2011 MINI Cooper Countryman Overview Change Vehicle

This 2011 Mini Cooper Countryman review explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the Mini Countryman, and includes safety, reliability, and fuel economy information for the Cooper Countryman.

The 2011 Mini Cooper Countryman is new for 2011. It’s the biggest Mini to date and the first to offer four doors and all-wheel drive.

The Mini Cooper is one of the most immediately recognizable vehicles on the road. Cute. Compact. Stylish. Sporty. The only problem is that Mini has always matched its name as one of the smallest cars in American cities. That kept many buyers from pulling the trigger on a Mini purchase simply because they assumed the car was “too small” for practical daily driving.

The Mini Cooper Countryman is Mini’s answer to small-car critics since this Countryman offers four doors, is more than six-inches longer than the Mini Clubman, and with available all-wheel drive, competes with small crossover SUVs like the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V. We’ve driven all of these vehicles and the Countryman competes and even exceeds these small SUVs in some measures while falling short in others. Arriving in showrooms in early 2011, the Countryman proved an immediate hit and is now the second highest-selling Mini vehicle. Let’s look at your options.

The 2011 MINI Cooper Countryman is available in three models, the Countryman, Countryman S and the Countryman S ALL4.

The 2011 Countryman starts at $21,650 and comes standard with carbon black interior color, leatherette front bucket seats, leatherette rear folding bucket seats, tilt/telescopic steering wheel, stainless steel foot pedals, power windows, power locks, climate controlled glove box, trip computer, 17-inch alloy wheels, run-flat tires, roof rails, and a one-part utility rail with two snap-in cupholders, eyeglass case and iPod cradle.

The Countryman S starts at $25,250 and adds a turbocharged engine, different exterior trim, traction control, fog lamps and sport seats. The latter three items are also available on the base car.

The 2011 Countryman S ALL4 starts at $26,950 and adds all-wheel drive.

Mini makes it easy to customize their cars and optional packages for the 2011 MINI Cooper Countryman include a Premium Package ($1,750), Convenience Package ($1,250), Sport Package ($1,250) and a Cold Weather Package ($750). The Premium Package adds automatic climate control, Harmon/Kardon audio system, and a panoramic sunroof. The Convenience Package adds Bluetooth, USB/iPod adaptor, auto headlights, auto wipers, keyless entry, push button start and an auto-dimming rearview mirror. The Sport Package includes 18-inch alloy wheels, bonnet stripes, rear spoiler, sport seats and dynamic traction control. Finally, the Cold Weather Package includes heated front seats and heated power folding mirrors with washer jets.

While Mini offers thousands of customization options for the Countryman, your easiest choice will be selecting your engine and transmission. A 1.6-liter inline-4-clyinder engine that generates 121 horsepower and 118 pound-feet of torque motivates the 2011 Mini Cooper Countryman. That’s not gobs of horsepower and it makes the base Countryman less spry than you might expect.

Since Minis are owned by driving enthusiasts, a six-speed manual transmission is standard while a six-speed automatic is an optional upgrade. You will only find a front-wheel drive transmission in the base Countryman. That lower horsepower rating translates into fuel-economy scores of 28 mpg in the city and 35 on the highway. That works out to a combined 31 mpg rating with the manual transmission. The automatic transmission decreases fuel economy scores by four miles-per-gallon to a combined average of 27 mpg. If you opt for the base Countryman, choose the manual transmission. It’s more fun to drive and you’ll get better fuel economy.

The big news besides the four doors and larger size of this Mini is the available all-wheel drive or ALL4 transmission on the Mini Cooper Countryman S model. Front-wheel drive is standard, but we recommend the all-wheel drive if you plan to pilot this Mini through big storms or use it like the small crossover it is.

The Countryman S offers a turbocharged 1.6-liter engine that bumps horsepower to 181 and generates 177 pound-feet of torque. The manual transmission is standard with auto as an option. As you would expect, fuel economy scores are best with the front-wheel drive and manual transmission that returns 26 mpg around town and 32 on highways for a combined score of 29 mpg. The all-wheel drive still returns 23 mpg in the city and 30 on the freeway for a combined 26 mpg score. Our test vehicle was the Mini Cooper Countryman S ALL4 and we averaged just under 26 mpg in mostly city driving. We covered 180 miles and still had more than a quarter tank of fuel in the 12.4-gallon tank. The EPA expects you should be able to cover around 350 miles on a tank of gas in regular mixed driving. Keep in mind that the Countryman demands premium fuel, which will increase your fueling costs.

