New countryman cooper S (collected today)
Discussion
After much deliberation (and bribing on her behalf), I agreed to buy my mrs a countryman
We went for a cooper s with an auto box, chilli pack, 18" turbofan alloys, some custom stripes and sat nav
First impressions are very good and it's a really nicely built car. It handles quite nicely for a car so tall and the gearbox shifts nicely too
The guys at Cheltenham Mini were really good and we've only waited five weeks for it
Here's a couple of pics so far and I'll update as we've got a bit more used to it as we're only 40 miles in so far
We went for a cooper s with an auto box, chilli pack, 18" turbofan alloys, some custom stripes and sat nav
First impressions are very good and it's a really nicely built car. It handles quite nicely for a car so tall and the gearbox shifts nicely too
The guys at Cheltenham Mini were really good and we've only waited five weeks for it
Here's a couple of pics so far and I'll update as we've got a bit more used to it as we're only 40 miles in so far
Edited by graeme4130 on Saturday 22 September 21:21
miniman said:
FloppyRaccoon said:
How's the boot space in these? My mother likes them.
Also, "chilly" pack made me laugh
That's the aircon, right? Also, "chilly" pack made me laugh
Not for me I'm afraid. Just too big.
I was sceptical at first, but the mrs loves minis and needed to seat sometimes three kids in the back. We couldn't do that in a normal mini, so the countryman was the only choice.
I'm not sold on the styling, but it's growing on me and it's not too bad to drive considering what I was expecting
Boot space s good and you can slide seats back and forth to make less leg room/more boot room which is a decent feature
She's happy, and that's the important bit. Plus it means she won't need to go near my Audi or TVR
Edited by graeme4130 on Saturday 22 September 21:28
graeme4130 said:
Haha, sorry spellcheck on my IiPad changed that one
I was sceptical at first, but the mrs loves minis and needed to seat sometimes three kids in the back. We couldn't do that in a normal mini, so the countryman was the only choice.
I'm not sold on the styling, but it's growing on me and it's not too bad to drive considering what I was expecting
Boot space s good and you can slide seats back and forth to make less leg room/more boot room which is a decent feature
She's happy, and that's the important bit. Plus it means she won't need to go near my Audi or TVR
Good man, enjoy the car. I bet it drives well!I was sceptical at first, but the mrs loves minis and needed to seat sometimes three kids in the back. We couldn't do that in a normal mini, so the countryman was the only choice.
I'm not sold on the styling, but it's growing on me and it's not too bad to drive considering what I was expecting
Boot space s good and you can slide seats back and forth to make less leg room/more boot room which is a decent feature
She's happy, and that's the important bit. Plus it means she won't need to go near my Audi or TVR
Edited by graeme4130 on Saturday 22 September 21:28
well, the stripes are distinctive, it won't get lost in the supermarket carpark! and the young lady looks happy so that's a good un.
There's one near me in yellow with black stripes (but not the side stripes as on yours) and it's an unlikely combo that works really well. In some ways with the Countryman, you've got to take a light hearted look at it, it's not a shape that retires into the background, so make the most of it.
There's one near me in yellow with black stripes (but not the side stripes as on yours) and it's an unlikely combo that works really well. In some ways with the Countryman, you've got to take a light hearted look at it, it's not a shape that retires into the background, so make the most of it.
It's certainly distinctive, that's for sure.
We've put around 600miles on it so far including a 400mile trip to St Ives and back at the weekend.
It's not a bad motorway companion and it's certainly plenty big inside for us with both kids.
There's not as much power as I'd thought there would be, but I guess that's just conditioning after having plenty in my other cars.
I like the driving position and there's enough adjustability in the steering / seat positions to really get comfortable and make all those little adjustments.
There's a few minor criticisms already, but nothing major.
1) Sat nav doesn't zoom in enough (I think closest if '125m' setting)
2) Glasses case and Iphone holder in centre console are under handbrake and armrest, so are effectively useless
3) Paddle shifts work on pulling back to go up a gear and pushing forwards to go down - I'm accustomed to down left /up right from our last DSG golf, so this seems counter intuative that Mini would do this in a market place dominated by down left / up right paddles ? Maybe this is just me ?
