The reason we wanted to test the 2012 Mini Countryman with an automatic transmission is our Four Seasons Countryman with a manual transmission hasn't won a lot of friends. Not only does the clutch suffer from less-than-ideal engagement point and a lack of feel, but our long-term test vehicle went through a clutch in less than 15,000 miles. How come? The clutch disc is too small to handle the torque of the 1.6-liter engine under boost and the engine doesn't have enough torque off boost to get the Mini off the line quickly. Even if you don't intend to abuse the clutch, it's very difficult to launch the car without slipping the clutch excessively when you're trying to move off from a stop faster than the stereotypical Prius driver.
The Countryman is much easier to live with when there's an automatic transmission behind the 1.6-liter engine, but to my mind, the best solution for the Countryman would be a stick shift with a stronger clutch disc, and a bigger, torquier engine. A Mini is supposed to be cute and be a driver's car. Any Mini with an automatic loses a bit of that driver's car aspect. If BMW's superb 2.0-liter I-4 would fit in the Mini's tiny engine bay, it could potentially provide the extra power the Countryman needs without hurting the fuel economy too badly (the bigger 3-series with that engine actually does slightly better on fuel than the Countryman).
Another difference between this car and our Four Seasons Countryman is the rear bench seat. Although the rear bench seat makes the car a lot more practical, I much prefer the rear bucket seats in our Four Seasons example. A Mini brand trait is the individualization of each car, and the individual rear seats really drive home the idea of the car being for individuals. It's exactly the sort of quirky thing I'd expect from Mini.
If you're convinced the Countryman is for you, I suggest the automatic with rear bucket seats. It won't be the perfect car, but it does offer a bit of character, and that's not exactly easy to find in the small crossover segment.
Source : automobilemag.com
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