After living with the car for 12 months
Edmund's Inside Line provides its long term test wrap up. Its conclusion after racking up almost 20,000 miles:
We would argue that no competitive CUV is as fun to drive as the Countryman. Still, within that same field, the Mini ranks toward the bottom in terms of utility. Pick your preference. If style is your thing, the Mini will not disappoint. But if fashion is less important than useful cargo space, you may want to look elsewhere.
On the shiny side, the 2011 Mini Cooper S Countryman was fun to drive. It had decent power, good handling and lived up to our expectations. Maintenance was free. And our Mini depreciated a respectable 19 percent of its original MSRP according to the Edmunds TMV® Calculator (based on a private-party sale). To top it off, fuel economy was impressive. Our lifetime average on the required 91 octane was 25 mpg, with a single best tank of nearly 34 mpg. EPA estimations are 25 city and 31 highway mpg. In other words, drive it nicely and it will return the favor. That's the general feeling we got from the Countryman overall as well. If you're good with its size and layout, you'll be good with the way it feels on the road.
