2016 Toyota Prius Powertrain and Chassis Details Revealed (Mostly)

We got a warm, cozy feeling after learning more about the 2016 Toyota Prius—warm like the car’s improved exhaust-heat-recirculation system and steering wheel with a heat-absorbing synthetic fabric. Or was it the cup of coffee we just drank?

Either way, Toyota has detailed the fourth-generation Prius’s powertrain and chassis—although not on every point—ahead of our drive of the car next month. Here’s what we now know:

For starters, the 1.8-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder carries over its output ratings of 98 horsepower and 105 lb-ft of torque, although Toyota says it has completely re-engineered the engine. Among the improvements: A higher-capacity exhaust-gas-recirculation system, new intake ports, redesigned coolant passages, and lower-friction piston skirts, and it also now uses a lower-viscosity oil.

The electric drive motor is smaller to save weight and to fit within a smaller transmission case, but it also loses a few ponies and pound-feet. It’s now rated at 71 horsepower and 120 lb-ft, compared to the current model’s 80 horsepower and 153 lb-ft. As we heard last year, this motor will be supplemented by one of two battery packs: a nickel-metal-hydride unit in entry-level models and a more-powerful, more-energy-dense lithium-ion pack for top trims. Toyota shifted the battery from the cargo floor to beneath the rear seats, opening up two additional cubic feet of storage in the hatch. Moving the battery also allowed Toyota to offer the Prius with optional all-wheel drive, called E-Four, that uses a second electric drive motor to spin the rear axle. With only 71 hp and 41 lb-ft to offer, E-Four’s second motor is more of the “bad weather peace of mind” type than, say, something Ludicrous.

The familiar body shape, now punctuated with all manner of Mirai-style slits and creases, is said to be more more slippery, at 0.24 coefficient of drag versus 0.25. Torsional rigidity is up 60 percent thanks to a new ring-shaped frame-rail design, reinforced roof bars, and lower B-pillars, and a “laser screw welding” technique that essentially plugs the gaps between spot welds for a tighter panel fit. Toyota says this should help make the 2016 Prius ride quieter and smoother. High-strength steel now comprises 19 percent of the Prius shell, up from three percent. A new control-arm rear suspension and revised front shocks promise to make the most of the standard 15-inch low rolling-resistance tires. Overall, the new Prius is 2.4 inches longer, 0.6 inch wider, and 0.8 inch lower. The wheelbase remains the same, but the driver now sits 2.3 inches lower and enjoys another 0.8 inch of headroom.

Toyota is talking to those drivers, too. In Power mode, the powertrain monitors for aggressive throttle inputs and higher lateral g’s; if detected, it then will “implement a sportier acceleration and deceleration.” Engineers tuned the ECU software to deliver greater low-rpm kick, and thought it worthy to address brake feel—long a weak point of regenerative hybrid systems—with a new hydraulic booster.

Hyundai and Rockstar Performance Garage Create Burly, Off-Road Tucson for SEMA

Perhaps the last thing anyone expects of the innocuous Hyundai Tucson crossover is actual off-road swagger, so it’s rather amusing to see this SEMA-bound 2016 Tucson festooned in rock-crawling regalia by Rockstar Performance Garage. Think of it as the antithesis of the slammed, Bismoto-modified, 700-hp Tucson “anti-crossover” that will also be on display at this year’s SEMA show.

With black paint, custom bumpers, smoked lights, skid plates, multiple LED bars and light “spikes,” and, of course, an upgraded sound system, the RPG Tucson looks like something Batman might buy his son for his sixteenth birthday. It rides six inches higher than the stock Tucson, with fenders modified to make room for the 32-inch Mickey Thompson MTZ P3 tires wrapped around KMC 17-inch “Bully” wheels. The suspension, meanwhile, gets new 2.5-inch adjustable coilovers and shocks from King Shocks.

