Photo: Autos.ca
When MINI launched the Countryman, some people sighed, some went ballistic. That’s because this car is nothing like what we’re used to from the British company. This car is BIG! Yeah, with capital letters.
Some went even as far as to call it a Crossover and they aren’t as wrong as you might think. The car does make sense, though, especially for those MINI fans that needed more space and more practicality.
The guys from Autos.ca took one for a spin, but their model was no ordinary Countryman. You see, when people go for such a car, they usually want practicality, not looks. That means, they will most likely go for diesel variants not the JCW one, like they had.
The John Cooper Works All4 edition is the top of the line. It has a brilliant 1.6-liter engine that delivers 218 HP and 221 lb-ft (with overboost) of torque, brilliant brakes, brilliant suspension and brilliant looks. However, they don’t really matter.
On the road, the car handles almost like a MINI. Of course, you can’t simply discard all that extra weight and the bigger size but for the way it looks and how heavy it is, the Countryman JCW handles very well.
You’d be better off with a classic Hatch though, if the driving experience is what you’re looking for. You can even go lower, getting only a Cooper S model and you’d have the same thrills this model gives you, for a slimmer price tag.
The All4 system does its job on all kinds of terrain. Whether on the wet or snow, it will work very well. The only problem here might be the transmission. If you do go for a JCW model, you should go for the manual, to have the complete experience, because MINI does a magnificent manual unit, whereas the automatic 6-speed is not that great.
Bottom line, the Countryman makes sense to most people but with a diesel engine and a lower price tag, not as a JCW variation and definitely not for USD50,000.
Via: Autos.ca
The guys from Autos.ca took one for a spin, but their model was no ordinary Countryman. You see, when people go for such a car, they usually want practicality, not looks. That means, they will most likely go for diesel variants not the JCW one, like they had.
The John Cooper Works All4 edition is the top of the line. It has a brilliant 1.6-liter engine that delivers 218 HP and 221 lb-ft (with overboost) of torque, brilliant brakes, brilliant suspension and brilliant looks. However, they don’t really matter.
On the road, the car handles almost like a MINI. Of course, you can’t simply discard all that extra weight and the bigger size but for the way it looks and how heavy it is, the Countryman JCW handles very well.
You’d be better off with a classic Hatch though, if the driving experience is what you’re looking for. You can even go lower, getting only a Cooper S model and you’d have the same thrills this model gives you, for a slimmer price tag.
The All4 system does its job on all kinds of terrain. Whether on the wet or snow, it will work very well. The only problem here might be the transmission. If you do go for a JCW model, you should go for the manual, to have the complete experience, because MINI does a magnificent manual unit, whereas the automatic 6-speed is not that great.
Bottom line, the Countryman makes sense to most people but with a diesel engine and a lower price tag, not as a JCW variation and definitely not for USD50,000.
Via: Autos.ca
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