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Auto Express Car Reviews
MINI Cooper
MINI Clubman Cooper S
We climb in and take the wheel to get the inside story on the new MINI Clubman
By David Ross
September 2007
- Rating:
Legends don’t come much bigger than the MINI. With a cheeky character, good looks and agile handling, it’s an excellent car – and offers style and fun in equally generous measure.
But while it’s proved hugely popular, the model has faced criticism – not least for its lack of cabin space. Passengers in the back endure a real squeeze, while the boot is tiny. Frankly, a MINI is no friend to families.
So, BMW has developed a solution in this: the new MINI Clubman. Building on the standard hatch design, the car has a sporty two-door estate look, yet actually features three doors. The radical body is based on the Shooting Brake concept first seen at the Frankfurt Motor Show two years ago.
Interestingly, the car won’t wear a Clubman badge, in the same way as the original Austin and Morris estate cars never bore the Countryman and Traveller names. Those in the know will point out that the Clubman was the label given to a redesigned Mini in 1969, which aimed to be an upmarket model. That, too, was available as an estate and proved very popular.
BMW will be hoping this new car can repeat its forebear’s success by offering what it describes as a big change from the hatchback.
This isn’t obvious when you see the car head-on, though. Right up to the front doors, everything is standard MINI, including the distinctive upright windscreen, the pillarless doors and those characteristic headlights.
The integrated roof rails hint at the difference, but it’s at the back where things become interesting. The twin van-style doors hark back to the original MINI estate cars. They’re surprisingly convenient, due to their gas-pressure springs, but – as with a commercial vehicle – the right-hand door has to be opened first. The rear of the Clubman looks good, thanks to neat door handles, while silver trim on the rear pillars blends into the tail-light surrounds and on to a bumper strip. As with the roof, this can be specified in non-metallic black.
Sadly, the boot isn’t that impressive. It’s certainly a big improvement over the hatchback’s – the Clubman is 244mm longer than the three-door, which helps boost capacity from 160 litres to 260 litres. As the Cooper S is fitted with run-flat tyres, it has no need for a spare wheel, so extra room is freed up under the boot floor, too.
But there’s still not as much space as in most standard hatches, and the load cover is awkward; it unclips, yet doesn’t roll itself up. Folding the back seats is a one-handle affair, though, and boosts capacity to 930 litres.
Easily the most controversial aspect of the Clubman is the access to its rear seats. This is via a single ‘suicide’ door – and it’s located on the right-hand side. Not only is the layout far from ideal for the UK market, it also hampers practicality and becomes frustrating. The set-up itself is neatly hidden away and helps the MINI retain its clean lines, but getting into the back seats is not easy.
Once seated there, however, you certainly notice the extra 80mm in the wheelbase, as there’s more legroom than in the standard car. It still feels a little cramped, but headroom is adequate and the seats are comfortable.
The Clubman is also the first MINI to get three back seats (although it’s a no-cost option to have only two). The rest of the cabin is identical to the hatchback’s, so buyers get superb build quality and a bold design.
On the move, the Clubman is just as pleasing. It is superbly responsive low down in the revs and feels glued to the road, even under hard acceleration. Great body control inspires driver confidence, and the communicative steering is positive and well weighted. Bends are handled with precision and composure is rarely lost, making the Clubman really involving to drive. As with the standard Cooper S, the ride is firm, but in the estate it feels more forgiving, and the car doesn’t fidget as much over rough surfaces.
The 1.6-litre turbo remains a gem. It has plenty of low-down grunt and happily revs to the red line – although with such good in-gear performance you’ll rarely force it to – while power delivery is smooth and linear. If you don’t need maximum go, you’ll be pleased to hear the regular Cooper starts at £14,235. But the £15,400 Cooper D makes most sense, offering a decent blend of economy and pace.
Equipment isn’t generous, though. Even on our £17,210 Cooper S, air-conditioning is not standard.
With the likes of Peugeot, Renault and Skoda all tackling the supermini estate market, the Clubman will face some tough competition. But while it doesn’t quite have the practicality or space of its rivals, it’s still larger than the standard car – and that’s the key.
