Surprised nobody has commented on it (as far as I've seen). Who's checked it out, sat in it, and what are your thoughts?

I've checked it out, and to be honest I'm quite impressed. Standing next to it it really wasn't that tall overall, and in the metal it definitely is more "MINI" than one would expect by having seen just the pictures. Pretty well proportioned overall.

Inside, the design is what we've all seen, pure MINI, but the most pleasing thing to me is you still sit in it like a car with a proper driving position. They didn't butcher this to make it SUV-like. Also, the materials seem much improved, it has a richer feel than the current lineup. I've heard this improvement will make it into the rest of the lineup with this year's refresh, so that's a good thing whether you like the Countryman or not. And the seats are quite nice actually, more bolstered it seems than the current ones in other MINIs.

Also, the rear seats are quite spacious in terms of leg room, not a huge amount but plenty for four adults to ride a good distance comfortably it would seem. And they're real seats, almost as nice to sit in as the fronts. However, while the cargo area is bigger than the Clubman's, it's still not huge. It seems that they've made the cabin quite spacious, but the vehicle is still quite short overall and evidence of that is in the trunk. It's adequate I would imagine, but definitely it's where they took space from to make the occupants more comfortable. Good trade off though...

Overall, again, I'm quite pleased with what they've done. There will be plenty of detractors saying this is butchering the brand, but you really have to see it in person to realize that it's a very well executed extension of the brand, as it is still a MINI, and definitely not a true SUV. And I've said this before and I'll say it again, having a vehicle like this in the lineup will boost sales, add to R&D dollars for the other models, and help keep the brand thriving. Not to mention that having a bigger MINI will ward off any incentive to grow the size of the third gen cars. I see this as more of a MINI wagon with slightly increased ground clearance than an SUV, or even a "crossover" whatever that means.

 

 

MiniGT50 ~ thanks for your post, good overview. I'm heading to the Denver auto show this week and am hopeful, if they have one, for an up close and personal view. One of my questions, maybe you remember, is did the doors open, at least in the front (driver's) and passenger seats as wide as the current styles (R56, Clubman)? The photos I've seen (semi-aerial) show all four doors open but I can't tell if they're fully extended or not?

Thanks for any and all responses.

 

I think the countryman looks quite nice. Certainly very different from all the other smaller SUVs and that is good.

 

The doors all open completely, those overhead shots weren't fully opened. and yes, it is unique for a small SUV. Though in person, my impression is more of a wagon with extra ground clearance (think Subaru Outback) than an SUV. Which to me is a good thing. It really isn't overly tall, it feels like you're sitting in a car, and the fact that it's a MINI (BMW) all gives me high hopes that this thing will have very good driving dynamics.

 

It all depends on the price. If they can sell me an AWD for under $27,000 I'll buy. Any higher and I'll look elsewhere for a winter car.

 

Might be tough, but close. The only one with all wheel drive available as I understand it will be the Cooper S. They haven't announced pricing, but they said it should be right between the Clubman and the Convertible. So taking that to assume that it's in the middle of the 2, the MSRP comes in at 26,300. I would bet an All 4 to be at least 28,000. They'd easily solve your problem if they offered the Cooper in All 4.

 

I have no problem with adding the Countryman to the lineup. I think it will sell very well which will be good for the manufacturer and for the dealers. The stonger the brand is the more advances in product improvements we will see. Bring it on and I'll bet an All4 hardtop happen, and I'll be buying.

 

I heard it was similar in size to the Kia Soul... When they say SUV it always makes me think it might be bigger than it really is. Maybe it'll be nice to have one when I'm old and feeble and can't drop myself into the Cooper anymore.

 

Do we know anything about the engine yet? I think this thing will be awesome as a rally-esque toy if the frame/suspension is strong enough and I'm holding out hope for a little extra power to lug around the extra weight.

 

Engine-wise, the only thing I can find is the addition of Valvetronic, which will make it into the other cars in the MINI range as well next year it looks like. HP on the Cooper S Countryman is said to be 184. Weight is said to be right around 3050 lbs, so not to say that it's a featherweight but it's lighter than it looks. So by these numbers, I don't expect it to be fast, but not sluggish either. My R53 has 16.41 lbs/hp, these numbers give this Countryman 16.57 lbs./hp.

 

Many people have been having some trouble with the introduction of the Mini Coontryman...but as for me...I just can't see what the problem might be... Don't know if it will be very successful though... Nevertheless ike the way MINI turned the look of their modern MINI into a SUV. Curious to know how it handles on an off-road trail...

 

I was there last week and sat in it. I'm 6'2"-3" and with me in the front seat there was no room for a passenger's legs in the back seat at all. I was disappointed. The car also just looked off to me - almost comical from the outside. I wanted to like it but in the end I was disappointed with the car. I don't predict it will do well either but that's my opinion. I did like the black panel on the dash. I'm leaning towards a clubman now. I wish they would put for doors on the clubman and give it 2-4 more inches in length, but that's just my two cents.

 

I can't wait to see the Countryman in person. I was not able to go to the auto show, so I've only seen it in pictures. But I like what i'm seeing and hearing. I'm not a SUV person, but I'm excited to see this vehicle. If it holdS true to the concept, and reality, of the MINI character, I would be interested in buying one.

 

And I suspect that is why they have paired the All-Wheel-Drive with the S motor...

 

Agree. I think the Cooper S All 4 could have decent performance, but the base Cooper with All 4 would be a bit sluggish to say the least...

 

I am VERY excited about the Countryman and am happy to hear some decent reviews. We have no MINI dealership up here in Alaska. I'm hopeful this will open new markets to MINI USA and possibly bring them up here.

I would agree that comparing it to a Subaru Forester is more accurate than an "SUV."

If they made a more powerful engine (say a JCW version), I would be all over the Countryman! But I'm sure that's at least a few years away...

 

The current issue of the UK edition of Top Gear magazine has an article about the Countryman.

Seems that it is simply a stretched version of the Cooper platform, not an all-new platform. As such, when paired with the ALL4 system, I'd expect this thing to be a lot of fun to drive! The increase in ride height comes from longer springs, and a JCW version will be available which will ride at normal Cooper height. I'd say that the increased weight of the AWD system will be offset by the gains in handling.

Given that it is based upon a car platform, and makes no pretense at being an off-roader . . . I'd say it will match up closer to a WRX or EVO than a Forester or other such wagon (especially in JCW trim).

The more I see of this car, the more I like it!

 

Is the forester not a car's platform?

 

Subaru only sells cars in the US, so yes, the Forester is basically a car. Not sure if they build any trucks for world-wide consumption...

 

What?
http://www.subaru-global.com/home.html

 

They are all unibody and more car-like than anything else in spite of the fact that they call them SUV's and van's.

 

You didn't understand what MINIGT50 was showing you... the fact is that Subaru doesn't only sell cars in the US... where the hell did you get that idea? don't tell me you also think it is an American brand...

 

I think what he meant was that Subaru doesn't sell any vehicles of the truck classification here.

 

Evidently you missed this part:
"Not sure if they build any trucks for world-wide consumption..."

I spent 4 years in Taiwan and came home just over a year ago, but I couldn't remember if Subaru was currently making trucks for world-wide consumption.