Mini Cooper's slogan is "Let's Minimize!" They're small, cute — and fuel-efficient. How about no fuel at all? Well, no gas , at least for about 12 miles. That's how far you can drive the new Mini Countryman plug-in hybrid on the batteries before the gas-burning engine steps in — until you can plug in again.
What It Is
The Countryman, Mini's five-door hatchback wagon, goes both ways: gas or electric. It can't go as far on electricity as some other plug-in hybrids, such as the Toyota Prius Prime, Chevy Volt and new Kia Niro plug-in hybrid. But it's much quicker than they are, which will appeal to buyers who like to go when they push on the gas.
It also comes standard with all-wheel drive, which none of those three offer.
Base price is $36,800.
What's New
The Countryman hybrid is Mini's first plug-in hybrid.
In addition to its gas-electric drivetrain, this model gets hybrid-specific gauges and trim. It's equipped similarly to the high-performance John Cooper Works, or JCW, version of the Countryman — and nearly s quick, too. But unlike the JCW, you can go fast without burning gas.
What's Good
It's not slow.
It goes in the snow.
It has the same room inside as the non-hybrid Countryman (the batteries don't consume the cargo space).
What's Not So Good
The gas tank is small — just over 9 gallons, compared with 16 for the non-hybrid. This makes it seem thirsty when running on gas.
The price is significantly higher than that of rivals like the Kia Niro hybrid ($27,900 to start).
Like all plug-ins, it takes several hours to fully recharge, which can be inconvenient if you haven't got several hours to wait.
Under the Hood
On the gas-burning side, the Countryman hybrid relies on the same 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine that propels the standard (non-hybrid) Countryman. It has 134 horsepower on its own. This is supplemented by a 7.6-kilowatt battery pack and electric motor for a combined output of 221 horsepower and 284 foot-pounds of torque.
That's about the same power as the JCW Countryman with the larger 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine touts (228 hp). Both accelerate from zero to 60 mph in just under six seconds.
But the JCW has to burn gas whenever it runs, even when it's not running fast. The plug-in hybrid can be driven at normal road speeds for about 12 miles without burning any gas at all.
On the Road
The hybrid Countryman stands out among its peers because it performs. Its zero-to-60 time is several seconds quicker than others in its class like the Kia Niro plug-in hybrid. Mini is trying to let you have your cake and eat it, too.
Which this car allows — with one exception.
If you run out of juice, you'll run out of gas fairly soon. That's because of the Mini's very mini gas tank. It runs dry fairly fast — even when you're averaging close to 30 mpg as I did during my weeklong test-drive.
It's not that this mini is thirsty. It just seems as though it is sometimes.
At the Curb
Mini dresses the Countryman hybrid like its fellow Countrymen, with just a few cosmetic and functional differences between it and the others.
There's the plug-in port for the electric hookup on the driver's side fender. Inside there's a hybrid-specific instrument cluster and hybrid menu options for the large center LCD display that can be selected via the rotary knob input on the center console.
You can adjust the climate control and other settings to minimize energy consumption, and as in other hybrids, Mini includes a coaching monitor that helps you learn to drive in such a way as to maximize range on a full charge.
One of the neatest things about the hybrid Mini, though, is that it has about the same room inside as the non-hybrid Countryman — the gas tank except.
It's not uncommon for hybrids, especially those that did not begin life as hybrids but were converted into them after the fact — to give up cargo room for the sake of finding room for the batteries.
The result is usually a very small trunk.
But the hybrid Countryman's capacities are virtually the same as the regular Countryman's. Both have 17.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row, with the second row in place. Folded, the hybrid has 46 cubic feet; the non-hybrid has 47.6 cubic feet.
It's a hair-splitting difference.
The Rest
Like other Mini models, you can create a very personal Mini by selecting from among the almost endless factory and dealer paint, decal and trim options. This adds to the appeal of these things, whether they burn gas or trundle along silently on the batteries.
The Bottom Line
Burning no gas is neat.
Having fun while not burning it is even neater!
To find out more about Eric and read his past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com. His new book, Don't Get Taken for a Ride! Is available now.
View Comments