Mini Countryman PHEV - am I mad?!

Mini Countryman PHEV - am I mad?!

Author
Discussion

chippy17

Original Poster:

3,740 posts

242 months

Thursday 25th May 2017
quotequote all
Company car time and with budgets in place it has come down to three cars: c350e, 225xe or countryman

sadly I wanted a 330e but it it out of budget, whereas the above 3 are in budget

I have dismissed the 225 as really an mpv is a step too far for me

was about to order the c350e but a few things are stopping me; it would be bog standard apart from the sunroof, the smell of the artico makes me feel ill, it is a bit of a barge and the boot is woeful

I then came across the Countryman, I have never been a huge fan of the larger Minis and it is frankly a bit ugly but it is much more practical has way more toys for the money and I am not buying it as a drivers car, seems like a much more modern car than the Merc

I do however look at it and think could I live with this for 3 years?!

There are many things the Merc does well, wafting by unnoticed is one and it is quite fast...

I keep being drawn to the Mini as I have had many 3 series type cars before and this is something i have not experienced before but I cant help thinking I will look like a prat aged 43 driving one of these, one should not be concerned about what a stranger thinks but...


Ruxpin

324 posts

244 months

Thursday 25th May 2017
quotequote all
chippy17 said:
Company car time and with budgets in place it has come down to three cars: c350e, 225xe or countryman

sadly I wanted a 330e but it it out of budget, whereas the above 3 are in budget

I have dismissed the 225 as really an mpv is a step too far for me

was about to order the c350e but a few things are stopping me; it would be bog standard apart from the sunroof, the smell of the artico makes me feel ill, it is a bit of a barge and the boot is woeful

I then came across the Countryman, I have never been a huge fan of the larger Minis and it is frankly a bit ugly but it is much more practical has way more toys for the money and I am not buying it as a drivers car, seems like a much more modern car than the Merc

I do however look at it and think could I live with this for 3 years?!

There are many things the Merc does well, wafting by unnoticed is one and it is quite fast...

I keep being drawn to the Mini as I have had many 3 series type cars before and this is something i have not experienced before but I cant help thinking I will look like a prat aged 43 driving one of these, one should not be concerned about what a stranger thinks but...

Try and drive both. They are very different cars. And who cares what others think it/you look like in it?

I was worried with the change from an E91 335D M-Sport to the C350e and the need for slippers and flat cap. 14months in I have no regrets, and TBH I don't think I could now buy an m-sport BMW, the ride in my 335D was/is dire. I still own it and drive it occasionally but I wince over every bump on b-roads.

The c350e felt too soft for the 1st month as i adjusted from the 335D and I used to put the suspension and steering in "sport" to improve but over time I have come to realise the standard settings for both suspension and steering are better 95% of the time.

Kit level on the C350e even as standard is good - I am very surprised you can get one in budget but not the 330e. List price the 330e used to be significantly less.

They all have fairly crap boots (but you get used to it and I seem to get nearly as much in the 350e as the E91??) but the countryman will have the bonus of being a hatchback.




Chris1712

293 posts

98 months

Thursday 25th May 2017
quotequote all
The c350e has incredible spec as standard, so I wouldn't let that put you off. Personally I'd be all over the c350e, it's a great car only beaten by the 330e's better dynamics / marginal battery improvements.

MorganP104

2,605 posts

129 months

Thursday 25th May 2017
quotequote all
As an alternative, is the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV within budget?

It's an SUV like the Mini Countryman, but a proper one, not a halfway-house ugly lump of a thing (I'm not a fan of the Countryman's looks or image, in case you hadn't noticed. laugh ).

Also, it seems like you're hungry for boot space - I would imagine an Outlander's boot is pretty large.

chippy17

Original Poster:

3,740 posts

242 months

Thursday 25th May 2017
quotequote all
MorganP104 said:
As an alternative, is the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV within budget?

It's an SUV like the Mini Countryman, but a proper one, not a halfway-house ugly lump of a thing (I'm not a fan of the Countryman's looks or image, in case you hadn't noticed. laugh ).

Also, it seems like you're hungry for boot space - I would imagine an Outlander's boot is pretty large.
Out of budget, from memory I was quoted £560 ex vat per month my budget is £495. I did look round one and frankly it looked very out of date compared to others, also almost too big but good thought

I am no fan either of the big Mini but it is a perfect size and you can get a lot of toys for your buck and it just feels modern but it is hideous to look at, I know I shouldn't be vain but...

chippy17

Original Poster:

3,740 posts

242 months

Thursday 25th May 2017
quotequote all
Ruxpin said:
Try and drive both. They are very different cars. And who cares what others think it/you look like in it?

