We are looking into purchasing two Minis soon, an S for me and a Countryman for my wife. The issue is we have two kids, 6 and 3 and we're wondering if any family drivers could comment on the space and comfort with 4 riders.

How is it for groceries, suitcases, etc? Does anyone have a roof rack with a storage bin? (Whatever they're called!)

Just looking for some advice. I watched the video on Mini's website about it but I'd rather get some first hand comments.

Thanks in advance.

 

My wife has had her Countryman for over a year. Her kids are now 14 and 12. They all love the car, and it has plenty of room. No roof rack or luggage rack--the boot provides enough space for them and grocery shopping.

 

We bought our R60SX just before MTTS 2012 for the purpose of being able to take 2 adults, 2 kids (4 & 8) AND their luggage along for the trip. Our R52S handles the humans just fine, but is short on luggage space. With 10 days of packing the R60 was full, but we made it GREAT! And as the trip went along, I got better and better at packing it too.

So it's already roadtrip approved, and obviously it'll handle local, grocery-getter errands and family commuting with ease and FUN.

 

I have two kids at home and we love our CM. For trips I put the ski box on and we are good to go. Enough leg room for teens in the back.

 

i drive with the seat 1 click forward from full back, and a 6"3" 230 friend can comfortably sit behind me

i have put 10 plactic grocery bags in the boot

i don't think you will have any space problems

are you looking at the All4 or FWD?

scott

 

Thanks for the replies!

I'm looking into FWD but I might consider the All4 since we live in mass. Still trying to figure that out.

We're going on Saturday morning to check it out and test drive it. Here's to hoping she enjoys it!

 

I'm sure you've done your research, but here's some potentially helpful information before you go:
The MotoringFile MINI Countryman Ordering Guide

I found the shifting/clutch issue to be so commonplace on the forums that I asked the dealership to get one 6-speed R60 and one 6-speed R60SX (All4) just so I could compare the shifting experience with the two. I didn't find that the All4 made the shifting better or worse. I also didn't experience major shifting issues with the demo cars or the one we ordered and bought. But just food for comparison and thought for ya.

 

I had 2 kids )10,12 two adults, a cello and a violin in the car today. more room than the camry i traded...

 

I'm in the process of buying one (it's on order... a long wait is in store). As far as space, since my wife and I haven't owned a car in some time a friend in NJ who knew we were looking offered to take us to one of the dealerships out there. We ended up with four adults in tow during the test drives. The dealer was in the passenger's seat, so I got my turn in the back when my wife drove. Comfort definitely won't be an issue for any passenger. It's actually a very roomy backseat compared to just about anything I've been in recently.

The trunk ('boot' in the Brit speak MINI likes to use) isn't the biggest thing in the world. Shopping won't be a problem. A family of 4 going on a trip isn't going to be able to bring everything you could possibly want, but I'd think you should be able to work it out with a minor amount of restraint.

Roof storage is an option, but if you look into the prices for a lot of it, you might decide that restraint works better!

 

I'm anticipating a long road trip. I have a luggage carrier for the roof, but the way things are shaping up, it may end up empty.

 

My kids are 5 and 2. They're always excited to go for a ride and never complain about the accomodations in the backseat of the CM.

 

We had our niece and nephew out for about five days. We picked them up with a few pieces of luggage and then stopped at Target on the way home for kid groceries. It was a massive amount of stuff, and it all fit.

We also did a beach trip today. That's two kids, a boat bag with two huge towels and four beach towels, one umbrella, two beach chairs, two floaty noodle things, two backpacks, and a small cooler. It all fit really easily in the boot with the kids' seats all the way back.

If you don't need to take the kitchen sink with you, you can swing it. When we take two dogs and a massive amount of stuff for our vacation at our lake house rental every year, it all fits but just barely. And we don't put anything but a boat on top. If you had a luggage box, you could cram even more.

