Okay, I've browsed this board for the past couple of weeks, researching, reading and enjoying this community of Mini drivers. I love this website guys and gals! I'm seriously thinking about buying a new Countryman either later this year or around this time next year. I currently drive a 07 Accord EX-L which has been a great car but its a bit boring. Really want a Countryman but can't decide if I should go for an S or take a Base model. I've driven two S models with the manual transmission and felt the power was a little weak but good overall for around town driving. I'll be moving to Chicago very soon and I'm wondering if the Base model would be sufficient for my needs. I haven't been able to locate a base manual model around my area (Upstate SC) and I have no interest in the automatic transmission...I'm a truck driver and my Honda is a stick shift so I'm gonna want to row my own gears.

I haven't really noticed this here but I was wondering if most of you guys and gals drive the Countryman as a "daily driver" or is it just a secondary car? I'm thinking about trading the Honda for an S or keeping it and getting the Base Countryman as a second car. It's difficult to own two cars in the city of Chicago and I'm wondering if its worth the hassle. I'm leaning more towards trading the Honda and going for an S model. Is the Countryman good as a daily driver for a young, soon-to-be college student like myself? And for those of you who drive the Countryman daily, is it sufficient for your needs? Any complaints, issues, etc? I know if I get one I'd want the Sport pkg. What's the difference in ride?

Base model drivers and those who have driven the Base and S with a manual what's the differences in power? Would it really be noticeable in say Chicago traffic on the Dan Ryan?

I've wanted a Mini for a number of years but really didn't find the Cooper or even the Clubman to be all that practical but since I do still have my Honda I've considered keeping the Accord and maybe getting a Cooper but I like the higher ride height of the Countryman and the look now so much that the regular Coopers seem a bit dated to me now. LOL


Thanks in advance guys and gals!

 

My previous ride was a Honda Pilot, which satisfied many needs: carry lots of people, lots of stuff, be reasonably comfortable for long trips, better mileage than the Suburban, reliable. And very boring. It's gone now.
My CM4 stick is what I drive every day - commuting, a couple of long trips, hauling (less) gear, hauling (fewer) people. Like my friends who have MINIs, I find myself arriving from every ride with a smile on my face. If you aren't hauling your drum kit with friends it should have plenty of room. It's got the right personality for a student in a place that knows snow - personalizing the colors counts for a lot.
In college I wanted a car that could easily haul two but occasionally do four - the CM is better than that because four is always easy.

 

Daily driver here, and I can say it is great compared to other small cars. Having driven an Accord similar to what you drive today, I would say the CM is a bit more bumpy, but MUCH quicker steering. Also, if you are going to be in Chicago, I would highly recommend the All4 w/ the S engine. I'm not sure where you are coming from, but winters in Chicago can get a bit snowy & Icy. I drive between Milwaukee & Terre Haute Indiana pretty often, and I bought the AWD specifically because of this. I test drove a base model and I can say that it does all right. It's just not "fun" compared to the S. The S has good acceleration from 30 - 60mph even when the tach is down to 2500 RPM. A lot of turbos I have driven don't give any kick until higher revs, but this one does very well at low revs. My gut feeling is you would regret not having the S a few months into ownership, especially if you think the Accord with manual trans is 'boring'.

Good luck on your decision.

Mark

 

I'm also a daily driver. HUbby has a regular MINI (manual trans), and I have the "family car" the Countryman. I am getting about 28mpg around town. More like 30 on a "Sunday drive" on the highways. I only have it since May, but Love it. My daily drive before that was a MINI (automatic, two door). And the car before that was a Honda Civic. The MINIs are much more fun.

 

If you thought the power was a little weak with an S, you're going to notice it much more with the base engine. I've read a couple of reviews in car magazines and they both say to definitely get an S with a Countryman. The base engine just doesn't have enough power to go with the added weight of the Countryman vs a Cooper.

 

I use mine as a daily driver for work. I do service call all day long, NYC area. I got ALL4, Auto, Nav, Sun Roof, Heated package. ( No sport, due to NYC roads )
I started using CM in April, now 10,200 miles on it.

 

Push the Sport button on the S. Wow. It's like a different car. You will not want a base after driving the S in Sport mode. Don't forget that the S comes with other options beyond the turbo and more hp. Traction control, stability control and fog lights add to the overall performance of the S versus the base. I wanted these options anyway. Personally I thought the base was under-powered. Worst gas mileage for the base is an indication.
CN

 

Our base is fine for everyday driving albeit a little underpowered in hilly terrain. You learn to know where the sweet spot with the engine is. You won't win any stop light races, but it was what we could afford and we love the car. If you are a shy person, you may not want one as it becomes the center of attention wherever you go.

