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The taller ground clearance and softer springing made for more fore/aft pitch and roll in cornering.
The Countryman does drive like a Mini should, with its transverse engine keeping the weight well behind the front wheels, making the nose lively and responsive to steering input.
AWD models will hit 62 miles per hour in 7.9 seconds, and if you opt for the two-wheel-drive configuration, you'll shave three-tenths of a second off that time.
The 2011 Mini Cooper S Countryman is easy and satisfying to drive, if not quite as engaging as Mini would have us believe.
The turbo demonstrates excellent enthusiasm for its work including a hearty howl as it crowds the 6250 rpm redline (common to all Minis).
PERFORMANCE | 8 out of 10
Expert Quotes:
The taller ground clearance and softer springing made for more fore/aft pitch and roll in cornering.
Popular Mechanics
The Countryman does drive like a Mini should, with its transverse engine keeping the weight well behind the front wheels, making the nose lively and responsive to steering input.
Top Gear
AWD models will hit 62 miles per hour in 7.9 seconds, and if you opt for the two-wheel-drive configuration, you'll shave three-tenths of a second off that time.
Autoblog
The 2011 Mini Cooper S Countryman is easy and satisfying to drive, if not quite as engaging as Mini would have us believe.
Inside Line
The turbo demonstrates excellent enthusiasm for its work including a hearty howl as it crowds the 6250 rpm redline (common to all Minis).
Automobile
The base Cooper Countryman comes with a normally-aspirated engine rated at 121 horsepower. The Cooper S Countryman adds a turbocharger and a rating of 181 horsepower, while the Countryman John Cooper Works, due to be unveiled at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, is expected to generate up to 225 horsepower. The Cooper S Countryman ALL4 gets the 181-horsepower engine and all-wheel drive--the others drive the front wheels only. The S Countryman is good for a 7.5-second 0-60 mph dash. Both six-speed manual and automatic transmissions are available.
Like all MINIs, however, the Countryman is surprisingly nimble, thanks in part to its relatively light weight. Steering isn't sports-car sharp, of course, and there's more body lean due to the higher ride height, but it's still filled with MINI-ness.
While the Countryman isn't intended as a real off-roader, and in front-drive trim, isn't particularly suited for more than mild unpaved roads and trails, the ALL4 model at least offers improved all-weather capability.
Conclusion
Free-revving four-cylinders, punchy turbocharged upgrades, and light weight make the 2012 MINI Countryman a capable, fun-to-drive car.
