MINI Countryman SUV (2010-2016) | owner reviews: MPG, Problems & Reliability

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Was a lovely car to drive and just the right hight for me to get in and out.But the most annoying problem is in the changing up/down of gears 1-4. All these four gears makes a crunching sound which has now gotten on my nerves. Had it road tested by The Mini garage and was informed that is how all the Mini gears sound.Yet I haven driven the 4x4 and Convertible Model and they had smooth gear changes. My sister has a Convertible Model and also two work colleague with the ordinary Mini's and they reported that they do not have my problems. So why mine? For those of us who have been driving for over thirty years the gear changes sounds like a old car from the seventies. To say I'm disappointed is and understatement as this is not the first problem .The car had it's rear seat belt put on back to front and was not an easy job to fix as they had to take out the whole back panel.Secondly a constant rattling sound behind the drivers side.Again the car was taken in and fixed. Would dearly love a neutral Mini Dealership to look at the transmission. Really hate this car now for the constant crunching. I should be able to enjoy the car and not apologise to any passenger(s) about the crunch. "CRUNCH CLICK EVERY TRIP"

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No Red thumbs down

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since buying car nothing has gone wrong with it not a problem with it.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Faultless

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Yes Green thumbs up

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no problems yet

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Yes Green thumbs up

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This mini has been very reliable as have my previous two

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No Red thumbs down

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Faulty!!

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No Red thumbs down

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

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Lovely looking car and great concept but unreliable. Expect repair bills and breakdown costs. Broken down three times, the last of which was a complete failure of clutch and flywheel at 34,000 miles (Cost £2,300). Clutch always smells of burning, even the new replacement. Had 2 new windscreens for mysterious cracks (Apparently the windscreen is used as part of the strength of the body). Chrome badges corroded. Fuel pump and supercharger pump have both failed. Wheel nuts keep seizing and have to be drilled off. Fed up with it, don't fall for it's charm avoid at all costs

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No Red thumbs down

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I love my Oxford Green Mini Countryman , this is unique car for unique people. It's economical car too, and i must say, with a good driver it is fast, sharp, precise car.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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No Red thumbs down

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No problems yet

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No Red thumbs down

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

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No Red thumbs down

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Pros include: very roomy, including the boot and the drop down seats are very easy to operate quickly. Phone connectivity is really good. Cons: underpowered for its size, especially when overtaking or with a people in the back. I also had a problem with the brake pedal as it's too high for my foot and in an emergency stop my foot slipped underneath it (I'm size 6 shoe, so not that small). I actually had to put newspapers under the carpet to make the ball of my foot reach the brake as only my toes reached it.

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No Red thumbs down

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I bought this car from new and on day one I had issues with the clutch. I was pacified and palmed off by the Ridgeway dealership until the clutch failed at just 16,000 miles. The dealership replaced the clutch under warranty but would not allow me to inspect the parts. The car looks great but the transmission is still not right. Car stalls and judders.

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No Red thumbs down

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Offers all the refinement of a small tractor. Ridiculously noisy at motorway speeds and is uncomfortable, bumpy and clunky on the road. Reminds me of how cars used to be 20 years ago. The gear box is rough and so bad that I had it checked to make sure nothing was wrong with it. Worst of all is the fuel economy, it is nowhere near the official 63 mpg, at best I've come close to 45mpg. Nothing in this car justifies the bloated price tag, if it was at least 5000 less than I could live with the niggles, as it is now I feel disappointed and a fool for choosing such a bad car.

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No Red thumbs down

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No issues to date

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Electric window issues and also electronic engine sensors.

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Magic

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Yes Green thumbs up

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No Red thumbs down

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

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I've had no issues with the Countryman so far, this top model has a lot more space and as expected, is easy to drive, though the auto has a fuel-efficiency penalty - it returns about 10 mpg less than 1.6 diesel manual. Mine is serviced on the 5 year TLC plan, the dealer is very good but gave me a £135 quote to change the brake pads. It's an easy DIY job if you use £30 OE spec parts. I've had it for 4 or 5 months now and still look forward to taking it out.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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I purchased the car from Mini as an approved used vehicle. It had 38000 miles on the car and since owning it it has been back in 3 times for components that shouldn't need replacing for the mileage. So far it has had a new clutch and dual mass flywheel and is going back to the main dealer for a new gearbox next week. The car has now done 42,000 and I have never had a car with such low mileage have these parts replaced. I had an Audi TT before this car and never had an issue with it all and a Nissan Note with 100k on it and 5 years old that never missed a beat. Averaged 68mpg yet I struggle to get 40 to the gallon with the MINI. Media pack and chilli pack nice spec etc but doesn't seem to have the same build quality as the MINI I had before the TT. Shame as I am a MINI fan and I wanted to keep this car and use it as a 2nd car eventually. However I don't think I will have it that long, will keep until the TLC expires 80k or 8 years old.

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No Red thumbs down

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Having owned my little Citroen C3 for 5 trouble-free years I decided it was time for a change. Living in the remote countryside I chose the four-wheel drive version for driving in snow etc. I love the car but I would have expected higher MPG - I managed to get 44mpg from my little petrol C3, but I can't get close to 35mpg from my diesel MINI, which is disappointing to say the least.

