Opinion: 2019 MINI Countryman Plug-in Hybrid Cooper S E ALL4 AWD

May 21st, 2019 1:13 pm

#1

Rooster77 [OP]: Newbie; Dec 23, 2002; 39 posts; 13 upvotes; Cambridge

May 21st, 2019 1:13 pm

Opinion: 2019 MINI Countryman Plug-in Hybrid Cooper S E ALL4 AWD

Currently have a 2008 4runner V8, 2007 Tacoma TRD 4X4 and a 2013 Camaro SS, so as you can tell fuel economy has never been of any real importance. However my wife has to drive into Toronto from Cambridge for work and our daughter will be going off to Ottawa for university and I see a lot of trips in the coming future. The Camaro is the Camaro...weekend car, and I think we want to keep the truck for all the trucky things we want to do, so I am thinking it may be time to trade in the 4Runner.
We do a lot of distance, long trips, I think that full EV is too much (IE, I'd love a Tesla but....$$$) so I believe that Hybrid would be the way I'd want to go. I don't like normal...boring, ...tried a Camry hybrid...(Yawn)..tried a Accord hybrid (Yawn). Test drove the new 2019 Rav4 Hybrid, and liked that, but the waiting list... no negotiation...really....?
So what are people's opinions of the Mini Countryman hybrid? I have had 3 different 5 series beemers in the past, so yeah I know the BMW quality is great but they get fussy when not properly looked after. (Preventative maintenance is key)
Thoughts...

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May 21st, 2019 1:27 pm

#2

booblehead: Deal Expert; Jul 30, 2007; 28565 posts; 13962 upvotes; Toronto

May 21st, 2019 1:27 pm

Nice and sporty

The only negative point I see is having to pay more for this variant, the general consensus suggests you will not get much better in gas consumption in return when compared to the regular variant.

May 21st, 2019 1:53 pm

#3

poleman: Deal Addict; Nov 10, 2015; 2243 posts; 853 upvotes; Monte Creek, BC

May 21st, 2019 1:53 pm

With the reputation Mini Coopers have for unreliability, you might want to consider another make.

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May 21st, 2019 2:11 pm

#4

koffey: Deal Guru; Oct 6, 2010; 14433 posts; 8821 upvotes; Toronto

May 21st, 2019 2:11 pm

My buddy is on his 2nd cooper countryman s all4 and never had a problem. Regular oil changes, nothing more. I think these are pretty reliable and I like the mini, but after seeing his new one that he just picked up, it's no longer a mini. Thing is massive. Can't comment on the hybrid but I think the countryman S is a great car with average fuel economy and a insane price tag for what you get. If that floats your boat, ride the water.

Quite a few number of folks here have the volt, my other buddy's just passed 100k without issue. Some people say there's an issue with the shifter. Maybe a prius, but if you're saying the camry is blah...

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May 21st, 2019 2:20 pm

#5

TheTall: Sr. Member; May 2, 2017; 792 posts; 1019 upvotes

May 21st, 2019 2:20 pm

Is the Cambridge to Toronto commute a daily thing? That's about 200km a day... the 19km electric range on the Mini won't help a whole lot. You probably should run the numbers for a Tesla, it's only about $10k to get the SR+ Model 3 over the Mini, but if you're doing 1000km a week commuting, that difference would be made up quickly in gas savings.

+1

May 21st, 2019 2:48 pm

#6

derass: Deal Addict; Sep 8, 2017; 4022 posts; 4155 upvotes; GTA

May 21st, 2019 2:48 pm

I would think that for long trips you'll want something bigger than a Mini. Both for personal comfort and cargo.

May 21st, 2019 2:51 pm

#7

mr_raider: Deal Expert; Feb 29, 2008; 25971 posts; 3265 upvotes; Montreal

May 21st, 2019 2:51 pm

koffey wrote: ↑ My buddy is on his 2nd cooper countryman s all4 and never had a problem. Regular oil changes, nothing more. I think these are pretty reliable and I like the mini, but after seeing his new one that he just picked up, it's no longer a mini. Thing is massive. Can't comment on the hybrid but I think the countryman S is a great car with average fuel economy and a insane price tag for what you get. If that floats your boat, ride the water.

Quite a few number of folks here have the volt, my other buddy's just passed 100k without issue. Some people say there's an issue with the shifter. Maybe a prius, but if you're saying the camry is blah...

Did your buddy own them beyond the warranty period? Or was it just leases

May 21st, 2019 3:02 pm

#8

koffey: Deal Guru; Oct 6, 2010; 14433 posts; 8821 upvotes; Toronto

May 21st, 2019 3:02 pm

mr_raider wrote: ↑ Did your buddy own them beyond the warranty period? Or was it just leases

Yeah, good point, 4 year leases.

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May 21st, 2019 3:10 pm

#9

Rooster77 [OP]: Newbie; Dec 23, 2002; 39 posts; 13 upvotes; Cambridge

May 21st, 2019 3:10 pm

TheTall wrote: ↑ Is the Cambridge to Toronto commute a daily thing? That's about 200km a day... the 19km electric range on the Mini won't help a whole lot. You probably should run the numbers for a Tesla, it's only about $10k to get the SR+ Model 3 over the Mini, but if you're doing 1000km a week commuting, that difference would be made up quickly in gas savings.