Under the hood, new turbo plumbing, a high-flow exhaust and new intake and intercooler systems are among the changes made to the 1.6-liter turbo four. While Hyundai did not specify how much output has been increased as a result of these new bits, it’s safe to say that it produces somewhat more than the stock motor’s 175 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque. As for its all-wheel drive system? No word on any changes to that, so don’t expect to see it creeping though Moab any time soon.

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Will it ever see dirt? Likely not much. The most Hyundai would say is that its Blue Link navigation system “will help the vehicle get to all its events with ease as it tours the country next year.” So if your idea of “off-road” is being loaded on a trailer, that’s probably about as off-road as it’s gonna get.

2016 Kia Optima Priced Optimally for Mid-Size War

Kia has released pricing for the all-new 2016 Optima sedan and—surprise!—it costs the same as it did before. In today’s car-pricing climate, holding or cutting a car’s price is something of a coup, so kudos to Kia on that one. The Kia also undercuts most of its competition, including the Honda Accord, Ford Fusion, Nissan Altima, and the Toyota Camry. Here’s a breakdown of the Optima’s five trim levels—LX, LX 1.6T, EX, SX, and SXL:

Optima LX: $22,665; standard equipment includes a manual six-way driver’s seat, 60/40 split-folding rear seats, cruise control, a driver’s automatic down window, a 5-inch touch screen, a backup camera, Sirius satellite radio, Bluetooth, 16-inch aluminum wheels, and chrome exterior trim. The LX comes solely with a 185-hp 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine and a six-speed automatic.

Optima LX 1.6T: $24,815; as its name implies, the LX 1.6T trades the LX’s 2.4-liter four for a turbocharged 1.6-liter four making 178 horsepower (but 195 lb-ft of torque, 17 greater than the LX’s engine). The turbo is paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. This trim level also adds gray-finished 16-inch aluminum wheels, heated and power-folding side mirrors, acoustic front window glass, auto up/down front windows, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, and pushbutton ignition with keyless entry.

Optima EX: $25,715; curiously, the EX goes back to the LX’s 2.4-liter four/six-speed automatic combo. Otherwise, it adds 17-inch wheels, LED taillights, dual projector-beam headlights, LED running lights, dual-zone automatic climate control, two rapid-charge USB ports (on top of the non-rapid-charging port standard on every other model), a heated steering wheel and front seats, a 12-way power driver’s seat, woodgrain interior trim, and leather seating surfaces.

Optima SX: $30,515; the SX steps up to a turbocharged 2.0-liter four with 245 horsepower and is the range’s sporty variant. As such, the SX adds a sport-tuned suspension, paddle shifters, 18-inch aluminum wheels, dual exhaust outlets, gloss black exterior trim, red-painted brake calipers, adaptive self-leveling HID headlights, and a rear spoiler. Inside, there’s an 8-inch touch screen with navigation, a color screen in the gauge cluster, metal trim, and rear side-window sunshades.

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Optima SXL: $36,615; sharing its turbocharged 2.0-liter four with the SX, the SXL slathers the Optima in options. This means: quilted nappa leather seats, a 10-way power passenger seat, an electronic parking brake, adaptive cruise control, a panoramic sunroof, automatic high beams,  LED reading lamps, heated second-row seats (outboard positions only), and special 18-inch wheels. The safety roster is impressive, too, with rear parking sensors, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, autonomous emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane-departure warning, and a surround-view camera.

2016 Tesla Model X: Tesla's Electric Crossover Finally Spreads Its Wings

It’s called the Tesla Model X, but it should probably be called “Elon’s Headache.” Behold, finally, Tesla’s two-and-a-half-ton electric sport-utility vehicle that shows, in Elon Musk’s own words, that “I think we got a little carried away.” There are those much-ballyhooed “falcon wing” motorized doors with their multiple hinges and a brace of ultrasonic and capacitive sensors to prevent disaster; the self-opening and -closing front doors; the “monoposto” middle-row seats that put their passengers on stout, movable pedestals; a massive wrap-over windshield that necessitated the world’s most unnecessarily complicated sun visors; and a HEPA cabin filter that, says company founder Elon, creates “hospital operating room cleanliness in the car.”

