mmarshall

A Review of the 2017 Mini Cooper Countryman

http://www.miniusa.com/content/miniusa/en.html

IN A NUTSHELL: The car that was originally the foundation of many of today's drivetrain designs.

CLOSEST AMERICAN-MARKET COMPETITORS: Fiat 500 / 500L / 500X, Jeep Renegade





















OVERVIEW:

In the late 1950s, a British team of auto engineers working for Austin/Morris, by then a part of BMC (British Motor Corporation), and headed up by a Greek-born engineer, Alec Issigonis (later to be Sir Alec Issigonis, after being knighted by Queen Elizabeth), was working on a radical new design for a sub-compact car. This car hoped to be the answer to the chronically-cramped conditions inside, even for average-sized adults, in most of the small vehicles of that vintage. Instead of the ubiquitous front-engine/rear drive common in the U.S., or rear-engine/air-cooled like in Germany or Italy, or even front-drive wth a longitudinally-mounted engine like in many French designs, the new car, dubbed the Mini, would mount the engine sideways (transversely) up front. The transmission would also be transverse, behind it, and the differential/final drive unit mounted right behind the transmission, in one central casing, with half-shafts driving the two front wheels. When it debuted in 1959, the Austin/Morris Mini was like no other car that had ever gone before it. The transverse-drivetrain was a unique arrangement, especially for small cars, greatly reducing the size of the underhood space needed to house the drive-train, and significantly increasing interior room and space efficiency for passengers. Indeed, four average-sized adults, with reasonable ease, could fit into a mini-car that, by American standards, could seemingly fit into the trunk of a big Lincoln or Cadillac with room to spare. Probably no other car since Henry Ford's Model T, which perfected the assembly-line and put America on wheels, or the VW air-cooled Beetle developed in Germany (which was itself ripped-off from the Czech-designed, rear-engine, air-cooled Tatras of the period) could claim the sweeping effect the Mini was eventually to have on the later auto industry. In an age of twenty-foot long, chrome-ridden Detroit monsters, and beautiful sports/GT cars coming out of Europe like the Jaguar XKE and Mercedes Gull-Wing SL, nobody, at first, paid any attention to this diminutive little shoe-box on wheels with a sideways-powerplant, appropriately named Mini. However, its space efficiency spoke for itself, and, with time, more than a few eyebrows were raised when it was found that four adults could ride in reasonable comfort, at least on a relatively level surface where the engine was not overburdened by the weight of those four passengers.

As is often the case with new and unusual automotive designs, aftermarket-performance companies took an interest in the Mini's potential, with John Cooper (from the firm that bears his name) producing the most successful performance-tuned versions, the Cooper and Cooper S which won the Monte Carlo Rally several times in the mid-1960s. John Cooper Works versions are still available for new Minis even today, more than a half-century after the original ones debuted in the early 1960s.

However, far more important than the JCW performance potential was the enormous contribution that the Mini's transverse FWD powertrain made to future automotive designs. While not immediately apparent in the late 50s or 1960s, when gas was cheap and large heavy cars were the rage, the later worldwide fuel-crunches and gas-mileage requirements put pressure on the manufacturers to downsize their vehicles, while still trying to keep interior space. Voila.....the Mini provided the perfect role-model. One of the first and most successful cars to copy the Mini's layout was Japan's Honda Civic in 1973, which, of course is still a staple of the small-car market today, though it has grown considerably in size in the last four decades. Eventually, much of the world's coupe/sedan/hatchback/wagon market employing front-wheel-drive adopted the Mini's transverse-layout, as did the later Crossover, unibody, car-based SUVs and CUVs adopting all-wheel-drive. Subaru and Audi, of course, were two of the exceptions, as both companies developed unique, car-based front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive systems that used longitudinal or flat/boxer-engine layouts instead of transverse layouts.

