What are your thoughts on the MINI Countryman Cooper D?
What are your thoughts on the MINI Countryman Cooper D?
Martin Moroney (Dublin)Oct 2014 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Martin,
OK, cards on the table - I'm a bit of a MINI fan. In fact, I actually own one - a Clubman Cooper D. Which possibly makes me more susceptible to the charms of a Countryman than would otherwise be the case. Which also possibly explains why, when many of my colleagues deride it for being too big, too fat and too ugly to be a proper MINI, I argue in its defence. I point out that, just as Porsche with the Cayenne or Maserati with the Quattroporte, there's no point in trying to limit a brand to one car or one type of car - all brands have to expand to draw in as many customers as they can. Then there's the fact that, while it's VERY colour and spec sensitive when it comes to looks, I think that in the right rig-out, a Countryman is actually quite a desirable looking car.
Apart from all of that, it's a big, spacious family hold-all that manages to retain just enough of the small MINI handling and steering characteristics to justify it wearing the same badge. While a similarly priced Skoda Yeti makes for a much more sensible purchase, I've got a soft spot for the MINI. Other opinions are available. They're wrong, but they're available.
Neil Briscoe - Complete Car Adviser@neilmbriscoe