Hhmmmm, I'll have to actually check out the Tesla model 3, the commute to Toronto is 5 days a week. That's where the 2019 Rav4 that is self charging is an interesting concept, but you do of course sacrifice fuel mileage to charge your battery back up.
I have a hard time getting over, or feeling completely independent of Fuel....as odd as that sounds, but we have family in Sudbury, will be driving to Ottawa, so I like the idea of being able to just use Gas if that's all that there is, or not being held back from just "going" but for just the daily commute, even that short range of the all electric brings the combined avg.fuel economy right down. The Hybrid mini has a combined of 3.6L/100km of course that is I assume for a fairly short trip. I think the fuel alone is somewhere around the 6L/100km if I am not mistaken.

May 21st, 2019 3:12 pm

#10

Rooster77 [OP]: Newbie; Dec 23, 2002; 39 posts; 13 upvotes; Cambridge

May 21st, 2019 3:12 pm

derass wrote: ↑ I would think that for long trips you'll want something bigger than a Mini. Both for personal comfort and cargo.

With still having the Camaro and a truck, one small compact that would be used mostly for commute wouldn't be of concern. The mini is actually quite comfortable as well...just no cargo space to brag of.

May 21st, 2019 3:23 pm

#11

williamsauga: Deal Addict; Jan 22, 2009; 2097 posts; 1003 upvotes; Montreal

May 21st, 2019 3:23 pm

May 21st, 2019 4:44 pm

#12

spike1128: Deal Fanatic; Oct 7, 2010; 9654 posts; 1692 upvotes

May 21st, 2019 4:44 pm

TheTall wrote: ↑ Is the Cambridge to Toronto commute a daily thing? That's about 200km a day... the 19km electric range on the Mini won't help a whole lot. You probably should run the numbers for a Tesla, it's only about $10k to get the SR+ Model 3 over the Mini, but if you're doing 1000km a week commuting, that difference would be made up quickly in gas savings.

The OP's wife is pretty much spending all her time in the car. The gas and time and stress not even worth it, just as well sell the house and move closer to Toronto. Especially is going to be a long term gag.

You are right about the Tesla. Hybrid doesn't get great numbers on the highway anyways. Hybrid work well in stop and go traffic where you allow energy recovery during slow down on the lights.

+1

May 21st, 2019 5:09 pm

#13

mbg: Deal Guru; Apr 4, 2001; 11646 posts; 506 upvotes

May 21st, 2019 5:09 pm

williamsauga wrote: ↑

Reason #1: It looks like a clown shoe.

May 21st, 2019 5:13 pm

#14

Nev0513: Member; Nov 7, 2017; 239 posts; 191 upvotes; Toronto, ON

May 21st, 2019 5:13 pm

mbg wrote: ↑ Reason #1: It looks like a clown shoe.

I 100% agree with this. I find these the ugliest vehicles on the road today, next to the Prius V.

But OP said Camry Hybrids and Accord Hybrids are boring, I wonder what makes these fun..

May 26th, 2019 5:32 am

#15

Rooster77 [OP]: Newbie; Dec 23, 2002; 39 posts; 13 upvotes; Cambridge

May 26th, 2019 5:32 am

Ok, so have switched up now to looking more at the 2019 Lexus UX 250h. Also small, but we like that, quite fuel efficient, reasonably priced and I sure the build quality will be more in line with what we would expect from Toyota

May 26th, 2019 9:37 am

#16

alanbrenton: Deal Expert; Apr 21, 2004; 54488 posts; 19321 upvotes

May 26th, 2019 9:37 am

I think the base ux250h has all the features I want except for a manual liftgate.

The lexus site is wonky. It lists things as standard only to include then in upgrade packages though.

May 27th, 2019 10:01 am

#17

koffey: Deal Guru; Oct 6, 2010; 14433 posts; 8821 upvotes; Toronto

May 27th, 2019 10:01 am

mbg wrote: ↑ Reason #1: It looks like a clown shoe.

So what do you consider the z3? Rebook pump?

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May 27th, 2019 12:42 pm

#18

esoxhntr: Deal Addict; May 17, 2012; 2522 posts; 1352 upvotes; ontario

May 27th, 2019 12:42 pm

if you do a lot of long distance i would go diesel.

ie. cruze or maybe get the new silverado diesel (or colorado diesel if the size suits you better, my colorado gets 6.9 / 100 hwy) . i'm thinking of trading it in on the silverado diesel

the cruze diesel sedan is rated at 4.9 / 100 hwy.

Last edited by esoxhntr on May 27th, 2019 6:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.

+3

May 27th, 2019 12:49 pm

#19

EP32k2: Deal Expert; Jan 15, 2006; 15709 posts; 13449 upvotes; Richmond Hill

May 27th, 2019 12:49 pm

A hybrid is the last car you should be looking at for highway driving. You’ll be paying a premium for nothing. Lexus rates the UX250h at 6.2L/100kms. That’s pretty crap considering I get 6.5L/100kms doing 120kms/h and if I did 100 I’m under 6L/100kms in a X3 diesel with useless 19” wheels lol.

+1

May 27th, 2019 4:23 pm

#20

alanbrenton: Deal Expert; Apr 21, 2004; 54488 posts; 19321 upvotes

May 27th, 2019 4:23 pm

Didn't know the X3 diesel was that fuel efficient!

Maybe the iX3 will be great as well.

+1