The original Mini, and later versions, also spawned a number of special-use and utility versions, such as small pickup beds, Jeep-like versions for semi-off-road capability (though it is not a true off-roader), dune-buggies for beach use, and a number of other specialized versions. In 1994, the Mini Division, by then part of Britain's Rover Group, was sold to the German BMW company when they bought the Rover Group, and Mini officially became a BMW subsidiary. All new American-market Minis, even the John Works versions, now carry 4-year/50,000 BMW warranties....except that BMW get four years of free maintenance, and Minis get three. Depending on the individual franchise, Minis are now sometimes sold alongside BMWs in dual-brand retail outlets, sometimes in stand-alone Mini dealerships.

For 2017, American-market Minis come in a number of different versions....the base Hardtop 2-Door ($21,600), the Hardtop 4-Door ($22,600, the utility-oriented Mini Clubman ($24,800), the Countryman, which is a small, all-wheel-drive SUV ($26,600), the Convertible ($26,700), and a Plug-in Gas/Electric hybrid ($36,800). The S and John Works performance-packages are (still) available, at varying prices, on several different versions....see the web-site for details. Normally, in a review, I list all of the possible engine/transmission combinations available (many of them offer 6-speed manuals or 8-speed Sport-Shift automatic transmissons). But Mini offers such an wide array of standard and optional engines and transmissions (all mounted transversely, of course), that to try and list or differentiate them all here would be impractical. But it is one of the relatively few new cars still left in the American market that still offers traditional three-pedal manual transmissions for those who want them.....and for those who don't have to spend a lot of time in stop-and-go traffic. In addition, the Mini, traditionally, has offered a dazzling array of paint colors, two-tone combinations, white or black roofs, roofs and/or side- mirrors with American flag, British Union-Jack, or white/black checkerboard racing-flag patterns. There is, in fact, an old saying at the factory that no two Minis ever rolled off he assembly line exactly alike.....I tend to believe it.

Yes, being originally a British design, the Mini, especially with the original 50s/60s versions, had its share of reliability issues....particularly with the notoriously unreliable Lucas electrical systems the older British cars used, and with poor-quality gaskets/sealing-materials that would let engine fluids leak out like a sieve. Modern versions, of course, are far more reliable, particularly under Mini's BMW ownership, though the brand, even by today's standards, still rates down towards the lower end of the reliability charts with both Consumer Reports and J.D. Power. Yet, overall fit and finish on new Minis has improved tremendously in the last several years. I was quite impressed with what I saw today on all the new Minis, but particularly on the Clubman and Countryman versions (more on that below).

For the review, as usual, I looked at, and static-examined, a number of current different Mini models and interiors, both in and out of the showroom, and, for the test-drive, chose a Black monotone Countryman ALL4 (All-wheel-Drive) with Black Leatherette (fake leather) interior. It was quite difficult, at the Mini dealership I was at (a large, stand-alone Mini dealership, not a joint BMW/Mini shop) to find any models that were not S-versions. I also saw no John Works high-performance versions, either. When I asked about this, the salespeople said that, for some time, the factory has generally been producing, and shipping, the mildly-high-performance S models, and that lower-line, non-S, and the John Works models were all pretty much special-order only. Sounded pretty strange to me, but that's exactly what the dealer-lot looked like......almost all S models outside, with a couple of non-S models in the showroom. So, because I thought the Countryman was, in general, the most useful, utile, roomy, and comfortable of all the Minis, I chose the only non-S Countryman that they had on the lot for a test-drive. The Countryman was also physically larger, and sat higher off the ground, than any of the other Mini models...more on that below. Given that the last new Mini I had sampled, several years ago (a Clubman), had basically the noise level and road manners of a Go-Kart, I was VERY impressed with this new Countryman...it was much more refined both inside and out, and, in comparison, felt like a semi-luxury vehicle. Details coming up.


MODEL REVIEWED: 2017 Mini Cooper Countryman ALL4.

