Compare to a Countryman?

Now that several of you have been able to test drive an X1, has anyone here compared it to the Countryman? The comparative price difference for the configuration we'd want in either car is $38k on the X1, $31k on the Countryman S. Obviously there is a difference in power and FWD vs RWD (for what we're considering), but to me the two are pretty comparable in terms of size. Thoughts?

My wife and I test drove the Countryman last summer before ultimately buying her Q5. It was the car she really wanted to like, and the car we were most disappointed with. The ride was harsh, the seats were hard, and there were multiple squeaks and rattles in the cabin. The interior was unique with some clever details, but it simply wasn't comfortable. It was so bad it finished behind the Venza in her final rankings! Like I said ... disappointing. I certainly hope the BMW is in an another class, because I won't be taking delivery if it isn't.

Wow, so below a Venza huh? Well I've driven MINIs in the past and have always like the quirkiness and have fortunately never been plagued by the squeaks and rattles so many other people seem to have problems with, so this will definitely be something we'll need to really think about. Thanks for the info!

Countryman much shorter than X1 so has very limited trunk space when rear seats are up and moved back.
It's ok for max of 3 people on long trip if you fold one of the rear seats.
I have countryman for 9 months and I like it's compact size as we pack lite.

Sports seats are on the hard side, but ok for 6 hours drive.

If you thinking buying Countryman you should get S model, as base trim is really underpowered.
Also skip sunroof option as it major source of rattles.

How have you found its reliability?

Originally Posted by RVExotics

How have you found its reliability?

I had 2 issues so far: thermostat replaced after 1 month and gas tank valve fixed today.

For comparison I had thermostat replaced twice on my last BMW while under the warranty.

Originally Posted by HotRodW

My wife and I test drove the Countryman last summer before ultimately buying her Q5. It was the car she really wanted to like, and the car we were most disappointed with. The ride was harsh, the seats were hard, and there were multiple squeaks and rattles in the cabin. The interior was unique with some clever details, but it simply wasn't comfortable. It was so bad it finished behind the Venza in her final rankings! Like I said ... disappointing. I certainly hope the BMW is in an another class, because I won't be taking delivery if it isn't.

Felt the same way after driving a Countryman S. Loved my Cooper S but the transition to the Countryman was a big letdown. The engine was overtaxed (even with a manual), it was noisy, lots of squeaks, ride was unsettled and it just wasn't a car I liked driving/being in. Bummer.

Hmm, well I haven't driven one myself yet so I'll reserve final judgment for that. Looks like we're going to pull the trigger on an X1 sometime in the next few weeks, so I'll have a little while to ponder getting back into a MINI. I wonder when the new Cooper will be released? Surely within the next two years since the R56 has been running since 2007.

The main reason I went for MINI is that it's the only AWD SAV available with MT.
(there is also Porsche Cayenne, but it's in different price/size category)