Used 2014 MINI Cooper Countryman Wagon Consumer Reviews
My experience so far with my 2014 Countryman S
Dan Lopes, 11/21/2015
S 4dr Wagon (1.6L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
50 of 51 people found this review helpful
I'd been wanting a mini since driving one when I was a teenager back I the 70's. I wanted something big enough to carry my drums around so the Countryman seemed like a good balance of performance and practicality. I've had sporty cars before but I've been very happy with the Countryman. That's not to say there isn't any room for improvement. The visibility out of the back isn't great and one of the first things I did I was add a backup camera. Love it... It should be standard equipment on all modern cars. I've put about 14,000 miles on it so far and hasn't been in the shop for anything. The ride is ok with the Countryman but hitting a pothole or rut in the road will rattle your teeth. I know any performance vehicles ride is similar and I'll probably not go with the run flat tires when the time comes to replace them. The instrumentation isn't intuitive and takes a while to figure out, but wasn't a deal breaker for me. It provides info on every part of the car and will let you know if something isn't shut,tire pressure low, gas getting low and how far you can go with the gas you have, it even will let you know when the car needs regular servicing. I've had the mini now for about 2 years. The car has been my daily driver and has been dependable. The only problem that came up is the sensors on the wheels came on for the right front tire to inform me that the tire pressure was low. I'm still using the run flat tires that came with the car and the ride is still very rough when driving a bumpy road. Still have plenty of rubber left on tires but going to put on regular performance tires in a few more months. Update Still problem free. Only in the shop for scheduled maintenance. The rubber on the run flats still good so I'm putting off replacing those for a while longer. Car starts right up every time I push the ignition button and runs smoothly. Update 5/18 It will be 4 years in August, that I first drove off the lot. Outside of regular scheduled maintenance the Mini Countryman has been problem free. The ride can be a little rough going over ruts and potholes, but that’s the trade off I guess to achieve the handling that you get with the mini. I’m at 49,000 miles now. It’s my daily driver, and still loving it. Update 5/20 Getting close to 80,000 on the odometer now. Replaced tires..... started getting engine light warnings... had it checked out.... fuel injectors were clogged. Didn’t like the dealer quote to replace them so shopped around and found a local reputable auto shop that replaced them for much less. The mini continues to run strong and smooth
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Peppy and fun, but not sure about longevity.
JimboTron, 08/31/2015
S 4dr Wagon (1.6L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
16 of 17 people found this review helpful
Leased a Countryman S after being sold on its sportiness and utility (over a sedan). The turbo provides enough boost to pass and accelerate at traffic lights. Takes corners very well. Gas mileage is pretty decent as long as you don't speed too much. Still small enough to make parking easy. I am concerned about its longevity. My windshield is already pretty pitted up after having the car for a little over a year. The windshield angle is steep, so it will catch and not deflect road pebbles. Electric gremlins are already showing up - the door ajar warning light kept coming on while on the highway, even though all doors were shut tight. Happened on a few occasions. Some rattling starting to show up near the driver seat, can't tell if it's coming from the seat itself or somewhere else. Sometimes the idling will dip drastically and takes a few moments for the ECU to regulate the idle. Seats will cause butt and back aches on road trips. Center speedometer looks cool at first but the novelty wears off quickly. I will likely not purchase this car after the lease is up. It's a fun car to have as long as you have a warranty and you're not going to be doing long road trips.
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It hangs
Juls, 03/04/2016
S ALL4 4dr Wagon AWD (1.6L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
14 of 15 people found this review helpful
Have a 2014 All 4 S . Have already put it in twice for alignment and it's worse! If you let the stering wheel go it hangs badly to the right. They say there's nothing wrong with it! This is my third mini first one was a Mini Cooper two door next one mini coupe . Loved both of them no problems unlike the countryman hanging! Pretty car lots of space but doesn't drive anything like the other minis.
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Cute but clunky driver interface and terrible mpg
DC Mom, 07/27/2015
4dr Wagon (1.6L 4cyl 6M)
23 of 26 people found this review helpful
I've had this car about a year, standard city driving, with some long highway trips occasionally. Bought it because I wanted something good for city driving and parking, and carting around a couple kids, but also with a little style and oomph. The model I have is pretty loaded, with the GPS system, leather interior, fancy sound system etc. After a year, pretty disappointed. It super cute and fairly fun to drive, though a little stiff. However the navigation system is so counterintuitive that I literally never use it- weird menus, no touch screen, takes forever to input addresses etc. The sound system interface is similarly unwieldy, the sound is great, but it is much more complicated than it should be to save radio stations, seek channels, switch inputs etc. All first world problems, admittedly, but it does diminish your enjoyment of the car when it feels designed by people who were trying to drive you crazy. Similarly, it lacks basic conveniences for the price point, like a back up camera. Even the fact that it doesn't have a simple clock on the dashboard (you have to toggle three buttons to see the time) is annoying. The worst part of the car is the gas mileage. With such a little car, you'd think it would be great. Manufacturer says it should be about 25 city, 32 highway. Hah! On the back of a tow truck, maybe. I put only premium unleaded gas in (never had to do that with another car) and still only get about 17 mpg with normal city driving, maybe 23 on the highway. When I took it in to be checked, they said there was nothing they could do, and that they had had a number of people with similar complaints. Overall, though I like the style and fun, I would not recommend. And will probably be trading mine in pretty soon. *UPDATE 2 YEARS LATER. Still not loving the car. Lots of small annoying glitches in the system that have needed fixing in the last few years- warning lights broken, weight sensor in passenger seat malfunctioned etc. Gas mileage continues to be bafflingly bad, have brought it in several times but the dealer says it’s normal/is uninterested in problem. (I average about 17/mpg with normal sedate city driving.). Would trade it in but also not great in resale value, so will ride it out until I can afford a new car.
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One problem after another
Samanthad, 10/22/2015
4dr Wagon (1.6L 4cyl 6M)
21 of 24 people found this review helpful
I was so excited to buy a mini for the first car i had ever purchased on my own, i was fortunate enough to be able to buy a brand new one! After only having the car for 6 months i started having problems starting with my tire pressure monitors. My left tire pressure monitor kept saying that it was low and flat but when i looked at the tire it was fine and the air compressor part said i had fine air pressure. Than my car started having transmission/engine problems at only 8,000 miles as well as my car redlining at 25 mph. My car is now dying when i make sharp left and right hand turns, as well as the car redlining at 25 and finally shifting to a higher gear after i have no choice but to floor it and have the rpms at 8 on the rpm screen on the car than once it finally shift the car knocks you forward with a loud and hard clunking noise. I have had it with this car! Mini and BMW customer relations have been a total pain to deal with saying it hasn't been serviced enough to help me with a problem. NO car should drive like this!! My car is still in the service department currently and the service techs have no idea what is causing the problems or how to fix it saying they feel what I'm talking about but not sure if its a mechanical problem or electronic issue... Its safe to say i will not be recommending this car to anyone not even my worst enemy! if i could give it 0 stars i would.
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