Green-Car-Guide.com gives the diesel MINI Countryman Cooper SD ALL4 10 out of 10 in its review. Why? Here is Green-Car-Guide.com writer Paul Clarke's summary:
Why do we like the Countryman? Because it offers car buyers the chance to have a four-wheel drive family car with lowest-in-class emissions, a fun driving experience, interesting design, and the brand appeal of a MINI. In summary, it’s a more fun and interesting all-rounder than anything else in the class – and it’s efficient too.
If we awarded the MINI Countryman Cooper D ALL4 10 out of 10, then we can’t award the SD anything less, as it improves upon one area of weakness of the Cooper D, the relatively low power. So, yes, the SD also gets 10 out of 10. On the downside, £2890 is a lot more money than the Cooper D. And remember that 88% of all MINIs are specified with some form of options package – so the eventual price is likely to be much higher than the basic list price.
If you like the idea of a fast, four-wheel drive MINI but you’re not sure about the styling around the rear of the Countryman, then consider waiting until the more sporty two-door Paceman coupe version comes along - but you'll have to wait until 2013. Of course before that the MINI Coupe and Roadster appear, just to give you more options to think about…