BASE PRICE: $28,100


OPTIONS:

Midnight Black Metallic Paint: $500 (As with a number of vehicles, metallic colors cost extra)

Technology Package: $2250 (Includes Park-Assist, Heads-Up Display in the Windshield, MINI-Connect-5, and Real Time Traffic Information)

18" Alloy Pair-Spoke Wheels: $750

Steptronic Automatic Transmission: $1500

Sirius XM Satellite Radio with 1-year subscription: $300

MINI Chrome License-Plate Frame: $50

Spline-Style Wheel Locks: $100

Black All-Weather Floor Mats: $140

DESTINATION/FREIGHT: $850

LIST PRICE AS REVIEWED: $34,540


DRIVETRAIN: AWD, Transversely-mounted 1.5L turbocharged in-line three-cylinder gas engine, 134 HP @ 4400 RPM, Torque 162 Ft-lbs. @ 1250 RPM, 8-speed Steptronic Sport-Shift automatic transmission

EPA MILEAGE RATING: 23 City, 30 Highway, 25 Combined

EXTERIOR COLOR: Midnight Black Metallic

INTERIOR: Black Leatherette



PLUSSES:

Vastly improved fit/finish and assembly-quality compared to past versions.

Simple, no-nonsense toggle-switch and ring-controls.

Speedometer now behind the steering wheel in a conventional location.

Turbo three-cylinder engine has more power than expected.

Smooth, effective brake pedal.

Ride comfort vastly improved over past versions.

Very quick steering response.

Smooth-shifting automatic transmission.

Reasonably quiet in most driving conditions.

Comfortable front seats.

Good outward visibility from most hardtop versions.

Wide array of interesting paint colors.

Excellent paint job.

Unusual exterior-trim patterns available.

Excellent hardware inside.

Good space efficiency (that's a given in most Mini products).

Three years of free factory-recommended maintenance.



MINUSES:

History of below-average reliability, despite the improved workmanship.

May (?) be hard to re-sell if decorated with too many of the colorful cosmetic trim add-ons.

Run-flat tires on the Countryman will be expensive to replace.

Brightly-colored versions may attract police attention.

Half-circle interior door-latches a little awkward at first.



EXTERIOR:

Although the current-generation Mini platform dates back a few years before it, the SUV-Countryman version of it was introduced in 2010, for the 2011 model year. In physical size, it is significantly larger than all other American-market minis, and, of course, sits higher off the ground. In the general body styling, however, it bears more than just a superficial resemblance to other hardtop Minis, and is easily recognizable as a member of the family, if a somewhat more portly one. The grille is somewhat more bulbous and pronounced than in other Minis, the front end drops down more abruptly, and the rear end, of course, is sharply squared-off in the typical Mini/SUV fashion. The conservative, squared-off body styling gives relatively good vision out the windows inside, and also gives it good interior space efficiency (more on the interior later). On the roof, which, depending on trim-option, can be monotone, white, black, two-tone, or a flag-pattern, lies a pair of length-wise roof racks that are solidly attached. The twin side-mirror housings, which can be painted or trimmed to match the roof, are large and bulbous, though the manual swivel/snap feature for the plastic housing is not particularly slick or smooth in its operation. The body sheet metal is fairly solid and impressive by today's standards (which tends to be quite thin), and the doors shut with a reasonably solid thunk....this is a notable improvement from the last Mini product I tested. Added to the trim-options outside are a pair of dual racing-stripes down the hood. Black body-cladding runs the entire length of the vehicle, around the lower edge, up around the wheel-wells, and under the front and rear bumpers, to help protect the paint from road-debris. A pair fog-lights, as would be expected, are included under the front bumper. Ten very interesting exterior paint colors, including the traditional British Racing Green, are offered, and from what I saw, the paint jobs were quite well-done...another big improvement from earlier Minis. All of the exterior trim was solidly-attached, well-finished, and seemed to be of high quality. In fact, in some of the brighter paint colors and the more noticeable and stand-out trim-options, this car can be so Look-at-Me, from a purely ornate and decorative point of view, that the police might (?) also notice it.....so that's just one more reason not to get carried away behind the wheel.