How does the X drive? Like the Tesla Model S on which much of the parts below the floor are based. Spear-sharp steering and governed body roll make for a grace that utterly belies the extra thousand pounds on the Model X’s back. Owners of a Porsche Cayenne Turbo S would recognize the way the car’s acceleration squishes all six (or seven, depending on the configuration) passengers into their seats—and the way it seems to flaunt physics.

In a short drive around a cone course near Tesla’s manufacturing facility, we drove a Model X P90D, the hyperfast version with the so-called “Ludicrous” acceleration mode. Stated curb weight: 5441 pounds. Towing capacity: 5000 pounds. The driver sits high but the bodywork rises such that it just feels like a Model S on jackstands. The different view is up, where a wave of shaded glass flows over your head, standing in for the windshield-header beam and sun visors on most cars. The sun visors attach to the A-pillar and can be stretched across the cabin to magnetic posts to create a sun shield. The windshield, says Musk, is made from seven layers (“like a tiramisu”), and he also figures it’s the largest piece of glass in a production car.

2015 Nissan Murano Platinum AWD

WHAT WE LIKE: This past summer, we liked loading the Murano with people and stuff and taking it on long-weekend excursions. Ride quality is good, and the interior is easily quiet enough for young children to nap­. The rear seat has plenty of room for young and old alike, and there’s lots of cargo room in back. The front seats are particularly comfortable for hauls long and short, and it’s easy to find a good driving position, although some drivers would welcome more thigh support. Pleasing ergonomics, a sensible layout of the controls, and logical display screens minimize driving distraction. The chocolate-brown upholstery and tasteful silvery wood-grain trim lend an upscale ambiance to the cabin. Well-behaved adaptive cruise control, which will bring the vehicle to a complete stop, helps minimize the stress of summer-weekend traffic jams on Michigan’s I-75. A fuel range of 400-plus miles is also a boon.

WHAT WE DON’T LIKE: The continuously variable automatic transmission has come in for a lot of criticism. One editor noted that the Murano“makes a beeline for the lowest possible engine speed. Every time you give it the boot, it moans and bellows its way up to 4000 rpm, sounding like a distressed cow in dire need of milking.” Another driver described the powertrain as “unpleasant,” but features editor Jeff Sabatini opined that the CVT is offensive only when you’re driving the Murano in a sporting manner, which buyers are unlikely to do often, if at all. Murano customers are perhaps more likely to be bothered by the high load floor in the cargo area as well as the somewhat shallow door pockets and the smallish cubbies for stowing road-trip paraphernalia.

WHAT WENT WRONG: Not a thing. The only times the Murano has seen a wrench so far is during its scheduled maintenance visits, which come every 5000 miles. The first service cost $59.59 and was comprised of an oil and filter change, a tire rotation, and an inspection. The second maintenance checkup was identical but cost 34 cents less, thanks to a drop in the price of the oil filter. Add that to the piggy bank.

WHERE WE WENT: Aside from a handful of commutes to northern Ohio, the Murano hasn’t left the state of Michigan. But it racked up thousands of miles going back and forth a total of nine times to various locations in Michigan’s northern Lower Peninsula—Up North as we like to call it—from our home base in Ann Arbor. The Murano visited family cottages, summer camps, resort towns, and even Lake Michigan’s Beaver Island, which is a 32-mile ferry ride from the mainland.

2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

“This is a truck that’s easy to embrace. It knows what it wants to be.”

That is the final line in our entry for the 2015 Chevrolet Silverado in a recent four-truck comparison test, a test in which the Chevy finished second behind only Ford’s newer F-150. As we’ve been saying since the truck debuted for 2014, the squared-off, steel-bodied, leaf-sprung Silverado, on paper, is completely unremarkable. And yet somehow, the assemblage of its entirely unexotic components is something more. For 2016, the Silverado retains its simple hardware but gets a new face, expands the availability of its optional eight-speed automatic transmission, and adds Apple CarPlay integration.

