I currently have an 03 Mini Cooper but I'm thinking about upgrading to a Countryman. While I'm going through the countryman posts, does anyone want to share their experience with me? What's the good and bad about them? Anyone who's owned one of the first gen Coopers that moved up to a Countryman, what do you like or dislike about the differences?

I settled on just about everything with my current Mini, but it's my first car so I didn't have room to be picky. I've had it for a little over a year. It's such a tough little car! I've had no problems with it, save for a glovebox that doesn't stay shut and my boot has recently decided it doesn't want to close, but I view those as minor issues.

I don't want to settle with my Countryman. I want blue! I'd really love the Ice Blue, but they don't make the countrymans in that color, right? So I'll probably go with True Blue. Unless they decide to start making them in purple within the next few months.

My main reason for upgrading is I need more space. I've got a Lab/Boxer mix that loves going for rides and I'm hoping for a second dog in the near future.

I also only have 2 MINI dealerships within a two hour drive from me (I'm in Orlando) so it's proving difficult to find a Countryman with my preferences. Any tips on finding the perfect MINI other than building custom? My main preferences are color, Mini Connected, and Premium package. Added bonus would be Navigation and/or Technology package. Any info on your experiences with these packages would be great too!

Thanks!

 

Most dealers can search other dealers in the same general geographic area for a car more suitable to your specifications, but you'll need to pay shipping charges ($800ish). But if you don't want to settle, then go the custom route! So much fun (agony) watching it take shape and waiting for it to cross the pond!

 

Thanks! I'll consider asking the dealer once I'm a little bit closer to the time when I'll be purchasing. I really like the idea of customizing but I'll definitely have to make sure I can do that both financially and with the waiting time. Since my current Mini still has plenty of life left, that shouldn't be too hard to deal with but then again, waiting on shiny new toys is always painful.

 

If you are buying new, definitely build one. There will be no compromises and on the east coast, it only takes about 6 weeks. As for my likes and dislikes and things that surprised me about my Countryman S, see this post.

 

Thanks EHans!

 

+1 on doing the build. That's what I did with my Clubman, and I really appreciated getting exactly what I wanted. The flipside of that is if you can get most of the "requirements" covered and the dealer makes it worth it to you, then jump on the savings.

Also interested in the opinions of the collective on the move from the smaller to the bigger vehicle.

 

Around here, especially, you will find some "static" about the Countryman not being a "real MINI". Trust me it is, and the Countryman name is historically correct too. If you want to see a group dedicated to the R60, check out the Mini Countryman Owners' Lounge page on Facebook. It's a great source of information about everything Countryman.

This is my third MINI. My first was a 2006 R50 and my second was a 2010 R56 (non-S). I now have a 2012 Countryman (non-S) that I bought last March. I can honestly say that out of all my MINIs, I love it the most. It has everything I loved about my others, in a package sized so I can take along friends.

The Countryman is noticeably larger than the other MINIs, but it is certainly not "huge", as you will hear some describe it around here. Really, it's about the size of a VW Golf, which is definitely a small car. While it looks larger when parked next to a MINI hardtop, you will realize how small it really is when you see it parked next to a smaller SUV, like a Honda CRV. Even the smaller SUVs dwarf a Countryman.

Because it's larger, but with the same drivetrain, it is definitely not as fast as the other MINIs, but it is by no means a dog (not even my automatic non-S when driven aggressively). It also sits higher, so there is a tad more body roll in curves and corners. It's not that much, but there is more than with the other MINIs. I'm told that the sport suspension mitigates most of this. Braking is just as good as the other cars. The one shortcoming is fuel range. Since it's larger, the fuel economy suffers a little (I get about 2 MPG less with my Countryman than I did with my hardtop, so it's not much of a difference). Also, the fuel tank is smaller. On the other MINIs, it's a 13.2 gallon tank, while the Countryman has a 12.4 gallon tank. This means that the range is not as great, but it's not something that's going to deter me from buying another one. I could get a range of 500 miles in my R56, while the highest range I've seen in my Countryman is 386 miles.

The dash is slightly different, but it's pure MINI, so the transition from you current car to the Countryman will be easy. The seating position is higher and it will feel huge at first, but you get used to it in no time. Also, the windscreen is laid back at a steeper angle compared to the more upright position in the other models. It makes the windscreen seem a little closer than it did in the other cars.

I have absolutely no regrets about my purchase, and I love the car. As a matter of fact, my brother, who never made a big deal about my other MINIs told me that he is considering getting a Countryman when the lease on his current car is up in a few months. I say go for it! You will love the Countryman

 

If you like the way your current car drives, it's not surprising you would be interested in a CM. But it's not quite is fun to drive given the extra size and weight. If you test drove one, you probably know that already. Still, it's almost certainly a more entertaining drive did any competing vehicle. We do miss our old MCS, but the size was just not practical for us anymore. When we carry passengers, they are uniformly amazed at how much space there is inside a CM.

The CM is expensive for what you get, especially if you load it up with options. But again, You likely have already figured that out. We have not found mini connected to be very useful, and while the navigation system works okay, The technology seems to be several years behind the competition.

We think the xenon headlights are pretty much a must option if you drive after dark. Far, far better than the standard headlights.

One other issue, that will probably not surprise you if you have owned your current car for any length of time. Mini's are far from the most trouble free cars on the market.

 

My counter point is this, I own a '13 all4 S. My first mini. Although I absolutely love the look of the car, a sports car this is not. Around corners the car feels like it wallows and the suspension has unpredictable mid corner kick back(pretty scary). The torque is decent and acceptable for this car but braking is I'd say sub par. That said, for the price range I really couldn't think of another car that does what my countryman does, but it's not without its draw backs.

 

My wife regularly carries a big Lab and a crazy Wheaten that can't keep still in her Clubman with no problems. If you're not sure about the Countryman after your test drive, try a Clubman too as a comparison.

 

So what are your average MPGs?
Yeah, that part's kind of a bugger from my perspective. I rarely even consider looking for gas until I'm crowding 500 miles.

 

I have a 12 Countryman All4 S and for mileage I get 26mpg mostly highway. Babying it I've seen as high as 28 mpg.

For comparison I also have a 2013 Roadster S and while I drive it with a heavier foot it averages 30mpg and babying it I have seen as much as 40mpg. We used to have a 10 or maybe 11(I don't remember year) Clubman S and fuel mileage was nearly identical although the highest we saw was 38 mpg, but our normal average was 30 mpg. The bigger Countryman definitely takes more fuel. All were automatic S models.

 

Not a small statement , when discussing reliability. I would never buy another Mini unless there was a dealer in my city , and someone you trust with a rollback....trust me you will be using it...often !