2023 Toyota Sequoia vs 2024 MINI Countryman

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia was a striking presence on the road, with its bold design inspired by the Toyota Tundra pickup truck. The SUV's newly creased and kinked body gave it a more commanding presence compared to its predecessor. Inside, the Sequoia shared many design elements with the Tundra, featuring an industrial theme with luxurious touches in the Capstone trim, such as leather, wood, and metallic finishes. The 14-inch Toyota Audio Multimedia infotainment system dominated the dashboard, and the interior was available in a cream white-over-black two-tone colour scheme. Despite its luxurious appearance, some interior materials reminded occupants of its pickup truck origins.

In contrast, the 2024 MINI Countryman embraced its playful and classic MINI styling. It featured a wraparound windshield, a floating roof, and Union Jack taillights, proudly showcasing its British heritage. The Countryman offered a variety of paint, roof, and mirror cap treatments, along with multiple wheel designs. Inside, the Countryman provided a unique experience with its retro interior design and comfortable seating for four adults. The SUV's compact dimensions made it easy to park, and while it lacked some advanced driver assistance systems, it offered a head-up display and a user-friendly infotainment system.

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia was equipped with a powerful hybrid powertrain, featuring a twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre V6 engine, a 10-speed automatic transmission, and a 36-kilowatt electric motor/generator. This setup delivered an impressive 437 horsepower and 583 pound-feet of torque. The Sequoia's towing capacity increased to 4,137 kilograms, and it achieved better fuel efficiency than its predecessor, with a rating of 11.7 L/100 km in combined driving. The SUV offered various driving modes, including Eco, Comfort, Normal, Sport, and Sport+, allowing drivers to tailor the driving experience to their preferences. However, the Sequoia's steering was slow, and the regenerative braking system felt unresponsive at times.

The 2024 MINI Countryman offered different powertrain options, with the John Cooper Works (JCW) model standing out for its performance. The JCW featured a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine producing 301 horsepower and 331 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed sport automatic transmission. It could accelerate to 100 km/h in approximately 5 seconds. The Cooper S variant, with 189 horsepower and 206 pound-feet of torque, provided a zippy and athletic driving experience, reaching 100 km/h in about 7.3 seconds. The Countryman excelled in urban and suburban settings, offering a fun and engaging drive, though it wasn't suited for off-road adventures.

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia excelled on open roads, offering a comfortable and quiet cabin with features like soft leather upholstery, a JBL premium audio system, and a triple-zone automatic climate control system. The Sequoia's interior was spacious, with comfortable front seats and a wide, padded upper door panel shelf for resting arms during long trips. However, the third-row seat was less comfortable due to its high floor and low roof, and the cargo space was limited compared to its predecessor, with a maximum capacity of 2,460 litres.

The 2024 MINI Countryman provided seating for four adults, with supportive front seats and ample legroom in the rear. The SUV's compact size made it easy to manoeuvre and park, though it lacked some advanced parking technologies. Interior storage was reasonable, but the cargo space was limited, with 498 litres available behind the rear seats and 1,348 litres with the seats folded down. The Countryman's design allowed for flexibility with a 40/20/40-split folding back seat, accommodating longer items without sacrificing passenger space.

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia featured a new Toyota Audio Multimedia infotainment system, with a 14-inch touchscreen in most trims. The system was intuitive and included wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Capstone trim offered additional features like a 10-inch head-up display and a surround-view camera system. However, the system had some quirks, such as glare on the display and occasional issues with Bluetooth pairing.

The 2024 MINI Countryman offered a user-friendly infotainment system with an 8.8-inch touchscreen, using BMW's iDrive technology. It provided multiple ways to interact with the system, including a touchscreen, steering wheel controls, and voice recognition. While the system lacked Android Auto, it supported Apple CarPlay. The available 12-speaker Harman Kardon premium sound system delivered excellent audio quality, enhancing the driving experience.

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia came equipped with Toyota Safety Sense 2.5, which included a comprehensive suite of driver-assistance features such as forward-collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and adaptive cruise control. The Sequoia also featured blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and parking sensors with automatic braking. While crash test ratings were not available, the Sequoia's platform shared with the Tundra, which received high ratings from the IIHS.

The 2024 MINI Countryman offered basic safety features, including forward-collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, and lane-departure warning. It also had rear parking sensors and an emergency SOS call button. However, it lacked advanced features like blind-spot monitoring and lane-keeping assist. The Countryman received high crashworthiness ratings from the IIHS, though some testing procedures were incomplete.