Hi all — in the process of researching/determining which used Countryman I'd like to purchase. I'm between the ALL4 S or the JCW. I'd love to have a JCW, but they're hard to come by used unless I want to make a long trip (have yet to see any for sale in Florida). Was wondering if anyone out there can let me know their thoughts.

I haven't gotten to test drive the ALL4 S, so I'm not sure how the power compares to the JCW. I'll also be putting at least 180 miles a week on it because of my commute to and from work.

I'd also love to hear thoughts on automatic (with paddle shifters) v. manual on the ALL4 S. Wouldn't even consider automatic with a JCW.

Thanks everyone!

 

I test drove both ALL4S and JCW a few times before making my decision.

I went with the JCW for:

1. Braking. The difference is quite different. You dont notice it until you try the JCW. It stops like nothing I've ever owned (fyi I'm omn my 3rd Mini)

2. Clutch feel. The JCW clutch feels more normal than the S. In the S. It's as if nothing was connected at thr other end

3. Power. You always need more ;-)

 

Yup, JCW all the way. My wife wouldn't even consider trading up to a Countryman just because we needed a bigger car until she saw the Countryman JCW. The JCW model substantially alters the look and performance of the Countryman. I have a 2014 Countryman JCW that we got end of December 2014. It's pricey as heck. The window sticker was $41,945. The dealer was kind enough to take $5000 of sticker. Truthfully, I would have never bought it if the dealer didn't take off that much. I guess the dealer had to move it. It was a left over JCW with a manual transmission and leather seat option.

 

When we were ordering our CM, we were deciding between the All4 S and the JCW. In the end, we bought the All4 S, the $8000 price difference was very hard to justify. The JCW were a bit quicker and had the JCW body kit, some interior contrast stitching and different steering wheel, but the 2015 had a lot of interior and exterior enhancements as well.

 

You are absolutely correct about the price of the Countryman JCW. it's definetly over priced. I also had a hard time convincing myself to spend the extra money for the JCW. First and foremost I would never pay anything close to the sticker price for that car. ($5000 off sticker was great) Second the car was there and in stock soI got to see both the Cooper S version and the JCW.

The salesperson repeated to me several times that this vehicle is not for everyone. I eventually asked him why is he saying that. He said it's the price. $7000 more for a little more horsepower, a body kit, slight interior differences, stiffer suspension, 18" wheels with performance summer tires, performance exhaust, and oh ya, some John Cooper Works badges. Terrible value I might add, but at the end of the day I do have one heck of a cool looking Countryman that performs well too. And, it's the real deal not some bolt on body kit version. So what the heck you only live once.

 

Thanks so much for all the feedback — it looks like everyone has ordered their MINI CM's and bought brand new. I think that route is out of the question for me — can't afford to purchase a new JCW, or anything new really. I can't justify spending the money for a new car when there are nice, used ones out there for considerably less.

Unfortunately, it seems it's very hard to come by a used Countryman JCW, or even an ALL4 S. I'd love to test drive the two to compare, but don't have any in stock in my immediate area.

Anyone have any advice finding used MINIs, specifically the higher performance models that seem harder to come by?

 

Look in autotrader.com for used Mini in your area.

 

I bought mine used and am very happy. I have the paddle shifters because doing city commuting its a lot more convenient than manual. The non-JCW is a sharp looking car and for a $5-7000 difference in price I can do MUCH better mods than what is stock on the JCW and still have $ left over.

 

What model did you buy and how did you find it? And what kind of mods have you done? The only reason I'm considering automatic with paddle is because I too commute into the city for work. But I do think manual is a lot more fun to drive and more of a "MINI" experience. Do you ever have any problems with the automatic shifting? Thanks so much for the help!

 

Why do you want an ALL4 in FL. When I lived in FL, FWD cars were plentiful and AWD or four wheel drives were harder to find because you don't get snow/ice. No point adding the cost weight and complexity of a system you are not going to use unless you move north.

I bought used, more of an impulse buy and it came pretty loaded, the ALL4 part was important for my wife, I could care less. If the weather is bad, I normally stay home.

 

I wanted the JCW look without spending JCW money. So I spec'd my 2015 with JCW interior and exterior packages. The power difference can be mostly made up with a JB tuner add on (which supposedly won't void the warranty as long as you take it off before service) and the braking power can be made up with some nice aggressive pads. The JCW's bigger brakes are better for resisting heat on track days, but for one time stopping distance, the non-JCW system can be just as good with good pads.


As far as ALL4 goes, it's useful for more than just snow, it's great for wet weather and even dry weather acceleration as well. No need to feather the throttle on a wet hill just drive.