On the positive though, the looks of the car have really grown on me and it's had loads of positive comments
It's got wads of space inside and the driving position means visability is great. The rear seats are v ery spacious and with the high roof line and big windows, it's quite light and 'Airy' inside, so it means the kids don't suffer so much with travel sickness. The rear parking sensors and display are very good indeed and it's made parking for my Mrs very easy, which isn't an area she's overly confident in.
Generally, we're very happy with it. The Mrs is stoked to have the Mini she's always wanted, which means browny points for me and she's not complaining too much about my 'Gallardo saving plan'
I'll post a couple more pics up soon
We've put around 600miles on it so far including a 400mile trip to St Ives and back at the weekend.
It's not a bad motorway companion and it's certainly plenty big inside for us with both kids.
There's not as much power as I'd thought there would be, but I guess that's just conditioning after having plenty in my other cars.
I like the driving position and there's enough adjustability in the steering / seat positions to really get comfortable and make all those little adjustments.
There's a few minor criticisms already, but nothing major.
1) Sat nav doesn't zoom in enough (I think closest if '125m' setting)
2) Glasses case and Iphone holder in centre console are under handbrake and armrest, so are effectively useless
3) Paddle shifts work on pulling back to go up a gear and pushing forwards to go down - I'm accustomed to down left /up right from our last DSG golf, so this seems counter intuative that Mini would do this in a market place dominated by down left / up right paddles ? Maybe this is just me ?
On the positive though, the looks of the car have really grown on me and it's had loads of positive comments
It's got wads of space inside and the driving position means visability is great. The rear seats are v ery spacious and with the high roof line and big windows, it's quite light and 'Airy' inside, so it means the kids don't suffer so much with travel sickness. The rear parking sensors and display are very good indeed and it's made parking for my Mrs very easy, which isn't an area she's overly confident in.
Generally, we're very happy with it. The Mrs is stoked to have the Mini she's always wanted, which means browny points for me and she's not complaining too much about my 'Gallardo saving plan'
I'll post a couple more pics up soon
Looks great OP.
I just ordered a Mini Countryman as a replacement for our three year old Mini Cooper Auto hatch. Spec:
Countryman Cooper 1.6
Chilli pack
Blazing red metallic (new MY13 colour)
Full Bluetooth
Black roof and mirrors
Black bonnet stripes
17" double spoke alloys
It's primarily for my daughter to drive around in but with occasional use by me. Wth luck it will be here by end of December to ensure i get the cheap finance rate! The boot space is not too bad and hopefully will accommodate a collapsed wheelchair whilst retaining use of the rear seats. The looks have grown on me a Mini on steriods!
I just ordered a Mini Countryman as a replacement for our three year old Mini Cooper Auto hatch. Spec:
Countryman Cooper 1.6
Chilli pack
Blazing red metallic (new MY13 colour)
Full Bluetooth
Black roof and mirrors
Black bonnet stripes
17" double spoke alloys
It's primarily for my daughter to drive around in but with occasional use by me. Wth luck it will be here by end of December to ensure i get the cheap finance rate! The boot space is not too bad and hopefully will accommodate a collapsed wheelchair whilst retaining use of the rear seats. The looks have grown on me a Mini on steriods!
That looks very nice OP I'm looking at changing from a 2.0 Golf TDI to a Countryman SD when the time comes as I want to be able to go to shows in the Winter time with out risking the salt all over the classic.
Greg D yours looks very nice too I have the grill badge on my one classic whihc it wears wiht pride
Greg D yours looks very nice too I have the grill badge on my one classic whihc it wears wiht pride
Downton Mini said:
Greg D yours looks very nice too I have the grill badge on my one classic whihc it wears wiht pride
Cheers, I bought a bunch of swappable badges from "Gobadges" but the anniversary one has stayed on there so far. We're pleased with the Countryman (All4 SD). Part of me is gutted I didn't hang on and get an M135i instead but we bought it as an "economical second car" so that would have been missing the point really!Picked up our Countryman last Friday after work - really really happy with it.
Great handover from the dealer - really superb service.
We had the rims painted gloss black as part of the deal along with changing the side indicator repeaters from orange to clear and it has made such a huge difference to the look of the car.
I've only been in it a couple of times as the wife uses it the majority of the time but really enjoying it.
The Good:
- Love the look of it.
- So much space in it - especially in the rear.
- Bluetooth and DAB Radio - first time i've had a car with them. Really useful.
- Feels really solid and well put together - I can't abide by rattles and sqeaks so I hope it stays that way.
