Countryman/Paceman or.....?????
Discussion
Some advice needed from the congregation. I recently sold my R56 Cooper S (2010 - N18) as I was going to be running a car through work for a few months and as the MINI is a second car in the family, it wouldn't have got any use at all. Now the time is coming that I need to purchase another car as the work one will be going back in January. The family consists of myself, partner, 9 y/o daughter and small dog. The MINI was the perfect little car when it was two of us (usually daughter and myself) bombing around locally, but also my partner loved it too as she took it whenever she was going to the local town as it was easier to park, and not quite as bulky to get around the town as our family car (Jeep Grand Cherokee).
However, there were a few occasions when I had the MINI and it was a bit small, especially as my daughter is going round to friend's houses and I'd be taking a few of them out. So, the plan is to move up a size, and potentially look at the first gen Countryman, or (as I would prefer) a Paceman. Having three doors isn't the issue, but the leg room in the rear.
Budget is circa £5k and I want the Cooper S, which will get us a Countryman, but is on the cusp for a Paceman. I drove a Cooper S Countryman for all of 20 minutes about three years ago, but otherwise have no experience of them. Are they a decent car? Lots of diesels around, but as its a second car, I don't do big miles in it so not sure I would necessarily need (or want) to be fuelled by the black pump. But should I consider it? Are they more reliable than the N18 engine (which was brilliant other than a coolant hose splitting). Anything to be aware of? Two or four wheel drive?
What about the Paceman? Is is good to drive? I'm going to be doing the NC500 myself next year, so whatever I buy will be taken on that, so the Paceman appeals as it probably feels a bit "sportier". Or am I being daft? Anything else MINI-shaped I should consider? Or should I just get over it all and buy a Golf GTI 5 door and be thankful?
All help and advice greatly received.
However, there were a few occasions when I had the MINI and it was a bit small, especially as my daughter is going round to friend's houses and I'd be taking a few of them out. So, the plan is to move up a size, and potentially look at the first gen Countryman, or (as I would prefer) a Paceman. Having three doors isn't the issue, but the leg room in the rear.
Budget is circa £5k and I want the Cooper S, which will get us a Countryman, but is on the cusp for a Paceman. I drove a Cooper S Countryman for all of 20 minutes about three years ago, but otherwise have no experience of them. Are they a decent car? Lots of diesels around, but as its a second car, I don't do big miles in it so not sure I would necessarily need (or want) to be fuelled by the black pump. But should I consider it? Are they more reliable than the N18 engine (which was brilliant other than a coolant hose splitting). Anything to be aware of? Two or four wheel drive?
What about the Paceman? Is is good to drive? I'm going to be doing the NC500 myself next year, so whatever I buy will be taken on that, so the Paceman appeals as it probably feels a bit "sportier". Or am I being daft? Anything else MINI-shaped I should consider? Or should I just get over it all and buy a Golf GTI 5 door and be thankful?
All help and advice greatly received.
We have had many MINIs over the years. We also now have two teenage ISH kids.
For £5k you can get into an F55 MINI, so 5 doors and a bit more legroom in the rear. But, Cooper S versions are a bit more..... We have a Cooper D version and it works perfectly for us at the moment. It still has the great MINI handling and more room in the rear.
Or what about an R55 Clubman? I owned one for about 5 years and enjoyed it very much. It is a bit older though??
Back in the day I test drove a Countryman Cooper S and I was not that taken with it. The ride, especially with the installed runflats, was dire and that 'spritely' handling was completely missed.
For £5k you can get into an F55 MINI, so 5 doors and a bit more legroom in the rear. But, Cooper S versions are a bit more..... We have a Cooper D version and it works perfectly for us at the moment. It still has the great MINI handling and more room in the rear.
Or what about an R55 Clubman? I owned one for about 5 years and enjoyed it very much. It is a bit older though??
Back in the day I test drove a Countryman Cooper S and I was not that taken with it. The ride, especially with the installed runflats, was dire and that 'spritely' handling was completely missed.
I did consider looking at the newer Cooper, but I just can't seem to get on well with the looks of the 5 door hatch. My sister-in-law used to have a Clubman, although it was a few years ago now. Is the legroom in the rear better, or is the extra space confined to the boot? I do quite like some of the Clubmans in the right spec.
Interesting what you say about the Countryman. I think I need to drive one somehow and see how I feel about it.
Interesting what you say about the Countryman. I think I need to drive one somehow and see how I feel about it.
Hi
From memory there is an extra 100mm in the rear legroom and similar amount in the boot of a R55 clubman. Definitely noticeably bigger in both departments than the R53 and R50 minis we had owned.
I had the Clubman when our kids were young and we managed to fit in fine with a grandparent in the back too. Holidays meant fitting a roof box for the longer journeys.
I never really liked larger vehicles and just like the dynamics of the various Minis.
Mike
From memory there is an extra 100mm in the rear legroom and similar amount in the boot of a R55 clubman. Definitely noticeably bigger in both departments than the R53 and R50 minis we had owned.
I had the Clubman when our kids were young and we managed to fit in fine with a grandparent in the back too. Holidays meant fitting a roof box for the longer journeys.
I never really liked larger vehicles and just like the dynamics of the various Minis.
