I need a car to replace my VW Jetta GLI. I bought it used and it's been a total money pit, but I love the pickup and want something that will be equally fun to drive. I also want a stick and I'm 6'9" tall, both of which limit my choices significantly. It looks like my choice at this point is the VW Golf GTI or a Mini Countryman S All-4. I like the styling of the Mini, so that had been my first choice, but now I'm having second thoughts.

My biggest concern is that after the Jetta the Mini will be disappointing in the fun department. My local dealership doesn't have a 2L stick for me to try, so I would need to order it and just take the chance. I did try the 1.5L and it seemed fine, not great acceleration, and the clutch seemed a little odd, but I could probably get used to the latter, and I figure the larger engine would help with the takeoff. But I'm also a little concerned about what I read about Mini reliability. It seems from reading the forum that I should be taking brittleness for granted, and having just dumped $10K in the past year keeping my Jetta going, that's hard to swallow.

I'm open to comments on the GTX vs Mini, or other cars I should be looking at, what I should expect with respect to reliability, or anything else anyone thinks is relevant. I want to like the Mini, but it's getting harder to justify against the GTX, especially since the Mini is a lot more expensive. I don't like the GTX look, but the drive is fantastic.

 

The Countryman will feel heavy and sluggish vs a GTI. The CM is very nice but it's not as fun to drive or as fast as a GTI. Dynamically a GTI is much more capable.

I'd think a Mini Cooper S 4 door would be more of a compare with a GTI - and that would be much more fun to drive.

We bought our CM because we needed a family hauler and small SUV. In that regard it's about as fun to drive as you can get.

 

I agree with MrFunk. I also think the FWD CM is probably quicker too. The all4 drive train really takes a lot of the cars power. I have a VW CC 2.0T as well. FWD with a full APR chip, it adds as much HP and Torque as the Dinan Elite chip for my All4 2.0T CM, but the CC will do circles around the CM. I'm sure weight is also a contribution, but the CC is a pig as well.

As far as fun to drive, the CM is a blast in the corners compared to my VW, but if you're looking for straight line speed, the VW is probably what you want. (But if you're looking for straight line speed, neither a VW nor a MINI is what you want haha)

 

I was under the impression that the ALL4 system isn't really AWD, and is mostly FWD -- unless the sensors deem it necessary to activate the rears, the ALL4 systems are mostly driving around in FWD. If that is true, then it is most-likely the weight and the stock tuning than the drivetrain itself?

 

-motoringfile

 

Cool, nice find!

 

That was dated awhile ago, I've heard that this generation MINI shares BMW's X-drive system now.

 

I think it's pretty funny hearing a VW owner worry about MINI reliability. Current rankings place MINI 13th and VW, well below average. You'll definitely do better in a 3rd Gen MINI.

At 6'9", the Countryman is probably your only hope. I "think" you'll have adequate head- and legroom.

I got used to the clutch in a day, even though I found it weirdly angled in my test-drive.

The Countryman S All4 is probably perfect for you. Make sure you go for the electric seats.

 

Disagree. The 4-door has puny door openings, that he will hate coping with. I smashed my head hard in the frame in my loaner (coming from a F56), and I'm only 6'1". The doors in the 4-door are my most hated attribute. I would never buy one!

 

Ok - then then 2-door.

 

I'm 6' 1" as well , had a previous Gen Clubman, and have driven old and current bodied MINI's as loaners. Never have had an issue with my height.
But will agree that the rear doors on the 4 door MINI are best negotiated slowly.....
If I was 6' 9" though......:impa tient:

 

I've just gone through this decision myself. I drove a new GTI and found it well, boring compared to my F56 S. There's an overall experience/package you get in any of the MINIs that I think it's hard to find in other brands.

Reason I was trying out other cars was due to having a 4mth old son. I needed something bigger to haul him and his 'stuff' about in. I drove Forester and Levorg. Looked at the GLA Merc and a bunch of cars. I drove a F54 Clubman S and loved it - maybe this is an option for you?

I ended up dropping a deposit on a Countryman S - here in Australia we only get Autos and only get the All4 in the JCW or D varieties. I couldn't go past the CM as it fit in my garage for starters (I was limited to a car about 4.5m length due to our garage) the boot his large for its size, plus the rear seats slide back and forth. It felt like my F56 S but just bigger and my F56S has been bullet proof during it's first 18 months of life. It still has the pops and crackles and my first go at owning a auto with paddles. My previous cars wre all manual.

It's a hard decision. Especially if you can't take one home over night or even drive the model you are contemplating buying.

 

My JCW Countryman is 2 days old - and I freaking love it. I am 6'2 and there is more than enough room - and ingress/egress is a non-issue. I agree straight line speed is not good, but that is not what a MINI is for. This is especially the case if you are opting for a manual instead of the automatic.

I'd find a dealer who has the 2.0 and actually do a test drive. It is worth a drive when you are spending this kind of money.

Lastly, the interior of my MINI blows the VW away - but it will really depend on what you want in a car.

Good Luck.

 

We just traded in our 2012 CM S on a 2017 CM S All4. We almost always used the larger 2012 to ride passengers in ,over my previous 2012 Clubman ,since the 4 doors of the CM were easier for most people to manage compared to my '3rd' door with access to the rear seats...
The new Countryman F60 has even more cargo room in the back, and more Rear seat Room. Yes, it DID grow in size over the previous model, and I hope this is as big as it ever gets from MINI too....
Another Manual Trans for us, we really liked the Manual in the older CM and like the new one even more. We've only had it for 2 days now, so we're a bit biased, but as others have noted here on NAM, go drive one. That's your best bet .

 

This is the issue my wife and I had. I have had a 17 Clubman S ALL4 for about a year now (traded my AMG C63 for it at my wifes request .. story for another day when I do an intro post as a new user here). This weekend we finally traded the awful Infiniti JX35 with a POS CVT for a 18 CM S ALL4 in manual.. it was the only Manual in the DMV area (there were non ALL4 or non S manual options available). We lucked out as it was still pre PDI and was delivered to the dealership on Thursday, I drove it Friday, wife tested it Saturday, and by Sat afternoon we took it home.
We had the same problem with the Clubman, that was actually a build to order that we did, but I did not want to wait another 8 weeks, so we took what we could get. Manuals in the US can be fun to try to buy, many other manufacturers only put the manual in the base model, removing the ability for some certain must have options (Honda.. I'm looking at you, Subaru.. you too.. well except the WRX/STI models.. but those were off the list per my wife ). Mini is really the only company that will offer a manual across the entire range (minus the hybrid, thanks to Honda and there and patent lawyers) regardless of options.