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No Red thumbs down

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We bought this car for my wife because we needed a second 4x4 for winter as live in the sticks, but wanted something more economical than our Land Rover, with cheap tax. It provided what we need in that regard and was spacious - and performance of the SD kept me happy. I find the seats uncomfortable though, and dread long journeys in it. In fact, we always take the land for long journeys due to this - despite the extra cost. Road noise is a problem as well. I also consider them overpriced for the level of refinement - but that's just my opinion. My 2 star rating is for reliability. The car has done 24k, the wheel bearings failed at 20k and the transfer box has just catastrophically failed. The car has had no abuse whatsoever. It is still just in warranty, but I have lost all faith in it. I don't know how common these problems are, ours may just be a Friday 5pm car, but either way I will be selling it ASAP. This is a real pain as I wanted to change my Land Rover next year - that will have to be put on hold.

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No Red thumbs down

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I bought a new Countryman to replace a Clubman. This is actually my third brand new Mini and I am reluctant to buy anything else right now. The build quality is excellent; you always get a reassuring 'thunk' when you close the door. All three of my cars included the service pack and means no unexpected repair bills or service costs, but then the most I have had to replace on any of them is tires and wiper blades. Others have reported faults with their Minis, but I doubt this is down to the build quality, rather the way they have been driven. I drive sensibly and haven't managed to wear anything out apart from a few tires. Minis drive like a go-kart, so if you want a car that looks good and drives easily in any condition, this may be the car for you. Handling is very direct and there is no distinguishable difference between the smaller versions and the larger Countryman apart from the ride height - surprisingly, for a taller car, there is very little body roll either when cornering. The Countryman has more room than the rest of the Mini family, it's comfortable without being huge inside or out. The design is clever and imaginative. Though Minis aren't particularly cheap, they are durable and reliable - in 7 years the AA have never been called out to any of my Minis unlike other small cars I have owned, I've never even had a flat battery. Ignore reviewers who have had problems, this is not indicative of Minis at all from my experience. I also have no vested interest in the company or anyone who works for it either, I am completely impartial.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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No problems experienced

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Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

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No Red thumbs down

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I loved this car when we got it. Drives well, good sight around and solid body. However, on its second service we had to have a faulty CPU replaced. The dealer messed this up and it took days rather than hours to sort. When they did some work on the boot the dealer noticed a scratch down to the body metal under the name badge which would have been a fault from the factory build. The boot opening badge has also degraded but Mini just say wear and tear so won't replace. We are constantly having to replace faulty bulbs. Six months ago we had the end of 3 year warranty service and check when we were told that the car needed new brake pads and discs all round. To say we were shocked was an understatement having only done 30,000 miles and the 3 years age. We have had a VW Tiguan, a Landrover Freelander, a Mercedes A Class, a Fiat 500, a VW Golf in recent years... All new, all kept for 3/4 years, and all drive in similar conditions for 8-10,000 miles per annum. We have never had to replace pads or discs on any of these cars. So we went indepdendent on a recommendation and found that we only needed pads replacing, the discs would be good for another 30k. This week the car started making a horrendous noise. Took it to the dealer and found the drivers wheel bearings needed replacing...wear and tear again. We are furious that a car of such low mileage and age has had so many, expensive, wear and tear repairs. Will not be buying Mini again.

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No Red thumbs down

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Changed from Ford Fiesta to this car. I needed the higher seat placement. I have chronic deteriorating back problems. I'm 6' and can now swing my legs out and stand up from seat. But also my 5'6" wife can adjust to her. My wife and I play who can get best MPG on commute she gets 42mpg I can consistently get 54.7. Interior is good, comfortable seats the biggest thing for me and my back. Boot space with rear seats in place is good. I can get my non folding wheelchair in no problem. The run flat tyres give a bit of road noise but nothing that would make me change. This is the first diesel I have owned and was surprised it didn't sound too much like a tractor inside. Outside can be noisy. But I'm not outside the car. Air con and heaters etc all perform well. Only needed one service so far.. Car threw up service light. No other problems. All electrics fine and no bulb replacements etc. every other weekend gets a long run 3 up on shopping trips. I have used the rear seats, I love the reclining , forward rearward adjustment feature, I can get a comfortable position for my back. Plenty of head room. Boot loading is fine. I sit on boot floor while putting the wheels on my wheelchair. Hatchback not heavy either. I like it and it returns well over 56 mpg on m way on cruise control.

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Never once let me down

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Yes Green thumbs up

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No Red thumbs down

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So far, zero problems to report but Mini operate a very good warranty/service scheme. This is my second Mini.

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No Red thumbs down

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Very good no problem

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No Red thumbs down

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Although it never fails to start there does seem to be a problem (shared with other Mini owners I know) with the engine fan continuously running after the engine has been switched off.

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No Red thumbs down

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This car has been in the garage 7/8 times in it's short life! These were all mechanical issues, nit starting, faulty transfer box, turbo issues.....

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NOT HAD ANY ISSUES YET

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Yes Green thumbs up

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Yes Green thumbs up

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It was a good move!

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Fantastic car, all the mini style but in a more practical family friendly layout.

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Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

MINI Countryman SUV (2010-2016): owner reviews

"The MINI Countryman isn't the most practical crossover in the world, but it's fun to drive and quite cheap to run."

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