If I do, the CM would be the third MINI product I've owned over the years.

Currently, I drive a 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.6 V6. It would be an understatement to say it is thirsty. On the upside it is a highway cruiser. Comfortable, quiet enough, capable and spacious.

I am considering trading the Jeep for a used 2012 CM All4, black with white roof. Since I sold my boat I have no need for a big SUV. My main concern is that I may not be getting much of an upgrade when it comes to gas mileage and comfort. I've seen on here and other fuel tracking website what the CM averages (around 26 MPG) and it isn't too great. Certainly better than the Jeep's 17.5 MPG I got over a period of one year of ownership.

I have a few questions if you friendly people don't mind me asking.

Is the CM as noisy as the MCS hardtops? I had two hardtops and they were loud. Road noise, everything was loud.

Is the CM a comfortable car for long trips?

How is the HK sound system?

Reliability?

I ask because I haven't yet set foot at the dealership since I avoid them like the plague. I'm mostly dealing with them through emails for now.

Any other comments are welcomed.

Looking forward to coming back to MINI, one of my favorite brands.

Cheers.

 

I don't think my CMSall4 is that loud. I went from a honda civic to this and it hasn't been that rough of a change. I don't think that I notice any road noise when I'm on the highway. The only thing that kind of surprised me was the stiffness of the ride, but you can't really complain since it's not supposed to be a boat ride.. I've been told that replacing the run-flat tires really does wonders for the stiffness and any road noise (I don't notice any road noise though on a flat road, if I go over bumps and potholes, then I notice it). I haven't taken my CMS on a long trip yet, but I definitely think it's a comfortable ride. I don't like having a seat that I sink into, so the sport seats make it fun to drive when I am driving. As for the sound system, it sounds great for me. I have the HK system and it does everything I want. The reliability, I haven't had any problems with reliability. I've had no major issues yet and I don't think I should have many. I schedule a mini appointment every few months and keep everything pretty maintained. I've heard that the clutch system on the 2011-2012 aren't great at all, but I have the steptronic automatic, so I haven't had any problems.

 

Hi,

Thanks for the reply. Sounds like it is a good little car.

I had clutch issues with my 2005 MCS. Traded the car for the Jeep. I miss driving a Mini. Hopefully if I go through with the deal I am not going to regret it. By the way, the CM would my car number 31.

 

My 2013 Countryman is much quieter inside the cabin than my 2010 Cooper S was. I've owned the HK sound system in two Minis now and wouldn't be without it! Also, the ride in the Countryman is much improved over my old Mini. In the Countryman there is more leg room and I'm definitely less cramped.

 

I had the HK in my first MCS a 2004 and it sounded very good with strong bass.

 

[QUOTE=Z4fire;3824362]...used 2012 CM All4...Is the CM a comfortable car for long trips...

I have 2011 with 2013 clutch - we've done some long trips, up to 12-hour drives. The suspension/RFTs are harder than a lot of cars, and you do experience significant bumps. The seats give good support (check for lumbar support if you need it). The car isn't too noisy to enjoy a long trip, but you do notice noise from some types of pavement (tire dependent).

...Reliability?

My car has made trips to the dealership, but not for failures - mostly for updates to various technology. Getting the '13 clutch was a good move, recommended.

It's still the car I prefer to drive, but for a long drive next week we're taking the C-MAX Energi for the improved ride and seats...

The CM4 is still the fun ride in our garage!

 

I think your experience re noise levels will definitely vary depending upon the tires you have (make and size) and the roads you are on. I just drove from Dallas to Nashville, and my 19 inch Pirelli Runflats were AWFUL on some of the Arkansas interstates, in terms of noise. Other times, they were fine. On my previous CM, I had swapped to traditional tires. Much quieter.

I had the HK stereo in my first CM - I liked it. Current car doesn't have it, since it was a used purchase. Would've preferred having it. However, most of my radio time is news on satellite, so... I think I can live with the base radio.

In terms of reliability - I have nothing bad to say, other than I hated the original clutch on the 2011. Main reason I got rid of the car.

 

It seems like the clutch may be an issue. Care to expand on the clutch problem/issue. Thanks.

 

Just search for the word "Clutch", there a is lengthy thread about the issue. I echo the above statements about road noise. Sometimes it's nice and quite, and other times I have to crank up the HK (which I love) to drown it out. The RF tires are much more prone to noise than my Michelin Snows (non-RF). I have had more issues with mine than any other car that I have owned. I have been back to dealer 10 times in the last 19 months that I have owned it. None of the issues ever left me stranded though. Even with all the issues, it's still a great, fun car to drive every day. I came out of a Jeep Wrangler 4D that was getting 18mpg HWY, so the fuel savings for me (and my 140 mile a day commute) were worth it. The AWD system in this car is amazing. The only day I didn't make it to work last winter was when it was bad enough that they shut the HWY down between my house and the office.