Mike
I run a Countryman Cooper S family workhorse. They go quite well and are close to the 3-door hatch for driving fun in my experience. I went 2WD to avoid unnecessary weight and complexity. It's reliable but has been a bit spendy (clutch/flywheel, high-pressure fuel pump).
For marketing reasons they sit too high as standard. Mine is on Eibach springs and has a JCW front splitter - looks much better. Ride on 18s isn't great, even after swapping the runflats for Pilot Sport 4s.
Specs vary widely. I wanted heated seats and double sunroof. Some complain about boot size but we manage. I'm 6ft 2in and would just about have room to sit behind myself.
For marketing reasons they sit too high as standard. Mine is on Eibach springs and has a JCW front splitter - looks much better. Ride on 18s isn't great, even after swapping the runflats for Pilot Sport 4s.
Specs vary widely. I wanted heated seats and double sunroof. Some complain about boot size but we manage. I'm 6ft 2in and would just about have room to sit behind myself.
I did mean to update this a while back, however some thing called "work"(??) got in the way, and I kept forgetting!
A big thank you to everyone who contributed to my question about whether a Countryman or Paceman might be the way forward for more space having sold our R56 Cooper S hatch. I deliberated some more, which meant that I let some cars slide by, only to regret not getting off my backside sooner. In the end I'm glad I didn't. You see I had consigned myself to the fact that I'd have to get a diesel (Cooper SD) as I just couldn't find what I wanted in petrol (Cooper S) form. I joined a Facebook group to ask some more questions and a lovely chap informed me that he was thinking about selling his Cooper S Countryman as he now had a van for work and his wife's car would suffice as a car for them both.
Photos were sent (lots of them!!) and suffice to say that the car immediately got my attention. Budget was bang on, and the maintenance record put my mind at rest over certain things. It didn't have heated seats (which I do miss) nor a panoramic roof (wasn't essential, but I like them) and it was a 4 seat car rather than a 5 seat, but it didn't have the full length central rail, so that was better. An after market Apple CarPlay system was present and whilst the mileage was a little higher than I would have ideally liked, the condition and the modifications carried out by him in the 7 years he had owned it was more than enough to persuade me that this was the car for me.
Anyway, just over a month ago, on a grey Sunday morning, my 10 year old daughter and I embarked on the train journey to the south east of Kent to view with the hope of coming home with it.
Which we did.
After 5 weeks of ownership, I am thrilled with the car. Its a 2WD car (the All4 wasn't essential at all) lowered on BC coilovers and sitting on matching Michelin Pilot Sport 4S's wrapped around 19-inch JCW alloys. Full Lounge leather interior, with all the chrome deleted on the exterior and a JCW front spolier and Maxton rear roof spoiler extension. Timing chain was replaced at the end of last year and the Vanos system was rebuilt at the same time and it drives superbly. I'm hoping to do the NC500 in it in May, so may need a set of roof bars for a roof tent to be carried on it if I go down that route. Otherwise I can't see me needing to add much to it (although I do fancy a set of front driving lamps like my hatch had).
Anyway, thank you to everyone on here for your help and advice, and here is a picture of the new(ish) addition.
A big thank you to everyone who contributed to my question about whether a Countryman or Paceman might be the way forward for more space having sold our R56 Cooper S hatch. I deliberated some more, which meant that I let some cars slide by, only to regret not getting off my backside sooner. In the end I'm glad I didn't. You see I had consigned myself to the fact that I'd have to get a diesel (Cooper SD) as I just couldn't find what I wanted in petrol (Cooper S) form. I joined a Facebook group to ask some more questions and a lovely chap informed me that he was thinking about selling his Cooper S Countryman as he now had a van for work and his wife's car would suffice as a car for them both.
Photos were sent (lots of them!!) and suffice to say that the car immediately got my attention. Budget was bang on, and the maintenance record put my mind at rest over certain things. It didn't have heated seats (which I do miss) nor a panoramic roof (wasn't essential, but I like them) and it was a 4 seat car rather than a 5 seat, but it didn't have the full length central rail, so that was better. An after market Apple CarPlay system was present and whilst the mileage was a little higher than I would have ideally liked, the condition and the modifications carried out by him in the 7 years he had owned it was more than enough to persuade me that this was the car for me.
Anyway, just over a month ago, on a grey Sunday morning, my 10 year old daughter and I embarked on the train journey to the south east of Kent to view with the hope of coming home with it.
Which we did.
After 5 weeks of ownership, I am thrilled with the car. Its a 2WD car (the All4 wasn't essential at all) lowered on BC coilovers and sitting on matching Michelin Pilot Sport 4S's wrapped around 19-inch JCW alloys. Full Lounge leather interior, with all the chrome deleted on the exterior and a JCW front spolier and Maxton rear roof spoiler extension. Timing chain was replaced at the end of last year and the Vanos system was rebuilt at the same time and it drives superbly. I'm hoping to do the NC500 in it in May, so may need a set of roof bars for a roof tent to be carried on it if I go down that route. Otherwise I can't see me needing to add much to it (although I do fancy a set of front driving lamps like my hatch had).
Anyway, thank you to everyone on here for your help and advice, and here is a picture of the new(ish) addition.
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