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A Vehicle for My Lady

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Old 01-12-2016, 01:26 PM
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A Vehicle for My Lady

Hello NAM,

If you are bored, go on ahead and read the long winded story of my test driving experience, and how my wife and I ended up deciding to buy a Countryman.

My wife needed a car. She was driving a 2013 Hyundai Sonata, that is owned by her loving parents.


2013 Sonata

My Impression: Sedans are better than I thought
My likes: Great fuel economy, smooth transmission, good power, quiet, smooth ride, comfortable, lots of room for passengers or stuff.
My dislikes: Not GM, not particularly "cool."

Her Impression: It's fine. Like it, don't love it.
Her likes: Comfortable, heated seats, good power.
Her dislikes: Styling, too big, old man car.



She has experience driving all sorts of vehicles, including RWD Mercedes (hated it), Silverado 1500HD (nice, but too big for daily driver), Ford Fiesta (woefully underpowered when loaded with 4 adults), and Sonata Hybrid (poor throttle response).

What she likes styling wise:
Small, quirky vehicles. Kia Soul, Smart Car, Mini Cooper, Fiat 500, Nissan Juke. Bright metallic colours.

What she likes option wise:
Good power / throttle response, no big in dash computers, heated seats, not too big.

What she is not excited by:
Boring cars. Big vehicles. Expensive vehicles.


What I want:
A happy wife. A vehicle that does what my truck can't; seat four adults comfortably, and get good fuel economy on long highway trips. Will look at new or lightly used, 25k or less.

What I don't want:
Hideously ugly, too small to be useful, unreliable, painfully slow.





THE TEST DRIVES:



Kia Soul EX

Review:
The vehicle offers a ton of interior volume for its size. All four seats are comfortable and roomy. The 160hp 2.0L engine and 6 speed automatic did a very good job of accelerating the vehicle. My truck felt slow after zipping around in the Kia for a while. The turning radius was nice. Steering feel was good. The ride was smooth, and noise levels were good. On the more affordable models, the dash looks a little "economy" but you can't blame Kia for that. A few more dollars spent on the higher end models fixes that. A backup camera was also absent on the model we drove. You can't have it all on a budget.

Her Impression: Like it, useful vehicle
Her Likes: Spacious, good power, funky styling
Her Dislikes: The dash appearance

My Impression: A great contender, meeting our needs well
My Likes: Power, space, comfort, value, suspension
My Dislikes: Not GM, fuel economy could be better


Mini Countryman (Initial impressions)

Her Impression: Very Favourable.
Her Pros: Likes the styling, comfortable, drives well, good space, all wheel drive.
Her Cons: Large blindspot, too expensive

My Impression: Not sure why, but my initial impression was not great. It drove well enough, I just did not instantly fall in love with the styling.
My Pros: Drives fine.
My Cons: Too expensive new, traction control can shut down the fun if not dissabled, don't like interior / dash layout that much.


Nissan Juke

Her Impression: Very Favourable.
Her Pros: Likes the interior, drives well, funky styling
Her Cons: No major complaints

My Impression: Fun little vehicle
My Pros: 188HP accelerates the vehicle well, CVT actually feels ok,
My Cons: Rear seats are not overly spacious, cargo room is limited


Buick Encore

Her Impression: Poor
Her Pros: Attractive interior / dash, quiet ride
Her Cons: Right arm rest too high, lack of power, too expensive

My Impression: Ok for a city runabout, but not enough power to make for good highway driving. I have not driven a more underpowered modern vehicle. My truck is faster than this little car. The only things I've driven that are slower, were a 1986 Ford Econoline, and a 1999 Pontiac Sunfire.
My Pros: Attractive styling inside and out, very quiet , even under full throttle acceleration
My Cons: Driver right arm rest too high, lack of passenger centre arm rest, lack of power, too expensive


Fiat 500

Her Impression: So cute
Her Likes: So cute, very affordable when lightly used, likes interior and exterior style, fun colours available, comfortable
Her Dislikes: Rough ride, bad engine noise / sound isolation, a little slow, rear seat head room is poor

My Impression: Ugly exterior, and lacks some refinement.
My Likes: Can buy these for $10k lightly used, comfortable, good fuel economy, very nice dash, it has a "sport" button, fun to toss around corners,
My Dislikes: Engine noise galore, lack of space for longer trips, a little twitchy on the highway, very ugly front end.


