Thanks for the excellent review. My daily driver is a 2016 Mini Cooper S, I had the new countryman as my loaner, wow a really nice drive. It has a very refined drive, handled great in the corners, a very enjoyable car to drive, lots of room in the back and a good sized trunk. This is great for a long drive, if I was looking for an suv when my lease ends, I would definitely have this on my list. Only cons: pricey and needs more power.
I've seen a few of them around here in the Maritimes where the 4-Wheel Drive comes in handy in the winter, unless we get 12 feet of snow in 5 weeks, then nothing helps.
That interior seems like a love it or hate it type of thing to live with. There is a lot of wasted space in the surround of the screen. That HUD must be broken, I can't see them selling something that loud. Is that side visor for the driver? I don't know if I've seen that before.
Great review! I think this confirms the Countryman will still be on my wish list. Question: do you think it’s worth the upgrade from the S to the John Cooper Works? I’d hate to lose those fog lights.
I mentioned this before. I owned 3 Minis over 11 years., starting in 2006 until 2017. A Cooper S, a JCW and a Countryman All4. ....I know these vehicles well. First off, way over priced now. My first Mini included most features as Standard, whereas now Mini charges for even the most remote item and to compound it you cannot buy them separately but have to add on a 'package'. Half of the stuff in the package you don't even want. The price of the vehicle escalates very very very quickly. Simply walk in a showroom and a loaded All4 S is up close to 50k . Yes 50 with three 0s after it !!!!! The Countryman sucked on gas. I had a 2015 Mustang GT 5.0 435 HP and on a long trip the Mustang was cheaper in fuel than the Mini Countryman...no joke. The Mustang would purr at 1900 RPM to maintain its speed whereas the Mini was up around 3000RPM plus for the same speed. Granted in the City the 5.0 drank gas and was worse than the Countryman but not by much. The Countryman sucks on fuel in either City or Highway conditions. Reliability on Minis is well known to be poor ( simply check Consumer reports) . I say this to everyone. If you are bent on getting a Mini than get a 'real' Mini, not the oversized SUV, Crossover. There simply are so many better options out there that are more comfortable, better reliability and cheaper with equal performance. Toyota offers most Safety features as Standard, not Mini. BMW stands for Break My wallet, Mini is the same. I got so tired of the Mini brand, because thats all it is now, marketing and branding. I bought a fully loaded GTI this year with a Performance Pack and it was far cheaper and better value than a Mini with almost nothing on it. Seriously look around at options before buying this vehicle because I promise you, the honeymoon ends pretty quickly. To be fair....good handling and not an ugly vehicle thats about it.
takhayc Remember, these are "rich men's toys". These German cars are very expensive to maintain. I would suggest leasing it for 3 years and then getting rid of it. To maintain a 2013 that is already out of warranty is more expensive than leasing. Also, the residual value will go down even more, so if you want to sell it in 3 years it will probably be worth 5,000 Max.
90,000km , don't walk away ...run...seriously . BMW vehicles/engines are built to last about 60,000 miles or just over 90,000 km . Only Mini worth looking at is under 45,000 km in great condition and even then look for dealer extended warranty.
I would definitely be worried about that HUD breaking... it sounds terrible! Also, am I the only one that wishes that automakers would make the volume knobs so that the power button remains right-side up when the volume knob is rotated?
I don't think so, he reviews everything. The most viewed video somehow are European cars, Canadians probably have more ways to know about the Japanese brands by visiting their friends; his channel is a great window of checking out those overpriced German vehicles.
He's done a few pickups over the time I've watched. He's still Global TV on Saturday mornings, so you might find one there. The last one he did was about 10 months ago, it was a Toyota Tacoma TRDpro. But he usually test what people ask for when they are available.
Doesn't look so mini to me! I worked for British Leyland when Mini's were mini! Still it looks like an interesting package...a lot pricier though than the Mini's I prepped for dealers...
