Hi everyone!

I bought my '10 Clubman Base (6-speed) back in April '10, but this is my 1st time joining this forum. I'm hoping I can get some honest feedback about the '13 Countryman Base.

My dealership called me out of the blue with a "special deal" to trade my Clubman for a Countryman. I love my Clubman, but I have 3 complaints: 1) Bluetooth speaker has issues picking up background noise rather than my voice, 2) noisy interior during highway speeds, & 3) could use a little more trunk space. My MA has reassured me the bluetooth has been improved & moved closer to the driver side, & the higher stance of the Countryman cuts down on the road noise. Any truth to this?

Also, Consumer Reports gave a "Worst" rating for "Reliability" for the 2013 Countryman S. Has anyone had any major issues with their '13 Countryman? Usually Consumer Reports is dead on, but maybe this was a fluke.

If anyone could give me any feedback regarding this being a wise trade/upgrade, I would be forever grateful.

 

IMO, consumer reports are stupid. I don't even take their opinion or information seriously anymore. Every car has their flaws, every car.

But about trading in your Clubman for a Countryman, it's a cool idea, and to be honest if you need more space and you like the 5 door SUV that MINI offers, why not. Let us know what happens.

As for reliability, people I know who have them, wouldn't trade them for anything. They say they've had a couple clutch issues and thermostat problems as well. Other than that, nothing but good things. Good luck.

 

I had an '10 clubman. We now have a '13 countryman S. Bluetooth speaker in countryman is way better.

1.My gf called while on the highway with the window cracked about 4 inches. I could here the wind noise like a static sound in the background but I heard her perfectly with no issues.

2. Cabin noise at highway speeds is reasonable. Not whisper quiet, but what I would say is normal. With the radio on, I don't notice any outside noise.

3. Boot space in cubic feet is at least doubled vs clubman. No complaints there. And I am happy to get rid of the barn doors when it's raining.

Take one out for a test drive and see what you think. Just don't let the dealer try to scam you on trading your car.

 

I have a 2013 Countryman S All4 that I'm driving as a loaner right now and have been driving it for the past week. I'm very impressed with how it drives and the power it has. The rear cargo space is very impressive too. I would definitely consider trading in for a Countryman S if I needed the extra space.

 

Mercy Me, regarding the road noise, are you by chance riding on runflats? I'm just asking since I just replaced my hardtop's oem runflats with new Michelin Pilot Super Sports and the reduction in road noise was astonishing. (Not to mention the grip as well, woohoo!)

 

I think the biggest difference you'll notice is the power to weight of the countryman base vs the clubman. The base countryman has a lot more weight to move and doesn't have a lot of power to begin with.

 

At the risk of offending... which is NOT at all the intent. It's just that for me and what I was looking for- the Countryman is not it. My wife and I had NEVER driven a MINI but I thought it would be super fun to drive and a cool car besides so off to the dealer we went for a ride. We drove the Countryman first. Not at all what I had in mind as far as the driving experience. I was very neutral about it and felt I could drive any compact suv and have the same feel and not be buying and servicing a car that was an hour to the nearest dealer. Then we drove the Clubman (needed the space, any space). Before I hit third gear, I was grinning and saying "now THAT's what I had in mind". They really are worlds apart in teh driving experience but it just depends on what you need out of a car. I share my experience to say simply this- go test drive the Countryman. You have a distinct advantage in that you already know what the Clubman is all baout. You will know quickly if you are losing anything that matters or gaining the things you need. Best of luck! And have fun.