UNDERHOOD:

The hood-release is in the usual place on today's vehicles.....under the lower-left corner of the dash, near the foot-rest. Unlike many of today's other vehicles, one can partially or fully-unlatch it by pulling gently or harder on the lever. The hood itself, unlike early Minis where the hinges were up front and it opened towards the back, now opens in a more conventional manner, with the hinges in the rear, but with an unusual front-cutout shape around the headlights. Under the hood lies a rather small insulation pad, but two nice gas struts hold the hood up for you.....you don't have to fumble around with a manual prop-rod, which is a nice touch. The engine compartment is generally not designed for Do-it-Yourselfers, despite the car's noted Enthusiast-owner history. The transversely-mounted three-cylinder engine and turbo fit in rather tightly, has large black plastic covers over it and most of its related components, and many of those components are not easily reached. The filler-caps, fluid-reservoirs, and dipsticks, however, are marked and easily reached.


INTERIOR:

Those of you who have not seen a Mini interior for some time, be ready for a surprise when you open the door and step into a new Countryman.


Despite all of the other improved features on the newer Minis from earlier ones, probably the most noticeable one is the interior. The Countryman, of course, being the largest (and one of the most expensive) regular Minis, not surprisingly, has one of the best and well-trimmed interiors. The high roofline, as expected, gives good space-efficiency and headroom, both front and rear...Minis, of course, as far back as the late 1950s, made their forte with interior space-efficiency. The large front seats, even with mildly-sport-oriented side-bolsters, fit my rather large, wide, and rather portly frame quite well, and were quite comfortable. The leather upholstery seemed durable, well-fitted, and of a high grade. The huge, dinner-plate-sized speedometer of earlier models (a long-traditional Mini trademark) that was in the middle of the dash has been downsized and moved to a more conventional place behind the steering wheel......as has the tachometer, which used to be attached, rather tackily, to the upper side of the steering column. The big circular area that used to house the speedometer now, as in other vehicles, houses the back-up camera screen, optional vehicle-surrpond views, and a variety of video/climate/audio functions. Under the big circle is another Mini hallmark...the traditional row of similar toggle-switches. They all look almost identical, except for the larger red-painted one in the middle, which is used to start and stop the engine.....so you have to look at their labeling carefully when using them. All of the interior hardware is well-fitted, well-finished, durable-feeling, and solidly-attached....another enormous improvement from earlier Minis. The interior door handles, though, are small, half-moon shaped, and a little awkward to use until you get used to them. Many of the *****, controls, and buttons inside are finished in chrome, solid-feeling, and slick-operating..as befits the car's price. Legroom is decent in back for tall persons, even with the drivers' seat adjusted to where I wanted it. The glove box latch was one of the most-solid-feeling I have encountered lately.....even more so than the recent Opel-derived vehicles I've seen, which are also known for good hardware inside. The stereo sound quality is about what you would expect for the price....quite nice, though not the best I've heard. The steering wheel, by today's standards, is the traditional Mini simpleness....the round center-pad with a Mini emblem, and a few controls on the spokes.

All in all, an excellent job inside...and old-time Mini traditionalists will be quite surprised.




CARGO COMPARTMENT/TRUNK:

Lift the hatch in back, and, even though this is not a large car by any means, due to its squared-off styling, one is treated to a fairly roomy cargo area that is at least fairly well-finished...as it should be, since loaded Cooper S wagons can run well over 40K. Nice black carpeting lines the floor, though the walls on either side have a firmer-feeling, non-carpeted surface. The rear seats, of course, fold down to expand the available cargo space. With the rear seats folded, there is almost 48 cubic feet of cargo space (most of it usable)...excellent for a vehicle this size. A built-in mesh-pocket holds smaller items securely. A variety of different cargo-area accessories are offered. I noticed, under the rear trunk floor, there was no spare tire, temporary or Donut-spare, no jacking tools...not even a compressed-air, Fix-a-Flat bottle. When I asked about that, the salespeople said that all of the new Countryman (in fact all of the new Mini models with larger wheels) were now coming with run-flat tires, which ca be faster-wearing, firmer-riding, and more expensive to replace. However, they did not seem to degrade the Countryman's ride-quality...more on that below.