I bought a 2018 Countryman S. I was coming from a Honda Accord V6 EXL-navi. So, a big step down. Mini doesn't even offer blind spot mitigation mirrors... I think even Kia has those for free now. After 6 months, the multi, multi, multi, multi layer info, navi, phone, etc, etc, etc, etc, menu system is ridiculous. Im 6 foot tall, Im fine once inside the car, getting in and out is difficult, the seat bolsters are too large and the front door length is a bit short. but I understand this is supposed to be a small car. The speedometer and all of the info inside of it, clock, odometer, tripometer etc, etc, etc, again too much jammed into too small of space... making it unreadable at a glance. My Honda Accord, the speedometer numbers were 4 times BIGGER than the unreadable Mini. BIG BRIGHT WHITE.. vs Mini is small and orange < making it harder to read in the dark. The car demands Premium Gas.. ehh, Im not happy about that either.. The performance isn't so great that I can swallow that pill easily. Over all, it does the job, it gets some looks. Im already looking beyond this car, to my next vehicle. Im just thinking about timing now, what I want next, resale value, but I will definitely get rid of it before the 3 year bumper to bumper warranty is expired... I don't trust BMW/Mini longevity at all. Head to head, my Honda Accord would blow the doors off this turbo Mini, I could read my big speedometer as I sped away on regular gas, and I would never see a Mini Cooper trigger my blindspot mitigation mirrors in that Accord. Mini wins in cuteness... just don't own it past the warranty expiration. The run flat tires are noisy, but I don't plan on owning the car long enough to replace them.
Voiture achetée en avril 2017 revendu en septembre 2017 bruit d'air important dès 100km/h pneus Brigestone turenza très bruyant en fonction du revêtement routier bruit au niveau du toit ouvrant cette voiture est fatigante à conduire sur longue distance à acheter pour ceux qui aiment le bruit pour les autres fuyez.
I won't be buying one. The controls look way too busy, way too complicated , and way too confusing! The controls look anything but intuitive. I'll pass.
"X1 Alternative" yet a fully-loaded Mini Countryman is more expensive and far less well-equipped than a BMW X1... even the cheaper X1s are better equipped and cheaper than the Cooper S Countryman, for example. I love the MINI brand and own a brand-new Cooper S but I don't understand why anyone would ever buy a Countryman (or even worse, a Clubman) over a BMW X1.
The exterior is alright but it's way too large for something called a "Mini". The interior on another hand has that really cheap design, it looks like a girly toy. The market must be directed toward females in their 20's.
Had my countryman 2 months, just love everything about it!
Just my opinion but I find X1 design boring, I'd take the Countryman over X1, especially the plug in hybrid.
Thanks for the excellent review. My daily driver is a 2016 Mini Cooper S, I had the new countryman as my loaner, wow a really nice drive. It has a very refined drive, handled great in the corners, a very enjoyable car to drive, lots of room in the back and a good sized trunk. This is great for a long drive, if I was looking for an suv when my lease ends, I would definitely have this on my list. Only cons: pricey and needs more power.
my heads up display does not sound like that at all. mine has no sound at all....I like mine a lot, you should get yours checked.
I just got a 2018 countryman. My heads up display does not make a sound at all. Something wrong with yours. Get that looked at
How is your resume with your countryman so far ?
Great review as always. The reliability has kept me from returning to the Mini brand, it will be a long time before I can go back,
I own a Mini Countryman S. And this video is the reason. 😉
I'm just a country man in a Countryman.
How does the gas mileage compare between the Countryman S and the Countryman JCW?
What year is this one?
I've seen a few of them around here in the Maritimes where the 4-Wheel Drive comes in handy in the winter, unless we get 12 feet of snow in 5 weeks, then nothing helps.
That interior seems like a love it or hate it type of thing to live with. There is a lot of wasted space in the surround of the screen. That HUD must be broken, I can't see them selling something that loud.
Is that side visor for the driver? I don't know if I've seen that before.
Great review! I think this confirms the Countryman will still be on my wish list. Question: do you think it’s worth the upgrade from the S to the John Cooper Works? I’d hate to lose those fog lights.
Just got mine luv it 2019..SModel..but no power lift gate..n no led head lights..i noticed on ur model.
