hey everyone, i am new to the forum but excited to join. i consider myself an enthusiast like most everyone else here and have a '11 countryman s on order to arrive in 2 weeks!

the problem is i have a "slight" bit of remorse for not ordering my car with ALL4. this was a very conscious design on my part at the time for the following reasons:

- i wanted my car to be a bit quicker
- i wanted the better gas mileage
- i didn't mind saving a few bucks (but not primary motivation)
- and most importantly, i live in the bay area in california where the weather is pretty darn good. i don't want to rub it in to the rest of the country but, we were in shorts for half this month when everyone else was having record storms...

but... i realize and see that most people are getting the ALL4, especially the "enthusiast" crowd. i get it completely: two of my last cars were a '00 Audi S4 and a '04 Volvo S60R. i definitely liked it when i had but in those others cars, they were more serious performance cars in which all-wheel drive really defined them. with the countryman, i don't think that is the case. also, now that i have 2 kids, i also don't drive and push my car like i used to.

bottom-line is i want to make sure i am ordering the right car for me, and am pretty confident in my choice, but have a slight bit of regret now. my car is here in 2 weeks but i guess i could always cancel and re-order if i had to (though i am so excited to get it). thoughts???

thanks everyone for the advice!

 

I wouldn't feel any remorse at all. Based on where you live I think you made the right choice.

 

Not everyone is getting the ALL4! I went with the S because I don't really need 4wd where I live, and I wanted the extra mpg/power.

Besides, owning a MINI is all about what is right for you - not what everyone else wants. Get what you want, and don't settle for anything less!

 

I'm for any part of the country where shorts are year 'round. That said, All4 ain't just for snow. Rain, mud, and slippery stuff are universal. Also, the All4 pretty much negates the torque steer on a CM. But - for 99.9% of anyone in your demographic - plain S is going to do you just fine. Don't look back, just look forward.

 

Only reason I went All4 over S is that I had to have my R56 towed off the beach twice last summer and carried once. I know i'm going back with the kayak so the All4 will keep me more out of trouble.

Bill

 

I'm in the minority here, but I ordered an S. I still worry about it. We've been spared from the snows of PA through New England this year, but we've certainly had our share of snowy winters.

However, I've never owned a four wheel drive vehicle and I just would stay off the roads for those times where a FWD wouldn't suffice. I have that flexibility. Plus I've driven fine in snow with FWD. I don't go directly onto beaches either.

The one thing I really thought intriguing is the torque steer fix the 4WD would do, plus increased stability on wet roads. But again, I've never had a problem. Too many concerns about speeding tickets and too much driving in neighborhoods keep me from barrelling around corners and such.

So I did go for the (hopefully) higher mileage of the S (and the lower cost). But between this choice and also not doing the xenons, these are the things I struggle with. If I could do it over again, I know I'd get the xenons, but still 50/50 on whether I'd order the All4.

No offense, but I've found long ago that I don't want forum users to make up my mind for me. When I used to frequent various musical instrument forums, so many people were willing to drop over $3K on a bass guitar, and the hive-mind said one MUST have something that high end if you're a pro. Well, guess what? I learned to figure out my own needs and put those posts in perspective.

Everyone here is super helpful, but certainly you need to be realistic based on your expectations and past experiences.

 

you are in California! i wouldn't worry about it.
I got a S also, was looking at the ALL4, but not in Southern California weather. Maybe i go snowboarding once or twice a year, but that's about it.

i couldn't justify the price.... that prices will go into performance such as the JCW aero kit or the JCW exhaust for the CM.

you made the right choice where you live.

 

Hi guys! 1st post, thanks for having me.

I'm about to order my CM, and it will not be ALL4. It will be an S. I'll pass along my thoughts on the matter, as maybe this will be helpful to the OP. I've got a Toyota FJ Cruiser now. It is an awesome 4WD. When I bought it, I had dreams of making treks to places like Moab and doing to famous loop. Guess how many times that has happened in the 4 years I've owned it? Not once. I did take it up to the mountains and did some fire roads, and it was fun, but the branches put scratches in my paint, and I'm a car guy, so I said screw that. We did have an ice storm a month or so back, and that was the only time I really used it. So, for the 2 or 3 times I've actually used it, I've had

1) much higher insurance costs
2) higher maintenance costs
3) worse gas milage
4) a heavier car
5) higher car payments
6) more expensive tag and ad valorem taxes
7) a car that drove like a truck, not a car

I can see the benefit of having it, and I'm sure the improvement in torque steering would be nice, but when you add it all up, unless you live in a climate where you need it, or plan to do a lot of off road driving (and don't mind tearing your car up in the process), you pay an awful lot for something you won't get much benefit from.

