Mega Mini is fun in traffic, seriously cool

The 2011 Mini Cooper S Countryman is a big Mini. Big, of course, is relative in this case, but this new four-door’s size rankles purists, who point to the name of the brand itself. You can’t have a super-size Mini.

Yes, BMW says, you can.

The Mini family, owned by BMW, now includes the various Cooper models, the larger Clubman and the all-new Countryman, which has been described as Mini’s SUV. The base starts at $22,350; $27,650 for the all-wheel-drive S model.

Despite vigorous claims to the contrary, Americans are still stuck on big cars. So it makes absolute sense for the company to expand what a Mini can be. The Countryman is a mega Mini, but only in a Lilliputian world. It’s a mere 4.1 meters long.

To put that in perspective, a Chevy Suburban is 5.65 meters, a Ford Explorer 5 and a Mazda 3 sedan more than 4.5. It is big next to a 2.7-meter Smart, but sales of that tyke are lousy.

The original Mark I Mini was released in 1959 (3 meters). Its iconic status was cemented when three Cooper S’s were filmed gamboling down outdoor church steps in the 1969 movie “The Italian Job.”

BMW introduced the “new” Mini Cooper in 2001 (3.7 meters), and it soon gained its own revered status (and a turn in an updated “Italian Job”). People love them. I’ve never got an ugly look for piloting a Mini.

Seriously cool

There’s no mistaking the Countryman for anything but a Mini. It remains true to its overall dimensions, as if a Cooper had been ballooned with extra air. Yet the overall look is tougher, the exterior details more rugged.

My test car was white with black hood stripes and a blacked-out roof and pillars. The front grill is upright, and body cladding around the wheel arches are also darkened. It even had black rims. Seriously cool. Mini knows its customers are through-and-through style conscious.

The interior is vintage modern Mini, which is what I don’t like about it. It’s time to do away with the oversize clock-dial speedometer, which looks like it should be hanging in a school cafeteria. Fun ten years ago, tired today. Same for the toggle- style switches.

The Countryman seats four in bucket seats, and it’s comfortable in the rear with good headroom. There’s a metal rail running down the center of the cockpit, designed for clip-on accessories like a specialized sunglass case or drink holders. Overall cargo space with the back seats down is an ample 1.17 cubic meters.

Some fun

The turbocharged 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine has more elasticity than a bungee cord. My test had a six-speed manual, an ideal mate. In spirited driving you can rev the engine to the heavens in second and third gears, and cruise comfortably in sixth. It never seems to complain and has plenty of torque. An enthusiast’s power-plant.

Same goes for the stick shift itself. Easy to engage with a forgiving clutch, but interactive. It makes the Countryman fun even in traffic.

I was much less impressed with the AWD system, which is largely pointless. This is the first model to be offered with the option, but it overwhelmingly runs in front-wheel-drive mode anyhow, only transferring torque to the rear when it senses slippage. And it won’t engage at high speeds.

Attractive to those in the snow belt perhaps, but the added weight means that the front-wheel-drive-only S model is actually 3/10ths of a second quicker to 60 mph (96 kph), taking seven seconds.



Growing pains



The Countryman’s added height and weight conspire to work against the go-kart handling that the brand is famous for. The Countryman is still maneuverable, just less so.

My car had 18-inch (45-centimeter) run-flat tires which were extremely loud on the freeway and gave precious little cushioning on the bumps. Worse, the entire car lurches whenever it encounters a bump mid- corner, wrenching the steering wheel the opposite way. All problems that could potentially be fixed with a different tire choice.

The mega Mini does mean trading in a few Mini-like characteristics. But for many customers, the extra space inside is worth the car’s growing pains. 

(Bloomberg)

The 2011 Mini Cooper S Countryman ALL4 at a glance

• Engine: Turbocharged 1.6-liter 4-cylinder with 181 horsepower.

• Transmission: 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic.

• Speed: 0 to 60 mph (96 kph) in 7.3 seconds (manual).

• Kilometers per liter of gas: 11.1 city/13.7 highway.

• Price as tested: $31,150.

• Best features: Roomy, looks great.

• Worst features: Bumpy ride, excessive tire noise.

• Target buyer: The Mini lover looking to expand.