Thanks everyone. Very helpful.

 

I have owned my CM for two months and just hit 4400 miles. This is my first MINI and I like the car but I would not do it again. Way too under powered. I test drove it and thought the power would be sufficient but I was wrong. Over 50 mph the motor is anemic. I do like the looks, interior, the stereo, and adaptive headlights. I plan on selling this in March 2012 and getting something else.

 

Von, how much you want for it if you were to sell right now?

 

Von,

I hate to get into an argument, but your comment about the engine being 'anemic' is way off base. The All4 that I have has more power over 50MPH than the Jeep Liberty, the Mazda Miata, the VW Jetta, and the Mazda 3... I know, Ive owned them all. On top of that, consdering it is all-wheel drive, and gets over 30 MPG, I challenge you to find anything with these attributes that is more powerfull over 50 MPH. If your All4 is 'anemic', then either something must be wrong with the car, or the automatic tranny is sapping a lot more power than I am seeing with the 6 speed.

The good thing is there are a lot of people wanting to purchase exactly the car you have, so reselling should be no problem.

Mark

 

I will repeat.. very happy with my 17' runflats and no sport suspension... even with sporty driving I feel very confortable ... and fun.... and not worried with holes in road everytimes.. (with my last car is really a issue to much low profile )...
Any issue with the car... the only thing i will change... may be... this time i will try another colour because too much people try Cooper S All4 in black and withe colours....
SORRY... AND FLAT FLOOR OPTION!!!

 

We have owned our CM for almost four months. I would buy it again. Yes there are annoyances and things I don't like just as there would be with any car I have owned. But for us there is nothing that comes close to the uniqueness and combination of attributes the Countryman provides.

 

Yea I can't see where its underpowered, especially over 50 mph (and I have the AT). My last daily driver was a flashed Audi allroad that was putting out over 380hp (albeit to a 4k+lbs car) and I don't miss it at all in comparison. Not saying they are the same, just that the CMS All4 is plenty quick and powerful, day in, day out it's perfect. Not to mention there will be plenty of options down the road if you want to up the power (not that it needs it).

 

Mark, not trying to get into an argument. Plenty fast for you and not for me. The car is fine mechanically but ANEMIC (in my opinion). I too have the automatic. I was hoping for some performance options but there are still none of note. Good car overall. Just not for me. My fault. I dont see anywhere near 30 MPG in my car. I get 24.6. I do 80% city driving.

 

Compared to what? Having driven most cars in the AWD 4cyl. category, its certainly behind say a WRX, and far behind an STI, or Evo (but those are really very different cars)., and other than than those three it's comparable if not better than anything else with a similar configuration. Plenty of mods will be coming down the road as well, but I'm thinking your expectations are for something the car was never meant to be.

 

Update for me...
We got some rain today and, when it was raining pretty hard, I took Fenton out to play in the parking lots at work. I found that the ALL4 sticks really well, although you can kind of get the rear end loose with the hand brake in the middle of a turn.
Shutting down traction control and stability control, it was possible to go into full drifting with the rear end hanging out. Donuts were easy to get into and rally-turns worked OK, both with power on hard.
The rain slackened and the traction improved so I shut it down for the summer. Maybe I'll find some dirt or gravel when traveling later...


Would I choose the CM4 again - Oh yeah!

 

Overall, I'm happy. I actually think I would go with the Automatic if I were to do it again. And I would be a bit bolder with the exterior look. I really like the white top with the Pure Red and black wheels.

The 18 inch run-flats still annoy me - there are no All Season run-flat options in this size that I've been able to find.

Still hoping they get everything worked out with Nav/Connect - still feels like a beta product.

Love the look of the 4 bucket seats, but I think I'd find the bench more practical.

Think that the rail is a waste!

LOVE the checkerboard roof graphic!

 

I have 7,500km's on my ALL4. Got it April 28th. I have had absolutely no problems with it and I love driving it. Gas tank could be bigger as I drive a lot and hate filling up.

Cup holders are silly.
Love the full rail and light show.
Love the adaptive headlights.
The bong when fuel is low sscares me silly every time.
Glad I didn't get connected.
No sunroof either as I loathe them.
A/C is awesome, even when it is roasting outside.
The looks I get when driving it are priceless.

I went from and 8 passenger Toyota Sienna to the ALL4, I would not go back. I loved the Sienna too, but for different reasons. Both cars are great at what they do and the qulaity is evident on both too. Admittedly I am paying $200 more a month for the ride, but it is so cool it is worth it!

