Compare the2027 Kia EV3 VS 2026 MINI Countryman SE

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Kia EV3 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The MINI Countryman SE doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Kia EV3 are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The MINI Countryman SE doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the EV3 and the Countryman SE have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The EV3 comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Countryman SE’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the EV3 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than MINI covers the Countryman SE. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Countryman SE ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 8 times as many Kia dealers as there are MINI dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the EV3’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than MINI vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia above average in initial quality. With 37 more problems per 100 vehicles, MINI is rated below average.

On the EPA test cycle the EV3 gets better mileage than the Countryman SE:

			MPGe
EV3
	FWD	Wind/Land Electric Motor	131 city/104 hwy
		Electric Motor	127 city/103 hwy
	AWD	Electric Motors	110 city/96 hwy
		GT Electric Motors	112 city/94 hwy
Countryman SE
	AWD	18-inch wheels Electric Motors	99 city/94 hwy
		19-inch wheels Electric Motors	94 city/88 hwy

The EV3 can travel longer on a full charge than the Countryman SE on a full charge:

			Miles
EV3
	FWD	Wind/Land Electric Motor	321 miles
		Electric Motor	221 miles
	AWD	Electric Motors	280 miles
		GT Electric Motors	280 miles
Countryman SE
	AWD	18-inch wheels Electric Motors	212 miles
		19-inch wheels Electric Motors	204 miles

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the EV3 is 1.2 inches wider in the front and 1.1 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Countryman SE.

For better maneuverability, the EV3’s turning circle is 4.7 feet tighter than the Countryman SE’s (34 feet vs. 38.7 feet).

The Kia EV3 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 150 to 750 pounds less than the MINI Countryman SE.

The EV3 Light/Wind/Land is 5.7 inches shorter than the Countryman SE, making the EV3 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the EV3 uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Countryman SE doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The EV3 has 1.3 inches more front legroom, 1.1 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear headroom, .4 inches more rear legroom and .3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Countryman SE.

The EV3 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Countryman SE with its rear seat up (26.1 vs. 24.8 cubic feet). The EV3 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Countryman SE with its rear seat folded (56.5 vs. 56.2 cubic feet).

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the EV3 has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Countryman SE only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the EV3 has standard extendable sun visors. The Countryman SE doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the EV3 Land/GT-Line/GT keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Countryman SE doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The EV3 is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Countryman SE doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.