MINI Countryman vs. Infiniti QX30: Secretly German Drag Race

MINI has always made plucky little cars that were more fun to drive than their segment rivals. The Countryman isn't as plucky or fun to drive as before, and that's because it shares the UKL2 platform with the BMW X1.

Many parts are shared, including the 2-liter turbo engine, and that's not a bad thing. By making the Countryman larger, MINI can attract more customers and deliver better performance. However, the 189-hp output is not as high as the X1 xDrive 28i.

You know what else makes more power? The Infiniti QX30. Under the skin, this is the same car as the Mercedes-Benz GLA 250, right down to the 208-hp output of its 2-liter turbo. The "Japanese car" features a 7-speed twin-clutch gearbox which should theoretically be another advantage over the MINI/BMW.

But Mercedes might have intentionally left all its good horsepower on the shelf when putting the QX30 together. Off the line, it has huge drivetrain lag, allowing the Countryman to pull ahead and stay there.

I don't know how much performance matters in this segment, but it should at least play a small part. After all, Infiniti doesn't say "208-hp, but it's slower than a 189-hp MINI Countryman."

We haven't seen these two together before, and we have to admit that the beauty of the QX30 continues to impress us. The MINI just looks like a bloated hatchback that only hardcore fans of the brand will really love. So which one of these would we buy? Neither, as the practicality and grown-up looks of the BMW X1 makes a lot more sense. Shame we have to miss out on "rose gold iPhone paint."