Automobile.com Blog

By: Nathan D. Adlen

It’s so fun; you’ll forget how frugal it is!

Sometimes, a gourmet steak sandwich is far more palatable than a hamburger. Both sandwiches are meat between bread and both satisfy hunger. The steak sandwich is more expensive and, generally superior in taste and satisfaction.

The normally aspirated, 118 horsepower, 1.6 liter Mini Clubman is a steak sandwich compared to the rest of the little hamburgers (Scions, Kia Rios, Honda Fits, etc.). While these burgers are good in their own right, laying down a few thousand dollars more buys so much more happiness – if your load requirements are small…

BMW (the Mini’s manufacturer) is a smart organization that has been patient with the introduction of each Mini model. The Clubman is an interpretation of the older Mini’s stretched wee little panel trucks and carriers. There were a couple of variants spanning several years, all leading to the eventual stretching of the current Mini (which the Clubman essentially is).

This new model uses the same drive bits as the current Mini and the Mini S with the addition of a stretched wheelbase, a reverse opening third door on the passenger side and a dual barn door opening in the rear. There is now a far more usable 3.15 inches of legroom in the rear and better loading space in the way back.

The most notable change to the look comes from the rear barn doors which each have their very own little, itty-bitty windshield washer blade. It’s kind of cool in a “cute” sort of way. Some people do not warm up to the three inches of blocked rear vision because of the barn door’s pillars. It bothered me too – for about 20 minutes. Living in Colorado, I love the idea of having two wiper blades and two heated rear glass panels removing snow and slush.

What makes the new Clubman so cool is how close it is to the regular Mini. The extra length and subsequent weight do not diminish the fun-as-hell ride you get; in fact, I would say that the Clubman feels even better on the highway with its longer wheelbase. Cornering, the Mini’s best attribute, is barely hindered by the additions. I honestly could not tell that there was more weight and length than the regular Mini. The only minor inconvenience was the strain on the little, 1.6 liter engine when merging, overtaking and going up hill. It’s not that bad as long as you keep the car light, but loading it with the whole family saps some of the fun.

To compensate for the loss of power, a turbocharger makes the Mini into a pocket rocket, but it is an expensive upgrade (and I have yet to drive the turbo). Still, the Mini Clubman drives like a champ on city streets and suburban back roads. The extra room merely extends the invitation for fun to a few passengers.

The interior is very similar to the smaller Mini and the best way to describe the control layout is overambitious in the unnecessarily “cute” category and not very intuitive to use. You see, they engineered the climate controls to look like the Mini badge, which is a little over the top. It also inhibits easy access.

My main gripes have to do with price and availability. The Mini Clubman is available in Europe with three seatbelts in the rear, whereas our model is equipped with just two. This removes the Clubman from many potential buyers’ lists as it cannot hold three in the rear in a pinch. I say, why bother with a larger platform if you can’t make use of all of its features?

Also, consider the fact that Mini will not sell the diesel here. Why is that a big deal? Think of it this way, if you needed to have a car that got amazing mileage that easily matched the Toyota Prius, yet performed and looked like a Mini – would you be tempted? I sure would! And the Mini diesel is one of the most frugal power-plants made; we’re talking up to 50 + MPG!

Still, the current Clubman manages to get an excellent mid to upper 20s in the city and mid 30s on the highway. That’s Honda Fit territory, but with a lot more oomph. The turbo gets about 10% less (which is still respectable), but requires premium fuel only.

My final gripe is the price. Now outfitting these Minis is a hoot and it is one of the many bonuses that make them so compelling. However, with a base price just south of $20,000 I think it’s just a hair too much. Not that you’re getting anything less than a quality car for the price, I mean, this IS a baby BMW, but it can get WAY too expensive.

When you have a minute, go to the Mini’s excellent USA website and have some fun outfitting your Mini. Prepare for sticker-shock. I went full bore on a Mini Clubman S and managed to price it over 40K! The one I test drove was only lightly equipped and came in at a marginally cheap $23,000.

You will get so caught up in all of the options and neat additions that you’ll shrug when you see the sweet looking leather interior you want can ONLY go with the unique trim package that it HAS to have (at a $3-4,000 premium). All of this is before you click on the “John Cooper Works Accessories” and get your mind blown by all of the performance upgrades available.

