Building a bigger Mini -- but not too big.

#10. It’s bigger, but not big.

At 161.3 inches long, the 2011 Mini Cooper Countryman is 14.7 inches longer than the Mini Cooper hardtop and 5.5 inches longer than the three-door Clubman. It’s also about four inches wider than those vehicles, it sits six inches higher than the hardtop, and ground clearance is up by 1.2 inches. With those larger dimensions, some may think the Countryman is meant to compete against small SUVs. That’s not the case. It’s much smaller, about the length of subcompact hatchbacks like the Honda Fit and Kia Soul. So, while the Countryman is bigger, it’s really not that big.