I'm trying to land an automatic Countryman S in light coffee or royal gray (or white or silver) with a black roof and have a few questions for you seasoned vets.

1) I love the navi - does it cost you each time it's updated?

2) I've driven lots of these and it seems as though the $1000 upgraded leather seats with the stitching are wider across - that is, they don't feel as snug. Is this just my imagination or are they indeed wider? If not, if you get the base seat can you get the leather covers and retrofit your leatherette ones to look like they came with the leather upgrade?

3) Can the new for 2012 three across rear back seat be retrofitted into a 2011? Can the one piece rail model be retrofitted into a two piece rail?

4) Can you clarify the warranty periods? If you buy an extended service warranty is it transferrable - like if I bought one from a seller who had one would it transfer to me and would there be a cost? How much do they cost?

5) Is the stick shift worth considering? (without opening up a tired can of automatic vs stick discussions).

6) The only mechanical problems I've heard about are thermostats, oil leaks and rattles. Are there others I should be aware of? Is the AC cold enough for 115 degree days in Las Vegas with no problems? I thought someone on here said the auto climate control was colder and that made me scratch my head. Should I try to get a 2012 over a 2011 or even wait and order a 2013 to get the best quality of manufacturing?

7) If I found one with say 30k miles on it already, should I be concerned or will they hold up forever? What's the most miles users here have reported?

If you wanna sell me your CM let me know - lol - otherwise I'll keep on with my hunt. Thanks for reading my post and contributing answers if you are so moved. Take care.

 

Well lets talk about point 1 first: MINI Connected is an option in itself that will give you all functions with a screen and a control wheel without nav. Navigation is an option on top of MINI Connected that basically adds all the hardware and software to the car to give you navigation. When you say updated do you mean bring it to the dealer and update the maps? If so, yes... otherwise there are no other charges and most of the time you wouldn't have to update your map anyways.

2) Yes you are correct - Not all seats are created equal in the Countryman lineup vs the other MINIs... I'm not sure the reasoning for this but I have the Lounge Leather in my car and as soon as I sit in the stock leatherette, the stock seat seems to have a bit more side bolstering, but not enough to take me away from the beautiful leather with the piping I have in my car.

3) Theoretically anything can be done with the right amount of money... The amount you would have to spend to buy a whole separate rail, drill for the middle seat in the back, buy a whole new seat, you might as well find a car with a bench. (It's not like the suburban 3rd rows where the seats are interchangeable.)

4) This is where I'm not completely sure... I know the stock warrantee is 3 year 36,000 but I'm not sure about the extended warrantee but I'm sure it's transferable because I remember one of our old BMW's was

5) I have a manual in my car - There have been a lot of people saying it isn't the best setup for a manual tranny in the ALL4 Countryman... I happen to think differently, it did take maybe a day or two to get used to the rather lazy clutch and now once I am used to it there are no issues. My clutch has had no problems at 10,000 miles and with a whole bunch of extra power going through it (modding is a huge part of having a MINI)... In short, I would recommend the clutch, and I know a lot of people wont, but just be easy on it during takeoff and you'll be fine

6) MINI's are quirky in general, but yes the thermostat sensor is a common issue, it really only applies to people in cold climates starting up their car when it is cold... Plus they came out with a new design for it so if your car does need a replacement you would have a part that actually works rather than putting another faulty one in.

The A/C will be fine for you, it does take a tad bit longer to cool down the car as opposed to other cars, not sure why. If you are going to be running the car in such intense heat I would recommend getting an aftermarket add on intercooler just to help keep everything cool, and keep you from losing all that power (turbos hate heat)

I would say go for at least 2012 (the 11's had a few problems that I know were fixed but if given the option I wouldn't go for one over a newer car), if funds permit, order a 2013 (It's fun to have a car that's yours from the start and to track it through production)

7) The regular MINIs can last well over 200,000 miles if you take care of them... the highest milage Countryman owner I know has 40,000 and there are no issues that should cause concern... They're a BMW, so they will last a long time.

Hope this helps!
Kyle

 

I' not a seasoned CM owner, but recently ordered one. I had to mull over a lot of the decisions you have.

1). Free dealer upgrades while in warranty. Its a pricey option.

2) I didnt see any non-leatherette seats on my dealers lot, so I can not compare. I gotta say the red cloth seats do look very nice & I tend to like cloth over vinyl. (it was just outside my budget). My MA(sales rep) said he could count on his fingers how many Recaro seats he's sold in the last 10yrs.

3) I dont see why the seats could not be retrofitted. As long as you obtain all the parts it shouldnt be a problem. Seats & belts do not come cheap. I would def order the ones you want. We ordered the bench, my wife liked it. I kinda perfer the buckets.. but Ill be up front, driving so

4)your MA should be able to clarify this. it will be in the small print. Most extended warranties follow the vehicle from my experience.

