I still want to see how much a R60 S with 1-3 packages is going to go out the door. I suspect, easily, mid to high 30′s. The typical MINI buyer tends to option their cars. The “bare bones” buyers (like me) are part of a vast minority of typical MINI consumers.

Agreed on all the rest. When it comes to acknowledge the practicality and sheer goodness of a well designed Euro station wagon, the US is sadly stuck in the middle ages. Just 20-25 years ago, trucks were still consider “farm” vehicles.

First off the base price of the 328i wagon is $36,575. So about $10k more than a MCS Countryman. If you can get $10k off, awesome. But that’s unusual. Why? Because dealers don’t typically keep them in stock because they can’t sell them. Why? I could go on and on about how the American market is not as sophisticated and demanding as other markets but suffice to say, they don’t move that many year after year.

The R60 is the shape and the height (with the features) that many consumers are looking for. And (shockingly) MINI is in business to make money.

All that said I love those wagons….

I have learn from long ago to crack past the marketing spin coming out of the coporate taking head’s mouths. They will spin it and spin it until blue in the face. That’s the job of marketeers and that’s what they get paid to do.

Most dealers I have talked to only keep 1-2 328i Sportwagons in stock while their inventory is bursting with unsold X3 and X5s.

even if you are not in the market, go and drive one. I did and can’t get it off my head.

-Me (and I’m a big, 6’7″ guy) -Wife (she’s small) -Kid (she’s small too) -Dog (medium sized dog) -Stuff that comes with having a kid and dog.

We regularly drive 400 miles to see the relatives. We will not buy a minivan, I’m bored to tears with our Honda CR-V, and I don’t like anything else on the market. The wife likes the slightly elevated seating position of our CR-V.

In an ideal world, this car would be in the garage next to a R56 (or R65) Cooper S. I’m happy. My wife is happy. My kid is happy. My dog is happy.

I would guess that I am not alone in these needs/wants. So…my apologies to you who equate the R60 to a minivan. I am sorry if my needs justify pounding that stake into Sir Alec’s heart. But if you think MINI can grow volume without responding to the needs of customers like me, you are just not being realistic.

MINI needs to nail the pricing…and this thing will sell. Fail on the pricing…and they will be in trouble with this model.

After all no matter how small the BMW/MINI SUV is it was designed for little larger families and people who are afraid to drive with even a little moisture on the ground. You know MINI doesn’t make a car for a family of 5, heck maybe the R65 will work. Maybe even then we can get third row seating or maybe even a minivan!

I am sure the overlords at Bigger Motor Works or even the ///Mom division would love nothing more than to finally finish driving a stake through everything Sir Alec believed in.

Sorry but the bigger is better mentality does little but drive the MINI brand further into being just another appliance for the road in my limited view.

• Cooper One Hatch 55KW: 15,200
• Cooper One Hatch 70KW: 16,500
• Cooper One D Hatch: 18,100
• Cooper One Clubman: 18,200
• Cooper Hatch: 19,200
• Cooper One Countryman: 20,200
• Cooper Clubman: 20,800
• Cooper D: 20,800
• Cooper One D Countryman: 22,000
• Cooper Cabrio: 22,500
• Cooper Countryman: 22,500
• Cooper D Clubman: 22,600
• Cooper S Hatch: 23,100
• Cooper D Countryman: 24,200
• Cooper S Clubman: 24,900
• Cooper D Countryman ALL4: 25,900
• Cooper S Countryman: 26,300
• Cooper S Cabrio: 26,500
• Cooper S Countryman ALL4: 27,900
• JCW Hatch: 28,700
• JCW Clubman: 30,500
• JCW Cabrio: 31,350

Here is the placement relative to other models in Germany. If the US follows this pattern, figure the Cooper and S Countryman to be about the price of the convertible models.

Not quite.

• Cooper One Hatch 55KW: 15,200
• Cooper One Hatch 70KW: 16,500
• Cooper One D Hatch: 18,100
• Cooper One Clubman: 18,200
• Cooper Hatch: 19,200
• Cooper One Countryman: 20,200
• Cooper Clubman: 20,800
• Cooper D: 20,800
• Cooper One D Countryman: 22,000
• Cooper Cabrio: 22,500
• Cooper Countryman: 22,500
• Cooper D Clubman: 22,600
• Cooper S Hatch: 23,100
• Cooper D Countryman: 24,200
• Cooper S Clubman: 24,900
• Cooper D Countryman ALL4: 25,900
• Cooper S Countryman: 26,300
• Cooper S Cabrio: 26,500
• Cooper S Countryman ALL4: 27,900
• JCW Hatch: 28,700
• JCW Clubman: 30,500
• JCW Cabrio: 31,350

ah … question answered thx !

The Countryman will be more expensive. And the “doom” of the R60 will be the lack of a true 5 seater option.

The main finding? Cooper models are about 9% cheaper than the dollar conversion says they should be ($19.5K vs $21.3K conversion), and Cooper S models are about 12% cheaper ($23K vs $25.8K).

Applying that same approximate ratio to the Countryman prices, we’d arrive at the following price hierarchy:

Cooper: $19,500 (MSRP) Cooper Clubman: $21,150 (MSRP) Cooper Countryman: $22,500 (est.) Cooper S: $23,000 (MSRP) Cooper S Clubman: $24,750 (MSRP) Cooper S Countryman:$25,500 (est.)

Could spell doom for the clubman. No great loss. I think the Countryman has much more utlility. It could still have a niche market of performance enthusiasts who want a little more room, but don’t want the higher cg of the countryman. But given a choice I’d always opt for the countryman.