Let's talk cars! Do you like driving? I actually really do. I can't pretend that I'm especially good at it or parking {although I can reverse park really well since my husband taught me to use my mirrors, just don't ask me to parallel} but I'll happily be the designated driver on even the longest of trips. Music on, foot down and vroom. I think it's because I don't like trains so I even don't mind driving through London, my husband and friends are always amazed at how I can keep calm driving yet freak out at the thought of going on the underground. So why all of this car talk? Well last month Mini leant me a new Mini Countryman to have some summer adventures in. My thoughts on it below...

Looks wise you can't deny that all Mini cars are super cute. Their styling is just right - a bit of retro charm to make things fun yet still smart and stylish. I'd never driven a Mini before, always thinking that they'd be tiny but the new Countryman is their biggest car to date making it comfortable for even my tall husband - leg and head height is always a big thing for long journeys when you're 6 ft 4.

Being a 4 wheel drive it's perfect for both the city and country. We live in Hertfordshire so need a bit of both, I drive into London a lot for work {in fact the first journey I took the Mini on was to the Chelsea Flower Show} but also we whizz around country lanes at the weekends. 

Everybody who saw it laughed and said 'that's not a Mini!' being so big but that's why I loved it so much. Easy enough to park and squeeze down narrow roads but big enough that you've got space. Being a 4 x 4 you don't have to worry about icy roads in the winter, and you feel that bit more raised up {without being as high as my Discovery}.

I normally drive an automatic. Mini only had this in a manual to lend to me, which I was a bit scared of at first. I can't remember the last drive I drove stick shift. Whilst it came back to me very quickly {after just one stall and a bit of bunny hopping} and driving with gears was fun again for a while, overall driving an automatic is just so much easier. You don't have to think, just brake or go. So that was the biggest thing I'd change about it. 

Having five doors is a must for us. I took friends out and my family and we all fitted without a squeeze. We're forever transporting furniture home from antiques markets so having seats that fold down easily too are also a must. These are a nice mix of leather and fabric.

Or picking up plants from garden centres...

We even managed to fit an apple tree in!

It was full of cool features. The usual Sat Nav and cruise control you'd expect but also very easy Bluetooth to connect your phone for calls and spotify {plus voice control so you can say 'Call Mum' instead of having to touch the screen} and USB car chargers. Plus snazzy mood lighting that I wasn't expecting, the speedometer changes colour for ambience and at night when you lock/unlock the car it projects a Mini symbol onto the floor to help find it which was really fun. The seats also have an extra bit to pull out for comfort on your legs.

It was the perfect picnic car with a ledge to sit on the back with the boot up.

Us women will want to check the boot space before buying a car. This could easily fit enough food/clothes shopping or suitcases for going away. The only thing I didn't test was the dog! {I was scared he'd get it too muddy!}

Size wise I think it would be great for a small family or a couple like us. It feels like the goldilocks of cars, just the right size.

I can't tell you much about the motoring statistics, horse power or anything like that. I'm no Jeremy Clarkson. But I can tell you that the tank of Diesel lasted forever. Around 600 miles which felt like a lifetime compared to my Discovery. We drove up and around the country, to Hampshire, to London and back a few times plus various other journeys and I still didn't need to fill up. I'd think about getting a Mini for this reason alone. In fact since having the Mini I genuinely have wanted to get one as my next car. It won't be for a while but I did really love it - I'd just choose a different colour.

Country lanes in May are my favourite, so so green.

We'll miss whizzing around in you Mini!

Thanks for starting our summer off on a fun adventure.

You can find more on the new Mini Countryman here.

R <3 xx

{this post is in collaboration with Mini but all opinions are 100% my own. I wasn't obliged to write this blog post but I genuinely loved it}