ON THE ROAD:

Start up the 1.5L three-cylinder turbo engine, with your foot on the brake, the electronic key/fob in the vicinity, and by pressing the red toggle-switch in the center down....in another bow to Mini tradition, the starter-button is not on the dash, like with most vehicles. The engine comes to life and idles with a reasonable amount of smoothness and refinement, considering the naturally rough three-cylinder layout. In general, the fewer the cylinders, the harder it is for the engineers to get the engine to run smoothly....they've done a pretty good job with this one. Given the car's 3543-lb. curb weight (and a fair amount of extra weight, on top of that, with me and my gear in it LOL), and the official published 0-60 times of over 9 seconds rather slow by today's standards, the little turbocharged three cylinder felt reasonably spunky at low speeds (stronger then I expected) and in stop-and-go-driving. That's (likely) a characteristic of the engine's 189 ft-lb. torque-peak at a very low 1250 RPM. Peak torque at low RPMs, of course, can make an otherwise wimpy engine feel responsive at lower speeds....and the engine still felt responsive even in the sauna-bath, notoriously hot / humid Washington, D.C. summer conditions, which can sometimes make even a tropical rainforest feel comfortable in comparison. Heat and humidity, of course, because of the lower air density. saps power out of internal combustion engines...but the turbo helps by compressing the less-dense air. The engine, even with the aforementioned rather skimpy underhood insulation pad, remained reasonably quiet, even under acceleration.

The 8-speed Steptronic (Sport-Shift) automatic transmission shifted smoothly and quietly...somewhat like a refined GM transmission. Shifts were also smooth and quiet in the manual sport-shift mode, although the upshift/downshift mode, as with most BMW and Mazda-designed vehicles, has the (+) and minus (-) markings on the lever opposite to those of most vehicles. On the majority of select-shift automatics, you bump the lever forward to upshift (which is the way I also got used to it). On BMW and Mazda vehicles, you bump the lever forward to downshift...and backwards to upshift. It's important to remember that....otherwise you can give the drivetrain and transmission quite an unwanted jolt, even if it is not hard enough to physically damage it. The switch for the Economy (Green) and Sport Driving-modes is a large, unusual-looking plastic ring all around the base of the shift-lever, which you flick left or right.

Not just in the drivetrain, but in the chassis and sound insulation, that is also where the new Countryman's excellent refinement (compared to past Minis) shows. The 3500+ lbs. of weight on the Countryman obviously means that it's not a Go-Kart like last Minis, but steering response, nonetheless is still almost sports-car-quick, and the Countryman's higher center of gravity (compared to other Minis) doesn't seem to generate much body roll under medium hard steering cornering. The relatively smooth ride comfort, on decent roads, is in an entirely different league than past Minis, though you will still know you are not in a Mercedes S-class or Lexus LS460....but, because most of the roads around the dealership were relatively new, well-paved, and smooth, I didn't get to sample the suspension on really rough roads. The relatively smooth ride was also interesting, considering that the Countryman comes with run-flat tires (good for 50 miles or so, with a flat, at reduced speeds). Run-flat tires, in general, tend to ride firmly, because the the stiff sidewalls have to support the weight of the car without any air in them....and they can be expensive to replace. Wind-noise control was generally good (reflecting the better assembly-quality and insulation of the doors and windows now), though there was some road/tire-noise on porous/grainy pavement...not excessive, but just noticeable. The brake pedal felt smooth and effective, with very little sponginess or free-play, but my big Mens'-size-15 Clod-Hopper shoe did have a slight tendency (not serious) to hang up on the edge of the brake pedal going from the gas to the brake. Usually, the higher and closer the brake pedal is mounted in relation to the gas, the more likely that is to happen.



