The countryman is overpriced. No BMW quality....sorry!

Yes I own an all4

 

if you think it's overpriced and poor quality, why did you buy it?

 

Because I couldn't afford an STI

 

I did not get this much flack from the Jeep forum folks when I sold out and got the CM instead of a new Grand Cherokee as I had been planning.

The CM has its problems: peeling trim, clutch durability is a huge question mark, thermostats are subject to a recall and the likely cause of vehicle fires. I have not experienced any of this and I like my CM, but I would not blame anyone for passing on the CM strictly based on info / complaints on this forum.

On top of that the option pricing really does tests the limits of price elasticity and in this case the OP opted for another vehicle. The folks who run MINI expect this but they don't care because they're selling every one they can make and are sticking to the strategy of maximum profit per unit instead of market share.

n1tr0, I hope you enjoy your Kia, and hopefully we see you again one of these days.

 

What car is the biggest competition for the CM?

 

Perhaps you didn't diss old ladies, who drive Jeeps, when you "sold out".

 

Funny, to me the STi is the car that's not worth it. It's a nice engine surrounded by a bunch of cheap plastic. That's why they make lots of different cars, tho. To each his/her own.

 

I'd also generally question the value of the ALL4 model itself. You'll find numerous reviews that will tell you there is no great benefit to all wheel drive except in limited circumstances. Again, it's great marketing that makes you spend more money and feel like you have something special. I don't live in Colorado but we have had 30+ inches of unplowed snow on the road and I've never ever even considered snow tires for a front wheel drive car, let alone having to have all wheel drive. To me ALL4 equals more parts that haven't been tested for longevity and will be quite expensive to replace down the line. Then again, people who buy mini's probably buy a new car before it gets to very high mileage. Look at the forum and find all the people shopping for a new car because their car, heaven forbid, is "almost out of warranty".

 

What's wrong with buying a new car to replace one that's going out of warranty? The resale on used minis is great, and the warranty is spectacular. If you're not doing your own work, and you can afford it, why not drive a car under warranty. As to the value of AWD, I guess that's up to the individual. I personally live on top of a crazy hill, so having AWD means I don't have to leave the car at the bottom of the driveway when it snows.

 

I had thought the Mazda CX-5 might be a comparable little-ute but after loading it up with all wheel drive and being forced into an automatic transmission, it was only a few thousand less than I paid.

And:
much less power
same EPA gas mileage estimates
slimy sales guys

I don't know much about the fit and finish or interior space but it doesn't have the style points of the CM.

 

Mini buyers are obviously not buying on ultimate value or real long term reliability.

I like when my cars are paid off(I can't afford to buy it in cash). I like to get years of use after they are paid off. If you want to spend the money to just keep paying for a new cars forever, why even purchase it then? Why not just lease? Cars are a poor investment in general. Also, if you are adding lots of extra features and plan to keep the vehicle long term, you're losing more money long term. None if this matters if your dollar value is not a big concern in your vehicle purchase. This seems to be the case more often with Mini buyers versus Kia Soul buyers.

 

If you're not doing your own work, you'll be paying more as time goes on once the warranty is done. I've got a 6 year, 100,000 mile warranty/maintenance package. This will last me 2 years past when the car is paid off. I will probably keep the car beyond that (I generally do keep my cars well beyond the warranty/loan), but I will also probably buy a new car when this one is paid off. We tend to have 1 car payment, and 2-3 cars (soon to be 3-4, as my kids approach driving age). There is a value calculation, and the more you drive, the more you'll pay to keep a car once the warranty is up.

Then there's the "peace of mind" and "known costs" arguments...and the convenience of knowing that the dealer will swap your car out with a loaner while it's under warranty, meaning you know you'll always have a vehicle in case something goes wrong.

 

I've never test driven a Kia Soul, and I'm not likely to waste any salesman's time doing so, but it's a little hard to swallow that the Kia drives as well as the MINI. If you read reviews, the CM constantly gets high marks for being fun to drive, and the Kia Soul 2012 reviews all contain a variation of "it was pretty good, considering..."

Making such a broad criticism in the CM forum seems to be more about trolling than about a specific complaint about premium pieces. The materials in the CM interior are pretty typical for a car in that price range and better than some cars in the price range. I don't have a Kia in front of me, but the materials and fit in the CM are certainly nicer than in a comparably priced Honda.

And PS - I just went BMW shopping with my fiancé, and the color choices are pretty darn boring, so I have idea where you're getting the idea that BMW is withholding cool colors from the MINIs.