I was worried with the change from an E91 335D M-Sport to the C350e and the need for slippers and flat cap. 14months in I have no regrets, and TBH I don't think I could now buy an m-sport BMW, the ride in my 335D was/is dire. I still own it and drive it occasionally but I wince over every bump on b-roads.

The c350e felt too soft for the 1st month as i adjusted from the 335D and I used to put the suspension and steering in "sport" to improve but over time I have come to realise the standard settings for both suspension and steering are better 95% of the time.

Kit level on the C350e even as standard is good - I am very surprised you can get one in budget but not the 330e. List price the 330e used to be significantly less.

They all have fairly crap boots (but you get used to it and I seem to get nearly as much in the 350e as the E91??) but the countryman will have the bonus of being a hatchback.
haha yes was thinking pipe and slippers too! When I brought the Merc home (had a 3 day test) my wife looked at it and said 'you are now your father'

I was very surprised re the BMW pricing, even in SE poverty spec it was more that than the Merc, yes I can really see where you are coming from ride wise, I can see myself getting very bored of the harsh ride in the BMW and the Merc is pretty darn quick too which is fun, I also like the anonymity of the thing...and it wafts

chippy17

Original Poster:

3,740 posts

242 months

Thursday 25th May 2017
quotequote all
Chris1712 said:
The c350e has incredible spec as standard, so I wouldn't let that put you off. Personally I'd be all over the c350e, it's a great car only beaten by the 330e's better dynamics / marginal battery improvements.
you are right it has all the kit you would ever need, and a very cool sunroof for not much more!

RicksAlfas

13,355 posts

243 months

Friday 26th May 2017
quotequote all
I've had my C350e a year now and enjoy it enormously. It's perfect for day to day use, and when it needs to it can hustle along.
One chap on another forum timed his estate at 5.6 secs for 0-60.
I can't believe anyone male over the age of 20 would consider the MINI instead! hehe

Keep an eye on the spec - the sunroof you mentioned is part of the Premium or Premium Plus packs.
It's not standard. If you can run to Premium Plus that gives you lots of toys including a better satnav. (TomTom instead of Garmin).

chippy17

Original Poster:

3,740 posts

242 months

Friday 26th May 2017
quotequote all
RicksAlfas said:
I've had my C350e a year now and enjoy it enormously. It's perfect for day to day use, and when it needs to it can hustle along.
One chap on another forum timed his estate at 5.6 secs for 0-60.
I can't believe anyone male over the age of 20 would consider the MINI instead! hehe

Keep an eye on the spec - the sunroof you mentioned is part of the Premium or Premium Plus packs.
It's not standard. If you can run to Premium Plus that gives you lots of toys including a better satnav. (TomTom instead of Garmin).
yes it is a fast car that's for sure and stealthy too

haha! hey I am at one my sexuality! Either that or mid life crisis! Will have to have look at the packs, thanks

are there any reports of issues with the battery pack, I notice the warranty on them is only up to 60k ish and my lease will take me to 75k?




RicksAlfas

13,355 posts

243 months

Friday 26th May 2017
quotequote all
Touch wood they seem very reliable. Some of the very early cars had a problem with water getting in around the charge socket and causing problems. The socket was redesigned last year so shouldn't be an issue now. I'm still surprised it's coming up cheaper than a 330e on your list though. Grab one while you can!

chippy17

Original Poster:

3,740 posts

242 months

Friday 26th May 2017
quotequote all
RicksAlfas said:
Touch wood they seem very reliable. Some of the very early cars had a problem with water getting in around the charge socket and causing problems. The socket was redesigned last year so shouldn't be an issue now. I'm still surprised it's coming up cheaper than a 330e on your list though. Grab one while you can!
thanks, just checked again and yes the 330e is over budget, supply and demand?!

RicksAlfas

13,355 posts

243 months

Friday 26th May 2017
quotequote all
Maybe. Or perhaps your company (or lease company) have a special relationship with MB?

One last thing - if you are looking at a Premium Plus estate, it has higher CO2 than the saloon, and tips you into a higher BIK band.

chippy17

Original Poster:

3,740 posts

242 months

Friday 26th May 2017
quotequote all
RicksAlfas said:
Maybe. Or perhaps your company (or lease company) have a special relationship with MB?

