I put Mini’s Cooper, Countryman and new Aceman to the test – they’re all brilliant but my favourite is clear

ASKING me to pick my favourite Mini is like asking me to pick my favourite child.

Of course I’ve got one.

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But it’s always changing, depending on circumstances — and cost.

Let’s start with the little one. The Mini Cooper. The cool kid.

Sporty. Tick. Clever. Tick. Fun. Tick. Loved by everyone. Makes you proud.

Then there’s the big brother. The Countryman SUV. Sensible and mature.

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You’ll have no trouble with this one. Does everything for the family.

Finally, the middle one. The Aceman. Shares traits with both. But this is the difficult one. The fussy eater.

I say that because Cooper and Countryman come in both power types — petrol and electric — whereas the Aceman is electric-only.
So it won’t be half as popular with you lot.

I liked it, though.

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I didn’t do big miles the week I had it on test and I’ve got a home charger. So I could avoid our rubbish and increasingly expensive public charging network.

Life was easy.

The most pleasing thing is the top-notch cabin. Big round OLED screen stuffed with the latest BMW tech.

Recycled knitted textiles across the dash. Retro toggle bar and turn-key start.

Just like a Mini Cooper, then, but with more space in all directions.

The boot is nearly a third bigger at 300 litres.

The outside is a mini-me Countryman dressed in trendy SUV clobber.
Plastic cladding, skid plates, roof bars — and the same square lights.
How much is it?

Slap bang between the Cooper and Countryman you might think?

Actually, no. It’s more expensive than a Countryman petrol. Awkward.

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Because batteries are still expensive. Countryman petrol starts at £29,460.

The cheapest Aceman is £31,920 and the big battery version we tested is £36,420.

For the record, Cooper petrol costs £23,270 and the electric Cooper E is £30,120. I’m nothing if not thorough.

I have zero complaints with the way Aceman drives. It’s nippy and grippy — like a Mini should be — and masks its weight well on our broken roads.

You’ll never get near the official 244-mile range. That was done in a lab.

Lightning fast

But you might nudge 190-200 miles in the real world and, on some short trips, it was like it had a cheat code. I used less range than I actually drove.

As with the titchy Cooper, there’s a 258hp Aceman John Cooper Works coming soon with a 26hp boost paddle on the steering wheel for lightning-fast overtakes.

But it’s expensive. Like, £41k expensive.

So, that’s the new Mini family, sized S, M and XL.

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Which one should you buy? It depends on how big your family is.

They’re all brilliant. But I’d go £23k Cooper petrol. That’s still my favourite.

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