Review: the chubby 2011 Mini Cooper Countryman is still very sexy and cute

2011-MINI-Countryman-5

You already know how cute and entertaining the new Mini Cooper is – otherwise, why read up on a fatter, heavier, four-door, all-wheel drive version? I bet it’s the same reason I do. You need more space, functionality and capability than the Mini Cooper and Mini Cooper Clubman offer, but you WANT a Mini!

The 2011 Mini Cooper S Countryman offers most of what you seek – just as long as you keep an open mind and have fairly deep pockets.

From the inside out, the 2011 Mini Cooper Countryman is simply more of what you liked in the regular Mini. Roman Mica (TFLCar autocrat) stands at about six-foot, three inches and has plenty of head room in the Countryman. Back seat comfort is impressive for two and the bucket seats can slide back and forth.

2011-mini-cooper-countryman-S-ALL4-rear-seats

Here’s the rub: there is no optional rear bench with a 60/40 split – – – yet. The rumor-mill is buzzing with a possible mid-year update that has three seatbelts. That would be great news for family types who need enough room for three tushies. As it currently stands, the back buckets are very comfortable and the loading height is damn close to ideal for loading little ones. My kids absolutely loved the 2011 Mini Cooper Countryman and reveled in playing with the optional panoramic, dual glass sunroof.

Internally, the 2011 Mini Cooper Countryman worked for me too. I could easily reach the kids and rear floor to replace dropped sippy-cups. Elbow and shoulder room is impressive and I never needed to pull the driver’s seat all the way back. I dislike the dinner-plate-sized speedometer as my 1st grader commented on my excessive speeds. A navigation screen can fit in there and make the cheesy looking speedometer a more logical device. By the way, for Disney freaks the speedometer and adjacent air vents make a Mickey Mouse head (“hidden Mickey” in Disney-speak).

2011-mini-cooper-countryman-S-ALL4-cockpit

The stereo sounds great, but the information was hard to read on the tiny screen. Also, and I mean this in the nicest way, what the hell is with the “optional” MP3/iPod jack? I mean, you can get one standard in Korean cars, but not in a high end European car? I guarantee you that over 80% of the Mini Countryman buyers have an MP3 to plug in. It’s like going back ten years and not offering a standard CD player.

That’s about all I have to gripe about. Sure, the toggle switches are a bit of a pain – but I still think they’re cool. I’m not a huge fan of the six-speed Steptronic automatic as it’s a bit slow in launching, but it’s very efficient and most drivers of the automatic will dig the paddle shifters.

There is no mistaking the Mini Cooper Countryman for anything else externally. It’s huge compared to other Minis, but it’s still a very small car. If you see a Mini Countryman in a solitary color omitting the off color roof (white or black), it can actually look mean. Yup, that’s right – it is still a Mini, but it has a bit of an attitude! I bet we’ll see clones for the cool looking WRC rally version before long. No matter how you order it, the Mini Cooper Countryman is fairly handsome. Then again, I’m a bit of a narcissist and I like things that remind me of – well – me; hence, I like a chubby Mini.

2011-mini-cooper-countryman-S-ALL4-front-in-motion

The good stuff is truly what you can’t see. My “S” tester came with a 181 horsepower, turbocharged 1.6-liter, four-cylinder producing 177 lbs-feet of torque. If you floor it, you get a quick boost of an additional 15 lb-ft of torque (a total of 192 lb-ft) at higher rpm. It’s a brief rush and it works great for passing.

There is an intriguing little button nearly hidden on the lower section of the center stack. It’s the “Sport” button and triggering it creates an all new driving sensation. Steering is sharpened, throttle is more immediate and the shifting algorithm is altered for longer duration in the most effective gear. That is to say, click it when you fancy a (more) exciting drive.

I have yet to try the normally aspirated 121 horsepower, 1.6-liter, four-cylinder that makes 118 pound-feet of torque. For a car that weighs over 3,000 lbs that much horsepower might not be enough. Still, I’m sure the normally aspirated Countryman is more exciting to drive than a Honda CR-V, Mitsubishi Outlander Sport or a Ford Edge.

2011-mini-cooper-countryman-S-ALL4-side-three-quarters

Pricewise, the Mini Cooper Countryman can become extremely expensive. You need to keep in mind that these new Minis are NOT economy cars. Sure, they get good mileage (I averaged 25 mpg in mixed, aggressive driving), but they are built like proper European machines. That is to say, the Mini Countryman is a small, high end crossover. As such, my tester’s price of about $35,000 is not too painful. If you watch your accessories, the overall prices can be lower.

The bottom line comes to what this package gives the driver.

Don’t bother comparing the Countryman to other Minis – it’s a waste of time. This is a crossover plain and simple. What I like, what gets me hot and bothered is the fun this little crossover extracts from any drive. Just driving to the grocery store or picking up the kiddies becomes a fun journey.

2011-mini-cooper-countryman-S-ALL4-front-seats
Spare me the raft of anti-“cute” sentiment some folks feel a sporty car needs. Sure it’s a kitten in a world of cats – but it can be a pissed-off kitten with a Mohawk.

It’s all down to the taught chassis, sharp steering and brisk acceleration. Off the line, 0 to 60 mph comes at just under eight-seconds (measured at over 6,000 feet elevation). Better still, the turbo spools up quickly providing great boost for passing and tearing out of corners. Brakes are excellent and overall stability is second only to Porsche, Land Rover and BMW’s performance crossovers. For the life of me, I can’t think of a more rewarding crossover.

It’s the solidity of the little thing that gets me. The tail happily follows the front on all but the most extreme corners. Sure, there’s some body lean that’s more noticeable than a regular Mini – but it’s a hell of a lot less than I would expect with a vehicle this size that weighs just over 3,000 lbs. That extra size makes the Mini Cooper Countryman the best riding Mini on the highway.

If you watch TFLCar.com’s video pitting the 2011 Mini Cooper Countryman vs. the 2011 Nissan Juke vs. the 2011 Volkswagen Touareg– we mention the Countryman’s skimpy ground clearance. We measured it at just over five-inches, which isn’t a lot. What that comparison does not show is the 2011 Mini Cooper S Countryman ALL4’s tenacious grip through any weather condition and its athleticism in snow.

I know it doesn’t look like an athlete. So, if I’m a girl for liking it – call me “Francine.”

2011-mini-cooper-countryman-S-ALL4-front-three-quarters

The bottom line: Mini has built a brilliant little crossover that is as much fun to drive as it is to look at. It’s nearly as customizable as the other Minis. There are a few flaws that Mini needs to work on, but as a whole new car, they truly swung for the fences.

I like this car a lot more than I should – it makes me feel good even when it’s parked. That says something about the Mini Cooper Countryman. Any vehicle that has this much personality and makes the driver smile is worth the extra expense.

People had to physically remove me from my tester when it was time to return it. It was a brief, romantic interlude.

Maybe it will call me.

A girl can only hope.

On our TFLcar recommendation scale of:

Buy it

– Lease it

– Rent it or

– Forget it

I say most certainly say…buy it

Buyit_Buy-It!

 

 

as tested MSRP $35,000 (est.)

Nathan Automotive media, racing, vehicle evaluation, wrecking yards, and car sales are just a part of Nathan Adlen’s vehicular past. He writes out of high octane passion! To read more reviews by Nathan Adlen or just to enjoy more of excellent writing please visit him on at his examiner.com page HERE.

 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I4TQfrOm70

Follow on twitter @TFLcar or watch latest car
review videos on YouTube.