Favor a Head-Turner? Buy a Used MINI Countryman for the Price of a Proton X50

• Brief Recap on Prices
• Quick Run-down on MINI Countryman Specs
• Interior Features
• Safety Features
• Recap of MINI Countryman Used Car Prices
• A Fair Price to Pay
• Which MINI Countryman Model to Buy?
• Pros and Cons of a MINI Countryman
• How Much to Maintain?
• What Are the Common Problems?
• The MINI Countryman Is One of the Best Handling SUV
• Buy CARSOME Certified for Peace of Mind

The success of the MINI brand is underpinned by their fun and nimble 3-door hatchback – the MINI Cooper, but for a long time, it was never for family buyers. Fast-forward to 2011, the MINI Countryman was the brand’s first proper family-sized crossover. Codenamed R60, the MINI Countryman was available in two variants in Malaysia, the MINI Cooper Countryman, and the MINI Cooper S Countryman. Both run on a 1.6-liter engine, with the engine in the Cooper S Countryman being turbocharged. Both are mated to a six-speed automatic transmission (gearbox).

Brief Recap on Prices

MINI Countryman pre- and post-facelift exterior comparison

MINI Countryman pre- and post-facelift interior comparison

Quick Run-down on MINI Countryman Specs

Initially, the MINI Cooper S Countryman was offered as an all-wheel drive variant in Malaysia or in MINI’s marketing terms – MINI ALL4 system. A year later after its launch, the Cooper S Countryman was introduced in a front-wheel drive variant. The non-turbocharged Cooper Countryman on the other hand, was also front-wheel drive.

The MINI Countryman facelift was launched in 2014, receiving subtle exterior changes such as a new dual-bar grille for the Cooper Countryman while the more expensive Cooper S Countryman received a new grille with a horizontal chrome strip across. The Cooper S Countryman also received an “S” badge, denoting the Cooper S variant.

Moreover, the Cooper S Countryman facelift received xenon headlights (same as before), LED Daytime Running Lights (DRLs), and LED fog lights while the cheaper Countryman got regular halogen bulbs with no DRLs. Furthermore, the Cooper S Countryman retains the same 18-inch “Turbo Fan” rims as before while the Cooper Countryman was given a new set of 17-inch triangle spoke rims.

Interior Features

If you prefer leather seats, your only option is the Cooper S Countryman as the cheaper Countryman got fabric seats. As standard, both variants get push-start button, a multi-function steering wheel, cruise control, auto headlights, auto wipers, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, and an all-new infotainment system known as MINI Visual Boost with a 6.5-inch LCD screen and MINI Connected functionality that allows you to connect your phone. The speedometer and rev counter are also in dark gray (pre-facelift was in white). Besides that, the Cooper Countryman received an updated switchgear as well as improved cabin insulation.

MINI Countryman pre- and post-facelift infotainment system comparison

MINI Countryman pre- and post-facelift rev counter comparison

Safety Features

Safety wise, both variants received six airbags, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) with traction control, Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), and Hill Start Assist (HSA).

Here’s a detailed explanation of what these safety features mean:

• Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) and Traction Control System (TCS) – help prevent the car from losing control and help the driver to regain control of the car. They also reduce the risk of a rollover (when the car overturns).
• Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) – prevents the tires from locking up and skidding when sudden braking. It allows the driver to steer the car to safety.
• Hill Start Assist (HSA) – prevents the car from rolling backwards, gives the driver several seconds to move their foot from the brake pedal to accelerator pedal when moving from a standstill on a slope.

Recap of MINI Countryman Used Car Prices

A Fair Price to Pay

The price of a used MINI Countryman in Malaysia varies depending on the year, variant, condition, and mileage of the car. At the time of writing this article, you can get a 2012 pre-facelift MINI Cooper Countryman for as low as RM66,000 while a 2011 pre-facelift MINI Cooper S Countryman is as low as RM72,800.

On the other hand, a 2015 MINI Cooper Countryman facelift is going for sale in the used market for as low as RM108,800 while a 2015 MINI Cooper S Countryman facelift can be had for as low as RM118,800. It’s clear that the MINI Cooper S Countryman holds its resale value much better so this is something to consider when surveying for a Countryman.

A fair price to pay would be between RM75,000 to RM95,000 for a pre-facelift MINI Countryman while a post-facelift MINI Countryman would be between RM90,000 to RM125,000.

With CARSOME Certified Lab being Southeast Asia’s largest car refurbishment facility with state-of-the-art equipment, CARSOME promises to deliver quality-assured cars that have safety beyond standards, complete comfort, and refurbished aesthetics.

From our website, you can get a 2013 MINI Cooper Countryman for RM94,900 with a mileage of 55,284 KM. With a 10-percent down payment, you’re looking to pay an estimated sum of RM1,040 per month for nine years.

Which MINI Countryman Model to Buy?

We recommend getting the MINI Cooper S Countryman, whether it is the pre- or post-facelift model as the Cooper S Countryman gets you the turbocharged engine. With more than 180 horsepowers, the car is eager to rev up to speed allowing for easy overtaking and spirited driving whenever you want. The Cooper S Countryman also gets you leather seats and sportier 18-inch “Turbo Fan” rims.

If your budget fits, the post-facelift MINI Cooper S Countryman is a better option as MINI would usually have addressed some of the complaints by the pre-facelift owners.

Pros and Cons of a MINI Countryman

How Much to Maintain?

As preventative maintenance, it is recommended to put your turbocharged Cooper S Countryman through a carbon cleaning service in order to keep the engine clean of carbon deposits (soot), especially when the mileage is near the 100,000-kilometer mark.

In fact, a good rule of thumb is to replace all the fluids in a used car after collection as fluids deteriorate overtime. Nonetheless, if your budget doesn’t allow it, then doing a minor service when you get the car is good enough.

However, with CARSOME Certified Lab being Southeast Asia’s largest car refurbishment facility, CARSOME promises to deliver quality-assured refurbished cars. As standard practice, we’ll replace the lubricant oil during and service the air conditioning during refurbishment.

Check out how CARSOME takes the worry out of buying pre-owned cars here.

What Are the Common Problems?

Apart from regular service and maintenance of the engine and the gearbox (which does keep the car problem-free) there are a few common problems with the MINI Countryman that you should be wary of.

The MINI Countryman Is One of the Best Handling SUV

Although the MINI Countryman is an SUV, it still retains a lot of what the MINI brand is well-known for – it’s a fun and nimble car to drive, eager to rev you up to high speeds and still retains its go-kart like personality.

Buy CARSOME Certified for Peace of Mind

Here at CARSOME, we believe in creating an end-to-end buying journey to eliminate the concerns of a traditional used car buying experience. CARSOME Certified is the new standard of buying pre-owned cars backed up by our 175-Point inspection together with our CARSOME Certified Refurbishment Process. By creating a trusted used car ecosystem, CARSOME Certified guarantees trust, transparency and choice.

Check out our CARSOME Certified MINI Countryman here.

Check out our wide selection of CARSOME Certified SUVs here.

Check out our CARSOME Certified Cars here.

Written by Devan Sundralingam

Devan is a long-time writer who has dabbled in different fields from media to marketing. He enjoys some virtual driving on Forza Horizon and likes reading about various topics including cars.

Keyword: Favor a Head-Turner? Buy a Used MINI Countryman for the Price of a Proton X50