'MINI' Countryman, saw my first one today...

[MiniMan64]

kiwifraser said:

First impressions on the road... Hit hard with the ugly stick unfortunately

Where the C-pillar meets the roof, it looks like the back of it has become detached and is sliding off the rest of the car. It really isn't a very good design.

[kiwifraser]

LuS1fer said:

No, the Princesss was rather respected in its day for it's radical styling.

Remember how many years ago that was though.There is a similar side profile going on with the MINI after 30 more years aesthetic development time.

[LuS1fer]

kiwifraser said:

LuS1fer said:

No, the Princesss was rather respected in its day for it's radical styling.

Remember how many years ago that was though.There is a similar side profile going on with the MINI after 30 more years aesthetic development time.

Not really seeing that myself.


The nail in the Princess' coffin was really the lesser-engined SD1s.

[HereBeMonsters]

Kiltox said:

I usually call the MINI a "Medium", so they got it right there with "Massive"!

[Lets Torque]

LuS1fer said:

Shmee said:

Was that at Saywell by any chance?

P.S. I adore it, barely a bigger footprint than my sister's Fiesta, gets around town quicker than my AMV8 and it manages to have an awful lot of space for 4 people and luggage while still be incredibly comfortable. I love the looks too (although that's a given or I wouldn't have bought one).

Edited by Shmee on Friday 8th April 21:30

More than words can say, really:

This is what I posted on Page 2:

IMO the MINI Countryman's are colour sensative , and in most cases they look ugly....but have you seen Shmee's new Countryman? That one looks alright because it is the best colour for the car and it has the right wheels.

[kiwifraser]

Hmmm...you are right. Its definitely not as nice as the Princess. The picture in my mind was more Austin Maxi or 1300 estate

[Shmee]

Lets Torque said:

This is what I posted on Page 2:

IMO the MINI Countryman's are colour sensative , and in most cases they look ugly....but have you seen Shmee's new Countryman? That one looks alright because it is the best colour for the car and it has the right wheels.

Hehe thanks:





I hate the way they come by default with black wheels - just looks so wrong.

[Kiltox]

Shmee said:

I hate the way they come by default with black wheels - just looks so wrong.

Looks even worse with those steel wheels as per the previous photo

If you're happy with yours that's all that matters though, not caring about what other people think of what you drive is part of being a PistonHead surely?

[Shmee]

Kiltox said:

If you're happy with yours that's all that matters though, not caring about what other people think of what you drive is part of being a PistonHead surely?

Indeed, I've only had it for 7 days but it's exceeding my expectations in every way I don't know how much I'll drive the Aston from now!

[Petemate]

Well, I quite like them, but agreed it depends on the colour. White is good, and for me also that chocolate colour.
Ah well, can't please everyone. Living in Oxford, I see quite a few and sometimes on the way home round the ring road I get the chance to weigh up the difference colour makes if I am sat behind a tansporter full of 'em. And soon I will be able to study them a bit longer when they start the roadworks at Heyford Hill for the new hamburger junction....

[Tigger64]

andy400 said:

Wasn't the last car to carry the name 'Countryman' a Montego estate?

Seems fitting.

The Montego estate had its faults, but to dismiss it by likening it to the the MINI Countryman is simply not fair on the Montego. In comparison to the MINI Countryman, the Montego estate was a aesthetic masterpiece and a work of genius, with all sorts of practical reasons for buying one...



I am struggling to think of an uglier car than the MINI Countryman; even the early Fiat Doblo van and the Ssangyong Rodius are better. The only likely candidate would have to be the very similar looking:

Edited by Tigger64 on Saturday 16th April 05:20

[eastlmark]

from the rear it looks like a woman hitching skirt up to paddle in the sea....and when I say woman I mean OAP day out coach trip at Margate material.

[B Huey]

Do these come in pink?

I imagine it would look like a big gay Hippo.

[andy400]

Tigger64 said:

The Montego estate had its faults, but to dismiss it by likening it to the the MINI Countryman is simply not fair on the Montego. In comparison to the MINI Countryman, the Montego estate was a aesthetic masterpiece and a work of genius, with all sorts of practical reasons for buying one...

I accept this.

Frankly, on reflection, I would much rather have a Montego Estate.

[Negative Creep]

Someone in the next building along has one, so i now have to go through the horror of seeing one twice a day

[Shmee]

3 weeks into ownership of mine and I really like it.

On numerous occasions now I've left my V8 Vantage key in the drawer to pop out in the Countryman Cooper S and not regretted it one bit.

[Twincam16]

Don't you find the fact that it only has four seats for a car in a class where five has been the norm since the dawn of time more than a tad galling?

[motco]

To make it look normal you have to always park next to a BMW X6

[yellowbentines]

Twincam16 said:

Don't you find the fact that it only has four seats for a car in a class where five has been the norm since the dawn of time more than a tad galling?

They don't, they have 5 as standard, they only have 4 if you spec a particular kind of leather (lounge I think it is).

I like them, had a good poke around one and like the fact it's so different from it's competitors, refreshing in a sea of blandness. I wouldn't buy one as I specced one up the way I'd have it and £28k+ can be spent very easily, too expensive IMO.

Yes, its called MINI but it's not mini in size, haven't we all got over that by now?

[Shmee]

Twincam16 said:

Don't you find the fact that it only has four seats for a car in a class where five has been the norm since the dawn of time more than a tad galling?

As the previous poster said, mine has 5 seats and very comfortable ones all around they are too.

I still am amazed by how small it actually is although it looks big. With a very tight turning circle and a short bonnet it gets into very small parking spaces in London which I like.