The Mini Countryman may be small, but the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recognized it as a Top Safety Pick among small cars (yes, the Countryman is cross-shopped against small crossovers like the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V as well as small cars like the Kia Soul, Scion xB and Volkswagen Golf). The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) has not yet crash-tested the 2011 Mini Cooper Countryman.

Active safety features include available all-wheel drive, dynamic stability and dynamic traction control that help you hold the road, oversized brakes and a tire pressure monitor to help ensure your tires are optimally inflated. Passive safety measures include seven airbags (front, side, side-curtain and knee airbag on the passenger side), crash-sensor system that unlocks doors and turns of the engine in the event of an accident and an ultra-rigid body to offer protection from all angles.

As a new vehicle, Consumer Reports and J.D. Power and Associates have not yet posted reliability ratings for the Mini Countryman. However, since much of the Countryman is based on existing Mini engines, hardware, software and other bits from the Mini parts bin, it’s useful to look at reliability ratings for the MINI Cooper. The Cooper Hatchback has shown consistent improvement since 2005 and Consumer Reports expects reliability for 2010 models to be better than average.

The Mini Cooper Countryman is covered by Mini’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty and 4-year/50,000 mile powertrain warranty that goes along with their 3-year/36,000-mile free maintenance program.

“Does it drive like a Mini?” people ask.

“Absolutely,” we say.

“It has four doors but only four seats?”

“Yep,” we agree.

“How much does this one cost?” they inquire.

“Thirty-five thousand dollars,” we return.

“Wow. $35k? That seems expensive,” they counter as their eyes grow larger in shock.

“It’s not cheap in any way,” we say.

While the Mini is indeed bigger in every way than all other Minis, so is the price, especially when it’s a very well appointed ride like our ALL4 tester. And that price gives people pause, at least until they go for a ride. Then they immediately realize that this Mini is big on fun, interior space and style. And thanks to Mini’s a la carte pricing options, they can add as many or as few of upgrades as they choose, which makes a big difference on the final price of the vehicle.

Our turbocharged test vehicle, a Mini Cooper S Countryman, starts at $26,950 but included $8,200 in options and all three of four available packages. The most expensive upgrade is the Premium Package that added $1,750 to the price and includes a dual-pane panoramic sunroof, automatic climate control and Harmon-Kardon sound system. We liked the roof and radio a lot, but you can live without them if you’re looking to save. Stay with the standard manual transmission and you can save the $1,250 the optional automatic transmission adds to the price.

With blue paint, a white roof and a Mini-applied graphic that reads “The All New Mini Countryman” on both front doors, our Countryman generated lots of conversation and stares as we motored through the city streets. And we did enjoy driving through downtown Salt Lake City a great deal thanks to the Mini’s size that makes it easy to zip through small gaps in traffic to arrive at the Thai restaurant for lunch one minute faster than your co-workers.

The Countryman shares the same engine as the Mini Cooper S but weighs about 550 pounds more. So it’s slower than its smaller sibling but also much more functional in terms of usable space. So there’s a trade off but we think you’ll appreciate the ability to haul people and gear around town much more than you’ll enjoy slightly faster acceleration. We noticed turbo lag when we slammed the pedal but once the engine gets moving, it’s spry and game to spring into rapid action. We drove up Parley’s Canyon on our way to Park City, Utah and had no problem maintaining speeds well above the posted limit. We can’t say the same for the non-turbo version and recommend you consider the Cooper S version if your budget and sensibilities allow.

If we have one complaint, it’s that we wish Mini offered a bench option for the rear seat. While space would be tight, that bench could work in a pinch when you have to shuttle three kids home from soccer practice when you were only planning on two. Fortunately, Mini plans to offer a second-row bench in the 2012 model that will transform the Countryman from a four-passenger-only vehicle to one that very tightly accommodates five.

Mini drivers are fond of saying their cars “drive like a go-kart” when referring to the dynamics of a Mini Cooper. The Countryman is indeed like a big go-kart, responsive and energetic with a firm ride that proved a bit too firm for some of our rear-seat passengers. The style is iconic. The interior is terrific. The ability to customize your small car nearly unmatched. Is it the most practical small SUV you can buy. No way. Is it the one that stands out in the crowd? Absolutely.

The Countryman features the standard quirky Mini touches like the center-mounted power window controls and huge speedometer that evokes Mickey Mouse’s silhouette in the center console. It looks like no other car on the road and is ultimately quite rewarding to drive. With a starting price at $21,650 and topping out above $42,000, the Countryman (like all Minis) is a car for the driver who wants something different, something fun and something that is uniquely their own that is equally fun to drive. The Countryman delivers on all levels.

By Michael Waterman