MINI Cooper Countryman ALL4

[eviele]

Well, the Mrs. is pretty set on a Countryman S ALL4.

Her requirements for a new car are:
Manual transmission
Sunroof
Heated Seats
AWD
....and she prefers the little SUV style, so that means no sedan, no station wagon.

With just those few requirements - especially the manual transmission - we didn't have a lot of options and of the few we looked at (Subaru Crosstrek, VW Golf, Jeep Renegade and the MINI) the MINI stole her heart.

Any input on the brand?
I was burned by an older Audi and since then have shied away from anything complex and German. Right now we have a 2001 RAV4 that goes to the kid and my 4runner. Both cars have been excellent and super reliable.

I fear I'm not going to get that reliability with the MINI and much of what I've read online has not been good. If anyone has positive stories to tell about the brand, I'm all ears!

 

[LandCruiser]

Pfft, station wagon.

577 hp

0-60 in 3.6 sec.

 

[RedSled]

Well, the Mrs. is pretty set on a Countryman S ALL4.

Her requirements for a new car are:
Manual transmission
Sunroof
Heated Seats
AWD
....and she prefers the little SUV style, so that means no sedan, no station wagon.

With just those few requirements - especially the manual transmission - we didn't have a lot of options and of the few we looked at (Subaru Crosstrek, VW Golf, Jeep Renegade and the MINI) the MINI stole her heart.

Any input on the brand?
I was burned by an older Audi and since then have shied away from anything complex and German. Right now we have a 2001 RAV4 that goes to the kid and my 4runner. Both cars have been excellent and super reliable.

I fear I'm not going to get that reliability with the MINI and much of what I've read online has not been good. If anyone has positive stories to tell about the brand, I'm all ears!

My wife loves her Mini, although it is an auto with the sport mode & paddles, and we took the 16" run flats off, and put 17" Yokohamas on. The only problem was the carbon build up, cost us $1200.00 to have it blasted out. Runs like a scaulded dog though.

 

[wadle5]

Just an fyi from an individual who has owned one as well as my brother was one of the top service advisors for the largest dealership in the country.
CRAZY expensive to upkeep, and being a derivative of BMW doesn't help either. Basic tasks you would think simple require significant dis assembly, because it is amazingly engineered how they cram everything in that front end. The benefit of new as many have pointed out Mini is notorious for starting to become. . ."problematic" around that 36k-40k mile marker conveniently(for Mini)

EDIT: I will vouch though that they are pretty much street legal go karts and a hoot to drive as mine was one of the older models with an actual SUPERCHARGER before they switched to turbos.

 

[02SE]

My Sister has a John Cooper Works ALL4 Paceman. Basically it's the two-door version of the Countryman.

Occasionally, the Turbo lag is pronounced when pulling away from a stop. But once it's making boost, it's pretty peppy. It's kind of a fun car to drive, but optioned out like hers, it was approx. 45k.

For the money, I can think of other cars that are more fun.

It is a BMW, so like them the Mini's are prone to issues.

But the solidness of the build, and the materials used, are far better than say a RAV4, which feels cheap and tinny in comparison.

Although the Toyota will still likely be more reliable.

My advice is if you don't have the tools and experience to fix a BMW when it's out of warranty, then don't own one out of warranty.

 

[eviele]

Pfft, station wagon.

577 hp

0-60 in 3.6 sec.

LOL. I know...I would have been happy with a wagon....

 

[eviele]

Thanks everyone.
We're on our way shortly to look at two used mini's.

You confirmed my suspicions and I imagine I'd be wise to buy an extended, full coverage warranty. I know that doesn't cover the carbon buildup and normal wear items, but my hope is it will cover the big stuff. Also, with luck, the 2013's we're looking at don't suffer the carbon buildup as significantly as the earlier models.

Appreciate the input all.

 

[philsey]

Your wife sounds like mine; first priority is "cute". Every time she sees a Mini or a Soul, she just goes ga-ga. This happens of course when we're in my 4R, and I just say "how'd you like to be in one of those and be T-boned by one of these"?

That ends it .... until she sees the next one ....

I have to wonder about resale tho. Doubt it's very good.

 

[Thai]

Fyi

 

[BlackWorksInc]

Mini is owned and operated by BMW, meaning they have the same reliability issues as BMW.

I'd stay away unless you're leasing. But they are very fun to drive when they are working. Very much like gokarts!

 

[Thai]

Mini is owned and operated by BMW, meaning they have the same reliability issues as BMW.

I'd stay away unless you're leasing. But they are very fun to drive when they are working. Very much like gokarts!

Yes and no. It all depends on how much resources and money BMW gives to Mini department/division.

For example, Buick actually always has great dependability...while Chevy and GMC lag behind by a significant margin.

 

[BlackWorksInc]

Yes and no. It all depends on how much resources and money BMW gives to Mini department/division.

For example, Buick actually always has great dependability...while Chevy and GMC lag behind by a significant margin.

I've noticed everyting on a mini is pretty much Stamped BMW and they all seem to have similar issues with their Bavarian brethren.

 

[eviele]

Scary.

Too late though, we have a MINI.
https://goo.gl/photos/CoPokZqGy9eSf8vo7

I hope it's not an expensive learning experience for the Mrs.
That already happened to me and I've vowed no more German cars. She'll have to come to her own conclusions based on this experience.

To try and cover all bases I did buy bumper to bumper warranty for another 3 years and 45,000 miles. It starts after the factory warranty expires.

The MINI is an ALL4, 2013 with slightly more than 14,000 miles.
With luck we get five good years out of it...

(sorry for the link, i can't log in to flickr and google photos doesn't allow images to embed. any recommended free photo sites?)

 

[LittleCaesar]

Fun car to own and drive, but having known someone who has owned an S and had to get walnuts blasted into the cylinders for too much carbon buildup (they paid about $900 I think), I would have passed.

Another reason I think for no direct injection, though it will be interesting to see if Toyota's 3.5 motor has the same problem.

 

[meRockboost]

My inlaws have one. I guess the owners manual says you can't jack them up and don't even include a jack to change a tire, that says a lot about the complexity of the car, if they are telling normal people to take it to a dealer to even rotate the tires

Yes, I jacked it up and rotated the tires, it can be done but that isn't the point.

 

[eviele]

Fun car to own and drive, but having known someone who has owned an S and had to get walnuts blasted into the cylinders for too much carbon buildup (they paid about $900 I think), I would have passed.

Another reason I think for no direct injection, though it will be interesting to see if Toyota's 3.5 motor has the same problem.

I'd read somewhere that the Toyota engine, even though direct injection, still washes the valves with gasoline, slowing, or maybe even preventing this kind of carbon buildup.

but yeah, we'll see...

 

[02SE]

If the Toyota 3.5 being referred to is the new engine in the '16 Tacoma, it has Direct Injection and Port Injection. The fuel injected by the Port injectors, will help prevent carbon buildup on the intake valves.

 

[BlackWorksInc]

I'd read somewhere that the Toyota engine, even though direct injection, still washes the valves with gasoline, slowing, or maybe even preventing this kind of carbon buildup.

but yeah, we'll see...

The D4-S System uses a standard set of injectors on the ports and a set of direct injectors in the cylinder. It does help some from what I have heard. If you want to see how reliable it is, look up Lexus engines that use the D4-S system (Not the D4 which was just direct injectors and no port injectors.)