I am looking for a decent gas milage car that is AWD and my attention has been turned towards the Countyrman S ALL4 - beautiful car! I am looking at a Black 2012 automatic with 21 miles on it.

I joined today to get a feel for the car through actual owners - and I must say that I am having second thoughts. It seems every other thread is about a problem. Is the reliability that bad?

Also, I want AWD because I live in Upstate NY. Is it good in the snow - I would imagine that it can't handle deep snow.

What about room? I have 2 kids that are 9 and 11, is it spacious enough in the back?

I ask most of these questions because the nearest MINI dealer is hours away and I haven't had a chance to take time off work to go test drive one yet. That being said, I would appreciate any feedback from actual owners instead of reading reviews online.

Note: The other vehicle I am looking at is the Subaru XV Crosstrek.

 

True that some owners have had problems - myself included. That being said, you have to take a couple of things into account:
1. These types of forums is where people come to look for answer to problems and to vent.
2. The biggest issue that still afflicts the 2012 is the clutch on the All4's (I am one of the complainers on that.)

There were a few common issues that have either been resolved via recall or easily resolved under warranty (unlike the clutch.)
1. Leaky thermostat housing was a recall and yours should have been done.
2. Leaky oil solenoid valve is not unheard of but it's not causing any drivability problems so not a catastrophic issue.
3. There are reports of leaky H2O pumps.

Now let's look at your choice:
You are looking at an automatic so that is a safe bet compared to a manual 2012 ALL4 since you will not have to deal with the crappy clutch. If you were looking at a manual ALL4 I would tell you to run to the Subaru dealer as fast as you can.
The CM is a fun car and gets attention (usually positive.) I would say a 2012 automatic is a buy assuming it is discounted rather heavily and I would also ask for a pre delivery mechanical inspection focusing on cooling system leaks and a check of the oil solenoid valve then enjoy it.

 

I think most of the reliability issues have been worked out in the 2013 model.
I think the AWD system on these may even be just a touch better then my Audi was.
I have a 6yo, and a 15yo (who is 5'11'") there is plenty of room in the back for them. They probably wouldn't be that comfy on a cross country ride but, it would be tolerable. All and all, I am happy with mine, and I have had all the issues that you have probably read about. I just dropped mine off this AM to have the clutch replaced with the newer version.


Do some research on the Subaru! I didn't like what I was reading about those. like...There is no turbo, and the are gutless! They don't paint the engine bay!!??...

 

i have a 13 month old 2012 cms all4 manual, 11k+ miles

zero problems, zero leaks, mucho fun

i put 205/70R16 winter tires and wheels on and the car was unstoppable in the snow, in fact it was better than my 4x4 sonoma p/u truck

the tires are oversized, but fit with no rubbing

i got the wheels fom ecs tuning ... they are oem mini wheels, they use the stock wheel bolts

http://www.ecstuning.com/Mini-2011-C...oys/ES2159816/

for a less expensive winter wheel, ecs also has mini oem steel wheels available

http://www.ecstuning.com/Mini-2011-C...els/OEM_Steel/

scott

 

Lol.

I did research the XV - a lot. I test drove it on Saturday and was quite impressed. Granted, it's a whopping 141 HP, but I am really looking for something that can handle the snow because I drive and hour each way to work in the Adirondack mountains in NY. How does the ALL4 handle the snow?

And you're right no turbo - but I've never had a turbo car before so am not really missing anything. The last muscle muscle car I had was a 2004 LS1 GTO - loved it, but gas mileage wasn't that great.

 

Thanks Scott - that answered the snow question .

 

I have a 2012 CMS All4 auto and it did great in the snow. We had a lot in MA this year and I was initially worried about how it would handle. I had a VW Touareg AWD before and the Mini, I feel, handles better. About the back seat for your kids. I had two college kids in back this weekend and they couldn't believe how big it was. I have had no issues, though the gas mileage isn't the best. But I do like filling up half the $$ I spent on the Touareg - so for me it's a great deal. Again, if you can get a huge discount, it would be worth it. I absolutely love driving it - too much fun with the sport button on!

 

Thanks for that Scott.

 

I too, drive an hour each way to work here in CO. No mountains in my commute, and almost all HWY. I put some snow tires on and went for a drive in about 14" of the white crud. I was very impressed with the way it motored right through.

