There’s a stretch of corrugated dirt road near my house and when driving the Mini Countryman S - our long-term test car - I approach this section of road with trepidation, with clenched teeth and buttocks. The Countryman is billed as a crossover SUV, but the reality is somewhat different as it has a harsh ride and the daily ritual of slowing down to a crawl on this dirt road makes me appreciate what tough butts the Voortrekkers must have had to cross the Drakensberg in oxwagons.
Although the Cooper S Countryman auto on test has higher ground clearance, a longer wheelbase and more interior room than its siblings, it is front-wheel drive only, while the top-of-the-range all-wheel drive (ALL4) version comes at an eye-watering R415 000. And while it has the turbocharged 1.6 petrol engine which makes any Cooper S such a fun car to drive, there is some turbo lag on pull-away and no low-down grunt for putt-putting over rough terrain.
Part of the problem is that our test car is specced with the optional 225/45R18 runflats.
The low-profile tyres together with the hard suspension making for a teeth-jarring ride. The standard 205/55/R17s should, however, make for a smoother ride quality although the suspension would remain hard.
The Countryman comes in five-door guise and interior space is quite good with ample space up front and a fair amount of room for passengers.
I took the Mini loaded with gear to the dam to go sailing and while the boot space is large by Mini standards, the easiest way to make space was to drop the rear seats, creating a largish load area.
RETRO FEEL
The seats are comfy with some support and finding a comfortable driving position for long stints behind the wheels is a cinch. The cabin retains the retro feel with the large, round speedometer in the middle of the dashboard while the cabin has a classy feel to it. The dashboard is a bit cluttered and the audio system seems needlessly complicated to use with small and narrow switches. We like the aircraft-type switches although they are also a bit on the small side to use while driving and trying to keep your eyes on the road.
Something that I find particularly irritating is the sun visor as it is very short and does nothing to block out the sun when it comes from the side. A simple pull-out extension on the visor would easily fix this problem.
And speaking of the harsh Highveld sun, the netted sunscreen for the sunroof allows too much sun in and although it works in the winter, is unable to do so in summer.
TAUT MINI HANDLING
Despite the added girth, the Countryman S remains a fun vehicle, with typical taut Mini handling on the swoops and tighter corners. Even though it has become a heavier vehicle, the 1.6-litre turbo engine still propels the Countryman fast enough to go from 0-100km/h in just eight seconds.
It has the obligatory Formula One-type steering paddle for changing gears, but the gearbox in Sport mode is smooth and quick-changing and the default mode was to use the auto box.
Although among my colleagues I generally have the lightest foot on the go-fast pedal, the Countryman still hovers in the nine litres per 100km range, even when driving within the speed limits on the open road.
So, would I buy it? Probably not, as the two-wheel drive Countryman is a case of form taking precedence over function and comes with a stiff R365 803 price tag - but without the benefit of any real off-road ability. And for around 60 grand less I could drive the Mini Cooper S hatchback and have just as much fun - if not more.