shouldnt it be called the Mini Oxymoron?
i saw one the other day and threw up in my mouth a bit. it's the answer to the question nobody asked, kinda like the Civic Crosstour
shouldnt it be called the Mini Oxymoron?
i saw one the other day and threw up in my mouth a bit. it's the answer to the question nobody asked, kinda like the Civic Crosstour
Keith wrote: One thing about the Countryman - it's got more rally cred than the other MINIs do. It's the base for the surprisingly good WRC car.
This. I've seen a few around town. It's over priced and heavy. But It's not a bad ride.
MitchellC wrote: Hmm, a loaded Countryman, or a Subaru STi. Some decisions are hard. This one is not.
If it were my $35k your right, it would be an easy decision, the ride in the Mini is so far superior to the buck board ride of the STi, the scooby wouldn't get a look in. Oh, that's not what you meant? Different strokes for different folks remember.
Fwiw, when I priced out a sporty stripper S version, it wound up with a sticker of 27k-----not too bad, IMO.
I think my issue is the price/power/weight issue. The lower models only get you the 121 hp engine and while that's fine for a regular MINI, it's not for the 3000 lbs Countryman. You have to get the Cooper version to get the 181hp turbo motor. It needs more powerful engines IMO. I know the turbo engine is probably sufficient, but it should be 200 hp or more. The base engine should at least be 160 hp.
The question I want to know though is it worth only having FWD on the Countryman? By the time you add ALL4 with reasonable options on the S, its over $30k.
Until they have more powerful engines, I don't think the price is worth it.
This is like you guys saying VW shouldn't have built anything but the original beetle because it would be an afront to their small car sensibilities, if you want MINI to grow and keep being able to bring you way overpriced Cooper S GP's you need to let them grow. I personally think the greatest mini ever built was decades ago. By yalls logic real minis technically only have at most 1300 cc's and don't weigh more that 1500 lb's.
Oh, and the S version I priced out was with All4. Doesn't cost over 30k, unless you want big sunroof, big stereo or leather.
In reply to Per Schroeder:
Hmm I'll have to look again, it's been a few months since I priced them.
It's those damn packages I tell you! 
ahutson03 wrote: By yalls logic real minis technically only have at most 1300 cc's and don't weigh more that 1500 lb's.
Yes. I don't see a problem with that.
I first thought it made no sense, but after seeing one out on the road in person, I guess it would probably be fair to say it's some sort of upscale VW Golf.
93EXCivic wrote:ahutson03 wrote: By yalls logic real minis technically only have at most 1300 cc's and don't weigh more that 1500 lb's.Yes. I don't see a problem with that.
there's a line. they've crossed it. in my opinion.
It may be a great car, but it's an affront to the name. Just doesn't check any boxes for me.
ahutson03 wrote: . By yalls logic real minis technically only have at most 1300 cc's and don't weigh more that 1500 lb's.
Huh? I think you may be reading into this too far. I don't give a E36 M3 what they call it... my reasons for not liking it have to do with its price/utility/performance/gas mileage.
Adrian_Thompson wrote:iceracer wrote: MG or Austin made a Maxi ,once upon a time, forget which.Aaaggghhhhhhh NNNOOOOOooooooooo...... There are piles of E36 M3, steaming piles of E36 M3, complete utter total steaming piles of E36 M3, then there are total, complete utter unimaginably bad steaming piles of E36 M3, and finally there was the Austin MaxiDo not ever utter the words Maxi in conjunction with any automobile ever again. Oh, BTW I like the Countryman
Allegro....
runs and hides.
Landcrab.
Caaaaaaaaandygram.
I just had a thought, and it might get me banned from Mini ownership. For some reason we expect a 2012 Mini to look like a 1959 Mini. Do we expect a 2012 Chevy to look like a 1959 Chevy?
Really hard to find S MINI's at the low price point, they are almost always packaged out making them 5k or more over the base.
nothing MINI about it.
monark192 wrote:Adrian_Thompson wrote:Basil Fawlty's car IIRCiceracer wrote: MG or Austin made a Maxi ,once upon a time, forget which.Aaaggghhhhhhh NNNOOOOOooooooooo...... There are piles of E36 M3, steaming piles of E36 M3, complete utter total steaming piles of E36 M3, then there are total, complete utter unimaginably bad steaming piles of E36 M3, and finally there was the Austin Maxi
David S. Wallens wrote: I just had a thought, and it might get me banned from Mini ownership. For some reason we expect a 2012 Mini to look like a 1959 Mini. Do we expect a 2012 Chevy to look like a 1959 Chevy?
I give you the HHR, styled after the '49 Chevy Suburban.
David S. Wallens wrote: I just had a thought, and it might get me banned from Mini ownership. For some reason we expect a 2012 Mini to look like a 1959 Mini. Do we expect a 2012 Chevy to look like a 1959 Chevy?
We don't. We expect a car we want to buy, not a bloated "cute" impractical SUV/Crossover/wtf is it anyway?
David S. Wallens wrote: I just had a thought, and it might get me banned from Mini ownership. For some reason we expect a 2012 Mini to look like a 1959 Mini. Do we expect a 2012 Chevy to look like a 1959 Chevy?
No.
I don't think it has anything to do with looks.
I'm really on the fence with the Countryman. It actually isn't that bad of a car. I just want to hate it out of the principal of it being a rolling oxymoron.
But my wife's Clubman S has been awesome in the 3 years we've had it.
David S. Wallens wrote: I just had a thought, and it might get me banned from Mini ownership. For some reason we expect a 2012 Mini to look like a 1959 Mini. Do we expect a 2012 Chevy to look like a 1959 Chevy?
No, we expect it to look like a 1967 Chevy.
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