THE VERDICT:

Folks, this is definitely not your Grandfather's Mini. In Countryman trim, especially, it has ransomed from a design-precedent-setting mini-car to what is essentially a plush, well-finished, semi-luxury small SUV, wth go-anywhere capacity in bad weather. The larger Countryman is at least fairly comfortable on the road, but other Minis, with their lower weight, smaller size, less suspension travel, and shorter wheelbase, may not ride as smoothly or quietly as their larger brother. But with it, of course, has come a higher price tag. My base-level, non-S version ran almost 35K list, high-performance S Countryman models (some of which I looked at) ran well over 40K list...and, presumably, ultra-high-performance John Works models would run higher than that. Obviously, the idea of paying 50K or more for a Mini, even a top-of-the-line high-performance Countryman, may not sit well with some people. But, keep in mind that the money you pay for a Mini does not buy sub-standard quality any more, though Mini, despite the impressive assembly quality and fit/finish that I saw on today's versions, is still struggling in the Consumer Reports and J.D. Power surveys with below-average reliability. Of course, that low reliability level could (?) also affect the hard way that some of them are driven, particularly the high-performance versions....they invite a certain amount of aggressiveness by their very nature. Still, I find today's Mini versions quite impressive, especially compared to past ones. For those of you who want one.....I'd say money well spent.

And, as always......Happy car-shopping.

MM

mmarshall

Next planned review: Lexus RC coupe.

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

Nice review.
I actually like that car.
Though, without any wild paint trim.

mmarshall

Thanks. I actually enjoyed the review more than I thought I would. I was expecting the former Go-Kart-like experience that past Minis were known for. The Countryman still has very sharp handling, but a lot more refinement.

Here's some of the more flamboyant patterns available...though they are generally not kept in stock, on the lot:

Aron9000

So do these things sell anywhere near sticker price??? Or is it like buying a full size pickup truck, huge discount off the MSRP??? $35k and a 3 cylinder engine in a 3500lb car is just absurd IMO. $35k buys you a fully loaded Golf GTI with 100 more hp and a much lighter curb weight.

mmarshall

I didn't talk any hard prices or deals while I was there, but the salespeople gave the impression that the base-level (non-S) and John Works models would be harder to deal on than the Cooper S models, which they (literally) had an entire lot full. You could pick your choice, right there, on the lot, of hundreds of S models, but anything else might be a harder deal, though not necessarily full list. I would imagine that the John Works versions would be the hardest to deal on, since they are the highest-performing models, the cream of the crop for the enthusiasts....and they are actually aftermarket-tuned versions, like thee Roush and Saleen Mustangs.

Cooper S models, BTW, come with a 2.0L turbo 4.

The GTI, though, doesn't come with AWD (which itself is usually worth from $1500 to $2000). Though some versions of the GTI do offer the sharp-looking plaid-upholstery for the seats, in general, it doesn't offer the kind of bling that the Minis do, for those that like that kind of stuff. Last, given the scandals, money-loss, and the problems that VW of America has been having, there's no guarantee that they will even be around after a few more years. I'd think twice before considering a long-term purchase from them right now.

(I don't think that VW, as a worldwide institution, will fade away....it is simply too large for that. But VW of America has a number of well-known problems, and has been generally neglected by the parent corporation).

Aron9000

^ I don't think VW is ever going to leave the US market. The company is simply too big, they're like the #2 or #3 automaker in the world in terms of volume. Plus you gotta keep in mind the inflated ego of the German CEO's running the company, pulling out of the US market would be seen as a sign of weakness and defeat. Unless something crazy happens to VW, ie getting sold to the Chinese, chapter 11, chapter 7, something cataclysmic, they'll be here in the US.