 

At some point in the Countryman evolution, the clutch was redesigned. I can't speak to the reliability of the original clutch (I had no reliability issues with the car), but I will say that it made the car unpleasant for me to drive. I don't know when it was changed, or if that change is able to be retrofitted to CMs with the older clutches.

All that being said, now here I am with my third MINI (second CM), I've opted for an automatic. I drove a JCW Paceman with a manual, and really liked it. But I think the days of my owning a manual are behind me.

Good luck!

 

It's going to be a difficult decision for me. I haven't had a single issue with my Jeep during the year I've had it. I'm a little concerned. I'm going to test drive the MC tomorrow.

Hmm, MPGs + fun vs gas guzzler + reliable

If in the long run repair costs on the MC will be more than the gas use on the Jeep, that calls for some serious rethinking. But I love the look of the MC. Decisions decisions!

 

CM S All 4 is tons quieter than a regular mini. In fact, the ride quality, quietness, higher seating position, and larger size made it so it was not enjoyable as a Mini. For what it is though it is great, just not really comparable to a regular Mini. Feels like a caddy compared to the regular cooper. Even though interior looks identical, it feels completely different. After trading in a clubman S for the CM ALL 4 S I missed the feeling of the smaller mini and went for a Roadster S as a third car.

This being said, if the regular Cooper was too rough and loud for you, this is calling your name. As for comport on trips. See above. Very comfortable. But this also coming from a person who was comfortable driving a Roadster S 5600 miles in 2 weeks with no roof. Some people say that's too loud at highway speed, to rough, and too windy, but my only complaint was that I had to come home and go back to work... When you buy a Mini for pavement use, that's the reason! To feel as if your integrated with the vehicle and road. The CM responds quick, handles, great, and feel like it's on rails, but the ride quality, sound, and larger vehicle makes you feel detached as if the car is invincible and your just a lump turning the wheel. Now on dirt, gravel, and snow... Perfect! Hit the fun buttons and you can slide around, has more suspension travel so you don't to worry about some bumps, and begins to feel alive again!

Reliability. Have had no problems. But mine is an auto and an S. I would not really ask reliability though when deciding on a used car. That is completely hit or miss depending on previous owner and vehicle. It may be a very reliable car, but had a crappy owner and pieces fall off when you pull off the lot. Really all cars in the modern world are fairly comparable when it comes to reliability. LOL. I have had a Jeep(used), 4 Mini's(1 used), and 6 chevy's(3 used) and the only one to ever break down was a used chevy tahoe ex police vehicle. I am not easy on my cars either, but I pay attention to them, address noises/vibrations before they cause problems, and regular MX.

HK sound system- One of my 4 mini's did not have it. Never again. HK sound system is the best factory stereo I personally have ever heard(even the Chevy Bose stuff). There may be better, but I havn't heard one.

 

[QUOTE=makaveliks;3824777]CM S All 4 is tons quieter than a regular mini. In fact, the ride quality, quietness, higher seating position, and larger size made it so it was not enjoyable as a Mini.

The Countryman IS a MINI. I would have to disagree with the above comment. My 2012 Countryman (non-S) is the third MINI I've had. The first was a 2006 R50 and the second was a 2010 R56 (non-S). They all have differences for sure, but the Countryman is just as fun and just as tossable as the others. Yes, it is bigger (really not that much, though), and the ride height and seating position are higher, but it is very obviously a MINI in terms of handling and driving fun.

 

To your questions and feedback request:

Is the CM as noisy as the MCS hardtops? I had two hardtops and they were loud. Road noise, everything was loud.
The CM is going to be quieter than the hatchbacks, but noisier than your Jeep. More on that later.

Is the CM a comfortable car for long trips?
IMO: no. More later

How is the HK sound system?
Fine, no more and no less.

Reliability?
Mine was not reliable, others on this forum have had zero issues.

Any other comments are welcomed.

How I got to the CM:
I had a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee V8 that needed replacing. Yes it was thirsty but I knew that when I bought it. The main issue was that besides the little glitches here and there it was having chronic cooling issues. The Jeep was the odd man out for me because I had had BMW's for almost twenty years, some of which went well past 200k miles with relatively little trouble. The Jeep shared the garage with an 02 330cic, an 07 650i, and an 06 MINI Cooper S Hardtop - all of which were bough new and absolutely trouble free whereas the relatively low mileage Jeep (100k miles) was developing a fetish for men in overalls and seemed to enjoy rides on flatbed trucks. I had been shopping for a Jeep replacement for while and when the head gasket finally blew, I ditched it.
My top candidates for a replacement were a new GC or a 3 series touring / X3 / X5. I was concerned about jumping into a first model year Jeep and could not find good used BMW's that fit in the budget I had set at the time. My partner suggested the CM. I had concerns over the amount of room inside because we used to pack up the Jeep to the rafters during our biweekly trips from SF to Reno, but I liked everything else and the fact that it came with a manual transmission. The rear bench was just becoming available in the US and was a must have for the two dogs. We special ordered a CM on October 1 and took delivery on December 28th 2011.

