I am back for my third MINI ('07 basic Cooper hardtop, '12 basic Cooper hardtop), nary a problem with the prior two, but the Dealer put me in a Countryman loaner a short while ago and hooked me. To be honest, I am a "sedan guy" at heart, and just missed those four full doors and the easy access to the back seat. Also, I was having some space issues, with some upcoming moving.

My first impression is....size! Huge interior...like being in a cave, but after driving basic Hardtops for a few years, the ride (longer wheelbase) seemed like a limo, nice and smooth (I am basic non-S 6 speed manual...only the Premium package and cold weather, despite being in the South, added on).

I have no complaints (but also, only 300+ miles so far), except for a somewhat cluttered interior (I opted for the center arm rest this time and things seemed cramped), and seemingly useless nooks and crannies on the front dash (little spaces that seem unusable).

However, if you look at my prior MINI posts, I was forever bragging about high gas mileage (my '12 had an historical average, measured at the pump, not on computer, of 43.5mpg!), and I don't think you will be seeing one of those posts again. You can't go by the first tank (so much idling involved, dealership, during delivery process) but I doubt I am doing much better than the 32 mpg range.

On base 1.6L Countrymen, manual, non-S, what kind of mileage are you'all seeing? Indeed, the Countryman runs on the same engine as the MINI Hardtop, but at 500+ pounds more curbweight. Goodbye to 40+ mpg (but if I am over 30, I will still feel environmentally responsible). :(

What should I expect, mileage wise???

Here is the Blazing Red (hey, they charge extra for that color!) parked at Colonial Lake, in beautiful Charleston SC on the day of delivery.

 

Welcome to the world of Countryman ownership! Like you, I went through two other Minis before getting a CM. I may not be able to answer your question directly, but given the 'least efficient scenario' of driving a CMS All4 6AT for several thousand miles, I can tell you my gas mileage averages at 30mpg in daily Southern California driving. Hopefully this information helps.

 

My '12 Countryman (auto, non-S) is also my 3rd MINI. I had an "06 R50 and a '10 R56 non-S before it. Right now, I'm getting in the 30-31 mpg average range in a combination of highway and stop and go traffic in South Florida.

 

Like you We just ordered our CMS and it will be our 3rd MINI. We expect arrival next month. I did drive an automatic CMS as a loaner for a few days. I reset the MPG indicator when I started off and it gave me 26 MPG after 3 days of typical driving whereas with my 2005 MCS I was getting 35 MPG. We also have now a 2013 MCS Cabrio that gets around 30 MPG - probably because we like to drive with Sport Mode switched on.

 

Sweet looking ride in Blazing Red/Black

I've had two R50s and now my wife has a base R60 and all have performed great ! We love our base Coopers

 

We have a base auto CM,28 MPG and a manual CMS,26 MPG,both driven on sport mode,50%highway.
Not the greatest mileage but always a lot of fun.