Well, I hit the 10,000 mile mark on my Countryman last week. Only took five months. Wow – that’s a lot of driving. In honor of this momentous occasion, I’ve compiled a few “top 10” lists.



First, a little background on the car, which I took home on January 3, 2011:

• Countryman S All4
• Automatic
• Premium package
• Cold weather package
• Xenon headlights
• Black leather seats
• Piano black/checkered interior surfaces
• Front arm rest
• Split rail
• No MINI Connected/NAV (yeah, yeah it’s neat – but I’m an Android girl), no sport suspension, no backup camera, no mods (so far)

10 things I love
#1 – Harmon Kardon audio – This car’s stereo system makes me giggle with joy every time I crank it up
#2 – Handling – I expected the car to have much more body roll, considering its size, but handling is almost as good as my previous car, a sports coupe (though I still haven’t tested it on track)
#3 – Fuel mileage – I’m averaging almost 30 MPG in mostly highway driving
#4 – Acceleration – I’ve always driven a manual, but I got the auto on this Countryman and I’m pleasantly surprised with the shifting and acceleration (as long as it’s in sport mode)
#5 – Driving position – I feel like I’m high up, yet still connected with the road, and the car has great forward visibility when parking, etc. (a big deal for a girl who’s only 5’2”)
#6 – ALL4 performance – I dealt with snow somewhere along my commute for the first month after buying the car, and this baby handled like a dream
#7 – Seats – Very comfortable and the leather is easy to keep clean
#8 – Build quality – I’ve seen some complaints about a cheap headliner, plastic-y parts, etc., but I think this car is SOLID compared to my previous cars, an Acura and a Ford
#9 – Exterior styling – I still open the garage door and stare at the car longingly every once in a while; it’s just so stinkin’ cool!
#10 – Being part of the MINI family – Yep, I’m still waving at people, and I’ll continue to wave whether they wave back or not!


10 things that annoy me
#1 – Cup holders – It should not be such a big deal that the cup holder are too small, but it is!
#2 – Sun visor – Seriously? Worthless little thing
#3 – Windows – Difficult to crack them an inch or two – it’s easy to get 100% up or 100% down, but it’s hard to settle on anything in the middle
#4 – Fuel range– I usually get about 360-380 miles per tank, which is a bit less than my previous cars
#5 – Storage cubbies – I would like to have a few more places to stash my stuff – or at least an optional divider for the door cubbies so I can keep things separate
#6 – Side/rear visibility – I have no idea what I’m doing wrong, but I just cannot find the right side-view mirror settings for good visibility all around the car!
#7 – Parking brake/iPod Y-cable interface/front rail – Good thinking on each individual item, but a crowded mess when placed all together
#8 – Boot lid weight – I’m no wimp, but the thing is heavy! (and especially awkward when I have my hands full)
#9 – Run flat tires –At first I didn’t realize why people complained about them, but now I notice how the car gets jostled heavily by bumps and potholes
#10 – Sorry, I can only come up with 9 things that annoy me

A few other observations
#1 – Paddle shifters and auto stick – I’ve tried them and they work OK, but if you’re a true manual driver like me, you’ll find they’re no substitute for shifting gears
#2 – So far no problems with chrome trim peeling, but I keep it in a garage 99% of the time
#3 – I’ve had no engine warning lights, strange sounds, power loss, unsolvable rattles, etc. (knocking on wood)



All in all, I’m thrilled with the Countryman. It’s the perfect combination of comfort and power, sport and utility. And it’s really, really nice to look at. I plan to keep this car for a long, long time and enjoy every minute of it!

 

From someone who is about to take delivery on a vehicle equipped very similarly.....thank you for posting this. I'm so freakin excited!!

 

From someone who's just cleared the break-in period, thank you for the very encouraging report - a confirmation of my excellent purchase choices.

 

I'd like to add #11 to things I love: the Xenon headlights. If you're getting this car, you must get the Xenons!

 

Great list and agree with most though I only have 700 miles under my belt....one thing that stuck out to me was the Side/Rear view. I also think the Countryman has larger than expect blind spots. Not sure why, but I have been surprised more than once having another car next to me that I couldn't see at all in the mirrors.

 

I had the same surprise the first day driving my CM4. Before the end of the day I had picked up a couple of small stick-on convex mirrors, installed them on the outside mirrors, and I haven't had the surprise experience since.

 

I'm about to take delivery of my ALL4 tomorrow. Thanks for the comments. It'll be primarily my wife's car, but both of us are looking forward to it.

