With the initial reviews starting to trickle in, there's been the inevitable comparison to the big daddy Countryman platform that it's based on -- and on the size, proportions, styling and performance side of things, much has been decidedly found in favor of the Paceman.

I suppose if someone don't NEED the extra headroom (and accompanying decrease in potential cargo space) because of the rearward-sloping roofline, would rather have two doors, buckets all around (no option for bench), slightly more muscular lines and a little more tautness in the handling department, a Paceman would be the perfect thing?

So would you get a Paceman instead of a Countryman? Or would you trade in your Countryman for a Paceman?

Autoblog First Drive



MotoringFile First Drive

 

Tony,

Beautiful car the Paceman is. I may trade my 4-Door version down the line when the JCW Paceman becomes available.

Oh man, I cannot wait for that day to come...

 

As far as overall styling, I think the paceman is decent looking and growing on me. However, I think the rear sloping is a bit extreme and both a detriment to form and function. Now the badging on the back...it's horrendous (If you are going to go with the paceman emblem, you have to ditch the cooper emblem and maybe even decrease the size of the wings). But to your question, no I would not get it instead of the countryman. I might get it instead of a different 2 door cooper, but I suspect a large portion of Countryman owners got it due to the need for 4 doors.

 

Well, I don't think I'll be in line for a Paceman - the ALL4 I'm driving now seems a better match to me. Two doors would be the biggest issue, rear seat headroom next, then rear appearance and hatch would finish killing it off for me.

 

If they can make it more reliable than the CM. . .maybe.

 

No question, I'd get the Paceman if I needed one of those gargantuan Minis. I don't need back seats let alone two extra doors. The Paceman looks way more fun and cool to me.

Thank you, Mini for giving all of us choices and expanding the community!

 

If both were available when I bought the CM, I definitely would have considered it. But ultimately if I'm going to have a giant MINI, it may as well have 4 doors. I may have been swayed if the Paceman had edgeless side windows like the smaller Coopers. That's something that really bugs me about the CM for some reason and I was hoping they'd change it on the Paceman. I also don't get the weird side skirt on the Paceman. They just looks sloppy to me.

It would be a tough choice, but I fortunately don't have to choose.

 

Wouldn't get either. Sorry.

 

One of the main reasons I got CM is because it has 4 doors.
And I would need that extra head room being 6'4"

 

much as i like the looks of the paceman, i will keep my 4-door cms all4

i need the "easy access" the back doors provide

scott

 

Will be considering it when the JCW version is out! Plus it depends on when I can crawl around the car in person.

 

With a six year old and 83 year old regularly riding in the back seat, I need four doors.

 

I'm a 4dr person myself. If I was getting a Wrangler, it would be 4 doors.

However, I am curious what the mindset of a person walking into a dealership, looking at getting a 2dr Mini for the first time. Looking at the traditional 2dr Mini, then glancing over and seeing a Paceman. More room, unique looking, fits the "bigger is American" car ideology. I'd be curious how it will sway some people. If you're set on 2 drs, a Paceman would have to be a tempting choice.

 

taillight look very ugly to me.... i keep my CM

 

Think they made the MINI badge big enough? What ever happened to the small car...

 

I like the paceman a lot but not going to lose money and the countryman to get one. We will see in 4 years!

 

I can see this ordered in bright yellow and then prying the "e" out of PACEMAN to form PAC MAN.

 

Looking forward to seeing it - and sitting in it - at the L.A. Auto Show in two weeks.
I'll take some pics.
From what I've seen and read, the Paceman seems like an interesting alternative to the MINI Hatchback. I don't see it as a competitor to the Countryman. As has been stated more than once in this thread - the four-door thing puts the Countryman in its own niche.
I'm betting the Paceman sells well. Still not a fan of the huge "model badging," though. It's going to look even worse on the 2013 Countryman. Ugh.

 

Are you saying they are going to put
C O U N T R Y M A N
on the back of the 2013 models ?

 

I could live with the size compromises & 2 drs. I thought I would like the 2dr look even better than my CM, I dont...& my wife hates the Paceman design. Guess were keeping the CM.

 

I haven't even taken delivery of mine yet and I would choose a Paceman over a Countryman...

Trouble is, I need a car NOW and I can't afford to wait until April or May next year when they will be showing up in the dealer lots... Not to mention that there is already a huge waiting list for them at my dealer which means I'd have to order and wait another 2 months on top of that. Plus, there won't be any good deals or incentives until prolly a year from now...

I always worry about the reliability of a new model too... Even if it's based on the same platform, it seems like there are always some bugs... I'm hoping my 2013 won't run into the problems discussed on this board that he 2011 and 2012 models have had.

I'm going from a tiny 2 door RWD sports car that is useless in the snow. I can't camp or go snowboarding in it... Any qualms I have with 4 doors and being bigger will disappear quickly when I am finally able to make a simple run to the store when there's an inch of snow on the ground and not be spinning out of control.... Once I am finally able to drive myself up snowboarding whenever I feel like going and not just when my friends want to go and I can catch a ride with them... when I can actually fit my board, camping equipment, flyrod, dog, etc, into the car with ease and not have things hanging out the windows... Once I am not paying 800 dollars for 2 runflat sport tires that go nowhere in bad weather...

You get the point... Love my Z4 Coupe, but I live in Colorado. Gotta be sensible.

 

I'm impatiently waiting to order a Paceman. My plans were always to buy a cooper this spring, if Paceman hadn'tcome a long I would be getting the CM. I'm 6'6" and have no concerns about the headroom. There is not even an inch difference in front. The Coopers have more headroom then a large percentage of cars currently on the market.

I'm an empty nester now, so no real need for four doors and I like the styling of the Paceman better. Torn a little on the lower suspension. Now if they would just hurry up and let me order one. Starlight blue and black, please.

 

No, I need the four doors. But my wife really likes it so I'll wait and see what happens in a couple of years when her lease runs out. Unless Mercedes brings the A Class over here then that will win out.

 

I'd go Paceman. Especially if it looked like this... I had to photoshop mod it



but until they put a more powerful engine in it. I'll stick with my JCW hardtop.

 

Nice job with Photoshop and exactly what I would do to one!!!