I currently have a 2010 base cooper hardtop, and I am currently in a mini select deliberating over whether or not to get into a base countryman, as well as into another mini select.

I test drove an automatic base countryman today, loved everything about it, but a little concerned about the horsepower.

is the engine powerful enough to pass others in traffic- with or without the sport button on?

What important questions/facts/pros/cons do I need to be aware of?

does anyone know if the engine has been revamped since it came out, and are there any rumors about the countryman changing in the future?

Lastly, can any fees be negotiated, like the ridiculous $250 fee for satellite radio, which is installed and is not needed, the $700 destination charge, etc.

Thanks.

 

auto is nice on the countryman. Personally I think the turbo 1.6 engine they have in the S is underpowered to make that car fun, so I would hazard a guess and say that the base Coungtryman will be underpowered. I am sure you will be able to pass others on the highway, but its not going to be a quick pass.

The engine is the same as that in the hardtop coopers of the same year. I believe there was a bump up in the "S" engine to the n18 in 2011, but the base model engines stayed he same. The rumors are that the next gen "F" series coopers will have upgraded engines, but I think the Countryman revamp is happening in 2015 or very late 2014.......As far as negotiations go, most fees except the sales tax can be negotiated...the worst is they can say "no"....

 

I happened to drive a Cooper Countryman a/t just today, and thought that the power was adequate for around-town driving. Freeway on-ramps and merging, however, could be a bit exciting. Despite the JCW listed in my signature, my daily driver is a 90-hp Jetta TDI. I'm used to the concepts of slow acceleration, momentum conservation, and planning ahead; those skills come in handy with an automatic Cooper Countryman. Once up to speed, the car felt fine. The sport button helped a little, but didn't make as much difference as I expected that it would. I guess if you've already got it floored, there's not much more a button can do. One thing I did notice is that the sport button made the a/t a bit more "jumpy", which I found unpleasant in traffic. The Cooper engine with an automatic feels overwhelmed by the weight of the Countryman when asked for anything more than light to moderate acceleration. When pressed, it makes a lot of noise, especially when the a/t drops down two or three gears at once. I have to wonder how it would perform in hilly terrain. I've never driven a stick Cooper Countryman, so I can't say if that would be a better choice. I have driven several Cooper Hardtops with the automatic, and they felt much more energetic than the same drivetrain in the Countryman.

All-in-all, I think most drivers could live with the Cooper Countryman, or learn to. It offers the ability to use 89 octane gas instead of the premium that the turbo motor requires, and the lack of a turbo should equate to less maintenance concerns as the car ages. Type-A personalities, however, are not going to be happy with its lackluster acceleration. If you drive a Countryman S, you're going to miss the power when you get into a Cooper Countryman.

 

Fwiw, I think the Countryman/Paceman redesign isn't until the 2017 model year. It is the most recent (Paceman only a few months old) so they will do the hardtop in a few months, followed by the clubman and convertible next. The roadster/coupe are also being replaced in the 2015 year, so next summer/fall.

 

Just say no. A base CM? Heck a base Cooper hardtop is under powered with the same engine, now add a lot more weight in the form of CM... I can't even imagine how boring that's going to be.

It really defeats the purpose of MINI. It's not going to be fun to drive, it will be expensive for what you get.

If you are thinking of a vehicle of that type, a Rav4 maybe?

My wife bought a KIA Sportage awd turbo. (no she doesn't listen to me, and doesn't need approval from me. She does have to listen to me ***** about it when I drive it...lol) It's really not that bad, it has plenty of power, (280 Hp), rides pretty nicely, it's a little vague, (but it's not designed to be a sports car...) And is KILLER in snow...

Anyway loaded, 10 year, 100,000 mile warranty, leather, nav, out the door was $29.5K

Sorry, way off topic...

Yes, I think a base CM is a non starter. Destination is probably not negotiable.

I'd hold fast on things like N2 in the tires for $99, "document fees"? (really isn't it your job to do the paperwork? Isn't that already built into the price?)

 

The purpose of a Mini is to have a car you enjoy driving. It doesn't have to be a turbo. The Justa won't have the power and get-up-and-go that an S has, but as long as you know that going into it, then it doesn't matter. The One, D and SD all have less power than an S but are big sellers around the world. I wish the SD was available here in the US. I'd have given up some ooomph for the turbo diesel.

cozyp828, gather your facts, take a test drive, then get what you want. Don't let your opinion be swayed by others who claim to know what you should do.

 

First, to clarify things, the only "base" MINIs in the US are those with no options at all. Otherwise, they are S, non-S, or JCW.

