A Jalopnik writer is upset that the Rocketman was scrapped, so decides to take his disappointment out on the Countryman.

http://jalopnik.com/5926983/has-mini-lost-its-way

 

thats about as far as you need to go. Penalizing one vehicle because another was not made, at least yet.

 

If I had enough garage space (or could convince my wife to give up her beloved Flex), I'd get a Roadster to go with my CM. That would really tick the guy off.

 

I'm not convinced that the Rocketman has been scrapped.
If MINI doesn't sell the cars it builds, there will be no MINI.
The Countryman is selling well.
Maybe the writer doesn't like it, but plenty of other people, actual customers, like it a lot.

 

Personally I feel the CM stands out. It got me to walk into the dealership and roll out with one. People ask me about and didn't realize Mini even made a big car.

 

My wife doesn't really care to much for my CMS but now that I have made some minor exterior mods, she doesn't mind it to much. The one major thing she doesn't like about it is the rear turn signals and how they stick out so much and I have to agree with her and I wish their was a way to shave them down. The horrible thing about that artical is the writer really never gives any full description of what things he doesn't like about it except for it's not small and cute. Oh well, I look at it this way...to each their own...I love my CMS and I am sure each owner loves theirs as well!

 

The Countryman has grown on me since it first came out. And now my better half owns one and I get to play with it and take care of it, I'm actually quite fond of it. The Clubman, on the other hand, has never grown on me. Sorry, Clubman owners.

 

My two cents:

The Countryman is brilliant, it just needs to deliver a tad more refinement, value and miles per gallon. The problem is one of perspective. If you view it from the MINI brand and look outward then to some it can seem out of character, but if you view it from the automotive world in general and look inward, it's spot on. Take a look at the Honda CR-V and the Ford Escape. Notice anything? Yea, they are now both huge monstrosities. What the auto industry needs to do is shrink everything down about ten or twenty percent. If the Ford Flex had been the size of the Honda Element, if the CR-V and Escape were kept almost exactly as they are now but resized to Countryman dimensions, people would be going crazy for them. BMW simply needs to engineer out some of the old quirky MINI crap and Bangle BMW remnants that they have tried to carry over to the Countryman. What's the point of trying to remain true to that quaint but dated or way too complicated stuff anyway?

 

You definitely have a point there, and MINI would probably sell a lot more, but then they might lose their edge and genericise themselves, and become bland. They would have to lower their pricing as well and cut corners and end up with lower margin. They would be a bigger company, but make no more and probably even less money. Why compete directly with ford and Honda? You will kill yourself.

I'm hoping Mini goes even bigger -- here's to coming out with a cool Mini-van.

 

BRAVO!!!!! Well put...it must be the cool temps creating that incredible view points!!

 

I'm definitely not suggesting they compete directly with Ford or Honda, it's more of the opposite. Ford or Honda can't compete with MINI because their vehicles are getting too big and bloated.

Think of it from this perspective: If you just want a smaller SUV or Crossover type vehicle right now what are your choices? Practically nothing. Even the KIA Sportage which used to be tiny is huge now. I love it btw but it's too big for my tastes and the mpg are too low because of it. In fact in my perfect world I would kill for a turbo KIA Sportage the size of a Countryman that got 30mpg city! So, my point is that MINI can carve out an entire segment for themselves and it stays true to the MINI concept - cool but smaller. Even a smaller MINI-van could work for potential customers like you.

 

There seems to be a trend lately that the media spins that we can only like something if it was blessed by an 'expert'.

Mini is making it, obviously selling it, and has happy loyal customers. The customers get to decide what Mini is, no one else.

 

Where's the "stick my tongue out and razz you" smilie?
Not this one but the one that means it?
I love, love, love my Clubman.
They aren't selling well anymore though.
The Countryman is blowing the Clubman away, literally I fear.

The Countryman is growing on me and I am trying to talk hubs into replacing his Avalon with one.
He isn't going for it, yet, but he sure was eyeballing them when we attended an event at the dealership last month.
Sure, the Countryman looks big next to other MINIs, but it looks tiny next to other SUVs.
I had a Countryman loaner once and was so glad when the dealership called to tell me my Clubman was ready to go home. It's a different driving experience.

 

I instantly liked the idea of the Countryman when it was first announced. After having owned my Cooper Convertible for over 7 years I was worried about the size of the CM. I was just so used to small that I thought it would be too big. Not the case...it's just big enough. Like you said The Clubman, has never grown on me either. But to each his own.

I don't drink haterade!

 

The reviewers seem to expect MINI to memorialize an outdated car by continuing to produce it.
People may love the classic Mini, I know I do, but the general public isn't going to buy museum replicas as their DD.
How do these journos expect MINI to compete in the real world if they don't change the car to fit the times?
MINI is offering choices now too.
They've been criticized for that as well, but one car does not fit all.

 

Sorry, LW... but I bet yours is the most gorgeous Clubby out there !!

And I will say they are much more practical than the hardtop or the Coupe that I'm going to add to my stable in the coming year. But when it comes to cars, I let me heart and eyes lead me and not my head. Come to think of it, I do the same with women. Hahaha.. funny but true.

 

Ford and Honda are just keeping up with the US trend of people getting larger and larger.

 

Logic is not that guy's strong point. So, because he personally doesn't like the looks of the Countryman (he never refers to its dynamic traits and it is obvious he has never driven one) that means the Mini brand has lost its way? It is selling really well but is somehow "stifling" the brand, despite the fact that Mini has come out with new coupe, roadster, and JCW enthusiast models.

What an idiot. Some people are just looking for things to complain about.

 

The auto industry doesn't shrink current models that sell well; they only ratchet them larger and larger every year, until they get so bloated and ungainly that sales drop off. When that happens, they come out with a totally new model in a smaller size, and the process starts over again. There are countless examples.

The last time an auto company tried to shrink a model (1979 Mustang), it nearly killed it, and it had to be resurrected in a larger form.

 

Why yes, mine is the most gorgeous Clubby out here!
Um, didn't you mean woman singular?
If I had some $$$ I could become a serial MINI owner.
There is a used Purple Haze Cabrio that has set my heart racing, but I only want it for fun, not to replace Little Wing.

 

I commented earlier on that Jalopnik post.

Ultimately "who cares what he thinks" is about how I feel. I bought the car that fit my needs and it happened to say MINI on the emblems.

 

Well, one at a time, yes.

I love Purple Haze too ! Almost bought one instead of the Jet Black MCS Convertible. Awesome colors, both of them.

 

Werd. It does make a great second MINI though. We wouldn't be a two MINI family without it.

 

I didn't care for driving the Countryman, but I think my husband would like it. If he replaces his Avalon with a CM I will be thrilled!

 

I am going to somewhat agree with the article. I think all cars have gotten too big. Let's look at a pickup, a new F150 is huge compared to say a 1985. Mustangs don't compare to the original size wise.

Now with MINI, the R50 is a monstrosity compared to the original. The Countryman is an absolute abomination and represents nothing of the original and beautiful Mini (which in the micro car world is a little big) outside of a basic outline that looks a little like the original. I am very happy that BMW did distinguish that MINI and Mini are not the same and the MINI is a brand. Now Journalists need to think the same way.

In the meantime I am going to take my oversize abomination of a body that doesn't even compare to humans from 100 years ago and get in my over sized MINI.