Chevrolet Sonic LT, 1.8L

Her Impression: Uncomfortable
Her Likes: Very attractive dash / interior, fold flat rear seats / good cargo area, Nice exterior styling, available in fun colours, remote start, heated seats
Her Dislikes: Hard plastic door arm rest, lack of centre arm rest for passenger, not too peppy

My Impression: Frustration
My Likes: Good styling inside and out, good cargo space usage / good room for 4 / makes good use of available space, it's a GM product, which makes my dad happy
My Dislikes / Rant:
Come on GM, why do you have to make this so hard for me. Your car was the only current car I have sat in that has nothing but hard plastic covering the door arm rest. I've sat in some fairly crappy cars, like the Fiat 500, Nissan Versa, Smart For Two. It seems almost every car at least tries to cover up the hard plastic, with a minimum of some cloth and a thin layer of low density foam. Even my 2008 Canyon does this. Many current competitors have very nice, soft surfaces. You need to do better General. Arm rests are so **** simple, but you just screw them up. Why in the world would you think that the front passenger does not want a centre arm rest? Don't tell me that the car is too small, and it won't fit. Even the tiny little Fiat 500 has a fold down armrest for both the driver and passenger.

Other vehicles like the Nissan Juke do not come with a centre arm rest, but guess what, there is a Nissan / dealer installed accessory available. Does GM offer anything? Nope. How about the aftermarket? After a quick search, not much elegant is found there. Adding a centre console that both the driver and passenger can use is troublesome. Removing the driver's fold down arm rest leaves exposed hardware. When pulled, the e-brake does not leave much room for anything above it.

Now that 1.8L engine. It gets a little loud when reved. It's passable in this little car, but does not have much in reserve for highway passing. I told the sales associate I wanted to try a car with the 1.4 turbo, but still ended up behind the wheel of the 1.8L. I figure they probably did not have a 1.4L auto in stock, as we are transitioning between 2015 and 2016 model years. I may still give the 1.4L a try in the future.

Finally, this car is so low. It scraped the air dam pulling out of the dealer parking lot. It does not seem like the best choice to get my lady to work for 7am after a snowfall. Not a deal breaker, but it just seems lower than the average car.

Overall, I wanted for my lady to really like this car, but the General did not leave her with a big smile.


Volkswagen Beetle

Her Impression: Very nice
Her Likes: Nice styling inside and out, surprisingly roomy / there is even ok headroom, and leg room for rear passengers, peppy
Her Dislikes: Some cargo limitations, 2 door coupe not as good for rear passengers as 4 door alternatives

My Impression: The higher trim Comfortline was one of the most refined vehicles I've tested at the pricepoint
My Likes: Great engine / transmission. Very peppy, quiet under load. Very comfortable. Very fun to drive. Smooth suspension for a small car, surprising rear passenger room.
My Dislikes: The frameless windows move up and down a small amount when opening and closing the doors. Sometimes in the winter, things ice up, so I'm concerned the actuators would strain themselves as you try to gain entry to your frozen over car. The 2 door coupe is not the most practical / functional vehicle we have looked at.


Mazda 3 Sport:

Her Impression: Ok, but meh.
Her Likes: Good value
Her Dislikes: Not super comfortable, it's a car.

My Impression: Ok
My Likes: Good value, good economy, good styling
My Dislikes: Not the most comfortable


Mazda CX-5

Her Impression: Very good
Her Likes: Drives well, lots of room
Her Dislikes: Though styled well, slightly soccer mom ish, too expensive new, obtainable used though.

My Impression: Very good
My Likes: Excellent throttle response, good power, very roomy, well styled, smooth ride. Meets our needs well, for years to come.
My Dislikes: Too expensive new, lacks a little personality


Mazda CX-3

Her Impression: Great
Her Likes: Small, nimble, comfortable, practical, cute enough
Her Dislikes: Too expensive new, none used since brand new model

My Impression: Pretty good
My Likes: Great throttle response and handling, good styling, practical, modern design
My Dislikes: Too expensive new, none used


AND, AFTER ALL THAT, THE WINNER IS:


2012 Mini Countryman!

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For as long as the link is still active...
http://www.autotrader.ca/a/MINI/Coop...PO&orup=2_15_5

More about the Mini.

