2012 MINI Cooper Countryman S:
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| Photo property of Zach's Auto Review |
The selected car was a 2012 S model in alpine white with black leatherette interior. The car included a panoramic moonroof, Harmon/Kardon sound system, bluetooth, black bonnet stripes, black alloy wheels, center arm rest, flat-load floor and rear bench seat. MSRP came in at $30,650.
The Car:
The Countryman is one of the latest inductees into the MINI lineup. It is also the first MINI to feature four doors and optional all wheel drive. With increased functionality and room for five people, this is the most practical car to come out of the company.
While this swollen MINI may seem like a gas-guzzling SUV to some, the car actually employs the same 1.6L and 1.6L turbo engines as the rest of the MINI line which is good for 32mpg highway and 26 city. This makes the Countryman one of the most fuel efficient petrol SUV's on the market. At the same time, the car is not short on power with 181 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque from the 1.6L turbo S. This is good enough for a 0-60 time in the seven second range from its relatively light body (curb weight is 2,954).
From a manufacturing stand-point, the Countryman is not built by MINI. For those familiar with the E83 BMWs, they were built by Magna Steyr in their Austrian plant. After the F25 moved production to the South Carolina factory with the X5 and X6, Magna Steyr had an extra line at the plant to produce a new car. BMW AG decided to give MINI an SUV that would be similar to the BMW X1 which is also built in the Austrian factory.
Exterior:
While the Countryman is obviously a MINI, it does vary its styling compared to its brother vehicles. The front grill is noticeably varied from the generic MINI front fascia. The roofline does slightly invoke "Coupe" design with a slightly stretched baseball-cap look. The rear of the car uses a sturdy tailgate with a VW duplicated door latch.
This car honestly looks fantastic. Its aggressive stance and longer body makes it one of the best looking MINI's since the Cooper came back in 02. Unlike other MINI designs - like the new coupe or the upcoming MINI Clubvan - the Countryman can best be related to a beautiful woman, it is stunning and it makes you want to see more.
This car honestly looks fantastic. Its aggressive stance and longer body makes it one of the best looking MINI's since the Cooper came back in 02. Unlike other MINI designs - like the new coupe or the upcoming MINI Clubvan - the Countryman can best be related to a beautiful woman, it is stunning and it makes you want to see more.
Interior:
If you are familiar a MINI, you will feel right at home with the Countryman. Everything is where it would be in a similar car... for the most part. The Countryman adds a center rail which, depending on your rear seat configuration, can run through the entire cabin or end for a full rear bench seat (new for 2012).
For a person who has never seen a MINI, the dashboard may take some adjustment. In all honesty, the interior is very easy to get used to and it is actually very functional and useful. The major complaints are that people seem to hate the pizza sized speedometer and the location of the window switches.
While the interior seems very well constructed and the build quality seems top notch, I do have a few personal complains. Firstly, the seats. The standard "sports seats" do very little to keep you from moving around in the cabin. I also do not like run-flat tires and the fact that this car does not allow for a spare means that you are stuck with the expensive run-flats. These tires can cost $200 more than a traditional tire and they cannot be repaired if you pick up a nail. The panoramic moonroof cover also has a few issues. The cover is basically a sliding perforated sheet of plastic that allows in a fair amount of light and glare which occasionally makes it difficult to see.
My last complaint is almost generic throughout the BMW AG line. I cannot stand the turn signal and wiper stalks on the steering column. With the launch of the last generation of BMW's, someone had the idea to put control stalks that do not stay where they should. If you indicate a left turn, the stalk returns to neutral making you have to push it to the right to cancel the action. Quick lane change signals are there but tend to only flash for a brief moment. The wiper stalks are the most confusing. Putting your wipers in the fastest setting requires you to constantly hit the level upwards. Turning on/off the wipers can require three separate motions.
The Drive:
To start with, the car is higher than any other MINI. You sit high (It is not a truck but it is comparable with most small crossovers) and you have very good visibility. I was amazed how easy it was to see all around the car and check blind spots. In the smaller MINIs, this is occasionally a problem due to the small size of the car. Nothing bad about it but you need to be more careful.
The Countryman is also the widest MINI and you can definitely feel it when your driving. It is also the heaviest MINI. Because of this, I would recommend the S model over the base. The base engine is fantastic in the standard Cooper but the extra weight requires extra power of the S.