If that list of updates sounds comprehensive, it really isn’t. Besides a newly topographical hood—with more creases stamped into it than seemingly every other body panel combined—and the loss of its stacked headlights, the 2016 looks the same as the 2015. Inside, there’s nary a hint of disturbance, with the dashboard, steering wheel, and seats carrying over unchanged. As we mentioned, there is Apple CarPlay (Android Auto integration joins the party in a few months), and it’s operated via the uplevel 7.0- and 8.0-inch MyLink touch screens. The look of the screens is familiar, although they now share internal hardware with the upgraded units in the 2016 Malibu, which means they respond more quickly to inputs than before.

2016 Honda Civic Sedan: The 10th-Gen Car Is Alive!

The road to recovery can be long—just ask Honda’s Civic. The small-car benchmark for decades, the Civic started to go awry when it transitioned from a normal-looking sedan, coupe, and (occasionally) hatchback to a futuristic, windswept-tadpole-shaped thing in 2006. It wasn’t just the styling that threw us for a loop; the weird two-tiered dashboard and lack of driving zest outside of the hot Si models did the car no favors, and neither did the increasing goodness of the Civic’s competition. But things weren’t truly dire until 2012, when that year’s new Civic became so un-Civic-like as to force Honda into redesigning its redesigned compact sedan for 2013.

If the 2013 Civic was the first step toward recovery, consider the truly all-new 2016 Civic sedan step four. Steps two and three were Honda’s announcements of a new line of twin-cam, VTEC-equipped four-cylinder engines with direct fuel injection and—on some engines—turbocharging, as well as the promise that the U.S. will finally get the ultra-high-performance Civic Type R later in this vehicle generation.

Is There Such a Thing as a Re-Re-Redesign?

Even though we’d already seen this latest Civic in tonal-gray 3D renderings submitted for patent approval and found it quite attractive, somehow in the metal, with paint, and chrome, the finished product looks a little less so, and our staff is divided on whether the car is handsome or awkward. Whatever your take, there’s a lot going on with the Civic’s surfaces, with numerous creases, curves, and scallops decorating its body. Honda managed to remain faithful to the Civic concept’s overall aesthetic (which, by the way, was attractive), but something feels a little lost in translation.

The overall shape is interesting, especially the sedan’s lower roofline (by one inch) and its long silhouette that terminates in a trunklet. But some in our office liken the tail to that of the now-dead Honda Crosstour. Others see a little bit of the 2010 Ford Fusion in the face. Unquestionably, the car’s midsection is perhaps its best component, long and flowing and free of excess cut-lines or stampings. And the new Civic is fairly large—there’s an extra 1.2 inches between its axles and an extra two inches of width compared to the old model—and the car’s design would be notably less successful if its myriad shapes were squeezed onto something smaller.

Crack open one of the Honda’s big doors, and the outlook improves mightily. The Civic’s new cabin is upscale, especially in the top-flight Touring trim, and the instrument panel is arranged in a refreshingly logical manner. Honda’s 7.0-inch touch-screen dashboard display has an improved menu structure and larger on-screen buttons (plus Android Auto and Apple CarPlay integration), and the climate controls are arranged horizontally beneath it, close at hand. The seats are new and less couchlike, and the back-seat area is enormous, with two additional inches of legroom. Gone is the layered gauge cluster of before, in its stead a simple three-pod affair with temperature and fuel gauges on the periphery and a digital panel in the center with a virtual tachometer and a digital speedometer.