I'll admit that my first impression was not that favourable. Well, the car has personality, I'll give it that. It's a strong personality. It took me a little of time to warm up to it. Yeah, it has quirky ergonomics. That giant dial in the middle / top of the dash, it's mostly useless. As a result, many of the buttons you actually use, are very low as a result. But, there's more to the Mini than that.

It does drive well. When you really put the pedal down, it scoots along well. But, in every day driving, the transmission shifts really smooth. Though cabin noise is not best in class, it's not excessively noisy. Even with the big alloys, the suspension is not too jarring, though again, not best in class. The engine does make a nice noise when it revs.

Speaking of noise, the harman / kardon stereo is quite literally the best sounding system I have ever heard in a car.

Oh, and it is an ALL4 AWD. The turbo can get all four wheels spinning on the gravel roads go get it scooting along. Of course, it should help with traction in the snow.

It is a good value, and I got it just a little below the posted price. Very low mileage at 42k km. The car was owned by a priest (no joke) and is in impeccable condition.

Anyway, the car is fun. My Lady and I are both very excited to pick it up on tonight.

It will sit beside this in the driveway:
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Last edited by rkj__; 01-13-2016 at 06:38 AM.
  #2  
Old 01-12-2016, 01:46 PM
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Wow great story and nice comparison. MINI is more fun in the end , you cant beat that.


Congrats, more pics !
 
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Old 01-12-2016, 01:50 PM
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Originally Posted by ECSTuning
Wow great story and nice comparison. MINI is more fun in the end , you cant beat that.


Congrats, more pics !

Thanks!

The AutoTrader link below the Mini Picture has many pictures, and shows the car pretty well.

Before too long I will have to take some better pictures though, in better light, with a nicer background. Unfortunately, as soon as we drive it off the lot, it will get a salt bath, thanks to it being winter in Southern Ontario.
 
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Old 01-12-2016, 01:53 PM
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Welcome, like the color and the checkered mirror caps are a plus , add on. HK sound system is great and almost a must , as well as the heated seats.
 
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Old 01-12-2016, 01:56 PM
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Originally Posted by ECSTuning
Welcome, like the color and the checkered mirror caps are a plus , add on. HK sound system is great and almost a must , as well as the heated seats.
When the heated seats are on high, they nearly light my rear on fire! LOL

I don't mind the checkers, but my wife finds it to be a little much with the checkers on the rearview mirror as well. I bet I could find somebody to swap for plain black some time down the road. I'm not in a rush for that though.
 
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Old 01-12-2016, 01:56 PM
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Very great introduction thread. Welcome to NAM and congratulations on the purchase. The MINI definitely has great personality. Be sure to enjoy and if you ever need anything be sure to let me know. Looking forward to more pictures as well. For the mirror, post it up in the marketplace as I am sure someone would be willing to swap theirs for yours.
 
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Old 01-12-2016, 02:02 PM
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I know there are a lot of enthusiasts here, but I don't really plan to do much in the way of modifications. I have WeatherTech Digital Fit liners on order for the front, and picked up some winter tires.

I found a lightly used set of Continental Extreme Contact tires on 16" alloy wheels. The tires mounted on the included 18" wheels did not look like they would work very well in the winter, I did not even bother checking the reviews. This winter set was mounted on a Countryman by the previous owner, so they are ready to be bolted on.

The All4 should be near unstoppable now.

 
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Old 01-12-2016, 02:12 PM
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Originally Posted by rkj__
When the heated seats are on high, they nearly light my rear on fire! LOL

I don't mind the checkers, but my wife finds it to be a little much with the checkers on the rearview mirror as well. I bet I could find somebody to swap for plain black some time down the road. I'm not in a rush for that though.
Originally Posted by rkj__
I know there are a lot of enthusiasts here, but I don't really plan to do much in the way of modifications. I have WeatherTech Digital Fit liners on order for the front, and picked up some winter tires.

