Wifey took her Leaf in for a new rear bumper and they gave her a new Clubman to drive until it’s fixed.

This thing is HUGE! Bertie wonders if it retains the willing acceleration, snappy handling, and general joie de vivre he so amply provides?

I will drive this beast and let him (and you) know what I think tomorrow. Looks handsome — has his father’s eyes.

 

There's not a Clubman in those pictures...

 

Oops. It’s a Countryman.

 

nice couples :D

 

Nice collection and plate.

 

Drove wifey’s loaner Countryman today. It feels smaller and lighter than it is and it has many appealing MINI design touches all over the place. Even fits in our garage same as the Leaf. Pretty fast and it handles well. I really want to like it, but to me, this is not a MINI. If I still had to haul kids around town, and it cost the same as a Toyota or Nissan compact SUV/crossover, maybe. But I don’t and I’m pretty sure it doesn’t, so no, not for me.

This Countryman does have one thing that made me want to immediately get out and walk home: The bloody BMW Sunroof From Hell! Seriously, I wouldn’t even test drive one of these models if it had that execrable thing buried in the roof. No no no.

 

I took the Countrtyman out last night with wifey, two adult kids, and three dogs to the lake for a sunset walk. It served well for this. As we walked back to the parking are, festooned with boring me-too SUVs and crossovers, the Countryman’s jaunty styling really stood out in that sea of blandness.