But I do agree with you that VW in the USA has been neglected by the parent company, providing the USA with the wrong type of products, crappy customer service, and spotty reliability. I can also say the same thing about Mini having crap customer service and a track record of making junky, unreliable cars(goes back to parent company BMW having the same issues).

Anyways getting back to my point earlier about Mini being ridiculously over priced, for $35k you get an AWD 130hp 3 cylinder Mini, lightly optioned. Or for the same $35k you get a Honda Civic Type R, which according to the reviews has an incredible chassis and 300+hp. For 5k more you get a Golf R, which has AWD and 300+hp, or the Focus RS, which is also AWD and 300+hp $25k buys you a really nice Mazda 3 hatch with most of the options, a loaded Focus ST, or for 20k you can get a Fiesta ST. Just saying there are a lot of other fun to drive hatchbacks out there that offer more power, better reliability and cost A LOT LESS.

mmarshall

While I did praise the fit/finish and assembly-quality on the latest Countrymans I saw (which was deserved), I was also careful to point out the car's below-average repair history. When I do a review, I try to be as complete and thorough as possible....though I'll admit that Alex Dykes (from Alex on Autos) does a better job than I do. He is excellent.

Agreed....in a general sense. Two things, though, about the Countryman that I tested. First, it had the base engine......Cooper S and John Works models have significantly more power and more-sporting suspensions. I did not test an S because I did not think that the average Mini buyer would be all that interested in a high-performance version (Given the fact the lot was full of mostly S models, I might have been wrong in that assessment...though the salespeople said that is just the way the factory builds and sends most of them). I didn't mention this in the review because I didn't want to get into stereotypes, but, from what I've seen, the car appeals heavily to older females, most of whom are not interested in a lot of power). Second, it (probably) has the price it does because it is considered a BMW product....and, until recently, was sold exclusively out of BMW dealerships.

Aron9000

For 35k, even a basic model 3 series is a better car IMO. I get Mini isn't chasing volume, but I saw a lot more of them on the road about 7-10 years ago than I do now. Now I don't know if that's due to lower sales the past few years, early cars getting junked, or a combination of both, but the Mini doesn't seem as popular as it was 10 years ago, at least in my neck of the woods.

mmarshall

Mini is getting competition from Fiat now, which it did not have 10 years ago. (Notice, in the review, who I listed as its closest American-market competitor)

mmarshall

One thing I forgot to mention in the review ...the Countryman got a place, the year, on Ward's Ten Best Interiors list.

tex2670

Thx for the review. You may want to edit your pix--those are not all the Countryman.

If the reliability holds up, I might make this my next car in a few years.

Johnhav430

A young coworker wants to get this, which I find interesting.....one would think that he'd go higher like a BMW or Audi etc. based on his income (currently drives a v6 Altima stick), which is good for Mini. He wants a stick (hooray), and he loves how customizable it is. He says he can fit very comfortably (6'4" and stocky). These are the intangible qualities. I myself wish that BMW would get back on track, guess I am a closet fanboy!

mmarshall

Glad you enjoyed it.

My brother's girl friend is driving an old Mini, with worn-out tires that hydroplane, and I think she's trying to decide between shopping for new tires or a new car.

Yes, I know. I intended that. The review was generally for the Countryman, but I included a couple of shots of the other Mini models for reference....I sometimes do that on a review. On reviews, I also like to include one image of the manufacturer's logo for cosmetic looks. CL's software only allows a maximum of ten attached images per post. I also always include a link to the manufacturer's website for the vehicle, so that one can look at all of the exterior/interior gallery-images that the manufacturer provides on the website, or other data/specs if one is interested in a purchase or lease.

mmarshall

One does not have to buy the most expensive vehicle that one's bank account can can actually afford. I've never been an advocate of that. It's always good to have money left over in the bank for emergencies or unforeseen expenses. Having said that, of course, even sometimes sold out of separate dealerships, a Mini is considered a BMW product, and comes with a full 4/50 BMW warranty, with the only significant difference being three years of scheduled maintenance instead of four.