper to tax.
Which is more reliable at MOT, the MINI Countryman or the Volkswagen Polo?: Based on DVSA MOT history across our stock, the MINI Countryman averages a 49% first-time pass rate and the Volkswagen Polo 11% — the MINI Countryman edges it on this measure.

Motoring Today score

Specs, side by side

Frequently asked questions

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