Right on! That's a j/k going around, especially in my old hometown, where a GM plant (foundry) closed, about what's more American, a Chevy built in Mexico or Canada or a Honda built in Ohio?

 

Let's see....Mayfair, Ritz, Rose, Sky, Flame, Mary Quant, shall I go on.

 

Yes, but they were all variants of the same bodywork. Even the Mini pickup truck & van had the same front end as a Mini (similar to the Red Bull MINIs). The R60 is a completely new beast, without a bone common to the Mk.1/Mk.2 MINI in its body.

 

Alright, Clubman. Squared off front end.

 

It is fun reading these old threads. Looks like the end of the Mini brand predictions didn't come to pass.

 

Nope, and for the "ignant" (as Chris Rock would say) ones who claim that the R60 (and now R61) isn't a "real" MINI, I say you are WRONG! I had a 2006 R50, and a 2010 R56. I now have a 2012 R60, and it is every bit as much of a MINI as my last two. I have plenty of room to share the fun with friends too.

 

I wish someone would make a scaled illustration of a VW Golf/GTI with a Countryman in front of it, if for nothing else to post on jalopnik every time they start in (again) on how big the Country Man is.

For the record, the VW is two inches longer, while the CM is two inches taller.

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Absolutely true. The VW Golf is a pretty small car, and the Countryman is about the same size. My wife has a 2009 Toyota Corolla, and I think my Countryman is a little smaller than it (just taller). There was a picture around here of a Countryman parked next to a standard SUV (not a Tahoe/Suburban or Expedition). It was startling how mini the MINI was compared to it! Although its noticeably bigger than the other MINI models, it is still quite small.

 

Here's a pic I found on the Interwebs of a Countryman behind a Mazda 3. The Mazda is a full 15 inches (!) longer than the MINI!

 

I'll try to dig up the article where Jalopnik claimed the Paceman was too big to be an urban exploration car...

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Here it is! http://jalopnik.com/the-mini-john-co...less-450525106

I don't expect that I will ever buy a Paceman or Countryman, but the way people talk about them is patently ridiculous.

 

Wow! The comments though largely slammed him on it, as they should have. The car might not be to his taste, but that doesn't make it pointless.

 

If anyone is good with graphics, you can get images at www.the-blueprints.com for both cars. I looked at the Golf and Mini and they aren't drawn to the same scale, so you'd have to resize to get them right.

However, if you go to Mini's site on the CM, you can compare the Countryman to some of its competition. It is 1.7ft shorter than the Toyota RAV 4, 5.5 inches shorter than the Scion XB, 0.2 inches longer than a Honda FIT.

Change the comparison to just compact cars, and it is 3.6" shorter than the 2door Golf.

There is something about the Countryman that makes it look bigger than it is, so people go all "bloated" on it. It may be the height and ground clearance that does that.

 

Interesting, I guess I remembered wrong (or Wikipedia gives different numbers). Thanks for the info! I may play around with those blueprints later.

 

As for the OP comments about the MINI SUV - I'm liking it, especially with my ALL4 - the latest step from Suburban -> Pilot -> MINI ALL4S

 

I was shocked at how much smaller the r60 is than my wife's CRV.

 

I have to laugh about this thread. I used to be very active on this forum when we had our old MINI - an '04 DSM/Blk, and kind of dropped off in '07 (if you can believe the "You last visited" stat at the top of the page...)

I was doing some research on the Countryman and Google steered me to this thread - I read it top to bottom, laughing the whole way. It IS the same as the "Great Apocalypse of '06" where the redesigned turbo was gonna kill MINI. Apparently that didn't happen, as there are more models and trim levels than I ever imagined!

Bottom line is that we loved our Cooper S and wanted the fun of another MINI, but since I'm not ready to give up my low-mileage S2000, we wanted something we could drive and use more like a 'normal' car, and the Countryman seems to fill the bill. Kind of a MINI, but kind of not. Bigger than the hardtop models, but not as big of a difference than the last MINI was compared to the original Mini.

The wife has picked out a gorgeous white/anthracite Countryman that might end up in our garage real soon...and whether you all like it or not, it IS a MINI. Doesn't matter if it's called a Countryman or a MAXI or whatever, it's a bigger small car, or a smaller big car, or whatever...but the feel is all MINI and it's something that we, as somewhat older people than we were in '07, can use more on a day-to-day basis.

If and when I sell my S2000, I'll consider a hardtop or a coupe or a roadster...but until that time comes, the Countryman it is!

 

Well said!

 

And to add to my previous post, we pulled the trigger last night and brought that Countryman home. I haven't yet had the pleasure of driving it more than about 5 miles, but so far I love it. Different than the '04 S, but similar in many ways. Looking forward to motoring again...

 

Pics or it didn't happen!!!!

 

Reading this old stuff is a hoot, especially when you consider the current sales numbers.

 

@O DannyBoy- share your thoughts- got some good chuckles from the early posts. If I recall- I think the sales of the CMS is steadily climbing while all other "mini's" are flat lined.

 

We love our Countryman and are a 2 Mini Family. I believe the next Mini we get will be the JCW Paceman. It is hard not to like!