 

Here's a side by side comparison:
http://www.thecarconnection.com/car-...ountryman_2012
Soul has a smaller turning radius and rated as nimble handling.

In what respect? The Kia bumper to bumper warranty is longer and the Kia power train warranty is a full twice that of the Mini Cooper. A Kia dealer near me has been advertising life time warranties. What do you have to spend to get the Mini to 100k warranty? Something like $4000 on top of a vehicle that's already $10 to $15 more. True you do get oil changes and rotors, but depending on the specific dealership and brand you buy, you can often get free inspections(not at Mini) and free oil changes(not just at 15,000 mile intervals).


Not trolling. I own 2 mini's and probably would never buy a Soul because I don't personally like the style of it. I just don't believe the vehicle itself is a step above the Soul in the automotive world pecking order.


And the great resale value on Mini? True, but is it the car?......or is it the limited availability of the car? I'm guessing you can find a half dozen places to buy a new Kia around a small major city, and maybe one Mini dealer if you're lucky. There's a supply/demand factor involved here. The resale value argument also doesn't work to prove the CM better than the Soul.

 

wrt the Car Connection link, the Soul wasn't rated as "nimble handling". It was described as a "nimble urban cruiser" in the list of likes. My guess is the qualifier "urban" probably means it would not be so nimble somewhere like on a twisty road.

And for the CM, under dislikes they included "Ergonomics aren't great" which, imo, can be translated as "Yikes! Stuff is in a different place than where it is in the toasters we normally drive. That can't be good!"

 

You mean like ...Bucket seats in the back with a train track down the middle so there is no center seat and you can hardly slide from one side of the car to the other. I know there are more options now, but that's just silly. The center rail must be one of the oddest/most impractical things I've seen in a car.



And if you actually read the reviews you would see there are a fairly equal amount of pros and cons to the handling/steering for each.

And then there's the bottom line.

 

Also under the "dislikes", for the CM - "No paddle shifters for automatic yet"

Alrighty, then...

 

My '12 CMs has paddle-shifters...

 

Mine has them. ALL4 auto, delivery April 2011.

 

No, I mean like:
OMG, MINIs are "quirky"!!! The speedo is in the center and the pedals aren't rectangles! And they mixed levers and ***** in the center stack - why, that's like mixing cats and dogs! Quick, put that down as a "dislike"!!

 

Exactly. So, for that, I deduct some validity points from this "comparison."

You know...it's all subjective anyway. The OP wants to buy a Kia, because he finds it suits his wallet better. I don't like the look of the Kia, and I feel that I got my $$$ worth, in my MINI.

If I ever find that I am so disenchanted with MINI, that I decide to buy something else...well, I'll just quietly slip away. I won't post here, dissing old ladies and Apple fanboys (Or Apple fangirls...Yeah, my name is iMom) - or thinking I'll find love by, basically, telling a bunch of people that I think they wasted a whole bunch of their cash.

Now, I need to go call my real estate agent...it has come to my attention that I could have saved 100's of thousands of dollars, had I simply bought a place at the local manufactured housing community. I mean, really...it may have wheels for a foundation, but it does have a roof, and indoor plumbing (I think). Rumor has it, they have over 55 Bingo, in the community recreation room, every Friday. What the heck was I thinking?

 

http://www.caranddriver.com/comparis...omparison-test

 

Take note--the bottom line: "the Countryman proved the most fun to drive in our group"
Their biggest issue seemed to be quirky placement of controls--all of which became "normal" to me in a week or so.

I plan to keep my CM. I kept my '05 Acura TL (Zzzzzzz) for 6 years and my
'91 MB 300E for 19 (I drove it for 17 and hubby got it for the last 2) so I am not looking to dump it after the warranty, unless it develops problems.
It comes down to this--it is a car. People buy it for various reasons. I don't dislike my car because I see more or less of any type people driving it around (although I do wish they would wave back). Most of my friends drive cars that cost way more--I am just not interested in spending 40+ on a car anymore--been there done that. I love the "real" MINIs but just couldn't go that small--so here I am in a fine surf blue Countryman s. I am having fun--'nuff said.

 

From a review of the CM on Car and Driver...
Translation:

..having too much money to buy a Kia of any sort because somehow it's a lower middle class car and wouldn't look as nice leaving the manor house.

 

Alternate translation:

Willing to spend more to not deal with reliability issues, poorly made products, or cars that don't fit their needs and/or wants in a car.