2011 MINI Countryman Review

The Mini Cooper S Countryman is a new addition to the Mini line. A compact crossover, the Countryman is essentially the same fun-to- drive Cooper S in a bigger, more versatile form. This is the type of vehicle intended for someone who wants all of the benefits of driving a sporty turbo-charged European car and enough room for a few more passengers and cargo, all without breaking the bank.

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$25,350 for the FWD version. $27,050 for the AWD.

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-Turbo-charged 1.6-liter inline four cylinder engine
-181-hp, 177 lb-ft of torque
-Six-speed manual transmission or optional six-speed automatic transmission
-Fuel Economy: 32 mpg Highway/26 mpg City
-Built in Graz, Austria

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The VW Tiguan, Nissan Juke, Audi A3 and Jeep Compass.

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Michael Zak: Driving it. This car is an absolute blast on the road. I had the privilege of driving it up in northern Michigan on some very windy, deserted roads and had one of the best vehicular experiences of my life. The Countryman S is unquestionably a driver's car. Its lightweight body combined with its turbo-charged engine gives it super quick pick-up. The steering and brakes function impeccably, which is not unexpected considering MINI vehicle engineers hail from parent BMW, which is pretty much the University of Steering and Braking. The suspension is pleasantly tight and sporty, and the solid fuel economy allows for extended, and affordable, sessions on the road.

Autoblog: "All of the things that we've grown to love about Mini remain in the Countryman, just with a bit of added bulk. Our biggest fear with the Countryman was that it might not be fitting of the Mini badge, and not just in terms of size. Mini has created some of the best-handling cars on the planet, and its latest crossover – amazingly – delivers.

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Michael Zak: I was a little disappointed in the trunk space, especially because this is supposed to be a much more versatile car than the standard Cooper. I'm a lifelong hockey and golf player and I tend to judge a car's usability by the amount of equipment I can fit in the trunk. The Countryman didn't have too many problems accommodating the malleable hockey bag, but I had to put one of the back seats down if I wanted to play golf. If you were hitting the links as a foursome, you wouldn't be able to carpool in this particular vehicle.

Autoblog: Things will feel cramped [in the back seat] for people of great stature, but the majority of small crossovers aren't very pleasant for people over the six-foot-three mark. Besides, it's a Mini. The badge alone doesn't even speak to spaciousness.

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Though it may not be quite as versatile as we would have liked, the first generation of the Countryman S is very close to a home run. Getting world-renowned BMW engineering in this awesome-looking package at this great price should be really hard to pass up for a lot of car shoppers, especially those who want a pure driving experience and don't need to lug around an inordinate amount of stuff, kids or pets.

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