 

Tippy I know exactly where that restaurant is in your blog you linked. We have a cabin on that very road in NH we go to almost every weekend. Small world!

Could anyone comment on the fuel economy with a six speed? That's a major factor in my wife's decision.

 

Very cool! Great part of the world.

Driving reasonably, I average 28ish with a mix of town and highway driving. On the highway with the cruise set around 72, I break 30. If I throw the car around a bunch and drive on backroads, it drops to more like 26. That's real numbers (gas put in divided by miles traveled). The computer is 1-2 mpg more optimistic than that, presumably because it doesn't count idles and starts accurately.

 

Wow. Those numbers are pretty close to the advertised numbers. Thank you for the real data and not the readout numbers. That should help her decision making process considerably.

 

I get the same mileage in my Base 6-spd and sometimes even 32 with hwy driving. I've been thrilled with both the performance and the gas savings!

We can fit 1 adult in the back and a crate for our dog easily, plus several suitcases in the boot. I went from driving a Ford Explorer and I swear I have just as much room in the MINI R60 as I did in that. Really happy with the car and wouldn't want anything else - not even an "S".

 

best i have seen ... i went 411 miles on 9.8 gals, 41+ mpg at 55 mph on cruise, this was all interstate, fillup near the on ramp and fillup again near the off ramp, it was an out and back trip to gofer parts

on a 200 mile interstate drive at 65 mph on cruise, i got 38.2 mpg

overall since new 32+

whole tank in town i get 27+

worst i have seen is 18, but it was a lot of fun, mostly 1st thru 3rd gear, mostly over 4000 rpm for almost 200 miles and used over 11 gals, all twisty backroads and lots of stop signs

scott

 

That's incredible. Thank you for posting your numbers as well.

With our current SUV we average 18-19 mpg, so these numbers are impressive. We once owned a turbo Acura RDX and that thing was horrible. Almost as bad as the current mileage we're getting.

 

Your cruise control speed on the highway creates a geometric efficiency curve. It really stops to drop off after 70. I set the CC at 68 when I'm not in a hurry in order to save a little cash and carbon. Above about 75, my mileage drops well below 30.

The roof rack also shaves 1-2 mpg off high speed travel, so I take it off if I know I won't be using it for a few days.

 

I did 33mpg on a recent road trip (Base CM), the trip computer said it was 34mpg (I posted this somewhere). I was probably 70-75 mph most of the way, with some mixed driving included.

I'm guessing my 39 mile commute nets me about 36mpg actual (trip computer says 37) each way in a mix of country roads and an unpredictable I-270 highway drive into the DC burbs.

 

Oh, and we have plenty of space for local runabouts with my family--2 kids in the back aged 8 & 10. We have the bench seat and can do a pretty sizable grocery run and fit most everything in the boot.

Long road trips with a family of 4 would require a roof box or something (which I don't have).

 

I would love to believe you.

But I don't.

 

and i should care? why would i lie?

btw, current tank, all in town except for the first 27 miles from gas station that sells no ethanol fuel (27 miles of backroads running 55-60mph) is 209 miles, 177 til empty, 28.8 mpg on the OBC (it's always low when i calculate miles/gallon) and the fuel gauge is lit up to and including the 1/2 tick

scott

 

The only reason I traded my R56 in for the R60 was because the family became a little bigger. A friend of mine gives me hell about my Mini and every chance he gets he mess's with me. So he took this pic on my most recent outing. I have one childs bike with training wheels, one small big wheel and a little tites bouncy on top. So you can pack aot of stuff on top in the basket. I used the trunk to put an assorment of babie crap in. Hope that helped a little.

 

Took the Base Countryman for a 9 day trip to the lake with all 5 of us (2 adults and 3 kids, 8, 10, 13). Roof box on top and the rest in the boot. Everything fit, and after almost 600 miles in 9 days the kids still love the Mini! (And Mom and Dad love it too!!) So glad to be rid of the minivan!!!!