I found a lightly used set of Continental Extreme Contact tires on 16" alloy wheels. The tires mounted on the included 18" wheels did not look like they would work very well in the winter, I did not even bother checking the reviews. This winter set was mounted on a Countryman by the previous owner, so they are ready to be bolted on.

The All4 should be near unstoppable now.


You can pop it off, the checkered cover is held on by double stick tape.

https://www.ecstuning.com/Mini-2011-...irror/ES79591/






Looks good for the wheels : countryman snow tire wheel thread here for the future:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...es-wheels.html
 
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Old 01-13-2016, 05:15 AM
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Originally Posted by ECSTuning
You can pop it off, the checkered cover is held on by double stick tape.
Thanks for the info. If the checker does not grow on my wife (I don't mind it myself), I'll attempt to remove it.


I must add; boy am I ever glad I found those winter tires. They will be getting mounted ASAP. The Bridgestone Dueler H/P Sport RFT are absolute rubbish in winter conditions. It's comical how slippery they are. But, they are clearly intended as a summer sport tire, so I can't fault them for that.


I intend to do the tire swap tonight. I imagine the car came with locking wheel nuts, correct? If yes, where should I expect to find the key? In the bag with the jack, under a seat, or hidden elsewhere? Hopefully I can track it down without trouble.

Thanks
 
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Old 01-13-2016, 05:18 AM
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Originally Posted by rkj__
Thanks for the info. If the checker does not grow on my wife (I don't mind it myself), I'll attempt to remove it.


I must add; boy am I ever glad I found those winter tires. They will be getting mounted ASAP. The Bridgestone Dueler H/P Sport RFT are absolute rubbish in winter conditions. It's comical how slippery they are. But, they are clearly intended as a summer sport tire, so I can't fault them for that.


I intend to do the tire swap tonight. I imagine the car came with locking wheel nuts, correct? If yes, where should I expect to find the key? In the bag with the jack, under a seat, or hidden elsewhere? Hopefully I can track it down without trouble.

Thanks

You are welcome.

Yea winter tire make a huge difference the summers cant cut it in the snow.

Wheel lock are not standard but an add on. Pop the center cap off and see what it has, if it does have them it should be the trunk bag / tool set or in the glove box.
 
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Old 01-13-2016, 05:36 AM
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Originally Posted by ECSTuning
You are welcome.

Yea winter tire make a huge difference the summers cant cut it in the snow.

Wheel lock are not standard but an add on. Pop the center cap off and see what it has, if it does have them it should be the trunk bag / tool set or in the glove box.
I'll definitely check to see if it has them before driving to my dad's to use his garage.
 
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Old 01-13-2016, 05:37 AM
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Originally Posted by rkj__
I'll definitely check to see if it has them before driving to my dad's to use his garage.
Welcome. Yea, I would check first, those center snap in , pic below.


 
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Old 01-16-2016, 04:57 PM
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Just cell phone pics for now, but I washed the Mini, and then mounted the snow tires.

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As expected, going from runflats on 18s to non runflat on 16s really helps smooth out the roads. The Continental winter tires are very quiet as well which is nice.

I got the WeatherTechs in as well. Car is ready for winter's worst now.

PS, there was a locking stud, and the key was with the jack kit.
 

Last edited by rkj__; 01-16-2016 at 05:11 PM.
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Old 01-16-2016, 05:48 PM
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Nice opening reviews. The blind spot comment I've seen recently puzzles me because I have pretty good visibility in my CM. also I think the HK is pretty good, but it gets trashed a lot on these forums. My car is so damn noisy on the highway that the HK has trouble drowning it out.
 
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Old 01-16-2016, 06:03 PM
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Great read. Welcome to NAM. Very nice Countryman. Many miles of smile ahead
 
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Old 01-16-2016, 06:23 PM
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Originally Posted by Minnie.the.Moocher
Nice opening reviews. The blind spot comment I've seen recently puzzles me because I have pretty good visibility in my CM. also I think the HK is pretty good, but it gets trashed a lot on these forums. My car is so damn noisy on the highway that the HK has trouble drowning it out.
Clearly she got over the perceived blind spot. She is really enjoying driving the car, as am I.
 




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