 

Kart58, great review. I got the rear park distance, it helps tremendously. One strange thing is my iPod touch is not compatible, but my iPhone and regular iPod work with the NAV/connected.

 

Great post! I'm close behind you with about 7800 miles. I took delivery on January 21 and do most of my driving on freeways around Los Angeles.

I couldn't agree more about those pesky cupholders. I think the engineering department was under orders to produce or else and settled for something that is highly aggravating. They are too tight; too close to the center switches and buttons and generally crummy.

Aside from that, I love the car and have found it is by far the best ride I have owned. This comes from a guy who used to have a Porsche Cayanne S.

 

Awesome review. I think the Countryman is way cool.

 

Wow - it's reassuring to know I'm not the only one dealing with blind spots. I really thought I was doing something wrong setting the mirrors! I think I'll look into those stick-ons.

 

Something I have always done to cure blind spots is to adjust the mirrors so I can just see the sides of my car - then adjust the mirrors a bit out from that, so I can no longer see the sides. Now you should be able to see a car pretty much anywhere.

 

Maybe the reason you can't see the other car is because you are bigger than they are now.

 

Weird I had the opposite. My I touch works w/o a problem, yet my nano does not work with connected/NAV.

I also noticed if I run my I Touch in CD mode I can see time which I can't if I run it in Connected.

 

wow 360 to 380 per tank?
I'm lucky if I get past 300....

Edit: Base Automatic

 

Yep, but keep in mind I cruise for 90% of my daily commute. Another tip if you're coming up short of that: really top off your tank when you fill up. At first I did two little pumps after it clicked off. I've now realized I can do two reallllyyyy looooong pumps (plus a few little ones) to get the tank full. That took my range from 330-340 up to 360-380.

 

Congrats!

 

Annoy:
For # 3 Windows, what I do ( while parked or at red light) open door a little then the windows stop as soon as u let go the switch ( up or down)
For #6 I do a lot of city driving (NYC) I have put on these wide angle round mirrors on both sides. Now I see the cars in the blind spots.



I only get 225 per tank if I get lucky. Bumper to Bumper traffic most of my driving.

 

x11entybillion on the cup holders...way too close to the dashboard...

 

There is a chance that a mirror adjustment can help the blind spot issue. Most folks do not have their mirrors adjusted correctly! Check out the following video for an alternate adjustment that has proven to provide the maximum view from the rear and side mirrors:


I have been using this technique for years after hearing about it from the Magliozzi brothers (Tom and Ray) on Car Talk. Initially, it takes some getting used to as you not longer have the rear quarters of your car in the side mirrors. However, with this adjustment, you can follow the movement of an approaching car from way back in your rear view mirror to your (previous blind spot) car's rear quarters. Then, when you see just the rear quarter of the approaching car in your side mirrors, it will be 1/4-1/2 visible out your driver's or passenger's window. A full 180º of visibility!

Give it a try...

 

Very good safety tip!
I also heard about this trick a few years back. It does take some getting used to, since I felt like NEEDED to see the sides of my car in the side view mirrors, but...
Once you get used to it, it really is a much more logical way to set them. After all, what do you need to see in them? Other cars.

I have found the easiest way to set this up is to lean your head against the drivers window, then adjust the left mirror until the left rear corner of your car just begins to come into view. Then lean so that you are directly in the center of the car, then adjust the right mirror until the right rear corner of the car begins to come into view.

Now when a car is coming up from behind, as it leaves the sight of the rear view mirror, it shows up in the side one. I never get surprised any more.

 

Wow, I don't know why I've never heard of this method of setting up your side-view mirrors. Currently, my mirrors are set inwards and concentrated on my backend. In order to see my blind-spots, I was told to turn around to see outside my back windows...for me, though, that gets a bit uncomfortable because I hate taking my eyes off the road.

Thank you for the tip!

 

Interesting on the blind-spot comments. One of the things I have loved about my Countryman was the lack of blindspots that I had on my '06 Convertible and '08 Clubman. Only more evidence that MINI Drivers are very unique individuals.

Let's Motor!!!!

 

Quick update: I'm now up to 20,300 miles.

Still no problems (knock on wood) except for the one time I ran out of gas. That situation has not replicated itself, but I've been more leery of running it below two ticks.

Otherwise, no significant rattles, no peeling trim, no engine power surges or losses.

Maybe I'm lucky ... maybe I'm representative of a silent majority who have no problems. Either way, 20,000 miles later I'm still a super happy motorer.

P

 

Fantastic.