You might be surprised with the Countryman 1.6L 4ALL used values right now
Sometime in March 2011 BMW Malaysia launched a 4 door Mini with ‘SUV’ like styling. Priced new from RM248k it sat higher than the regular 2 door Mini and it looked more like an oversized hatchback on steroids.
It’s raised ground clearance and SUV-style design elements might have made it look a little overweight but it was an instant sales hit with single women and even families looking for a fun premium vehicle with loads of character.
Visually there is no mistaking the Mini Countryman as a product of Mini. The exterior is filled with typical Mini detailing and the large 17-inch alloy wheels (on the Cooper S variant) fills into the large fenders with ease. There rear doors open wide and seating position is high in the rear. Luggage room is decent but lacking if you take a family holiday with the rear seats in use.
The interior is shared with the rest of the Mini range and there will be hard plastics that might have scratches after 10 to 13 years in use, but there should be no cracked pieces unless abused be previous owners.
in the rear you get a proper ISOFIX ready seats for the family. Get into the driver’s seat and you are greeted by a retro style cockpit and an almost over-abundance of buttons and toggle switches.
The dash layout and centre console is very driver-focussed and the driver and front passenger is separated both visually (and physically) by a dominant centre console area. Entry into, and out of, the Countryman is easy with its high roofline. Move into the rear and there is a centre rear arm rest with cup holders.
Right now with used prices hovering between RM45,000 to RM59,000 for this first version of the Countryman, it is hard to ignore. Right? This is an easy 75 to 80 percent depreciation over 13 years.
Because of its height, there is plenty of headroom, although leg and foot room was a bit tight for tall passengers. The 60:40 split-fold rear seats allows for extra luggage space. There is a cargo net to keep things secure and a cargo cover to keep things out of sight from prying eyes.
On a test drive, if allowed by the seller, its 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine (Cooper S) should be smooth in its power delivery and gearshifts should not be felt and there should be no hesitation. If no test drive (a slow ride at least a must to determine steering condition and gear change smoothness) is allowed then best to walk away. Cars like this need to be test driven to check the gearbox and steering conditions.
There should be minimal wind or tyre noise and the suspension if all still good should be compliant over most our city roads irregularities. Remember, this is still a Mini despite its length and height and so its should take a corner like its on rails and the jiggle harsh ride is the trade-off if you can live with it.
For us, we will look at installing higher profile tires which will change all this and give this Mini a pliant comfortable ride on our very common uneven city road surfaces.
There are many to choose from in our online classifieds and a variety of colours.
MINI Countryman 2011 Model Specifications
Engine: 4-cylinder Turbo 16v (non-Turbo for Cooper)
Capacity: 1598cc
Power: 184bhp @ 5500rpm (120bhp for Cooper)
Torque: 240Nm @ 1600-5000rpm (Overboost) 260Nm @ 1730-4500rpm (160Nm for Cooper)
Transmission: 6-speed with manual steering gearshifts
0-100km/h: 7.9secs (11.6secs for Cooper)
Top speed: 225km/h (182km/h for Cooper)
Price When New: RM285,888.00 (RM248 for Cooper)