 

Imagine a JCW AND the JB tuner ;-)

 

I'll have to do more research on mods I can make to a CM S to add more power if I can't get my hands on a JCW. It seems a used one isn't easy to come by, and definitely haven't been able to locate one locally. But I'd prefer the real deal over mods in a perfect world.

And I'd choose the ALL4 for exactly the reasons Jason said

 

FWD is fine in the rain, you should take it easy in the rain anyways. Open up your search to both FWD and AWD, you will have a lot more options.

 

Although my wife and i are both into cars, I still couldn't see spending a ton of cash to mod a car. So, when we both saw how different the Countryman JCW looked plus the fact it was a manual trans, we couldn't resist it. Of course the sweet deal was the deciiding factor. I truly believe I would have never received $5000 off sticker on a non JCW countryman. So, if I got an a Countryman S and moded to look and perform like a JCW I would have spent close to what I paid for our new Countryman JCW.

 

All-season tires are also "fine" in the snow because you should be taking it easy in the snow anyways right?


Not trying to argue, but AWD offers superior traction and safety in all conditions over FWD. Is it an absolute necessity? No, of course not, but it isn't a hindrance in any way either.

 

I agree, that's why I drive an AWD, but the OP is in Florida, there is really no need for a AWD.

 

I bought an used 13 R60 All4 and was a suprised find since i want All4 and also with Nav. Really liked it and even more after beginning to tune it. I too like others want the JCW but is hard to find a used one and when new is way too much. I do like how they hv JCW exterior and interior packages now being offer. After i pickup the car i went straight to dealership and ordered the JCW exterior package lol

 

AWD can be useful ANYWHERE.

 

So far I have JB+, SprintBooster, KN panel filter, VIP front strut bar. Planning to do a 2nd cat/res delete, rear sway bar, NM cold side pipe replacement and NM intake. I have had no issues with paddle shifters. Shifts are MUCH faster than I could accomplish with a manual. That in itself is its own fun! I think manual is a hoot as well. Just the mods I've made though have made my MINI auto quicker than the stock manual I demo'd. If I ever get a JCW I think I'd go with manual. You do sacrifice some power and response to the auto gearbox no matter what mods you do. I'm happy though! I have the S All4

 

I didn't like the auto transmission in the S ALL4 that I took on an extended test drive. It was just too clunky with downshifts and even lurched a little from time to time (lurching is kind of jumping forward). I'm very easy/smooth on the gas and brakes, but the auto was just too clunky for me. It's more of the same in my R60 (non-S) loaner. I understand wanting the auto for city traffic, I live right next to (supposedly) one of the highest traffic roads in America (I-405 around Seattle) but I still would rather put up with a manual until MINI/BMW gets onboard with the dual-clutch revolution.

 

Thank you so much for all the feedback, it's been beyond helpful, especially since the local MINI dealership near me doesn't have much in stock for the Countryman so test driving is kind of out of the picture unless I drive at least 2 hours (and even then, no JCW CM). I'd love to test drive both the automatic with paddles and the manual, just to see the difference, but again, I'd have to drive quite a ways. I have heard some people experience lurching with the paddles, and that's a definite turn off for me.

I do agree with the mods, it almost seems counterintuitive to buy the cheaper version and then dump money into making it faster when you can just invest in the JCW. Unfortunately, I can't afford to drop the money on a brand new one and I have yet to find any used ones within a couple hundred miles of me.

I understand that the ALL4 isn't completely necessary in Florida, but I'd love to have it if I could find one. Although opening my search up to just the S has provided me with a lot more options.

I did see a listing for a CM S, but it appears to have the JCW badges on the outside of the car. They have it listed as just a CM S, but it's also not a MINI dealer, so I'm wondering if they don't realize what they have? Is there any way to tell its a real JCW?

 

With my post I wasn't even talking about big modifications or big money. $250 for the JB inline tuning device. That alone will make a significant difference and nearly close the power gap between the S and the JCW.


Of course having a JCW to start would be better, but it doesn't seem worth the extra cash to me. My S ALL4 has a MSRP of $33800 and has both the JCW interior and exterior package, so it looks like a JCW minus the badges. Add the JB tuning device and it will be almost as quick as the JCW too.


Just my opinion, I wanted the look but didn't want to spend $40k.

 

Get the last 7 digit of the VIN and enter it into the site below and it will tell you if its a JCW or not along with all the options.


http://www.bmwarchive.org/vin/bmw-vin-decoder.html

 

Interesting, and very valid point. I'm less interested in it looking like a JCW, and more interested in the power and how it drives, so that mod is definitely reasonable. Did you say if you have manual or automatic? Did you test drive a regular CM S? If so, how does it compare to the AWD?