The "go-kart" feel of the traditional MINI is slightly lost on this car because of the longer wheelbase and the higher suspension. The Countryman is similar to a BMW SUV when it comes to ride quality. It is responsive but it is not a go-kart. I feel it is a good ride because "go-kart feel" tends to translate to a rough ride on highways from the firm spring and damper rates combined with a short wheelbase. With the Countryman, you have reasonable suspension travel without too much body roll combined with a responsive ride. All-in-all, the car handles extremely well when you consider it is an SUV. Do not worry about the Countryman letting you down on a mountain road, it will pull through.
I do have to admit that there is some turbo lag in the Countryman that is not as noticeable in some of the other MINI S's. I would attribute this to the size of the vehicle but it is not surprising when the car weighs in at 2,954 pounds. However, the car does get up to speed quickly. It did not take long to get up to highway speeds on an entrance ramp. The problem is that the Countryman (like most luxury/sport SUV's) is floaty and you can lose track of your speed so watch that massive speedometer.
The "go-kart" feel of the traditional MINI is slightly lost on this car because of the longer wheelbase and the higher suspension. The Countryman is similar to a BMW SUV when it comes to ride quality. It is responsive but it is not a go-kart. I feel it is a good ride because "go-kart feel" tends to translate to a rough ride on highways from the firm spring and damper rates combined with a short wheelbase. With the Countryman, you have reasonable suspension travel without too much body roll combined with a responsive ride. All-in-all, the car handles extremely well when you consider it is an SUV. Do not worry about the Countryman letting you down on a mountain road, it will pull through.
I do have to admit that there is some turbo lag in the Countryman that is not as noticeable in some of the other MINI S's. I would attribute this to the size of the vehicle but it is not surprising when the car weighs in at 2,954 pounds. However, the car does get up to speed quickly. It did not take long to get up to highway speeds on an entrance ramp. The problem is that the Countryman (like most luxury/sport SUV's) is floaty and you can lose track of your speed so watch that massive speedometer.
Additionally, the automatic transmission feels slightly different in this MINI compared to other models. In other cars, the shifts are harsh and easily felt. The Countryman has a nice smooth gearbox that is barely felt climbing to sixth. For a bit of extra oomph, you can enable the "sport" mode which quickens your shifts or you can manually shift the car. Keep in mind that manually shifting in a BMW/MINI is different than most cars. Down is up and up is down. If you want to shift upwards, pull the shifter or paddle towards you or vice-verse to downshift. Also, the paddles on the steering wheel can be annoying. Both paddles do the same function as opposed to left is down, right is up. This can translate to some awkward shifts are you try to reach into the wheel to push the paddle back.
MINI Cost:
The biggest issue I have with MINI (and its parent, BMW) is that nothing comes with the car. In an age where bluetooth and iPod connectivity is standard in most cars, it is a $500 add-on for a BMW AG product. It is very easy to tack on $15,000 in additional items in this car and some of the MSRP stickers on the lot topped $38,000 in price before tax. Even a center armrest will run you $250. Another confusing aspect is that with BMW, you can get an automatic transmission at no cost. In the MINI, an auto will run you $1250.
While I do appreciate the level of customization that MINI provides, the items are not cheap. Lets say you wanted to deck out your MINI with British flags (ironic since the car is made in Austria) - interior mirror caps ($62), exterior mirror caps ($62), Valve stem caps ($17), side vent ($164) and roof graphic ($165) adds almost $500 to the MSRP of the car.
Overall:
To sum everything up, the Countryman is as much a MINI as any other car in the line-up. It is extremely fun to drive but it will not kill your body. The car also has plenty of power with the S turbo engine and you could easily get up to speed in a hurry if you need to. It is also fantastic to see a MINI that can actually fit a family of five with reasonable room and cargo.
If you you are looking for a family vehicle and it fits your budget I would definitely consider the Countryman for a small, fun SUV. However, I do feel the best option will be a JCW powered option (in the works) with 208 hp and a six-speed manual transmission to compensate for the weight.
If you you are looking for a family vehicle and it fits your budget I would definitely consider the Countryman for a small, fun SUV. However, I do feel the best option will be a JCW powered option (in the works) with 208 hp and a six-speed manual transmission to compensate for the weight.
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