MINI Countryman S ALL4

SPECIFICATIONS

1. Over a foot longer and with an extra 5-inches between the wheels, the Countryman has room for four plus some actual cargo space. 2. Base models get a 121-hp 4-cylinder, while the Cooper S gets a turbo and 181-hp. 3. The Countryman is the first MINI to feature all-wheel drive, which is only available on the top-level Cooper S model. 4. Pricing starts at $21,650 with Cooper S models at $25,250 and the Cooper S All4 at $26,950.

PREVIEW

It’s the first MINI Crossover. The first MINI with all-wheel drive and, arguably, it’s the first MINI with room for four people and a few grocery bags. What about the Clubman you say? OK, the Countryman is the first MINI with room for four people, grocery bags and is something you might actually want to own.

Scratch that, the Countryman is something you’ll definitely want to own, once you drive it – and only if you opt for the top Cooper S model with its turbocharged 4-banger. Being naturally larger than the traditional hardtop MINIs, the Countryman is heavier too and adds about 400-lbs. Using the same engine found in the hatchback Cooper S, that translates to straight-line acceleration that’s definitely fun, but will never wow you with power.

INTERIOR

Inside the ergonomics nightmare continues with MINI’s trademark toggle switches. The latest annoyance we’ve noted is that when you’ve got a travel mug in the cup holder it blocks access to most of the lower controls, including the window controls. But proof that all hope it not lost, the rear seat window controls are actually in a normal location and operate as they should.

Included in our test car is the new $1,000 MINI Connected system, and we’ve gotten comfortable enough with it to discover yet another poor example of ergonomics; the little chrome joystick is slippery to touch and should probably be coated in some sort of high-grip rubbery material.

The system itself consists of a 6.5-inch screen in the middle of the center speedo and allows for relatively easy access to everything from vehicle info, the radio and your iPod or iPhone. You can sync up any phone through the Bluetooth but it’s designed to work with Mac products, and when you download a free app the system will allow access to thousands of radio stations through Web radio, and will even read Tweets to you!

Our test car also came with the $1,750 Premium Package that includes the nice panoramic sunroof, climate control and the upgraded Harmon Kardon audio system. We’re not sure how bad the regular sound system is, but it must be terrible, because this unit cuts power at even modest level when the bass hits too hard.

                                 

UNDER THE HOOD

Making 181-hp and 177 lb-ft of torque it’s good for a 0-60 mph time of 7.7 seconds with all-wheel drive and the auto-box, which (sadly) our test car came with. Not that there’s anything wrong with this unit, it’s just that an AWD crossover with a stick shift ranks near the top of the auto journalist cool meter alongside high-powered wagons and stripped-down beaters. Opt for the Sport Package, keep the little sport button pressed and the more immediate throttle response and access to boost makes for a peppy machine.

Front drive models are a little quicker due to a curb weight that’s around 200 lbs lower, but the added weight is a small price to pay for extra traction, whether for poor weather driving, or finding some dirt roads to have some fun on. Called All4 the system defaults to front-wheel drive and only adds power to the rear when necessary. When slip is detected up to 50 percent of the engine’s torque is set to the rear wheels and in extreme circumstances all of the engine’s power will hit the back tires so you can drift the tail end – something that’s extremely fun on such a rigid package with the sort of tight steering that gives you confidence behind the wheel.

From a fun-to-drive perspective, apart from being a little down in the acceleration category, the Countryman is an absolute hoot. Fuel economy doesn’t suffer much either, and for a crossover, especially one that’s this much fun, it’s impressive. Our All4-equipped model with the turbo is rated at 24/31-mpg, which is almost the lowest you’ll get. The down-on-power non-turbo Cooper model gets just 24/30-mpg with the auto-trans, a huge difference from the stick shift base model at 27/35-mpg.