 

I LOVE my mini! I drive a lot! My daily commute is 65 miles each way 4 days a week. I bought mine at the end of February and already have 10,800+ miles on it. No regrets what so ever. My other car is an EVO 9 MR and I just needed a more fuel efficient but fun alternative and the mini won. I considered the Nissan Juke and Honda Insight but just had more fun driving the mini. Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

I'm sorry to blatently say so, but how on earth could you even ask if the CM is a good car for daily driving? It's a good car, sure it will be good enough for daily driving. If it wouldn't be a good car, do you think BMW would like to have to do anything to do with it? Do you think BMW would spend literally billions of euro's on a brand that's just going to be 'a second car' brand?

I know you US-lot think a car needs to be XXL and have mostly rubber and no rims, it needs to do worse than 20mpg and not go around corners... But in Europe, this is a premium-car, it's not that large, but it's quite fast. It's quite a gas-guzzler even! You can drive four people around, no problem! You can do groceries and drive it to and from work everyday for the coming years, even if your commute is over 75miles. I know of people in Switzerland, Austria, France and Spain driving CM base models on the mountains they live in, I know some have the All4's and absolutely love it. Even when driving up mountains with way over 10% incline, it will do just fine.

So to sum up: yes it will be a great car, yes it is a great car for your everyday commute and yes you should get it. And I'm sorry if this seems a troll or a flame.

 

I'm offended!

Joking aside, I, and I'm sure many other member of the US-lot don't care for XXL cars, and the Countryman S I have on order will be my only car.

 

Drive both the base and the S- you should be able to decide what is adequate power for your personal driving style vs reliability. I chose an S. Rather than keep the accord and get a CM have you considered a CM in a custom beige on beige color combo- this would give you the best of both worlds.
The CM is a Daily Driver and would be a silly secondary car IMO. Secondary cars are generally fun to drive classics, cooper S, sports cars, etc... not cute utes.

 

I just toook delivery of my 2011 Countryman S All4 last Wednesday ( 07-13-2011 ). It is my daily driver and so far it is a great one. My previous car was a 2007 Mazda 6. There is a noticable difference in pickup when merging onto the parkeway, turn pike, or a major highway, but the car holds its own. I honestly would not get the base model. I think half of the aullure of the vehicle is the part time all while drive. It will come in handy to get on the beach during the sumer, and help with slick roads during the winter. I am still in the break-in period, but the my gas mieage with the AC ranges from 26 to 30 MPG depending on how heavy my foot is, and whether or not I am dring on local roads or a major highway. I drive appox 30 miles each way for work and maybe another 20 to 30 daily to get things done in the afternoon ( I am fortunate enough to get out at 3 Pm ). Since last Wednesday I have only filled once since the full tank from the dealer. So far I have no issues or concerns with the car.

 

Yeah, BMW would never produce a car that isn't practical as a daily driver...



It's a perfectly valid question. Current owners could probably speak to the comfort of ride, convenience of loading/unloading, etc, that would factor into someone deciding if it is a good daily driver for them.

 

It is our daily driver ... and we love it!

 

I would LOVE to drive that as a daily! I currently drive a VW EOS myself, my significant other drives the Mini in my signature

 

Thanks for the info so far guys hopefully between now and my purchase date I'll be able to find a base manual model to drive. No luck so far. The only one I've been able to locate is inside a dealership showroom in Charlotte NC. I'm not home very often (because of my job) but when I do go home again I'll try to test it out. Right now I'm leaning toward trading the Accord and just getting a load Countryman S. I'll probably skip the All4 but I'll consider it because of the Chicago Winters. I managed just fine though for years in an Altima without.

 

It's my daily driver, also in NYC, and I can't think of a car that would be much better at it. I do need to lose the runflats though.

 

My non ron-flats FINALLY came in at Discount Tire yesterday, and what a HUGE difference it is....will never have run flats again! Quieter and smoother, less rough!

 

Which dealership did you order from? My last 2 MINI's have come form MINI of Dallas.

 

It's my daily driver and I'm very happy with it. Seems perfect for a college car to me, especially with the rear bucket seats and funky interior rail lighting...

There's no way you'll be happy with the power of the non-S, and as others have said for Chicago winters you really, really want the All-4. If you are going to keep the run-flats (and I would) then get the all-season tires, which appear to be decent in snow/ice according to reviews.

I have the sport suspension and like it, very firm.. you'll feel bumps more, but I've never felt like feeling the road was a bad thing.

 

...maybe I'm missing this somewhere on Mini's website but is Premium fuel required for the Countryman? I've heard that it is but I can't seem to find it on Mini's website. Thanks in advance.

 

I love my CM! It is my primary car and I have no complaints at all. I test drove the base model first and didn't think it had enough "get up and go". (...I am just a garden variety grandmother...not a "pro"). I got the S model instead. I have never had so much fun with a car!!

 

Daily driver with 16K already, very happy with the car, good for trips and fun to drive. Had an acura RDX before which may have been just a bit more comfortable, but no where near as much fun, also, 30mpg vs 20mpg in the RDX. I will get rid of the run flats when I need tires

 

Yes it is, at least for the S.