Mini Countryman All4 Cooper S - Now collected with pics

[original guvnor]

I've been arseing around recently trying to decide what to replace my trusty 14-year old Honda Civic with. It's reliable and cheap to run/insure but it's getting to the age where I'm not altogether confident in doing long trips in it and I regularly need to do 300-400 mile trips in a day. First I thought about a Fiesta ST and then dismissed the idea. Looked at VW Golfs but they are the dullest, most boring looking things on the planet this side of a Toyota Avensis in my opinion. I tried to love them, I really did. So I was really struggling . I even thought about an Audi S1 which is just about the only model I like in their range.

In the end I've decided a Countryman Cooper S All4 might be the thing. Quick, but not so quick I don't find the M exhilarating, practical for me (4WD), reasonable load-lugging, quirky funky looks, decent residuals, economy isn't bad and road tax is much cheaper than the Honda.

So has anyone owned one? Any views? Please don't suggest alternatives cars/marques or suggest diesel (I'll never own another diesel in my life). I'm just keen to hear from people who have some direct experience of a Countryman and if possible the Cooper S variant. I won't be buying new, looking for 2-3 year old one with good spec and less than 25,000 on the clock. Thanks in advance for any feedback

[ZermattV]

i had a real good look at theses OG before i bought the Abarth , they seem quite good value considering what you get and i enjoyed driving it - couple i looked at were a bit tired in the interior but I'm sure good one will come up. you are looking for pretty much what i was looking for . i was pretty impressed by Mini the local dealership was very slick and the customer service was better than that in the equivalent BMW dealership.

In the end of the day i came to the conclusion that it was too close to the qashqai we already had and the Abarth fitted the bill better for us - Happy Hunting .

[original guvnor]

Thanks Z

Loving the euro road trip updates

[Nick_in_Suffolk]

Check to see whether the engine variant in our car is the N14 or N18.

N14s are very prone to coking, albeit a relatively simple and cheap fix at about £200 to £300. N18 engines seem to be less susceptible.

[original guvnor]

Check to see whether the engine variant in our car is the N14 or N18.

N14s are very prone to coking, albeit a relatively simple and cheap fix at about £200 to £300. N18 engines seem to be less susceptible.

Thanks Nick. Did the N18 get introduced in mid-2010 in all but the JCW cars? (Think it was introduced in 2012 for those).

[gov]

mate of mine has a 64 reg - quite roomy , good quality interior but hard ride - he has the petrol version ( not sure if there is a diesel ) he says mpg is awful

[original guvnor]

Yes it is quite hard but would be considered comfortable for us Zedders Gov! MPG's not too bad compared to 14-year old Honda 1.6 VTEC. I'm lucky to beat 35mpg with that.

[jamesbond]

Hello

we own 2 3rd generation minis

a mini one and a mini cooper .. both have the new engines (3 cylinder turbos which are great achievements of engineering)

The countryman is about to be replaced next year .. so please take note of this as you will get new engines the same mechanics as the new to be launched x1 etc this year ..

we have test drove them all including the john cooper works on a 13 plate .. for us we liked the countryman SD diesel 6 speed auto (all wheel drive) also this was recommended by the dealer as well

so just beware a new model is looming next year so hopefully good deals to be had ...

regards

[original guvnor]

Thanks JB

[Number5]

Yes, the Wife drives one. Quite bit bigger than the traditional mini though...




She went from a 2004 mini to needing 4 doors for elderly parents, so after messing about with a 1 series for 6 weeks which she hated, we got her a Countryman Cooper. Very good practical Golf size car but with all the feel of a normal mini. She had that about 3 years then having driven my cars started moaning about the lack of power it had.

Then last July she upgraded from Cooper to Cooper S All4 (left to right below). She is more than happy now.
I'd say its quite a hard ride and sits a little too high for me but it does scrabble away and want to go when you ask it to. The sport button is pretty similar to the Zed's in that it basically seems to drop it a gear and make it more responsive. For us, having two other rear wheel drive cars in the household ( one of which is an Auto) it is a good fun yet practical alternative, especially in the snow. The cabin size is great too.

