I just received my 12/2012 Consumer Reports which has "Predicted-Reliability Scores" for 2013 vehicles. Yikes, very bad news for the Countryman.

First of all, I must say I really like my 2011 Countryman S; it is an ideal vehicle for me in almost every way. I have over 30K miles on it, and it has never left me stranded. I know that is not the case with everyone, and there has been a litany of issues like loss of power, won't start, recalls for coolant sensor, etc., but I did not expect this: Countryman scored -161% worse than average in the small SUV category. In the 233 new vehicles rated, I saw only three worse - the Jaguar XF, the Ford Explorer 4WD, and worst, the Ford Focus hatchback. That is some bad company. Interestingly though, the MINI Cooper Clubman was scored about +45% better than average in the small hatchback category.

I guess I shouldn't be so surprised, you may have seen in earlier threads that I experienced a spontaneous crack on the *inside* of my windshield (which MINI couldn't explain but declined as a factory defect), and now my transmission is being replaced. Nevertheless, that terrible score is just hard to accept. I just don't think reliability is that bad, especially as compared to the other 232 vehicles rated. I hate to think what that means for eventual resale value. Is it just new model bugs? What do you think?

 

Customer complaints seem to also boost normal brands to the bottom of the pile. Ford seems to be at an all time low because they put the DSG type tranny in the focus and people didn't like they way it felt, shifted, and wasn't like an old school auto. People also didn't like the way the Ford My Touch Sync worked, it had a few bugs and updates have fixed those. But it is issues like these that caused people to complain and have repeated service visits for items that were not broken...they just weren't what they were used to.

I am not saying MINI is the same but people seem to complain a lot about MINIs, myself included. I have paid more for my MINIs than any other vehicle I have bought before and I expect it to be that much better since it cost more. Getting loaners, service included...stuff higher end vehicles get in a car that starts at $20k will allow more people to buy MINIs and thus all complain about a bad ride (run flats on a sporty car) the quirkiness of the toggles and their location, the weird seat memory for when a passenger gets in (not R60 related).

I am not being just a fanboy for MINI but I also realized that testing and results can easily be tabulated in a bias manner that does not take into account the severity of the issue. Yes there were a few CM that had sold start stumbles and T-stat issues but these are the growing pains of a relatively smaller company that is trying to broaden its market and generate more revenue to make the cooler, limited, faster cars like a R56 GP.

I know the MINI can be quirky, but if it were as unreliable as sometimes perceived, I would not have bought my 3rd one.


That's my $0.02

 

I have long thought that there is little if any correlation between the price of a car and the frequency of repair, and for decades Consumer Reports survey results have shown this (ok, the Yugo excepted, if anyone remembers them) to be true. If anything there may be negative correlation as more expensive cars tend to have more to go wrong, and often tend to have state of the art features where all the bugs may have not been solved yet.

 

thats not making the countryman look good for future buyers. i have just over 10,000 miles with no issues, but those figures are scary

 

Your 3rd Countryman? Because that's what the data is about, not MINI in general. The CR data shows the CM is much less reliable than other MINIs. If your experience is with non CMs, then it is not applicable to the current conversation.

I can confirm that the CM is the least reliable car I have ever owned, including my 50 year old Pontiac. Over 18 years, 10 cars, and hundreds of thousands of miles driven, it is the first car to ever leave me stranded while under warranty. It's a great car, but unacceptably unreliable by modern standards.

 

I personally don't put much weight in what CR says when I buy things. They reviewed home stereos a while back the one I was looking at got a poor rating. The audio mag I was reading at the time gave it a good rating. I bought it and have no problems 4 years into it. They are not experts in what ever field they are rating. They are normal consumers.

 

In my sig it shows I have a R55, I have had a R56 anda R50. Yes I do not and haven't had a R60 but the motor is the same. If the hardtop is 45% better and the CM is 161% worse it just proves that yes it is model based. It is my personal thought that the low score is due to it being a new model (some early kinks to work out) and folks buying into the newer, growing market of small SUVs are expecting normal controls and placement of instruments.

If you think my experience with my MINI history has no bearing on the conversation and MINI's history and reliability then you are mistaken. I know I have no place to complain about the weird e-brake handle, the weird flippy logo/hatch handle, and other difference like the rail and accessories, but the roof of the car, the motor and tranny is something I do know a little bit more about; and to me these are the things reliability is based on.

 

[QUOTE=Bluebrat;3621367]Countryman scored -161% worse than average in the small SUV category. In the 233 new vehicles rated, I saw only three worse - the Jaguar XF, the Ford Explorer 4WD, and worst, the Ford Focus hatchback. That is some bad company.QUOTE]

I am leaving Prius and switching to CM. Now that is great news! What was I thinking?

I am still waiting for my newly ordered 2012 CM. From now on, I will keep my fingers crossed all the time for two things: the gas price will not go higher and my CM will not strand me on the road.

Good luck everyone!

 

When I ordered my CMS, I'd already seen a number of horror stories here. I chalked many of them up to new model growing pains.

