I've had an R56 S for a couple of years which I enjoy very much.
Passing the local Mini shop yesterday I spied a Paceman Cooper S All4 outside....and to cut a long story short...was sitting in it on a test drive 15 minutes later.
My impressions:
* Much less ugly than the Countryman.
* Surprisingly nice and "Mini-like" to drive
* Enough headroom inside to wear a top hat
* Slower than the R56 despite same engine (vehicle is about 15% heavier so no surprise there).
* This is a £25k car in it's basic form....but price "north" of £30k when you add Chili and a few options.
Conclusion.....
Absolutely no emotional connection with the car at all so I'll be keeping my wallet in my pocket. Looking forward to seeing the new third generation F56 Cooper S later in the year.
Our S is nearly 3.5 yrs old now and I was toying with the idea of replacing it as there are some good finance deals around right now .... But the thought of the new model on the horizon and consequential low residuals on the current models put me off. Plus, I am quite liking the look of the F56
Personally I don't regard the Countryman and Paceman as proper Minis. If you want to replace you current car then wait a bit and see waht the F56 Hatch is going to be like.
As I said the Paceman is much less ugly than the Countryman, and I can confirm the driving experience is OK....**BUT** I felt no emotional connection with the vehicle at all.
For family reasons I run the Mini and a big boring Volvo. I was hoping a Paceman would be a family friendly compromise to eliminate a vehicle. No such luck.
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