Been reading all the different topics and found it all very informative.

I am picking up my new, almost new, 2011 Countyman All4. What a tough go at finding a used one. Goes to show how popular this vehicle is. Anyways, I am picking it up next Saturday and am soooo excited! I haven't felt this way about a vehicle in a very long time. I fell in love with it the moment I saw it and even more so when I test drove it, twice.

I have just a few questions that maybe someone can help me with?

What grade of gas do you use?

How well will the leatherette do with dogs and in the summer? **Very bummed it didn't have leather seats.***

There is no spare tire if I decide to change my RF. So what to do?

 

1. I always use the highest octane available, in my case it's the 95 RON. S is rated for ron 91-98.

2. Leatherette is more sturdy than real leather and should stand up better to wear, tear and abuse. In summer it's more or less on par with real leather, just a little less breathable, so it really depends on the color, the darker the color the hotter it gets.

3. If you decide to go with non rfts, best course of action would be investing in a tire repair kit and compressor, I believe there's MINI oem kit

 

To add to this:
You can use middle grade fuel, but it will cost you in performance and fuel economy, so it is not worth it in my opinion.

Some people use Slime tire repair kits which include a compressor run by a 12 volt cord; available in any auto store. A somewhat more expensive option that I have is the combined pump/patch fluid kit made by Continental, available at the Tire Rack:
http://www.tirerack.com/accessories/detail.jsp?ID=38
I carry this in my R53 always, regardless of whether it is wearing my run-flat-equiped wheels or my autocross non-runflat wheels.

 

Thanks for the info..... I believe most MINI owners use premium. I have been driving a 98 Toyota Tacoma for all these years and am use to using regular unleaded. The premium is more expensive but when you break it down it really doesn't cost that much more.

 

With a higher compression engine, you want to use higher octane fuel, than "regular" gasoline, to prevent pre-detonation. (Knocking)

Over time, this can damage the engine.

 

Thanks all for your answers. I am picking up "Torito" this Saturday. Woooohooo.... :O)

 

You can get away with 89, but MINI suggests you use at least 91. I have dogs and leatherette, and I'm very happy. I still cover things with a shower curtain and a large towel because the dogs swim pretty frequently on our adventures.

As far as the non runflat solution, I'm still working on that myself. I think I'm going to wear out these runflats before considering a switch to regular tires, so I have time to make my decisions. It seems like most folks who ditch the RFs use a slime kit or take a micro spare along. I haven't yet found a spare that will fit under the boot floor, but there's a teeny one from Outmotoring that wouldn't take up too much space in the boot if you wanted to go that route.

 

I think I will stick with premium gas since its about $.10 more than the medium grade. Unfortunately, in NJ you can't pump your own gas so calculating actual MPG may be a bit difficult to keep track accurately. I have black leatherette and my CM is absolute black. From what I read I am going to have a very hot and sticky summer.

BTW, I read your blog. Nice. When are you planning on updating it?

 

Picked up my MINI CM All4 this past Saturday. Got to drive him home during our first snow fall this winter in the NE, from Long Island to PA. Wow, he handled himself very well. It was a site on the NJ Turnpike. Passed a few SUV on the side of the road that had spun out. Felt very comfortable and safe.

 

Awesome and congrats on the new Mini!