Honda’s Engine Development Just Hit VTEC

We aren’t particularly sure why the tachometer is so large, because the vast majority of Civics sold likely will be equipped with the car’s new CVT automatic. A six-speed manual is standard, but with Americans struggling to pay attention to things that aren’t their phones while driving, most new Civics will come with two pedals and not three. In the LX and EX, the six-speed manual and the optional CVT bolt to a naturally aspirated 158-hp 2.0-liter 16-valve four-cylinder with Honda’s VTEC variable valve timing and lift tech. The EX-T, EX-L, and top-spec Touring models utilize a turbocharged, direct-injected 1.5-liter four that also incorporates VTEC and produces 174 horsepower. Sadly, the new turbo four is backed exclusively by a CVT; less sad is that Honda has proven it knows how to make a decent CVT with the latest Accord. And besides, the two engines are far more powerful than the outgoing Civic’s 143-hp 1.8-liter four, and Honda says that the 2016 Civic sedan’s highway fuel economy will top 40 mpg regardless of the engine under the hood.

Honda’s technical updates reach beyond the Civic’s engine bay, with improvements in body rigidity, refinement, and even the seating position. An expanded use of high-strength steel helps stiffen the Civic’s body by 25 percent, says Honda, with 12 percent of the body now employing the stronger steel compared with 1 percent in the outgoing Civic. The doors feature triple seals and the windshield uses acoustic glass to reduce road noise, a key complaint we’ve levied against Civics for years. Underneath, the strut front and multilink rear suspension setups have been retuned, while variable-ratio electric steering, bigger front and rear anti-roll bars, and a new brake-based understeer-mitigation program (the system brakes an inside wheel to help the car turn into corners) promise better handling and, hopefully, a return of the driving fun that once characterized the Civic lineup.

More specifics regarding the Civic sedan’s pricing, fuel economy, and trim-level equipment breakdowns will come later, but there will be a host of new safety features on at least the top-spec Touring model. (Stuff like automatic emergency braking, road-departure mitigation, and adaptive cruise control are on the docket, as are full-LED headlights and taillights.) Oh, and the U.S. lineup also soon will include a five-door hatchback, a coupe, Si versions, and, as mentioned, an ultraspicy Type R variant. Will the Civic’s bold new look, high-tech new engines, and grown-up interior bring its plot back into focus, or will Honda’s stalwart compact sedan continue to flag? We’ll need to drive it to find out for sure, but Honda certainly is hoping its 10th-generation Civic continues the nameplate’s storied history with honor.

2015 Ram 1500 Black Express Review

A large V8. Seating capacity for three. Rear-wheel drive. For years, this combination was the definition of pickup truck, and while this certainly isn’t the norm anymore, these simple, honest trucks are still out there.

FAST FACTS

Engine: 5.7L Hemi V8 with 395 hp and 405 lb-ft of torque. Transmission: Six-speed automatic or eight-speed auto. Fuel Economy: 14 mpg city, 20 mpg hwy, 16 mpg combined. Fuel Economy (CDN): 17.1L/100km city, 12l/100km hwy, 14.8l/100km combined. Price: Starts at about $29,000. About $32,000 tested. Price(CDN): As tested $37,065.

And if you’re looking for one of these at a Ram dealer, you may end up with a simple truck with attitude. I’m talking about the Ram 1500 Black Express.

The Ram Express is one step above the basic Tradesman trim line and brings along 20-inch wheels and body-color grille and bumpers, offering buyers a little more style on Ram’s most basic pickup. If you need a simple work truck with style, the Express is the choice for you, but if you’re interested in flashing a big middle finger to every Corolla driver and scaring Grandma back into her retirement home, the Black Package is a necessary addition.

Tough Looks with an Engine to Back Them Up

Every last bit of the exterior is blacked out, from the badges to the wheels, making this truck look mean and ready to take your lunch money. An optional black tonneau is not only very easy to operate, it gives the tough truck a slick rear-end look.

Our Ram Express backed up its tough looks with an equally mean engine: a 5.7-liter Hemi V8.

The motor churns out 395 hp and 405 lb-ft of torque, sent through a six-speed automatic transmission. An eight-speed auto can be had as well, but or tester wasn’t equipped with the extra two ratios, which isn’t so bad.

