Hi Everyone!

I'm currently shopping for my first new car, and I fell in love with Minis after one test drive. At the dealership I drove both a 2015 Countryman S and a 2015 Cooper 4 door and really had trouble picking a favorite between the two.

I'll be going back to do another test drive soon, so in the meantime I've been trying to do some research into both models. There's definitely a lot of information and opinions out there, and North American Motoring has absolutely been the most helpful so far which is why I joined.

Whichever car I buy will be an everyday car to get me to and from work and wherever else I may need to go. I have to be able to get through some snow and ice in the Winter (which hasn't been much of an issue in an aging VW jetta), but I'm also looking for something that I will really enjoy driving.

If anyone has any tips or advice, I would really appreciate it! Thank you!

 

We currently own a Countryman S, a 4 door S and a 2 door S. The Countryman was my husband's first MINI. He bought it because, while he liked my 2 door S, he preferred 4 doors and wanted something a little higher off the ground making it easier to get in and out of (old back injury).
Anyway when the 4 door came out he decided to test drive (MISTAKE) and fell in love. It does handle a lot more like the traditional yet still offers the back seat with fairly reasonable doors.
We passed the Countryman on to our 18 yo daughter who absolutely loves it. She is at the age where she regularly travels around with a few friends so for her the extra room is logical. For us, we rarely have more than the 2 of us in the car so we won't miss the bigger cabin all that much.
I think it all depends on your spot in life. Are you at the point where you will be needing to have kids or friends ride in the back seat? If so, the slightly large CM will probably be more useful. If it's mostly you and one other person and the back seat will be only used on rare occasions then the 4 door may be your best bet.

Annette

 

I didn't see a time frame for you, but the new Clubman will be coming in the winter. Larger than the current Countryman and with the new technology seen in the 4 door Hardtop. Possibly wait and see about that one.

 

Welcome to NAM! This forum is full of wealthy knowledge and I'm sure you'll get a lot of help with your choice. I'm partial to the Cooper body style over the Countryman, but both are pretty fun little cars. Good luck with your choice and let us know what you end up getting!

 

I own the older style Clubman, and I think the new one looks great.

If you are looking to pull the trigger right now, I have heard very good things about the newest generation. There are R53 owners to say all kinds of stuff, but the less dogmatic have found a new fan favorite.

 

Thanks everyone for your responses! I am looking to purchase fairly soon as my current vehicle is getting unreliable to the point where I can't trust it to get me to work every day, especially not when it starts to get colder outside.

I really don't use the backseat too frequently with my car now so that's something to take into consideration. I do have a fairly large dog that likes to go on car rides, so I guess it's important to see if he'll fit in the car too haha!

I'll be sure to post an update when I make my decision!