On reliability:
Things were great at first. I was modding, getting good gas mileage and the CM did extremely well in the snow, much better than I expected. Then the clutch started becoming a problem, burn smell and inability to take off from stop signs on some steep SF streets. Then there was coolant leak number one where the dealer asked me for $200 labor because I had a CAI installed. Then there was coolant leak two, followed by oil leak one and oil leak two and refusal of the dealerships (went to 2) to do anything about the clutch. They offered to investigate if I agreed to an $800 charge for tear down, no promises on outcome.

On practicality:
The CM is a great little package and MINI did a good job given the footprint of the car. That being said, we came from a large-ish SUV and the CM did not have enough room for the two of us, the two dogs, and the assortment of stuff we transport between SF and Reno. We always ended up leaving stuff behind at one house or another, most troubling was the laundry that used to go to Reno dirty and back to SF clean in the Jeep days. That made laundry duty an off weekend chore which did not work well with our schedules.

On road noise and comfort:
Not bad when compared to other MINI's, but not good when compared to other cars. My reality check moment came last spring when I drove the 2002 330 convertible from Reno back to SF. I was fresh as a daisy after that drive in an 11 year old rag top and realized that I was always stressed and tense after that same drive with the CM.

Getting out of the CM:
That day I decided that life was too short to be dealing with a recalcitrant clutch and SA's, and that it was time to exercise some stock options for an upgrade. The same old suspects were on the shopping list. I wanted a Jeep GC with the Diesel for the high altitude and better fuel economy but it was not available to order 5 months after the launch at the North American Auto Show. I was going to wait it out until October but started looking at X5's again. I found a loaded 2012 X5 diesel BMW exec car with 10k miles and traded the CM for it. I am loving it so far and my only regret is that my modded CM was a looker and got a lot of attention whereas the stock X5 is on the frigid side of the emotional scale. That being said after putting 5,000 trouble free miles on it since late May, it is a very comfortable and relaxing vehicle for the 220 mile drive and the diesel handles the altitude and returns 26MPG overall, so it fits my needs better.

After this lengthy write up, I would strongly suggest you spend a fair amount of time test driving a CM before taking the leap. The CM is a magic carpet ride when coming from a smaller MINI, but not so when coming from a more refined vehicle such as your Jeep - that Jeep GC is a great vehicle BTW...
Be realistic about how much stuff you carry in your GC to determine if the CM can handle it and decide if it is suitable or will require too much of a compromise.
The reliability issue seems to be a coin flip. I was disappointed with mine and the lack of responsiveness from the service department where I had purchased the car. The BMW side of the house seems more apt to take ownership of a warranty problem.

Best of luck.

 

Thank you FredoinSF for taking the time to write such informative reply. I ended not taking the test drive and decided to wait until I can find an automatic CM unless I find a '13 model year in a manual at a good price.

I have had 30 cars and so far the only cars with clutch issues were a Pontiac Fiero and the 2005 Mini MCS. I have had five Jeep products with only a water pump failure and a bad shock absorber. Like you said, it can be a coin flip when it comes to reliability.

I don't carry much when I travel and since I'm single, no pets and my kid is out of the house, I really don't require the space so the CM size is really not an issue for me.

I will keep looking.

 

Keep in mind that in my 2011 the clutch was replaced with the 2013 model by MINI at no cost. If you found an earlier model, one approach could be to require the replacement before you take the car as part of the deal. I haven't heard of any issues with the 2013 clutch installed.

 

I am curious about the new 3 cylinder 1.5L engine. I wonder if and how soon will it be powering the CM. I think it would be an excellent engine for the base CM with the promise of high MPGs. I think it has enouh torque to justify a base CM All4. What do you guys think? I am tempted on waiting for the F55 5 door Cooper or if available the CM 1.5.

 

My local dealer told me we would most likely start to see them in the '15 models. He also told me we will see a ALL4 R56!!

 

Cool!

My wish list a 3cyl five door hardtop FWD or All4, a CM FWD or All4 (diesel or 3 Cyl). I want a fun car with excellent MPG. I don't need a lot of speed since I already have a semi-fast car, an SLK320 six speed.

I would prefer any Mini with All4 since I live in the Pacific NW.