The six-speed is smooth, fairly quick, and when sending the Hemi’s grunt through a 3.92 rear axle ratio, this truck is pretty damn fast, giving it aggressive power to match its attitude.

Low-end torque comes on immediately and pulls this rig straight up to highway speeds in a flash, while a deep, delicious rumble emits from the exhaust.

Like always though, the power comes with a price.

Fuel economy in this truck is less than stellar, with official ratings coming in at 14 mpg in the city and 20 on the highway for a combined 16 mpg. The real problem is that the nature of this beast urged my right foot deep into the accelerator often, driving my average fuel economy down to 15 mpg.

Big Rig Drive

Heavily weighted steering offers plenty of feedback and a solid planted feeling, even while cornering. The truck does tend to push wide in high speed corners, which is further accentuated by some light body roll, making the Ram feel like a big rig rolling down the road.

There is no doubt the Ram 1500 doesn’t feel as agile as its main competitors, but towing and hauling weight feels great in this truck, thanks to its heavy nature gluing it to the pavement.

And you can do some heavy hauling with this truck, which is rated to tow up to 10,650 lbs and haul 1,900 lbs worth of payload.

Jumping inside the truck is when you see its basic roots. A single cloth bench seat is present, which can seat three in a pinch and two comfortably. When the center seat is folded down, it offers a large storage console to house all of your stuff, while there is room for some storage behind the bench seat, with a floor-mounted plastic bin ready to house tools or camping supplies.

This truck also forgoes one of Ram’s latest innovations: a knob-operated transmission. The Express opts for a classic column shifter, the only way to go for a truck that is abounding with this much testosterone. There is something special about pulling that column shifter down into ‘D’ that the knob can never capture.

Our tester came with the upgraded 5.0-inch Uconnect infotainment system, which works just as well as the full-size 8-inch display setup. Controls are intuitive and the system operates without lag, hesitation or hiccups.

Everything else about this interior just works. Simplicity is the name of the game and the Ram 1500 Express delivers.

Big Motors for Little Cash

If you’re interested in just a Ram Express regular cab equipped with a V8, you’re l00king at spending a hair under $29,000, a pretty good deal considering you’re getting 395 hp.

Our Black Express Model costs about $32,000 thanks to options like a hitch, trailer brake controller and upgraded infotainment unit.

The idea of paying over $30K for a regular cab pickup truck had me bothered at first, but driving the Ram Black Express for a week convinced me otherwise. Driving this truck makes a huge statement, so big in fact that there are few cars at the same price point that command the same attention. Having that much presence is certainly worth the upgrade.

Both Ford and Chevy sell similar simple trucks. When comparing similarly trimmed trucks with V8 engines, the F-150 XLT goes for about $31,800 while a Silverado LS sells for about $29,000, putting all of these trucks right next to each other in terms of price.

The Verdict: 2015 Ram 1500 Black Express Review

Not just a tough looking truck, the Ram Black Express can put in work when it needs to. You can also pull up to car meets and get just as much attention as the exotic sports car worth twice or three times as much, and in my opinion, it offers the best looks on the road when it comes to pickup trucks.

All that attention for a truck that costs this little is a great value in my books. If you want a pickup truck with more style than the Man in Black himself, you need a Ram 1500 Black Express.

2015 MINI Cooper S Countryman ALL4 Consumer Review

The Countryman is the big dog in MINI’s modern family, but should you add it to yours?

FAST FACTS

Engine: 1.6 L turbocharged four-cylinder engine, 181 HP, 177 lb-ft. Transmission: Six-speed automatic Fuel economy (US): 23 MPG city, 30 MPG highway, 22.2 MPG observed average Fuel economy (CDN): 10.1 L/100 km city, 7.8 L/100 km highway, 10.6 L/100 km observed average Price (US): Cooper S Countryman ALL4 begins at $28,700 after destination charges, $37,850 as tested. Price (CDN): Cooper S Countryman ALL4 begins at $31,605 after destination charges, $38,365 as tested.