I hope my post didn't sound too cocky, I'm certainly no expert, just wanted to pass along my 2 cents, and give you my perspective. Hope this helps.

 

The only reason my wife bought the Countryman was the ALL4...other than that...We would've stayed in our R56 MCS.

 

Where I live we have hills and snow. However, I've never had a problem getting around in my R53. So, I ordered an S.

 

"S" Here.

Live near San Diego, and have no use for All4. I considered it before I ordered (and ordered just about every other option), but I just couldn't think of any time I would have need for the All4.

I don't drive through snow, ice, on the beach, or really anything other than very occasional rain as you can imagine here in Socal.

I came to the conclusion that "enthusiasts" would opt for the better performance the FWD offers.

The All4 is the solution to problems I just don't have.

 

In central New Mexico it is rare to see snow over 2 or 3 inches. We already have a 4x4 Toyota FJ so we opted for the S. We also went with no sunroof which should add up to less weight better acceleration and gas mileage.

Can't wait until the thing gets off the slow boat from Europe thru the canal and home to us.

 

I will be getting "S" here in So. Cal. The higher price and heavier weight does not justify ALL4 for my intended use/purpose, but Preppier performance does (with 'S')

 

I ONLY got the Countryman for the All4, but I'm coming from a subie wrx. If I didn't feel I needed it for my area of the country OR If I had another vehicle that was awd, I would get a cooper s or a clubman s.

For you, in your area and the fact you have two kids, it sounds like you made a good choice Remember, you can always drive it for a bit, and if you feel it's not right, sell it and order an all4. I'm guessing it will be super easy to sell if you find it's just not right. And your mileage WILL be better than the all4.

Nice choice on your build

 

We're going with the S for the same reasons that you mentioned. We're in WI, but modern snow tires are great and we'd be putting a set on it FWD or All4.

 

We ordered an S. We currently have a Nissan Titan 2wd. We ordered that without the 4wd since we didn't think we'd ever need it and didn't want to have to deal with it(maintenance wise) or worsen the gas mileage. In 5 years we haven't ever needed it or missed it, so the S was the way to go.
I've been driving a Cooper S for 5 years and it was the vehicle of choice when we had snow or ice, so I'm pretty sure we will be great with our S.
Annette

 

Unfortunately for me, I had to choose between getting a clubman S this past summer or waiting for the Countryman to come out and suffer through the iowa winter with a justa cooper. Obviously I went with the clubman s for its wheel base, but I think I might upgrade to a countryman next year. I was told by the sales team at MINI of STL that the S generates too much power for the ALL4 system to handle. Is this true? I mean if I'm getting a Countryman, I'd go all out and get the ALL4.

 

I think ur dealer is wrong...... The new countryman SD have 305nm compared to the normal S that have just 250nm..... So.... i think that the ALL4 can handle the power

 

That is such an absurd comment that I would consider finding a new dealer or at least a different MA.

 

I think the All4 is by default an S. When building a basic All4 it automatically is an S.

Bill

 

Be happy with your choice. I got the ALL4 only because I'm not fortunate enough to live in a warmer climate and need to get to work when there's a foot of snow on the ground. Less torque steer is another benefit, but quicker and better mileage is a wiser tradeoff IMHO. Congrats on your car!

 

I think for most who live in flat areas, AWD is not necessary - invest in a set of goo winter tires and you'd be all set.

I haven't heard much complaint about torque steer in Countryman S - the car is much heavier than MCS.

Of course, the prevailing trend is for people to get AWD and all season tires - it saves the work of swapping tires/wheels. I'd always go with the summer/winter tires option. Maybe even add in all-season performance tire option for the late fall and early spring.

 

I live on west coast as well. Never gave the All4 a thought.

 

I live in northern NJ so we get plenty of snow. In fact, I've only just recently begun to see the grass in my yard as it has been burried under the white stuff since Christmas. As well, my family likes to ski and one never knows what to expect in terms of road conditions around the mountains...regardless of the weather report.

I'm getting an All4, as the weather here makes it a sensible option.

Now if I lived in an area where weather wasn't much of a factor then I'd go with the S as makes little sense to pay more $ or cut into performance if you're not going to put the AWD to good use.

 

FamilyMan...I agree with you.