Hey Zack, which one do you prefer between that Countryman and the Golf Alltrack?
I mentioned this before. I owned 3 Minis over 11 years., starting in 2006 until 2017. A Cooper S, a JCW and a Countryman All4. ....I know these vehicles well. First off, way over priced now. My first Mini included most features as Standard, whereas now Mini charges for even the most remote item and to compound it you cannot buy them separately but have to add on a 'package'. Half of the stuff in the package you don't even want. The price of the vehicle escalates very very very quickly. Simply walk in a showroom and a loaded All4 S is up close to 50k . Yes 50 with three 0s after it !!!!! The Countryman sucked on gas. I had a 2015 Mustang GT 5.0 435 HP and on a long trip the Mustang was cheaper in fuel than the Mini Countryman...no joke. The Mustang would purr at 1900 RPM to maintain its speed whereas the Mini was up around 3000RPM plus for the same speed. Granted in the City the 5.0 drank gas and was worse than the Countryman but not by much. The Countryman sucks on fuel in either City or Highway conditions. Reliability on Minis is well known to be poor ( simply check Consumer reports) . I say this to everyone. If you are bent on getting a Mini than get a 'real' Mini, not the oversized SUV, Crossover. There simply are so many better options out there that are more comfortable, better reliability and cheaper with equal performance. Toyota offers most Safety features as Standard, not Mini. BMW stands for Break My wallet, Mini is the same. I got so tired of the Mini brand, because thats all it is now, marketing and branding. I bought a fully loaded GTI this year with a Performance Pack and it was far cheaper and better value than a Mini with almost nothing on it. Seriously look around at options before buying this vehicle because I promise you, the honeymoon ends pretty quickly. To be fair....good handling and not an ugly vehicle thats about it.
patrick v Assuming it's in fair condition, would you say 18,000 CAD is a good deal for a 2013 Mini Cooper S with 90,000km? Thanks in advance.
too long, didn't read
takhayc Remember, these are "rich men's toys". These German cars are very expensive to maintain. I would suggest leasing it for 3 years and then getting rid of it. To maintain a 2013 that is already out of warranty is more expensive than leasing. Also, the residual value will go down even more, so if you want to sell it in 3 years it will probably be worth 5,000 Max.
90,000km , don't walk away ...run...seriously . BMW vehicles/engines are built to last about 60,000 miles or just over 90,000 km . Only Mini worth looking at is under 45,000 km in great condition and even then look for dealer extended warranty.
patrick v did you buy 3 minis or lease 3 minis?
My dream car 😍🔥💎
I would definitely be worried about that HUD breaking... it sounds terrible! Also, am I the only one that wishes that automakers would make the volume knobs so that the power button remains right-side up when the volume knob is rotated?
Alex Ma
I have that same HUD in my MINI F56. It operates completely silently. His is BROKEN!! 100% certainty!
Ditto here. Mine is 100% quiet.
Does it cost more to maintain than like a toyota because it's a bmw
That heads up display is definitely broken. Never makes that sound.
I think that cars heads up display was simply messed up. I have the 2018 version and mine NEVER makes that sound.
I notice you don't review pick up trucks
He lives in Vancouver. If it is true that he normally has a chance to use a vehicle for a week, where can he park those big things.
Dominic Chen seems like he is always reviewing German cars
I don't think so, he reviews everything. The most viewed video somehow are European cars, Canadians probably have more ways to know about the Japanese brands by visiting their friends; his channel is a great window of checking out those overpriced German vehicles.
He's done a few pickups over the time I've watched. He's still Global TV on Saturday mornings, so you might find one there. The last one he did was about 10 months ago, it was a Toyota Tacoma TRDpro. But he usually test what people ask for when they are available.
Dominic Chen Living in Vancouver is not an excuse.
I would definitely be looking at the X1 over this
How do i turn the engene on off because there's no key?
I have the heads up display it doesn’t do anything like that, its pretty quiet........that one is defective.
i love my 2018 countryman s
Me tooo!! Such a sweet machine.