5) A big factor in getting the CM for me was because I could get a Manual/AWD combo. The Dual Mass FW(sprung FW) is a problematic/bad design in general. It seems its a but weak for the AWD/wt. of the countryman. I dont think the issue has been pin pointed enough from what Ive read, possibly user wear? IDK. If you like manual, its the only choice IMO. (Figure about $1500 for an installed aftermarket/upgraded solid mass conversion clutch when your out of warranty)

6)There is a thread w/ all the recall/TSB info. It's quite long.. but its all covered under warranty. Just drop her off for the day. I'm not a fan of buying 1st gen/yr models and the 12 is really a late 11 considering the launch. Good thing is they are made to order, so MINI addresses these issues during production. (ie water pump, firmware, etc)
- There is another forum for all the issues. The thermostat housing(CTS) has finally been addressed w/a newer design FWIK. The CLutch?, I ordered the auto AC only because it seems the std hvac didnt get cool enough. I will be getting 3M Crystalline Tint(not dark, legal, & blocks tins of heat/UV, etc. Amazing tech in this).

7) its my 1st mini so I cant say from experience. However mini's have a bad rep for flimsy interiors(switch gear, etc). Buying used will likely depend on the PO's abuse.

 

I appreciate taking the time to respond guys. A few more quickies:

1) I drove an early 2011 that to my amazement did NOT have satellite radio. I thought it was standard on all of them. Did that come later? Can it be added so that it's OEM?

2) I have had people tell me that the AWD is best to get because it handles way better - no more FWD torque steer feelings. I hadn't considered one because of the added weight and the fact that I'm never in snow, but now I'm entertaining the idea. Thoughts?

3) What are some of the best and largest MINI dealerships in the country, particularly the service depts, for asking questions?

4) I drove one with MINI Connect but no Navi ... could the OEM Navi be added to that one without too much cost or hassle?

 

Everyone here is giving you very good feedback and I don't have much to offer but I thought I'd put my two cents in, anyway.

Is this car your inquiring about on the lot or would you be "building" it? We wanted several options on our 2012 Countryman and never found any car that had the options we wanted at any MINI dealership we visited. We just test drove various "spec" cars to narrow down which options we wanted, just to make an informed decision, then "ordered" my car. We had to wait for a while, but ultimately, when it came in, all the options I wanted were exactly how I envisioned them to be and I was (and am) thrilled.

MINI offers, it seems, hundreds of options, but in our opinion, the car gets pretty pricey adding so many of them. Our budget kept us away from looking at Nav & MINI Connect, as well as a few others "perks" and I'm not disappointed at all that I don't have them. The "S" was overkill for my personal needs, so, after driving the "S" and ALL4 I went with the base with FWD, knowing I wasn't going to do much aggressive driving.

We were told that a one yr. free subscription to SIRIOS Satellite radio was standard and it also came with HD radio, too. I'm not sure about the 2011's.

We didn't get all the "bells and whistles" you're planning on (or looking for) because I knew that I, personally, wouldn't use them, but few dealers had "decked out" specs on their lot that we went to for us to look at. Since we don't have an IPhone, we learned that MINI Connect may not be entirely user friendly for us and our phone has Nav on it anyway, that works great for me.

As for dealerships - every dealership we worked with had really helpful Service Depts. I think most of them would be happy to answer your questions. The mechanic we use also works on BMW/MINI and he was very knowledgeable, too.

We did get the Maintenance/Mechanical Extended Warranty because brakes/rotors were included up to 6 yrs. Other than that, the 36,000/3 yr. factory warranty MINI provides is pretty bumper-to-bumper but we'll assess later if we add another extended warranty down the road.

Also, we tend to do some mountain driving (which we did all day yesterday) and the base handled the road perfectly - not one problem or sluggish moment - so I just thought I'd add that. "S" is a bit less in gas economy but you can't beat it for the fun factor, tho the base is pretty dang fun, too, and we're not disappointed at all!!

Good luck!!

 

from my research, the NAV upgrades are $199 from the dealer.

If you have proof that its free under warranty, I'm sure there are more than a few people that would love to confirm this.

 

Just to be more precise:
New Minis come with 'included maintenance' for 3/36, and a factory warranty of 4/50k. These are two very different things. Mini dealers also sell 'extended' maintenance packages and various types of 'extended warranties' which are really breakdown insurance.

 

I have 3/11 order CM4 - it and all the CMs I looked at had Sirius radio in the mode menu. I've not seen one that did not have the selection available. It was listed "Satellite radio w/1 year sub. - included" on the options list.

One of the reasons I got the ALL4 was I wanted the neutral handling that AWD can provide (if done well), and the CM4 did not disappoint. My basic spec was a 5-door hatch with AWD. If you prefer the FWD experience with different handling and power/steering interaction, that's available as an alternative selection.

 

In 2011 to get SIRIUS we had to get the h/k option.

 

Happy Dance! Looks like I better be finding meself some kilts as I be joining the Royal Grey family! :D

 

Congrats! Post photos when you can

Kyle

 

My soon to be new favorite view.

 

Awesome! You're going to enjoy it

Kyle

 

You're getting a chauffeur with your MINI?

Congrats!

 

^^^ It came down to either getting glasses or sitting further back.

 

That was not true in my case - Sirius without H/K.

 

Canadian versions required the h/k for the Sirius. Glad we got the h/k as we had it in our first MINI and liked it.

 

Congrats!!!! By now, I'm hoping you love it as much as I love mine!!! Welcome to the MINI family in CA!!

 

Thanks so much. Still waiting for the truck to pick it up and drive it on over. Anticipation!