One last thing - if you are looking at a Premium Plus estate, it has higher CO2 than the saloon, and tips you into a higher BIK band.
thanks for this

just spoke to a lease company and you might be interested; the reason the BMW is more expensive is the market predicts it will depreciate quicker than the Merc!

Sadly Premium Plus package is out of my budget, so may settle on a standard car with a sunroof and maintenance/tyres. Only thing I think I would miss would be the upgraded sat nav but never seen it so don't know what I am missing! smile

Jonobigblind

754 posts

81 months

Monday 5th June 2017
quotequote all
I'm pleased I've stumbled across this thread as I'm going through the same thought process at the moment.

Current company car is a Merc C250d sport (W205) and has been good if unremarkable and with the introduction of the phevs looking into these makes financial sense to me.

Our list is a little restrictive and the best of the bunch boils down to
  • BMW 330e
  • BMW 530e
  • Mini Countryman Cooper se
  • Merc C350e
I have effectively discounted the 330 as although it's the cheapest on the list it's looking old and I think the boot will be too impractical.

I don't fancy another Merc and the forums seem awash with a bit of a design flaw on the charging point allowing water ingress and then shutting down

I've made a shortlist of the 530 and the Mini with the Mini (Cooper S) coming for the weekend I'll give it a thorough test on our local roads and whizzing between Hampshire and Wiltshire.

There's a fair bit of kit I have specced on my mock order and the end monthly cost is only £26 lower than the 530e so it had better be good for that price.

Given the relatively small difference in monthly cost, this test will be very interesting to me and probably give me more headaches and reason to dissect them further in some spreadsheets

RicksAlfas

13,355 posts

243 months

Tuesday 6th June 2017
quotequote all
Jonobigblind said:
I don't fancy another Merc and the forums seem awash with a bit of a design flaw on the charging point allowing water ingress and then shutting down

Fair enough if you don't want another one, but the water ingress was only a problem on the early cars and the part was revised.
Any issues were sorted under warranty with no quibbles.

Jonobigblind

754 posts

81 months

Tuesday 6th June 2017
quotequote all
RicksAlfas said:
Fair enough if you don't want another one, but the water ingress was only a problem on the early cars and the part was revised.
Any issues were sorted under warranty with no quibbles.
I'm glad they have, it shouldn't have been released with such a design flaw but then car manufacturers aren't the most honest who walk among us. Perhaps I read one too many report of someone getting stranded and the Merc technicians not knowing how to handle it and replacement parts taking too long to arrive from Germany.

211 pages on the C350e owners thread on another forum tells me there are wider issues (and these owners like to share those issues too).

Overall they're good cars and more practical in estate format. My lease company has them priced so they're not good value stacked up against the new 530e - maybe £10 per month in it and on a par with a fully loaded Countryman. Interested to compare the two new against my current model for practicality

RicksAlfas

13,355 posts

243 months

Tuesday 6th June 2017
quotequote all
I know that thread well! hehe

Coolbanana

4,383 posts

199 months

Monday 12th June 2017
quotequote all
I've just bought one! Today. Get it in November.

I'm in Portugal at my home here and looking for the first of two cars and decided I quite like the Countryman as it is a good size as an all-rounder for the Algarve; sandy and mildy rocky trails are plentiful so a little extra height and all wheel drive is useful. At the same time, for trips to Lisbon and Seville etc, a bit of comfort would be nice. I also like that my Solar Panels on the house will charge my car for local trips to the shops.

I've opted for the Mini Countryman S E in metallic 'melting silver' with pano roof, Chili Pack, Wired Pack, Comfort Pack, Harmon Kardon HI-Fi and a load of other options.

s111dpc

1,339 posts

228 months

Monday 12th June 2017
quotequote all
Not sure if this helps but I've had the 350e estate for 14 moths now and really rate it. Ok not the biggest boot in the range but plenty big enough for a family of four. Only had one problem in the last 23k miles which was fixed under warranty with no qualms. Performance is as much as you need with the balance of economy. I've averaged around 49mpg to date. Obviously your decision but don't discount it on 'old man's car' grounds - it's better than that wink

CaterBram

126 posts

174 months

Wednesday 14th June 2017
quotequote all
PHEV's are all dependent on what Journeys you make.

I'm mainly 15 miles to work, 15 mile back plus longer journeys, but I do change at home and work.

Had the 350e for 9 months, 9000 miles, average of 62 mpg

On the motorway averages 44mpg,

have a look here https://www.spritmonitor.de/en/detail/799578.html

and yes the 792 miles on one tank is correct........ average of 89mpg