[original guvnor]

Thanks Number5

I meant to ask in the original thread how people rated it's capabilities with regard to the 4WD and snow.

[Schemauk]

BMW MINI Employee here, hello!

I feel like I should give you an honest warning - a Countryman Cooper S All4 will not beat 35mpg in real world use, unless it really is just motorway munching sat at 70 for many, many miles. I've driven a few of these, and when used on a normal mixed commute of 20% town/outer city and 80% A roads I was averaging somewhere around 32mpg. And that wasn't even driving aggressively.

However, apart from the slightly firm ride, they are decent motors. Just make sure you get one that's pretty loaded with the Media Pack and xenons - Media Pack really modernises the interior, and I'm amazed they even still sell any non-xenons with the candlesticks as poor as they are.
In answer to your above question, the All4 system is surprisingly capable, more so I found than the xDrive X1's. In an open car park with snow you can get the countryman almost perfectly spinning on the spot with a bit of practice - not how one should judge an 4 wheel drive system, but fun all the same! But in actual practical use, yes, it does work rather well. It's not even too bad with the standard run flats they stick on it from factory.

As someone has mentioned, it is due to be replaced in not too long... just a question, have you considered any of the new generation of MINI's? Even the hatch's are spacious, and the clubman that has literally just been released to the public has a certain degree of charm about it.... Can confirm it drives lovely too, especially in Cooper S form!

[Paul c]

We have one and like it ride is nice but ours is only a cooper and we don't get more than 35mph in general driving that said drives nice and would have another

[tomscott]

Just a word of warning,

My new F56 Mini Cooper S which is 9 months old 4.5k miles is in atm having its engine replaced…

Its the 2.0 litre four-cylinder twin turbo petrol (BMW B48 engine) producing 192 bhp and 280 Nm with over boost to 300.

Came home from a gentle trip out scouting a wedding venue and there was a grating noise. Sent it in… nothing on the diagnostic machine so the mechanic rang up and basically called me an idiot and told theres nothing wrong with it they hadn't even driven it, his expert opinion was that when the sport button is on the exhaust pops and thats what I'm hearing… I was like do you think I'm a complete retard? I said every time you turn the car on it defaults and the sports exhaust is not enabled… So I told him in the nicest possible way to take it out for a drive! 5 mins later… er yes sir there is definitely something wrong with it. Came back later saying it needed a new gearbox… which is BS because the noise only came on over 2500 rpm… anyway they defer ordering the part because they said BMW weren't overly happy ordering an expensive part and the car needed to be checked over… The only reason I can think of is because they think the car has been poorly treated. Part eventually ordered as the car is like new! Its 9 months old and has spent most of the time in the garage! So with labour and shipping £5k… warranty all good, the mechanic tells me that the gearbox is an part on the new F56 that is prone to break… I was like you must be joking! Gearboxes are usually very reliable, but apparently not. Shocked they try and pawn this BS on me.

Ok fine it comes and they take the gearbox off and say there is loads of play in the crank shaft and part of it has sheared…

WTF!!!! I have been away travelling for 6 of those 9 months and my mum has been driving it round town to Pilates etc and my mum is a sort of granny driver… no way she's abused it.

So they say its cheaper to replace the engine than the crank shaft and they also think there is more damage to the engine from the crank shaft shearing. So I get the car back today apparently but have heard nothing yet, I have completely lost faith in it, the car was on the better side of £27k with all the options I ordered with it.

Ive done a search online and it seems my case is on the rarer side can't find it happening to anyone else so I would say I got a dud. Just such a pain having to run it in again, Ive only done about 1.5k in it since I got it because I was away traveling and those were all bed in miles. Not happy at all.

In all the cost of the labour, parts and shipping for the engine and gearbox is over £12k. Glad I have a warranty, just insane.

[TitanTim]

I don't dislike the MINIS as I used to run a Cooper S but why on earth would you buy one over an M135i The performance versions are way overpriced IMHO.

Tim.