Interested to hear about your experiences off road. I watched several videos on YouTube and saw this thing do lots of stuff, but was really intrigued by the Nissan Juke, VW Taureg, vs. All4S video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I4TQfrOm70

Seems like the CM driver kind of wimped out by not taking on the rocky road with a bit of strategy.

I drove the entire course of my mountain bike race and was thoroughly impressed with what my All4S can do. 70 mph on a gravel road with dips, washboards and curves were something I have never done in my Jeep Grand Cherokee, Wrangler, or other SUV's and pickups that I have owned. There was a sand hill that no one could pedal up on Saturday and the CM drove up it with ease. Careful planning of your line on any two track seems possible unless it is one boulder after another. Once I get my all season tires I feel confident in just about anywhere I would need to take this. There is one snotty trail with washouts and a deeeep sand hill I needed to fortify with some small logs last year to get out with my JGC that leads to my favorite camping/fishing spot. Probably won't attempt without my buddy's Montero nearby, but I think it could work.

So, what all has everyone else done in their Countryman offroad? Pics and videos would be great. I will try and post some later too.

 

I've played around in the dirt with great enjoyment. I put Fenton up on the lift and stared hard at the bits underneath, then I decided to put a skid plate on the bottom before getting really aggressive. There are several parts that look particularly vulnerable under there.

I think blasting around through the trees is great fun, as long as you don't meet any unexpected trunks. The default clearance is so low that it pays to be particularly attentive to things that stick up, however.

My service person told me of another ALL4 driver in the nearby mountains who has been in twice to repair damage from finding bumps and stumps in the road. I passed on info about the skid plate - it would have been a lot cheaper for her than the repairs.

 

I looked up your skid plate thread and that is sweet! Then I went to the DT website and found the lift kit! Now I have dreams of a lift kit, skid plate and all terrain non-run flat tires. Wondering what my lackluster average 23 mpg would go down to with all that? With new tires on the horizon, it might be worth it to invest now, and do the whole deal at once with bigger tires.

It looks like very few have invested in the skid plate on here. Has anyone dropped the dimes on lift kit yet? Would love some feedback on the handling, performance mpg etc.

ghamma, can you imagine a scenario where you would want to remove the skid plate? It seems light enough to not impede mpg or performance in any way. Thanks for the info and feedback. My only struggle now is how often do I want to get her dirty? Cleaning up was a pain this weekend, and unlike my other trucks and SUV's in the past, I feel an inherent responsibility to keep her looking clean.

 

An important point for me was whether the presence of the skid plate would impact maintenance. I checked with my dealer service, they put Fenton up on the lift, and didn't see a problem - and there hasn't been a problem.

The skid plate only weighs about 12 pounds, and I don't see myself taking it off under normal use. Who knows? The streamlining may even help mileage!


As for the dirt issue, I chose the wheel color to match the brake dust. And I did choose a brown color for the car... YMMV


You might want to check with
Jillrnc
as she has done more with DT with skid plate, etc.

<Last week I was driving on a really rough unpaved road near the beach and (due to limited clearance without lift kit) dropped into a hole. The loud clang was the skid plate taking the hit. :-) After I parked I turned around to see a Juke take the same hit - no smile...>