 

I have had my CM almost 2 months, 1600 miles. I average 29mpg all around. I love my Countryman. No complaints. Love the cloth leather combo. Royal gray really shows the dust and bugs so spend every Saturday shining her up, but I don't mind, it's worth every minute. I have not seen another Countryman in my area so get a lot of looks from people when I take her out for a spin. My grandson's love" Grandma's Mini". (They are two.) If I had it to do over I would buy it again no question and I wouldn't change a thing!

 

I've only had my CMS for 5 days and a few hundred miles.

For the one guy saying the power is anemic, I don't know what you're used to but I traded in a V8 Mustang for the CMS and I'm plenty happy with the power (it's just "different", zippier as opposed to raw ballsy horsepower).

So far no regrets. Will advise in a few months...

 

Well, I won't lie and say that the Countryman is the fastest vehicle in its structural class, but it's really FUN to drive I've never driven a car that exudes so much personality and has so many unique characteristics. Even with my hardtop, I felt it was just..."different" to say the least.

IlovemyMINI :-P So...yeah, I would so buy this car again...and again...and again! ^____^

 

I would agree that there is no power off the line. First gear is a bit too steep and there is no torque from the motor at low RPM's, hence all the complaints about stalling. However, get it into the power band and it is a rocket.

 

I would definitely buy the exact same model, color and options list again. My only regret is I did not order the reverse sensor thing. I have found it difficult to judge where the stern is when backing in to parking places. That said, the car is super. It has its quirks, but I am a forgiving guy. The cupholders really do need some re-engineering, though.

 

It's a BMW thing. They refused to put cupholders in their cars for the longest time - and when they finally caved in to the pressure, they totally sucked (probably on purpose).

 

New to the board here...

I've had mine for about a month and 1,000 miles..

It's not growing on me like I thought it would. It does a great job hauling two kids in child seats (and dog) with its 6 spd and peppy engine while achieving great gas mileage. However, the handling is anything but sporty in my opinion. If I had to do it over, I would get a 5 dr GTI which I thought drove superior but was visually much less interesting.

That said, my wife thinks the cm looks great so we're keeping it and look forward to being part of the mini cm community.

 

Well this is my forth MINI, so in all likelyhood I will get another one in 3-4 years time, maybe a Paceman.

Likes

18inch wheels make the car IMO, CM's look daft with 17's, way undertyred, will probably swap for 19's next year and lower it
Space, much more room than my Clubman
Pure Red, it's the best colour by far (although light coffee runs it close)


What I would change if ordering now:

I'd order a Countryman SD
I'd include the JCW 19's they look amazing
I'd go lounge leather (although my kids would wreak it, so I'm probably better off with cloth).
And the flat load boot floor, this should be standard, I'm really pissed at BMW for not making this standard, every other hatch (including all current MINI's and the 1 Series) come with it as standard.

Apart form that I'm a super satisfied CM owner.

 

I drove a Toyota Sequoia for years prior to purchasing my first Mini; the Mini Countryman S was my choice. While some car enthusiasts complain about limited power, it is my impression that the car performs well and has a lot of pickup. Prior to the Sequoia, I drove a BMW 528i. The vehicle performs well and is as spacious as my 528i.

With 1400 miles logged, I have no regrets and would do it again. My vehicle has polar beige leather, the convenience packages, 17" run flats, mini-connected with navigation, HK radio, and automatic transmission. I enjoy driving the car and smile when comparing my fuel costs. Saving money is nice.

The only pitfall thus far is failing belt line trim. However, my MA has acknowledged the problem, ordered temporary parts to make repairs, and informs me that a permanent fix is being produced and all belt line trim will be replaced. The responsiveness of the MA and all Mini representatives has been great. What would otherwise be an unpleasant experience turned out to be a pleasant one. Everything taken into consideration, I would definitely venture down the same road again.

 

You don't like the flat load floor? What about it don't you like? I ordered that in my car too, but it isn't here yet...I like to worry about things in advance whenever possible.

 

You have a wonderful work ethic. Shining up the MINI every Saturday
As I'm reading that I'm trying to figure out who in my house I will be paying each week for this service Lazy me.

 

They give us the cupholders with the vehicle. They should also GIVE us cups to fit said cupholders with the vehicle.

 

We tried really hard, but couldn't get our MA to ante up with a pair of cups. We did get some floor mats, but that was it.