He said, she said: Test driving the 2012 MINI Countryman S ALL4

The premise of the He said, she said chronicle is simple: we lend a press vehicle to a couple to test drive extensively for two weeks and give the two participants one simple instruction: to take note of all of their impressions, both good and bad.

Each of the test drivers has to keep their opinions to themselves so as not to influence the other. Easier said than done, right?

This month, Josée Lefebvre and Jonathan Fortin test drove the MINI Countryman S All4, with its 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo (and 181 horses), six-speed automatic gearbox and AWD. Retail price: $39,565 (with sunroof, heated seats, media connect device) including shipping costs. Note that the 121-hp Mini Countryman base version begins at $24,000, including preparation.

Here are their impressions:

She said
Name: Josée Lefebvre
Resides: Montreal
Age: 36
Occupation: Tourism Technician/AMT
Drives: 2007 Toyota Yaris

Right off the bat, Josée Lefebvre admitted “I’m not the typical girl when it comes to cars. It has to be nice, good and inexpensive. I don’t fall for just any car.”

And that’s one thing that the MINI Countryman didn’t accomplish. “True, its exterior appearance is reminiscent of the old MINI, but I couldn’t care less about that,” said Josée. “More importantly, I found absolutely no trace of the MINI inside. First off, there’s that huge gauge in the middle of the dashboard. It’s cartoonish and looks like Mickey Mouse’s head.” Josée didn’t find anything “mini” about the vehicle’s fuel consumption either. “In the city, this car is insatiable. Because of the all-wheel drive, I was expecting to pay a lot to fill up, but not that much. It cost me $30 for the week. For that amount, my Toyota Yaris can go twice as far.”

Josée was also critical of the suspension “that is totally unforgiving on our bad roads. On Crémazie-Papineau, it was no picnic – especially the hard, totally uncomfortable seats.”

What does she think of the Countryman’s price tag?  In a word, “maxi.” “The passenger compartment makes it feel like a luxury car, but I wouldn’t pay $35,000 for that. (Editor’s note: The version that they test drove, with its options, would cost $40,000). And considering the size of the tires, I suspect that the costs don’t end there.”

Between mini and maxi

If Josée found one thing to be “mini” about this car, it was the space. “Thinking long-term, the Countryman loses points by offering only four seats instead of five, which isn’t good for families, and storage space is nothing to write home about.”

What about the ride? “I admit that I felt safe, but I stayed within my comfort zone.”  She also liked the automatic transmission’s manual mode. “I see the advantage of compression braking, in a snow storm, for instance.” However, she wasn’t as enthused about the gear ratio. “First gear is tough, then when you shift into second...Oh my! You get an awful shock. It wasn’t smooth at all, even in normal driving conditions! Imagine if I’d gotten into an accident.”

It wasn’t all bad, was it? “I loved the all-wheel drive, as it reminded me of one of my first cars that I really liked (a 1992 Toyota Corolla AWD). I also liked the heated seats – that makes up somewhat for how uncomfortable they are – and the sunroof that opens in two parts.”

But Josée concludes that these reasons are too “mini” for her to seriously consider the Countryman.

He said

Name: Jonathan Fortin
Resides: Laurentians
Age: 34
Occupation: Civil Servant
Drives: 2001 Volkswagen Jetta

Jonathan Fortin would have never even considered a MINI, until the Countryman arrived on our market, that is. “Finally, the brand offers something for men!”

First, for its style. “It looks manly, and I also like the fact that you feel like you’re sitting higher up than in the other cars.” As for its passenger compartment, “I like that the sunroof lets a lot of light in and I like the cool night lighting. I also appreciated the original switch-style controls and the same goes for the round key — it’s unlike anything else you see. And I like the fact that this MINI, unlike the others, has four doors. It’s more practical.”

Sportiness, come on down!

The ride won him over. “The car is sporty and responds well in turns. When I tested it on a gravel road, it remained stable. Yes, its suspension is firm, but I was glad to know that it’s rigid when I need it.”

However, as with Josée, Jonathan found that the accelerations weren’t linear. “When you press down on the accelerator, it takes a while to respond. You almost have enough time to go get a cup of coffee. But when it takes off, it really takes off.” Shifting proved difficult, too. “Normally, you accelerate by pulling a shifter, and downshift by pulling another. Here, you wonder why both shifters do the same thing according to whether you push or pull them. It’s impractical. It’ll take some time before your brain and your thumb adapt.”

He echoed another of Josée’s criticisms. “It’s impossible to understand the strange way that the turn signal and windshield wiper lever works. Seriously, couldn’t the manufacturer just do it like everyone else?”

Finally, Jonathan also thinks that the fuel costs are considerable. “But if you have the means to buy the MINI Countryman, you can afford the gas it guzzles, too!”

Share on Facebook