I am on my third MINI, and I have only owned non-S cars. My first was a 2006 R50 with a 5 speed. Then I had a 2010 R56 non-S with a 6 speed manual. I now have a non-S Countryman with the auto. I bought the auto for a variety of reasons, the biggest of which is that in South Florida's stop and go traffic, I got tired of dealing with the clutch. It also allows my wife to drive it. She knows how to drive a manual, but doesn't like it.

I have never found any of the cars to be underpowered. This being NAM, there will naturally be those who need to put down the non-S cars as slow. However, they are plenty quick, even with the auto, if you know how to drive them properly. In the twisties, there really is no difference in the handling. Plus, the non-S cars typically don't have the reliability issues that the S models do (death rattle, high pressure fuel pump, carbon build-up, etc.). I have driven plenty of S and JCW cars, and while they are a blast, I am quite content to own a non-S.

 

Do you have something from Mini that defines that, because no other auto manufacturer or owner seems to mind the term "base?" Base means the entry model. Non-s is not accurate since the factory JCW is technically a non-s too, as is the D and SD, and One (which would be the base model in Europe)

I know a lot around here affectionately call the base a Justa, which is kind of neat, but I don't understand the redefinition of base.

If you bought the entry level Corolla and upgraded the radio, it is still the base model with a few options. So is the Cooper.

But if MINI has a set of definitions and the Cooper is officially the Non-S, I'd like to see that.

 

Read the forums. They are referred to as S, non-S, JCW (also D, SD, and One in other markets). Those of us who have owned them since the beginning know (without "anything from MINI") the terminology for the various models. I could buy a "base" Cooper S. that would be one with no options, just the standard features.

 

New Mini owner and new member here just doing my due diligence reading up on current as well as past threads before posting. When I read this thread, I just had to jump in an say that I am very surprised to hear that any of the S models are being mentioned with the word underpowered in their description. Although I am a new Clubman S owner with nothing other than my first 1k miles to compare anything to, I find that my MINI is anything but underpowered. Even with a full load of everything that we took with us for a week at the beach, this thing was really fast and responsive. I can't comment on any of the non-S models because I don't have any experience with them, but the long wheelbase Clubman S is, at least in my humble opinion, more than fast enough. In fact, it has been an absolute blast to drive! I suspect that the non-S models are more than adequate as well, especially for those that travel in flat lands as opposed to mountainous areas like I live in.

 

^BruceRPA, test out a non-S/Justa and you will want to re-evaluate your suspicions. There is a significant difference in power between the S and Justa and becomes much more apparent in the heavier Countryman. I test drove the Justa and S back to back and even on flatland, the power difference is very noticable.

 

Oh. Those that have owned them from the beginning. Ok.

See: Appeal to Tradition

 

Agreed. With a third less HP it is noticeable. Doesn't mean the base model isn't fun. Just have to know what you are getting into. Nothing a test drive cannot fix.

 

This base is $22,000, but has options like panoramic roof, cold weather package, satellite radio, arm rest, automatic, an upgrade in the interior with chrome window buttons, dual temp control=$26,950, and change, but with incentives and "trading in" my 2010 Mini Cooper (bec I still have a mini select balloon of $8000 in 2015) for $11,500, I can get into a 2013 base countryman for $350 mo with $1,000 down, absolute black.

Opinions please.

New balloon would become $10,000 60 mos. 1.9%.

Arm rest= $250
Auto= $1250
Satellite radio=$250
Cold weather package with folding mirrors, intermittent wipers, etc.=$750
Premium package 2- panoramic roof and automatic climate control=$1250
Dest. Charge=$700
Absolute black=$500

$1640 taken off price for incentives
Another $350 for turn key credit

Final price: $24,760 ( I think; I have it written down).

Also, does the balloon only reduce with more money down? How does the dealer control whether it goes up or down?

Thanks to all.

 

My opinion, I'd add the Xenons and maybe back off of the sunroof. I have the sunroof, and it is nice, but it does rattle and adds to body flex. The Xenons are well worth it. Add the black option for the headlights and it would go well with the car color.

 

If you start piling options onto a Justa, you get really close to the S that offers many of the options anyways. That's how it went for me, and I love my MCS!

 

Not sure how you managed that Last time I looked a decently optioned out Justa was close to a "base" non-optioned out S. By going to the S, you dont automatically get options like sunroof, nav, autoAC, etc.

 

In my case it got me sport seats, xenon lights and the chrome gas cap-- to say nothing of the performance increases. In my test drive, the Countryman Justa was fun but the S made a world of difference.

 

You got the chrome gas cap on a CM?