The Bad:
- Along with everyone else I find the centre stack quite confusing. Why is the CD slot at the top of the console..?? No-one uses CD's today so why not place that at the bottom of the stack and move the climate control and the ancillary switches up so they are closer to hand..??
- Water seems to drain quite badly off the roof. Don't open the window before setting off after a downpour.
I also refused to pay £46 for the official BMW Y-Cable to enable iPod connectivity so have bought one from Amazon for £8 - arrives this week sometime so will let you know how that plays out.
Have a really dodgy iPhone photo below - will try and post some better ones on the weekend.
Great handover from the dealer - really superb service.
We had the rims painted gloss black as part of the deal along with changing the side indicator repeaters from orange to clear and it has made such a huge difference to the look of the car.
I've only been in it a couple of times as the wife uses it the majority of the time but really enjoying it.
The Good:
- Love the look of it.
- So much space in it - especially in the rear.
- Bluetooth and DAB Radio - first time i've had a car with them. Really useful.
- Feels really solid and well put together - I can't abide by rattles and sqeaks so I hope it stays that way.
The Bad:
- Along with everyone else I find the centre stack quite confusing. Why is the CD slot at the top of the console..?? No-one uses CD's today so why not place that at the bottom of the stack and move the climate control and the ancillary switches up so they are closer to hand..??
- Water seems to drain quite badly off the roof. Don't open the window before setting off after a downpour.
I also refused to pay £46 for the official BMW Y-Cable to enable iPod connectivity so have bought one from Amazon for £8 - arrives this week sometime so will let you know how that plays out.
Have a really dodgy iPhone photo below - will try and post some better ones on the weekend.
Edited by Not Ideal on Thursday 22 November 06:52
Edited by Not Ideal on Thursday 22 November 06:53
Not Ideal said:
Picked up our Countryman last Friday after work - really really happy with it.
Great handover from the dealer - really superb service.
We had the rims painted gloss black as part of the deal along with changing the side indicator repeaters from orange to clear and it has made such a huge difference to the look of the car.
I've only been in it a couple of times as the wife uses it the majority of the time but really enjoying it.
The Good:
- Love the look of it.
- So much space in it - especially in the rear.
- Bluetooth and DAB Radio - first time i've had a car with them. Really useful.
- Feels really solid and well put together - I can't abide by rattles and sqeaks so I hope it stays that way.
The Bad:
- Along with everyone else I find the centre stack quite confusing. Why is the CD slot at the top of the console..?? No-one uses CD's today so why not place that at the bottom of the stack and move the climate control and the ancillary switches up so they are closer to hand..??
- Water seems to drain quite badly off the roof. Don't open the window before setting off after a downpour.
I also refused to pay £46 for the official BMW Y-Cable to enable iPod connectivity so have bought one from Amazon for £8 - arrives this week sometime so will let you know how that plays out.
Have a really dodgy iPhone photo below - will try and post some better ones on the weekend.
Looks great in that dark scheme, hope you enjoy itGreat handover from the dealer - really superb service.
We had the rims painted gloss black as part of the deal along with changing the side indicator repeaters from orange to clear and it has made such a huge difference to the look of the car.
I've only been in it a couple of times as the wife uses it the majority of the time but really enjoying it.
The Good:
- Love the look of it.
- So much space in it - especially in the rear.
- Bluetooth and DAB Radio - first time i've had a car with them. Really useful.
- Feels really solid and well put together - I can't abide by rattles and sqeaks so I hope it stays that way.
The Bad:
- Along with everyone else I find the centre stack quite confusing. Why is the CD slot at the top of the console..?? No-one uses CD's today so why not place that at the bottom of the stack and move the climate control and the ancillary switches up so they are closer to hand..??
- Water seems to drain quite badly off the roof. Don't open the window before setting off after a downpour.
I also refused to pay £46 for the official BMW Y-Cable to enable iPod connectivity so have bought one from Amazon for £8 - arrives this week sometime so will let you know how that plays out.
Have a really dodgy iPhone photo below - will try and post some better ones on the weekend.
Edited by Not Ideal on Thursday 22 November 06:52
Edited by Not Ideal on Thursday 22 November 06:53
I agree about the water drainage . My 6 year old for a somewhat wet head trying to wave goodbye to his grandmother after we left after a downpour a couple of weeks ago. My mrs thought it was hilarious, but my son was less impressed
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