My ALL4 S is in the shop as it would not start yesterday morning so they have given me a non S loaner CM. I will say that it is painfully SLOW in acceleration. It also does not have the paddle shifters which I found myself using on my ALL4 S all the time to pass and get in and around traffic.

Non S: unless you are James May (Capt. Slow), don't do it.

 

as a non-s soon to be owner...i agree, when comparing a 121 horsepower engine to a 181 horsepower engine...there is a significant difference. i used to own a C5 98 Corvette which would make the S (which i have driven) seem painfully slow. used to also own a 88 dodge daytona carol shelby edition...4 cylinder turbo....it was also lighter and faster (albiet with a little turbo lag) but had many issues.

the benefits of the non-s are numerous,: more reliable, save on gas (only 89 aki versus 91), less costly, less in insurance costs. oh, and the base 4 now comes with paddle shifters standard. with all that said: my guess is a car that moves slow, is still faster than one in the shop. (kinda like the tortoise and the hare- tortoise always wins)

 

While my experience isn't with the countryman, I'd say the Non-S benefits hugely from a manual transmission. I drove an auto first gen justa and hated it, but love my manual justa :shrug:

 

Yeah, I could see that as I find myself compensating for lack of pep by switching to manual mode on the STEPTRONIC. While not as responsive as a true manual it does cut down on the lag as the car is not waiting for the pedal to get to the floor when I need the extra power. Once you are on the highway and cruising it does decent, but a few times merging I really missed my ALL4 S. Hope its not in the shop long. From reading a few other posts it seems it could be a bad thermostat.

 

Hopefully you get it back soon, and fixed right! It's nice to have a loaner, but it's not the same as having YOUR car, especially if you're stuck with something slower than you like.

 

Not trying to **** anyone off here, just saying if you are on the fence of S or non S and really want a really peppy car, then go for the S.

 

I agree, having a stick justa is still fun, the auto justa loaners have been no fun, tolerable with the sport button pressed. The S auto is just fine for me, stick would just add to the fun when getting on it.

This is all hardtop experience so I would imagine it could easily translate to the CM group. I would imagine a justa CM could only be tolerable if it was a stick.

 

I've had my manual transmission justa for over 9 years and overall I've been very happy with it but my only occasional regret has been not getting an S. Had an S loaner automatic once and I found trading the justa manual for S auto was about a draw....certainly in had more pep but I've always felt a car like this in an automatic is almost sacrilegious! (Sorry to those with autos, had my share of them, just my humble, worthless opinion! ) Expecting my 12 CM next week and I had to have an S this time....Couldn't deal with more weight, same horsepower.

 

to add some perspective....the s is faster than the base and faster than the all4...my 98 vette put them all in the slow class. it really depends on what you are using the car for...i need a reliable car that takes me back and forth to work each day, for the most part. perhaps in 4 years and a proven realiability track record, i will buy the all4s.

i love the mini cm (there are a number of cooper purists who hate it) and waited months to buy one. and actually an identical car to mine in the "s" version has been ordered (since the base had a delay)...so now both are done and being shipped (so i have a choice)...but everything i read and everyone (candid dealership people) i talked to admitted that the bunch of bases they have sold have never been returned for reliability issues. i had a gmc envoy and the problems i had with it drove me crazy, but after a fuel line went, early warping of the rotors, three costly front bearings repairs and software issues...i decided that i dont need the aggravation. now, its quite possible that i get a base lemon...hopefully not but it would probably be a rarity, base owner countryman are free to chime in and tell me if i am wrong and what base engine problems that have had. thank you.

 

It's great MINI gives us the choice to customize our cars to our needs and wants. It's possible to configure a Justa with leather, nav, and xenons or you can get an All4 with a stick and cloth seats. No one else does that!
Most of the folks on this forum are enthusiasts who have configured their own cars (sometimes many times and agonizing over every selection) and then spent weeks waiting for delivery. I think that's why we're so passionate about our choices.

 

well said fredoin. if mini could just go all out on quality...from bonnet to boot...from hardware to software...etc. and be more proactive on communicating issues and deliver resolutions faster rather than posters guessing i.e., the chrome trim issue...then you would have a great car company. but i think quality in general is holding it back.

 

I agree Mini is the best for getting what you want. But I do agree that the Non S is lagging a bit. We had a non S, non All4 stick for 3 months while ours was being built. It was great around town once it was broke it it was really good. We saw a huge improvement after 3000 KM.

The area it hurts it at highway speeds 6th is out of the question unless your going down hill at 120 KM/H (65-70 MPH) To overtake or go up a steep hill you need 5th or even 4th gear.