Despite the high prices, I think the driving experience makes any Mini worth every dime. You sit fairly low, but not as low as some of the Hondas from the 80s and 90s. The pedal placement and shifting distances are near ideal and outward vision (other than the 3 inch vertical impediment in the rear) is outstanding.

The exhaust note is frisky and never harsh and there are no notable vibrations in the cockpit. The seats are excellent and worked as well with my chunky 6’2” 240 lb frame as it did with my brother’s wee little 5’5” 130 Lbs frame (no, I’m not adopted – neither was he). After a few miles, you get used to glancing right-center to watch your speed because you constantly feel like you’re moving faster than everyone else.

Through the steering wheel, you get an excellent idea of what the road feels like and what your tires are doing. This has to be one of the best cars I have driven for the sheer seat-of-your-pants sensation. I am beginning to understand why some people opt to keep their families small rather than do away with their Minis.

Cornering is what this car does so well. Even with the smaller 16 inch wheels and tires my tester had, I was able to squirt out of tight corners much faster than I could with sports cars costing three times as much. You get a sense that the tolerance of the Mini for cornering antics is vast and it forgives you by simply pulling its little tail out and shoving its nose a tad forward when you push too hard. Releasing the accelerator is the best way to reel the Mini back and, if you choose the well designed 6 speed Aisin automatic, you just click the paddle shifter back once to settle the car down.

The steering is so quick and turning circle so tight that you can actually pass, spin, rotate and zoom around a lumbering SUV in most parking lots before they get a parking space.

It’s not a question of making an ecological statement with the Mini (people buy the Prius for that). It’s a question of fun, and how much fun you want to have.

With a friend in the back and one in the passenger’s seat, the Clubman can sill hold a cooler large enough for a case of beer, five footballs, eight 12 inch sub sandwiches, three 6 inch sandwiches, a two gallon jug of water, 17 large water guns and a good sized boom-box without encumbering the sight-lines… so I’m told.

The Clubman’s utility is a step up for those who really wanted a Mini, but were frustrated by the lack of space. If you plan correctly and keep your Clubman clutter free, you can use it as a small family car. Loading children into the small passenger’s extra door opening is a bit of a bend, but not impossible.

Large people or non-flexible types may not like the ingress and egress involved with saddling a Mini, but it is easy to load items into the rear. The novel rear barn doors open completely out of the way allowing you load on an easy to access flat floor. Unfortunately, you can not load long items in that would surpass the doors as the rear glass does not fold up. Still, the longer loading area and rear seat is much more utilitarian than the regular Mini’s.

The Mini Clubman is not a perfect car. Yet, it is the lack of perfection that gives many cars their character. In the case of the Clubman, it already has character in how it drives and looks; now with its quirks, the Mini Clubman is unique in a way companies like Scion/Toyota, Honda, GM, Ford and Volkswagen only wish they could copy.

Is there a direct competitor? No, not really. The VW Bug is close, as it is a personality machine right out of the box and you can make them move smartly (but not on the Mini’s level). At the same time, the Bug is essentially a Volkswagen Golf or Jetta wearing different, funky clothes, whereas the Mini and Mini Clubman are based on unique architecture. Many other hatchbacks are out there, but they have a different mission statement. I suppose if you had to compare: take a Honda Fit, VW Bug, Nissan Versa, Chevrolet Aveo, Toyota Yaris, Mazda 3 and a few others for a weekend shootout. In the end, the only thing the Mini would outright win on is “fun to drive” which is enough in my book to win the contest entirely.

At the risk of sounding too complimentary I will say that the Mini Clubman is not for everybody. People with families, more than one big dog or a need to show they still are big, rich and tough with Hummers need not apply. Would I pay the equivalent of two Chevrolet Aveos for one? You bet! Would I trade in my beloved GMC in order to secure the rather hefty down payment? I’m not so sure.

There is no doubt in my mind that Minis make ANY drive fun. With the Mini Clubman, the experience is now a tad more logical. If the price were a bit lower or if there was a third seatbelt in the rear, I would contemplate a conniving way to weasel my way into one without my wife getting too mad.

For now, its existence is like that premium steak sandwich I rarely get to chew on. It is so yummy and well made that I want it all the time. Unfortunately, I can only afford a regular hamburger.

Tags: Car Reviews //