Greetings to all --

My wife test drove a 2019 Cooper S Countryman ALL4 a couple of days ago, and she really loved it. It had all-season 18-inch run-flat tires, but I'm not sure exactly which ones.

We've never owned a MINI, and after doing a fair amount of research on the web, I'm concerned about maintenance costs related to brakes and tires.

If I'm correct, having a dealership maintain your vehicle is the most expensive option, no matter what you may need. I see that there are authorized MINI service centers, but I'm not sure if they are less expensive, and if they are, if the quality of the work suffers as a result.

Here are my questions:

1. Brake pads are reportedly on the soft side, wearing out more quickly. When the brakes are due to be replaced, what are the options for replacing with longer lasting pads? Any other items that can/should be replaced related to brakes , related to longevity?

2. We live in the New York/New Jersey area, so there can be a lot of rain, and of course snow at times. I've read that all-season tires are not really all-weather tires. Wondering if members of this group that live in the northeast might comment on if they have their tires changed to winter tires each winter.

3. The test drive was along smooth, well maintained roads near the dealership. Don't want to start a holy war, but the ride on the run-flats seemed fine. Once it's time to replace the tires, I'm wondering what alternate type of run-flats might be possible, in order to lower the cost of replacement. I’m concerned that there will be limited options in the 18-inch size. Also wondering if the ride might get significantly worse when switching from OEM to after-market tires, and if there is anything to be done about it.

4. Some have commented that the factory suspension can leave much to be desired, but I'm not sure if these comments were for smaller/older MINIs, or in any event, I'm not sure they were related to the Countryman. I'd be interested in hearing from anyone that had their Countryman ALL4 suspension modified, and if so, how it turned out.

This car will be driven a lot - approximately 650 miles per week, and I'd love to hear about any other potential cost-reducing ways to maintain it.

Thanks in advance --

jazzman

 

Welcome to NAM. This is probably not the right forum for a review on the F60 Countryman as it is a tire thread. But here goes. We do have something in common. I recent bought a fairly loaded Countryman Cooper S All4 (not the JCW) with the 8 speed automatic transmission.

I do have a two other MINIs in my household. My R53 MINI Cooper S (in my signature) has lots of miles and has been the most reliable car I have ever owned bar none, and I have been driving for over 40 years. Wear and tear parts do need replacing and a good maintenance regiment and your car should last a long time. The R56 MINI Cooper, we have only had 1 year and apart from the very expensive tail light, it works well. The Countryman, we have only had a few months.

Some observations:

Runflat tires attract nails like magnets. Hence, after many flat tire repairs, I have switched the two older MINIs to regular non-runflat tires and have not had a flat tire (loss of air) situation on those cars since. The tires seem to last longer also.
The Countryman has a lot more suspension travel dialed into the ride, so having runflat tires do not necessarily give you a harsher ride. In fact, I have non-runflat snowtires on my Countryman right now and there is very little difference in ride harshness between those and the runflats that came with my car.
Any snowtire or "All weather tire" with the mountain and snowflake symbol on it will do better than any all-season tire. The additional silica in the rubber compounds will keep the tire soft in freezing cold temperatures. However, they are too soft for good grip in very warm temperatures. So best to have a separate set of winter tires and wheels. The additional benefit is you will have a spare tire for times you need to carry one for long road trips. Also, the summer tires that came with my Countryman are 18" wheels. My winter tires are using 17" wheels with the appropriate offset change 60 series tire instead of 50 series, The bigger the wheel, the heavier as well as stiffer the overall wheel. You want the traction foot print to be more compliant with the road surface in cold temperatures.

Since I will eventually get away from runflat tires, I carry a can of emergency tirefill, a plug kit, a small compressor, and my auto club (CAA in Canada, AAA in the US) card. I also need to invest in a small jack in case I do get into an emergency.

Brake Pads. The BMW pads that come on our cars are fairly soft, and very dusty. However, I found them to be the best stopping brakes of any brakes to come from the factory of any car brand. The pads last between two and three years for "normal" driving. Of course, MINI drivers tend to drive their cars fairly hard. Our cars just beg to be flogged and we enjoy driving them that way. There are other brake options, but the cost of the stock pads are fairly reasonable. Have a look around the forum, there are others who have tried different pads, but all the opinions are rather subjective.

I would say 99% of MINI drivers never drive their cars to the limits the car is capable of. We tend to run out of skill before the chassis runs out of ability. So the factory suspension is fine. In fact, it's great for spirited driving. You'll find you drive a lot faster than you think you are probably faster than most people around you. That's what MINIs are know for. However, if you want a soft cushy comfy suspension ride, maybe a MINI is not the right brand for you (ahem...Buick/Toyota)

One more thing, my Countryman does not get anywhere near it's "rated fuel consumption mileage". You can probably eek it out, but MINIs are not meant to be driven that way. Hyper-mileage driving in a MINI, and most cars, can be dangerous in that you become the obstruction in the normal safe flow of traffic. So I would highly recommend against trying to save money by eeking out maximum fuel mileage.

Also, if you read the label on the gas door carefully, you will notice that the car can accept mid-grade fuel, if it is available to you. You get slightly reduced performance, but you can save a few cents per gallon in fuel costs.

Best way to cut costs is to keep your car well maintained.

Also, since most of us never drive at our car's limits, you don't need the most expensive high performance name brand tire. There are other lesser known tires out there that meet or exceed every single regulation for tires available in North America at less than 1/2 the cost of the dealer provided tires. I probably wouldn't pick the cheapest tire I can find, but there are lots of good tires out there.

Good luck and hope to see pictures of your car on this forum when you get it.

 

jazzman, welcome to the forum. I own a 2017 Mini Cooper S convertible that I bought new and have driven a Countryman loaner for 10 days. I'm patiently waiting the 302 hp version of the JCW Countryman due out in the fall of 2019. I'll offer this advice - Mini Coopers are the most fun to drive car I've ever owned, bar none. But never forget that the new series (F) of every Mini Cooper is BMW through and through. And BMW's are not the cheapest cars to maintain. I assume since you're looking at Minis you're over the hump of the higher purchase price and not looking for the absolute cheapest car to drive 30k miles a year. Brakes and tires on a Mini are just like brakes and tires on any other car, i.e. they wear out, go flat and need replaced. How often depends on your driving habits. Any competent mechanic can handle that. The problem w/ an All4 (all wheel drive) is if you're 15k miles into a set of tires and one needs replaced, you're buying 4 not 1. Doesn't matter if it is a Mini or Subaru Outback.

As you research Minis note that the older ones 2000 - 2014 +/- were/are notoriously unreliable and expensive to maintain. The F series are a whole different animal and dramatically better. My F57 convertible is still going at 33k miles w/ tires being the only non warranty item. Brakes are well above 50%. Under warranty the dealer has replaced the battery, a tail light, one coil pack and convertible top (recall). No better or worse than my Accords or Altima.

Buy it, enjoy it and don't over think it. But remember, you're buying a BMW. :-)