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"Specifications &amp;amp;amp; Ratings &amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;gt; Previous Updates &amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;gt;  Not everyone is born to be an Olympic weight lifter. Case in point: the Mini Countryman. If your DNA dictates that you&amp;#039;re inherently small and built for speed, then why not leave the heavy lifting to the big boys?   Mini Coopers aren&amp;#039;t for everyone; that&amp;#039;s part of the reason we enjoy them so much. They&amp;#039;re supposed to be nimble, spunky and quick. But once you begin deviating from that formula\u2014saddling the vehicle with more mass in the name of passenger space and all-wheel-drive hardware\u2014the nimbleness starts to fade. Combine this with no additional spunk, and suddenly any real driving pleasures effectively neutralized.         2011 Mini Cooper S Countryman ALL4    We hesitate to admit this but here goes: The automatic transmission option might have been a better choice, as it masks the off-line torque deficit of the overwhelmed 1.6-liter engine. Once up to speed, however, there were no complaints with the engine/gearbox package, as this turbo inline-4 has excellent midrange twist and even manages some respectable fuel economy numbers\u201425.8 mpg on average during our test. Because we never had any genuine opportunities to really put the all-wheel-drive system to the test, we&amp;#039;d save the money, weight and mechanical drag if we ever had the chance to test a Countryman again.         2011 Mini Cooper S Countryman ALL4    The dismal rating in the ergonomics/controls category results from a variety of issues. The innovative rail system is a great idea, poorly executed. We found the flimsy accessories difficult to switch out and of little actual use. An attempt to extricate the iPhone/iPod cradle at one point caused it to explode into bits of plastic and tiny coil springs\u2014a perfect start to any morning, really. The cupholders are only slightly less useless, as they don&amp;#039;t fit many cups for the amount of space they occupy. And if you do manage to squeeze a beverage in there, good luck trying to access your window toggle. And, hey, why is your seat heater on now? Turns out the heater button lines up perfectly with taller water bottles.         2011 Mini Cooper S Countryman ALL4    Other small annoyances include the bulky, overhand-grip parking brake that likes to run interference for the center armrest, as well as the digital fuel range arrow that can be mistaken for the gas flap indicator\u2014admittedly only an issue for those who don&amp;#039;t drive their car much or have really bad memory. And even though we didn&amp;#039;t have to pay a cent for repairs, we didn&amp;#039;t like to see exterior chrome trim pieces falling off even before the new car smell disappeared.         2011 Mini Cooper S Countryman ALL4    Despite these shortcomings, the Countryman is the best Mini for grand touring duty. The seats offer decent comfort, and the luggage space is ample as long as you don&amp;#039;t have a full passenger load. Although we didn&amp;#039;t equip our car with the Mini Connected navigation system, the small joystick control interface is a good example of how Mini can provide a simple, elegant, user experience.   From its enormous analog speedometer (mounted on the center of the dash, well beyond the driver&amp;#039;s line of sight), to the toggle controls (that make it all but impossible to crack open your window without rolling it down all the way first), the Mini Countryman is loaded with quirk. Some might call it DNA, that inherent uniqueness that draws buyers to the Mini brand. That&amp;#039;s why there will always be a place in the world for anything Mini makes\u2014the Countryman included.            2011 Honda CR-Z EX Subjective Ratings     Driving excitement   \u00B7\u00B7\u00B7   Engine   \u00B7\u00B7\u00B7   Gearbox   \u00B7\u00B7\u00B7\u00B7   Steering   \u00B7\u00B7\u00B7\u00B7   Brakes   \u00B7\u00B7\u00B7\u00B7\u00B7   Handling   \u00B7\u00B7\u00B7   Touring comfort   \u00B7\u00B7\u00B7   Interior styling   \u00B7\u00B7\u00B7   Exterior styling   \u00B7\u00B7\u00B7   Ergonomics/controls   \u00B7   Luggage space   \u00B7\u00B7\u00B7   Interior Durability   \u00B7\u00B7   Reliability   \u00B7\u00B7\u00B7\u00B7   Fuel efficiency*   \u00B7\u00B7\u00B7   Ownership cost*   \u00B7\u00B7\u00B7   Based on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best.   Delivered price   $34,900   Total resale value at end of test (trade-in price from Kelley Blue Book)   $26,689   Total miles covered in test   18,868   Miles since last report    6921   Average miles per gal.   25.8 mpg     COST, OVERALL &amp;amp;amp; PER MILE   Depreciation, 332 days $8211 Gasoline 730 gal. @ $2943 Additional oil none Routine maintenance $44 Overall cost for 25,901 miles $11,154 Cost per mile 59\u00A2   REPAIRS &amp;amp;amp; REPLACEMENTS   Normal/routine:  Oil change, inspection &amp;amp;amp; tire rotation at 14,728 miles by onboard indicator ($0). Covered under maintenance warranty. Repairs:  At 7539 miles, the check engine light came on and the car intermittently would not start. Faulty fuel tank vent valve replaced under warranty. At 9235 miles, chrome at base of windshield and side glass started to fall off and/or become loose. All replaced under warranty. At about 11,947 miles, the phone cradle snap-in rail accessory self-destructed. No replacement was sought. Recalls:  NHTSA Campaign ID #: 12V008000. Possible issues with the circuit board for the electric auxiliary water pump can cause overheating and lead to vehicle fire. BMW/Mini has begun replacing units from April 2012 free of charge. No issues were encountered with our vehicle. *Road &amp;amp;amp; Track&amp;#039;s Rating Scale     Fuel Economy \u00B7 less than 17 mpg \u00B7\u00B7 17 to 21 mpg \u00B7\u00B7\u00B7 22 to 26 mpg \u00B7\u00B7\u00B7\u00B7 27 to 31 mpg \u00B7\u00B7\u00B7\u00B7\u00B7 more than 31 mpg     Ownership Cost \u00B7 greater than 93\u00A2/mile \u00B7\u00B7 74\u00A2 to 92\u00A2/mile \u00B7\u00B7\u00B7 54\u00A2 to 73\u00A2/mile \u00B7\u00B7\u00B7\u00B7 33\u00A2 to 53\u00A2/mile \u00B7\u00B7\u00B7\u00B7\u00B7 less than 32\u00A2/mile     Ownership cost scale determined by the average cost of Road &amp;amp;amp; Track long-term cars over the past 5 years.        Previous Long-Term Updates - 2011 Mini Cooper S Countryman ALL4      (*Appeared in 05/2012 Issue) (*Appeared in 04/2012 Issue)  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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