Hello guys and gals, I am new here. Just wanted to get your opinion on kids and a Countryman. I currently own a 2011 Subaru Wrx hatch(mine) and the wife has a 05 Gmc Yukon. We are thinking about trading in her ride for the Countryman s all4 so we can have to cars with good mpg and awd. My question is I know it will be nothing compared to the Yukon as far as room, but do you think it will be big enough to haul around my 6 year old son and 4 year old daughter on a daily basis? I will be ordering it with the bench seat for sure. I guess if any of you have kids would like your opinions......Thanks

 

you should be good, i have to drive my grandparents and family relatives a few times a week and they have no problems, plenty of room.

 

There is a very similar active thread about CM and car seats.
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-carseats.html

With a Yukon, you have room for kids and can load it with all kinds of junk without a lot of pre-planning. With a CM, the kids will fit but you won't have as much room in the boot for cargo. If you go to Costco as a family the CM may not swallow a truckload of paper products as readily as your Yukon would - unless you leave the kids in the parking lot and come back for them later.

In my case, the CM replaced a Jeep Grand Cherokee. I had not considered the CM thinking it would be too small, but the flexibility of the rear seats and cargo section (along with availability of a manual transmission and great experience with our other MINI) tipped the scale. Two people riding in back have generous leg room with the back seats in rearmost position. If more boot space is needed, the they slide forward or down and the CM turns into a small truck. It basically gives you the choice of what's more important at any given moment: room for people or room for stuff?

After almost 3 months, I am totally enjoying the CM. The Jeep was our beast of burden so I had concerns about giving up cargo space, but so far the CM has done everything we've asked it to do and passed every "will it all go in?" test. Tomorrow I get to find out how to make two bikes fit in it

 

And your wife will have so much more fun driving! Which has to be worth something!

 

Well my wife wants the car more than I do I think(which is a good thing) but I just want to make sure the car isn't too small after we get it and regret our purchase. I think I have the issue of not enough cargo room solved as well. The wife hates cargo boxes but I pretty muched talked her into getting one just in case we take trips in the car. I told her the car will mostly just have the cross bars on, then when we hit the road we can toss up the thule atlantis 1600.

Now I just wish I could talk her into the black 17" wheels, but she absolutely hates black wheels. What do you guys think on a white mini with a white top. Should I get the 18" turbo fan wheels in silver, or the 17" anthracite wheels?....Thanks

 

There are lots of pictures of different Countryman arrangements in NAM.

I got the anthracites because, looking at the MINIs at the dealership, they were exactly the color of brake dust.

 

+1

 

Go to a dealership, load the kids and wife up and take a little test drive.
That should give you an idea of room availability.

 

Yeah I probably need to do that, the nearest mini dealership is in Omaha, Ne which is about 90 miles away from me so I need to get on that.

The kids fit just fine in my Wrx hatch and the car can't be that much smaller in the back seat than mine can it?

 

Yea! Omaha. I used to live there. About 20 years than moved down here 10 years ago.

 

That's awesome, yeah I live up I-29 about 90 miles in Sioux City, IA but that is an easy trip. So do you miss the cold and snow?

 

Oh no. Now when it gets to 40 here I'm cold. Can't believe my wife and I
tolerated it for so long. Actually, I wouldn't be here if I hadn't had to come down to take care of my mother whom passed in Aug. 2010. Now we are glad we made the change. I used to have a cabin up in Santee years ago. That I do kind of miss. But here, I'm 25 miles from the gulf and there is lots to do and see.
Anyway, good luck on the car and if you do get one, I'm sure you'll both love it.

 

Thanks man! Oh, and enjoy the warm weather

 

Placed the order last thursday, got my production number today. Ugh, gonna be a long wait but hopefully it goes fast!

 

We decided to do the same thing. Mostly I think the boot room will be fine - but we take a few road trips each year so we're going to opt for a cargo box too just so we're not all stuffed in the car.

 

Heybud, glad to see you ordered one. Hopefully, you won't be
disappointed.
Saw your question regarding wheels also. You gotta make the wife
happy you know.
Actually, the black with all white car/roof may be too much of a contrast.
The silver would probably look more suttle although I'm partial to the
darker wheels. I've seen all white Mini's with white wheels, it's ok but
reminds me of a rolling marshmellow.

Anyway, congrats and now the waiting begins.

 

Thanks for the kind words everyone, seems like a very friendly forum so far!

Actually in regards to the black wheels, I talked her into those as well as the black headlight housings. I guess my constant whining paid off, haha. I just can't wait to see this thing with a thule atlantis 1600 cargo box on the roof

Also, here is a few random pics of my Wrx racked up and in winter mode

 

HA!

 

Trust me the black wheels are so worth it in not showing brake dust alone!!! Plus I got the black wheels to match my black roof, and can't begin to describe the compliments on the black wheels. Almost more than the car itself! I didn't think it was a big deal but they do look nice and I HATE brake dusted wheels so it's a win win!!

Congrats on the order! I'm not going to lie, it seems like forever, but the wait is so worth the car!!!

 

Thanks, I almost got the black roof as well but I figured the black rails and roof box would be enough contrast. I have seen your car and the it looks very nice, love the factory rack you put on it!

 

Oh yeah, brake dust. Forgot about that. I knew there was
a reason I liked my dark wheels. Not black but gun metal
grey. The EBC redstuff I put on back in Dec also helps.

Love the marshmellow float two posts up. LOL Sometimes these cars are hard to get a fix on look wise until you do it.

I just stripped mine of it's stripes and now I'm liking the low keyed
look. For awhile anyway.

 

I like silver wheels. Brake dust I can deal with; in fact I use a product on my cars called Armour All Wheel Protectant that greatly reduces the amount of dust that sticks to the wheels. Wheels look good for about a month of normal driving, even with typically German dusty pad compounds (BMW/MINI and VW).

 

I also don't mind silver wheels, they give a classier look than black that's for sure. I am just a sucker for some dark wheels and no tint!

 

Same here... love my black wheels, roof and mirrors! The wheels are definitely what people have commented on the most so far.

Congrats on your order Avant!

 

Congrats on your order Avant![/QUOTE]


Thank you sir, can't wait to get it