Ok he should obviously known his heads up display is broken 😂😂😂
I love it I want it 😅
You don't say alternative of X1, it is unique and better looking than X1.
all 4? hmmmm
When similarly equipped, then not much different in price or even pricer than the X1 eh
In my shopping, I found that a pretty loaded S All4 was about the same as a base X1. Same platform. Mini is way cooler, less boring than X1.
Nice attractive driving type hatchback but not too reliable and very costly to maintained! It is very expensive for what you get!
Looks like a Daihatsu Cuore
Doesn't look so mini to me! I worked for British Leyland when Mini's were mini! Still it looks like an interesting package...a lot pricier though than the Mini's I prepped for dealers...
I bought a 2018 Countryman S. I was coming from a Honda Accord V6 EXL-navi. So, a big step down. Mini doesn't even offer blind spot mitigation mirrors... I think even Kia has those for free now. After 6 months, the multi, multi, multi, multi layer info, navi, phone, etc, etc, etc, etc, menu system is ridiculous. Im 6 foot tall, Im fine once inside the car, getting in and out is difficult, the seat bolsters are too large and the front door length is a bit short. but I understand this is supposed to be a small car. The speedometer and all of the info inside of it, clock, odometer, tripometer etc, etc, etc, again too much jammed into too small of space... making it unreadable at a glance. My Honda Accord, the speedometer numbers were 4 times BIGGER than the unreadable Mini. BIG BRIGHT WHITE.. vs Mini is small and orange < making it harder to read in the dark. The car demands Premium Gas.. ehh, Im not happy about that either.. The performance isn't so great that I can swallow that pill easily. Over all, it does the job, it gets some looks. Im already looking beyond this car, to my next vehicle. Im just thinking about timing now, what I want next, resale value, but I will definitely get rid of it before the 3 year bumper to bumper warranty is expired... I don't trust BMW/Mini longevity at all.
Head to head, my Honda Accord would blow the doors off this turbo Mini, I could read my big speedometer as I sped away on regular gas, and I would never see a Mini Cooper trigger my blindspot mitigation mirrors in that Accord.
Mini wins in cuteness... just don't own it past the warranty expiration. The run flat tires are noisy, but I don't plan on owning the car long enough to replace them.
NO OIL DIP STICK EITHER... What dumb ass thought that was a good idea...???
I wonder, then, why you bought the Countryman?
Voiture achetée en avril 2017 revendu en septembre 2017 bruit d'air important dès 100km/h pneus Brigestone turenza très bruyant en fonction du revêtement routier bruit au niveau du toit ouvrant cette voiture est fatigante à conduire sur longue distance à acheter pour ceux qui aiment le bruit pour les autres fuyez.
J'ai la mienne depuis 3 mois et je l'adore, aucun bruit a plus de 100km/h. Trop cool a conduire, un vrai petit go kart...
2018 countryman S 😎👍🏽
built in Oxford not by bmw
Actually built in the Netherlands in a VDL Nedcar factory.
K you look beautiful look
Please wash the cars and engine bays.
I won't be buying one. The controls look way too busy, way too complicated , and way too confusing! The controls look anything but intuitive. I'll pass.
"X1 Alternative" yet a fully-loaded Mini Countryman is more expensive and far less well-equipped than a BMW X1... even the cheaper X1s are better equipped and cheaper than the Cooper S Countryman, for example. I love the MINI brand and own a brand-new Cooper S but I don't understand why anyone would ever buy a Countryman (or even worse, a Clubman) over a BMW X1.
Character means "different" than the professional standard.
The exterior is alright but it's way too large for something called a "Mini". The interior on another hand has that really cheap design, it looks like a girly toy. The market must be directed toward females in their 20's.
Simon Vuille who are spending someone else's money.
秘杀一
Meharbaan
what an awful interior design... also nothing to do with the word Mini.. looks more like a Maxi
These are so over priced.
Buy used my friend
No thank You sir it's way over priced and I usually like the antiques to stay true to it's original design.
Conparing this nonsense to BMW is a disrespect for BMW
*facepalm*