While I don't expect my MINI to be as worry-free as the Passat it replaced, I hope that it doesn't leave me stranded the way my Fiat Spider did. I'm holding off on dropping much money into mods until I get comfortable with Otto's reliability. Ironically, the Passat was considered an unreliable car for the model years that preceded mine.

 

You have to take what CR says with a big grain of salt. Remember that their sample size is small and if they have a group that has problems it is amplified. The CM has been the best car I have ever driven or owned period. Passat's being worry free, VWs are know to break down big time after 5 years. I would still rather have my MINI. We will be ordering our second MINI soon.

 

How many miles on your CM?

Also, how do you know how big CR's sample size is?

 

My CM will hit 20k tomorrow. That's the problem CR does not disclose how many people responded to the survey Thus if 20 people were asked about their CM and let's say 5 people stated that they have problems that is 25% Now you take a Toyota and 100 people responded and 5 people have had problems that is 5% Now based on percentages which vehicle shows to have a less reliable record. Of course it will be the one with 25%. this is just for argument sakes. I can honestly state that I have met at least 20 CM owners since we took delivery of ours and not one person has had a problem other than a nuisance item like blowing a fuse due to a defective cell phone charger. My sample shows the CM to be an excellent almost trouble free vehicle.

 

$40k car, 46 days in the shop at less than 20k miles. The way the dealer and MINI USA has responded has been deplorable. And the reason I won't be seeking a replacement.

 

Mojito.

What were your issues??

 

Lighten up everyone. Don't get hung up on what Consumer Reports says they have been known to be wrong. Look at what happened a few years ago with Toyota. I still don't trust them. Here is what JD Powers says and it just might be a bigger sample size than CR.
http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com...n/Reliability/

 

Maybe I am reading the info incorrectly but it got the worst possible predicted reliability score...

I don't put a lot of trust in those surveys anyay. When we bought our first MINI, I think MINI was placed second from the bottom in regards to predicted reliability. We've had that car for almost 7 years, it now has 85k miles, and it's been fantastic.

 

 

Just over 50k miles on my All4. A thermostat issue early on, and a strange bucking at high altitude fixed with a SW update, but aside from that mostly problem free. As cars go compared to all I've owned, one of the least trouble, for whatever that's worth.

 

Your sample shows nothing of the kind, you only have 20k. My CM was trouble-free at 20k too. Wait until you hit 40k.

How many miles do your 20 friends' cars have?

 

I do understand where you are coming from. but if I wanted reliability I would have gone Toyota but I wanted comfort and fun. Besides I do know that the Base (non S) is more reliable than the S. I was thinking about trading in my Base for an All4 but not now. And my decision on the Roadster remains another non S.

I also can comment on some of your issues. Thermostat was taken care of on a recall (gee Honda, Toyota, Ford, GM and Chrysler haven't had any recalls lately have they???) Clutch is a known problem in All4's per long term test in Automobile Mag. All the rest I have no clue as to why you had these issues.

 

CR is funny in a sad way, there is fact in there that is in an uninformed fashion.
If I had taken my CMS in for everytime I wasnt sure of something, I'd have driven it there several times. (engine noise after off (my subaru just shut off, so spooked 1st day), seat wouldnt adjust (dealer left a zip tie looking thing on passenger seat base, not realizing garage door opener needs car on. I call my MA and we laugh at my lack of knowledge of MINI and no service call

My neighbor has a new turbo 3 series, goes to the dealer constantly, for little thing, phone wouldnt sync, noise remains on after car shut off, little things, nothing has been wrong so far.

I like Acura's latest recall of doors not staying closed while driving

 

here's a funny one. One day I pressed the unlock button on the fob and held it there and walked into the house. When I came out all the windows were down and the sun roof was opened. Well this is not documented in the Owners Manual so I called the dealer. (well this is a feature of the vehicle) With the Sirius Radio there are times that it goes to channel 1 and you can't get if off of it unless you stop the vehicle and take out the keyfob and wait a couple of minutes. This happened several times so I brought it in MINI was unaware of the problem and I was told to keep an eye on it. One day right before out one year trial on SiriusXM was up Sirius called. I inquired about this issue and was told that it happened because you lost contact with our satellites. She sent the updates out to my radio and the problem seems to have gone away. Basically no car is perfect and sometimes trips to the dealer are not necessary or warranted. All in all, MINIs are a blast to drive and as my wife has said it has changed our lifestyle.

 

I am wondering whether there is a difference between different CM models regarding reliability. I ordered a CM base model with no package at all. I hope that will reduce the chance that I will be stranded one day.

 

This one was HILARIOUS:



Leading to...

 

NZXOS,

There is a big difference between the Base model and the S. Base doesn't have the technology that the S has and thus less to go wrong. Other advantage (per Owners Manual) is that the Base can be run on Regular (87 octane) gas most of the time and still get 30+ Mpg. Not sure on the 13s but I know it can be done on 11 and 12.