I think maybe the non S should have gotten higher gearing in 5th and 6th than the S model.

 

I finally got the opportunity some months back to drive a Base manual vs. an S manual (have not driven the All4) and I must say for the area I'm moving to (Chicago) I think the base engine would do just fine in the city traffic BUT I prefer the cosmetic differences on the S model over the Base one....from the grille design to the tailpipes and I'm nuts for the Anthracite 5 spoke alloys that are only available on the S model. The price difference is substantial though...to the tune of about 3K.

I'm trying to go light on options...but I think I'm just gonna bite the bullet and get a loaded S...you live once lol

When I drove the Base and S back to back I did so in SC (where I currently live) and the S just has a bit more zip. Even the "S" isn't what I'd called fast

 

For the record, James May (Capt. Slow) is way cool.

 

I think Mini should have done something like Acura did with the RSX. We had a base 160hp, 2.0L and the S option had 200 hp 2.0L both non turbo. This made both the cars very similar in performance and less than 1 second differance from 0-60 but the S redline was higher and after 60MPH it pulled better.

My opinion is the CM with its extra heft should have had a 2.0L base and a turbo for the S, both would still yeild good mileage.

But thats a whole other argument.

 

hi tom,
hopefully everything got noticed and fixed before you went to pick it up.

 

i wiki'd him and your reference to james may is fitting....for those who don't know, he is an auto guy that loves small slower cars. i just never heard of him.

 

Gotta watch BBC and DVR every episode of Top Gear.

 

+1

 

Every time I read about the differences between the S and non S I get totally bummed about my base model Countryman purchase. The car doesn't start production until January 15th so I agonise over this decision everyday. The problem is I've always wanted a Mini and with the base Countryman auto starting at $41000 I couldn't justify spending another $10000 to get the S. Arrggh! It also bugs me how much these cars are in Australia when our dollar is so high but that's another story. Can anyone out there assure me that I will love my base auto?

 

You made a good decision.

Sounds like a you are experiencing a touch of "Buyers Remorse." It's normal... everyone gets it... Once your car arrives, it will dissipate... Until then, stop reading about those pesky 'others'...

I came to an auto 07 MC "Justa" from a Honda Accord V6. I day-to-day drive it in an urban setting. Forum comments about that configuration would lead one to believe it is not much better than a barge with wheels. WRONG. Its performance more than meets my needs and it serves up a total ton of fun with not much room to spare... Plus, I feel I'm a better driver as a result.

Each time I stop in for an oil change, I can't help but notice all of the "MCS" versions up on lifts in various states of repair. If the choice is 'on the road, or in the air,' I'll take the road every time. Give yourself some time... you might pleasantly be surprised.

Cheers and motor on...

 

Don't be bummed. Went through similar feelings after we ordered our base model. Once it arrived, we were quite happy with it. Gets from point A to point B with no problem while still being fun to drive. I think you'll be happy.

 

okay, so here is my dilemma....ordered a base with lots of toys in early oct...weeks went by with no change in status from ordered. anyway, i asked my MA who is also the SM and he said the Base models were being held up for some reason but the s model was being produced. anyway, he added my exact car as an s model. a day later my base went into production. fast forward today...my base is still waiting at port for a ship and the s is already enroute. both have my name on it. i have solid reasons for ordering and getting the base as i have been posting about. however, if the s comes in...what the heck do i do???? it will be more fun but more expensive gas, insurance, issues posted by others (reliability), etc. ughhhh. i know i will be happy with either...but which will i be MORE happy with in the end....i am buying not leasing and keep cars for about 6 years. thanks in advance.

 

Buy both. That way you always have a backup.

Otherwise, sounds like the issue may be is it worth approx $3400 (US) to get your Countryman a little sooner as a S than waiting for the base. I could probably have been talked into paying more for a S if I had the cash when we bought ours, but I probably wouldn't have spent it to get it earlier. I'm happy with our base and the cash we saved.

 

If the $$ difference is not an issue get the S. It will cost a little more to purchase and operate but you've waited long enough and you should get some of that money back at resale time. As far as reliability you have a warranty and in reality the turbo shoudn't start causing issues until there are at least 6 digits on the odometer.

I was worried about the reliability of the Supercharger on the Pea when we bought it. The car is still a hoot to drive and after 6 years, 76k miles, and a couple of driving schools the only things that have failed are a motor mount and more recently an O2 sensor. The mount was picked up under warranty, the sensor was handled at no cost because there was a TSB on it. I am very happy I went with the S and at this point if the supercharger were to blow up on us today, we would just replace it with neither complaints, remorse, nor regrets.