 

Bottom line if you are here asking about a countryman your decision has already been made. If you get a Subaru although it is a nice ride it is NOT a MINI. You will find yourself checking out every MINI you drive by while in a SUBARu wondering why you did not get the MINI. The same can not be said the other way around. Hard to explain any way else. Once you get your MINI (and I know you will) it will all be clear, you will be smiling the whole time waving to your fellow MINI owners as you drive by them, and as you drive by those XV's you will be sooo glad you did not get one. Motor On. BTW Awesome in snow, gas milage not as great as you would think, turbo is a blast, clutch sucks in manual, not a problem in your case, rear seat room is bigger than expected, the rest just like any vehicle is luck of the draw but a 3yr 36k warranty helps out .

 

I guess that pretty much says it all gator.

If the guy gives me a good enough deal I will be all over that CMS4. Of course, I need to add a few things to make it mine.

 

thought that would help out a bit. The fact you already want to customize a car you do not own yet proves you should be a MINI owner. Never heard a Subaru owner say they cant wait to make their ride their own and customize it. lol. Good luck with the deal. tell us a bit more about this MINI??? curiouse.

 

Not really much more to tell. I attached a couple of pics. For now, I want to add black headlamps housing,driving lamps black, sport stripes - white, and roof stripes - white.

Once I've had the car a while I will look into a decent exhaust. After that...who knows. Any ideas on MUST haves?

 

Tint is a must have especially with that color.

 

My wife has had a Countryman All4 auto for just over a year and she absolutely loves it. It hasn't had one lick of trouble. Up until about a month ago I had a tuned MINI Cooper S, and I have to say that I'm still impressed with how well the Countryman goes. It isn't quite the same go-kart feel as the little hard-top, but it is still a lot of fun to drive.

We got a good bit of snow here in RI last winter, and she got through all of it just fine with the stock all-weather tires. You probably get more there than we do here, so if you consider throwing for a set of winter wheels and good snow tires, that thing should be pretty much unstoppable.

As for room, there's plenty in the back for two kids. We've had average sized adults back there with no complaints, although the back bench seat is usually occupied by 3 dogs. So unless your 9- and 11-year-olds are sasquatches, they'll be just fine.

Other than that, all I can tell you is if you do end up going for a test drive, be prepared to be signing papers shortly after.

 

The ALL4 is fan-freaking-tastic in the snow. I plowed right through several nasty storms around Tahoe early in the season. I have Michelin Pilot Alpin winter tires on it and that little car is very stable and stops well on the sloppy stuff. Better than the Jeep Grand Cherokee it replaced.

Some pictures:







But it cleans up well

 

Thanks for all the help guys...I greatly appreciate it. Really only one thing that is keeping me from pulling the trigger. The dealership that has this car is 4 and a half hours away - that's fine. But, for maintainance, I will need to travel 2 hours to the nearest MINI dealership - that sucks. I guess the next step is to go test drive a CMS and go from there.

BTW, beautiful CMS FredoinSF!

 

Does anyone here run an aftermarket exhaust? If so, what do you suggest?

I'm still looking around the site, but is there a forum where members have uploaded video examples of different exhaust notes?

Also, how does the stock exhaust sound?

 

Lots of modding info here: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...rivetrain-361/

There are a few threads in here with vids.

Stock exhaust is fairly tame, though it does have a bit of a throaty hum when you lean on it.

 

So, the bottom line price (including taxes and processing), the dealer is asking $29,500. Here is what is on the car:

• Auto
• Black headlamps housing
• Driving lamps black
• Sport stripes - white
• Roof stripes - white
• 5 star double spoke black wheels
• Rear bucket seats with center rail

As I mentioned earlier, it is a CMS ALL4 Automatic.

 

I would go lower then that. I picked up a '13 in March , auto trans and not many other packages for about that same price.
By the way- have about 4500 miles now but love mine. I was truly worried pulling the trigger on this car after reading thru the posts here but now I see that when 1 or a few peeps complain it doesn't mean all the CMS are bad. I heard about the sunroof, air conditioning, overall fit and finish and I am here to say I have none of that so far. Also seems like any issues earlier models had have been addressed by Mini/BMW. The reason I brought this car was for the fun factor driving it and no question it fits that bill. When u hit that gas pedal this sucker flies. No experience in snowy weather but is fine in rainy- heavy. Lastly (2) 6 footers were in the back seats and no complaints from them. Long distance maybe so but for a night on the town cruising around no issues.

 

Original MSRP was $30,250. Base price (without the above options) is $26,327 - a $3,923 difference. The rest is the options, taxes, and processing fees.

I thought 30k was okay. What should I aks then? I tried $28,000 but he shot that down saying he cannot budge more.

 

Also, even though it's a 2012, it only has 21 miles.

 

Search 2013 countryman order... There is a thread on how much people got off the MSRP and it looked to be between 1250 and 2000 off. I think your guy can do better.

 

Thanks Java. I guess I got a decent deal with $3,923 off MSRP.