A MINI adventure in the Countryman PHEV

It’s hard to name a car more millennial-friendly than the MINI Countryman PHEV. Crossover? Check. Eco-friendly? Check. Fun, quirky image? Check. Built in overhead living quarters to deal with the current rental crisis? Wait, what? Let’s roll back a bit here.

When MINI first approached me with an opportunity to review not just their funky Countryman, but to also sample what it would be like to live in (on?) one fitted with a pop-up Autohome roof box, I jumped at the chance. Bear in mind it was summer at the time, there was lots of festivals on, and I’m also one of those people who likes to think I’m a bit more outdoorsy than I actually am.

I set about making plans, looking up coastal campsites and invited my good friend and colleague Denise Smith in the Sunday World along for the adventure. This was back in August. Then for some reason or another we had to push our plans back by a couple of weeks. Then again, once more until suddenly, it was November. It’s funny how a long hot summer makes you forget that seasons change, and that this was possibly not ideal. Still, we were committed now and had to see it through. We are not (complete) strangers to camping. We spent three days battling blizzards in a Volkswagen California in Norway last year so we figured one night in a plush little pop-up tent wouldn’t kill us.

The first blockade was trying to find a campsite that was still open. Most shut for the winter, which is quite understandable. After several phone calls we eventually found one that caters for year round campers in Tipperary, situated in the beautiful Glen of Aherlow.

I collected the MINI Countryman that morning, a handsome thing decked out in ‘melting silver’, black racing stripes and a mean set of 18 inch alloy wheels. The roofbox perched on top looked so at home you’d be forgiven for thinking it came as standard fit. It’s the type of car you’d sit behind in traffic wondering about the lifestyle of the people inside. A free-spirited couple off to stay on a beach and make a picnic with veg they grew in their own garden? It was aspirational, and I couldn’t wait to make people wonder too.

We loaded up the boot – a decent size at 405l, but already quite full with camping supplies kindly supplied by MINI Ireland, so we still had to drop the back seats to accommodate the rest of our luggage. Though to be fair, that said more about our poor packing skills than the cars practicality, with way more footwear involved than was necessary for an overnight trip.

The MINI Countryman PHEV has a fully electric range of 42km when fully charged. If that covers your commute then it could greatly reduce the cost of your motoring. There are none of the perceived restrictions of a full EV as the electric motor runs in conjunction with a normal 1.5l turbo charged petrol engine. As is the premise of all Plug-in Hybrids, it aims to offer the best of both worlds.

The 42km range was pretty much gone by the time we got on the motorway to begin our 200km trip, and with no time to stop off and charge (we didn’t fancy our chances trying to set up camp in the dark), we had accepted that it was petrol power that would take us to Tipp. Only slightly louder in the cabin than on full EV mode, it was a pleasant journey down. It might be a lot bigger than a MINI Hatch but the Countryman still has that unmistakeable planted MINI feel that makes you want to take on corners and windy country roads with fervour.

The jukebox style infotainment system kept us entertained with its flashing mood lights, and the SatNav kept us on the right track with its clear and timely directions. The heated seats came in handy as we landed in Munster and the temperature dropped as night threatened to fall. The first few drops of rain hit the windscreen just as we were leaving Tipperary town – the first sign that we might be in for a rougher night than we expected.

We were greeted at the Glen of Aherlow Campsite by a lovely man called George in a Smart Car. He showed us around the site and told us to pick a spot. We didn’t have much competition from other campers, funnily enough and the place was pretty quiet, save for us and a few more brave souls. George cheerfully advised us not to park near any trees lest they fall on top of the car and kill us during the night and went off on his merry way.

The wind was really picking up now so we decided to park up and set up our makeshift bedroom straight away before conditions got any worse. Luckily enough, setting up the Autohome is a pretty fool proof process. Unbuckle a few latches, give it a very gentle push and Bob’s your uncle – home sweet home. (Watch the video below for a demo).

A retractable ladder is supplied inside which can be secured to the base of the Autohome before you climb in. The brightly coloured interior is made of a breathable Airtex material designed to keep it well ventilated without letting too much heat escape. We laid out the sleeping bags and extra blankets we’d brought and turned on the clever removable light attached to the ceiling to survey our handiwork. Sure, it was minimalist, but spacious enough not to feel claustrophobic. The only cause for concern was the slowly worsening whistling of the wind outside which made the as yet unsecured door flaps rattle violently.
The original plans of sitting around a campfire toasting marshmallows and singing songs with other campers were dashed by the weather, and the lack of other campers.
We decided there wasn’t much else to do except find the local pub. A few pints later and suddenly the prospect of sleeping on top of car in a thunderstorm wasn’t such a scary prospect. We managed to find our way back to the car and up the ladder without incident and fell asleep within minutes.

I’d love to say we both woke up fresh as a daisy the next morning but alas, that was not the case. The wind came back with a vengeance a couple of hours later when both the drink and novelty had long worn off. A helpful weather report on my phone told us that the area was now under a yellow weather warning alert, with wind speeds of up to 35km an hour slapping against the tent outside. The cold we were so worried about all day was not an issue, and the Autohome managed to hold in heat impressively well. But the noise of the wind outside made it impossible to sleep and the sides of the roofbox shook so bad at times that I found myself googling ‘roofbox blown off car’ to make sure we weren’t going to end up airborne.

Morning came eventually and we both conceded that we must have drifted off for a couple of hours at least, but outside the rain was still pouring down. More cancelled plans as the morning hike we had planned looked more likely to be a swim at this stage. Disheartened, we flattened the roofbox (again, very easy to do) and asked the MINI to take us back to Dublin. We’d tried camping, and on this occasion, failed.

Reflecting on the way back home we both agreed that under other conditions, the Autohome would have been the perfect companion, and the fact it kept us alive that night and protected from the elements was a testament to its durability. Now at €3,000 it is quite a hefty investment, but for the hardcore campers out there and Festival regulars it’s a fun and handy alternative to grim campsites and messing about with pegs and poles.
Would we go camping in it again? Sure. Just not in November.

Find more information on the MINI Autohome here.