A quasi-crossover, the Countryman is the only MINI Cooper to offer five-doors and all-wheel drive in one package. Although the regular MINI Cooper hardtop was new last year, the next generation Countryman has yet to go on sale.

In the meantime, the current Countryman continues to be offered in a myriad of configurations aimed to satisfy almost anyone. Being the most family-friendly of the MINI lineup, we decided you put Amanda, our general consumer, into one for evaluation. We opted for a MINI Cooper S Countryman ALL4 equipped with the six-speed automatic and a few option packages. This is what she thought of this MINI crossover.

The Specs

Even though the Cooper Countryman is the largest MINI offering, it is still rather compact as its overall length of 162.2 inches is just a few inches longer than a Honda Fit. Inside, a tall roof leads to a generous 40 inches of headroom for front and rear passengers, but rear legroom is a cramped 33.8 inches. Rear cargo room is a bit more appealing as 17.5 cubic feet of space is available behind the rear seats, expanding to 42.2 cubic feet with the seats folded down.

SEE ALSO: 2011 MINI Countryman S ALL4 Review [Video]

The Countryman is available with two engine choices, but if the all-wheel drive ALL4 model is selected, so is the more powerful 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine to motivate the car’s 3,208-lb. curb weight. Power from this engine is officially listed at 181 HP and 177 lb-ft. of torque and can be paired to a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic like the one in Amanda’s test car.

Pricing for the MINI Cooper Countryman begins at $23,600 after destination charges while the Cooper S Countryman ALL4 begins at $28,700. As configured, the Countryman pictured here rings in at $37,850 thanks to options like the Cold Weather, Technology and Loaded packages plus much more.

How Does it Drive?

Amanda really enjoyed the size of the vehicle since she likes small hatchbacks, but normally finds they don’t quite suit her needs. Not a fan of normal crossovers, she likes the fact that the Countryman sits somewhere between a normal car height and a compact crossover because it gives her a better view of the road without the large step-in height.

During her extremely cold test week, Amanda didn’t always let the car warm up before starting out on her daily commute and she loved the fact the engine and transmission operated smoothly even in the cold. She also found that the ALL4’s all-wheel drive system works well in snowy, wet conditions and that the brakes are very smooth, even during hard stops.

The View from Inside

Amanda’s first drive in the Countryman was on a very cold morning and although the seat heater warmed up quickly, the rest of the car took a while to follow suit, despite its small size. She finds the driver seat to be comfortable and easy to adjust. She also says the dashboard is a little busy but is laid out quite well, which makes it easy to use on the go.

What She Liked

Initially she didn’t like the looks of the Countryman as it lacks that same cool factor of the regular MINI Cooper hardtop. But, as the week went, on the looks grew on her and she found it still had more style than other stylish tall hatchbacks like the Fiat 500L.

The navigation system takes a little getting used to, but she said it is easy to use once you understand it. The GPS also recalculates fairly quickly which is an added bonus to her.

SEE ALSO: 2015 MINI Countryman Video, First Look

The MINI Cooper Countryman has a short windshield at a fairly upright angle. This means there is a longer roof overhang in front of Amanda which helped block the sun from her eyes enough that she skipped wearing sunglasses more often than normal.

What She Didn’t Like

Amanda’s biggest complaint is how long it takes for the Countryman to heat up on days where the temperature was below -5 degrees Fahrenheit. Above zero, the Countryman warms up much sooner and the super-hot seat heaters don’t seem as necessary. She also wished a heated steering wheel came with the Countryman at the $38,000 price point.

Finally, she said the navigation system starts warning of an upcoming turn earlier than it needs to, something that gets to be annoying quickly.

The Verdict

Overall, Amanda likes the MINI Countryman’s sophisticated feel and refined driving behavior. It’s nice getting into it every day and she would love to own one, but its price is the biggest barrier. As equipped, it’s hard for her to quantify its value. Although cheaper versions of the Countryman do exist, she wouldn’t be as taken with the not-so-MINI without its premium features.