The 2017 MINI Countryman should just be a taller Clubman. It should be a MINI that feels too heavy. It should be a compromised...The post MotoringFile Review: 2017 MINI Countryman Cooper S All4 (Manual) appeared first on MotoringFile. (visit MotoringFile for the full article) More...
Sorry to see MINI moving away from the Getrag performance history and switching over to the Aisin manual... Hope that isn't another mistake their making... Time will tell...
Ok I know this has been beat to death but....... Why do people expect Mini to be all things to all people. So what I mean is you hear people say, some people need a bigger car, some people need 4 wheel drive, some people need a small SUV, etc........... Well why don't these same people go to Jeep and say, I need a small car, I need front wheel drive, I need........... Why don't they do that? Because Jeep would say we make Jeeps/trucks not small front wheel drive cars. If you need a small car Jeep is not for you! Guess what..........if you need a big 4 door car MINI is not for you, check with BMW thats what they have. Just like Jeep if you need a car they point you to a Dodge. Some days I just can't get enough duct tape around my head to keep it from exploding!
But But But I want a MINI pickup truck with a quad cab so I can plow my driveway and take the kids to school. MINI has to make it for me because I want one. :incazzato::incazzato::incazzato:
I've driven the new CM "Cooper S All4". As a small SUV, it's not bad at all. Definitely improved over the R60 in every way. And better than the X1, which sits on the same platform. Like all stock MINIs, it just needs more power/torque. The JCW would be the one to get, or add a Dinan tune on top of the S. BUT.... the price. Way too many other choices for a 5 door all-wheel-drive configuration when you are north of $40K. You have to really want to stay in the brand to buy one of these. And a lot of people will do just that.
From the article: ...the R60 Countryman had a punishing ride and questionable interior and component quality. While it handled like no other small crossover, it also was known to punish occupants with a harsh ride over anything but perfect roads. It also lacked the utility that many expected in a crossover. Sure wish I had the time/inclination to dig up the initial reviews that extolled the virtues of the R60 when it came out. Wondering whether or not I should bookmark these articles that are bestowing lavish praise on the F60 Countryman so I can trot out these great reviews when the next new Countryman comes out and the MINI mavens hearken back to what a POS the F60 really was. That said, my wife’s 2012 S All4 manual with sport suspension has been dependable and performed every task. Heck, when we put on decent tires, it was even fun the couple of times I got to drive it on the Hellbender when she brought it MOTD.
So MINI should only cater to ONE group of people? That's like saying gas stations should only sell one octane of fuel. Why do movie theaters not show just ONE movie? Why can't there be a grocery store that only has what's on my list, and leaves the rest of the crap out of the way? And someone please tell me why there are so many freaking tire choices - don't they know I just need ONE? Do I sound ridiculous?
Correct... It's all about the tire Mini made their first mistake when they stopped putting 145/70-12 tires on their vehicles... Back then they catered to all the peoples, there was no one group and they could all drive their mini's to any movie or any grocery store that they wanted. It was all glorious back then... And they all had big smiles on their faces driving their mini's on 145/70-12 tires... Can't do that with the current crop of MINI's...
Your grocery store analogy is like Cable TV Brian... I can't watch half the crap I'm forced to pay for, particularly so in languages I have no interest in listening to, or speaking! And, Metalman... I believe the real mistake was actually made when they opted for the 12" wheel for the Mini, thereby abandoning the 10 incher... Nothing rides like a Cooper S on 165/70R-10s!