For potential MINI customers who were put off by the hatchback’s limited practicality, the Clubman makes great sense – especially those with families. And the brand’s image is still one of the strongest. So it looks as though MINI has another winner on its hands.
RIVAL: PEUGEOT 207 SW GTI
The Clubman doesn’t have many natural rivals. MINI bosses cite a diverse range of cars such as the SEAT Altea and Volvo C30 as possible competitors, although the forthcoming Peugeot 207 SW GTi is perhaps the closest-matched challenger. It is powered by the same 1.6-litre engine, but has more boot space (a total of 1,258 litres) and is expected to cost around £16,000 – which is about £1,000 less than the MINI.
But while it’s proved hugely popular, the model has faced criticism – not least for its lack of cabin space. Passengers in the back endure a real squeeze, while the boot is tiny. Frankly, a MINI is no friend to families.
So, BMW has developed a solution in this: the new MINI Clubman. Building on the standard hatch design, the car has a sporty two-door estate look, yet actually features three doors. The radical body is based on the Shooting Brake concept first seen at the Frankfurt Motor Show two years ago.
Interestingly, the car won’t wear a Clubman badge, in the same way as the original Austin and Morris estate cars never bore the Countryman and Traveller names. Those in the know will point out that the Clubman was the label given to a redesigned Mini in 1969, which aimed to be an upmarket model. That, too, was available as an estate and proved very popular.
BMW will be hoping this new car can repeat its forebear’s success by offering what it describes as a big change from the hatchback.
This isn’t obvious when you see the car head-on, though. Right up to the front doors, everything is standard MINI, including the distinctive upright windscreen, the pillarless doors and those characteristic headlights.
The integrated roof rails hint at the difference, but it’s at the back where things become interesting. The twin van-style doors hark back to the original MINI estate cars. They’re surprisingly convenient, due to their gas-pressure springs, but – as with a commercial vehicle – the right-hand door has to be opened first. The rear of the Clubman looks good, thanks to neat door handles, while silver trim on the rear pillars blends into the tail-light surrounds and on to a bumper strip. As with the roof, this can be specified in non-metallic black.
Sadly, the boot isn’t that impressive. It’s certainly a big improvement over the hatchback’s – the Clubman is 244mm longer than the three-door, which helps boost capacity from 160 litres to 260 litres. As the Cooper S is fitted with run-flat tyres, it has no need for a spare wheel, so extra room is freed up under the boot floor, too.
But there’s still not as much space as in most standard hatches, and the load cover is awkward; it unclips, yet doesn’t roll itself up. Folding the back seats is a one-handle affair, though, and boosts capacity to 930 litres.
Easily the most controversial aspect of the Clubman is the access to its rear seats. This is via a single ‘suicide’ door – and it’s located on the right-hand side. Not only is the layout far from ideal for the UK market, it also hampers practicality and becomes frustrating. The set-up itself is neatly hidden away and helps the MINI retain its clean lines, but getting into the back seats is not easy.
Once seated there, however, you certainly notice the extra 80mm in the wheelbase, as there’s more legroom than in the standard car. It still feels a little cramped, but headroom is adequate and the seats are comfortable.
The Clubman is also the first MINI to get three back seats (although it’s a no-cost option to have only two). The rest of the cabin is identical to the hatchback’s, so buyers get superb build quality and a bold design.
On the move, the Clubman is just as pleasing. It is superbly responsive low down in the revs and feels glued to the road, even under hard acceleration. Great body control inspires driver confidence, and the communicative steering is positive and well weighted. Bends are handled with precision and composure is rarely lost, making the Clubman really involving to drive. As with the standard Cooper S, the ride is firm, but in the estate it feels more forgiving, and the car doesn’t fidget as much over rough surfaces.
The 1.6-litre turbo remains a gem. It has plenty of low-down grunt and happily revs to the red line – although with such good in-gear performance you’ll rarely force it to – while power delivery is smooth and linear. If you don’t need maximum go, you’ll be pleased to hear the regular Cooper starts at £14,235. But the £15,400 Cooper D makes most sense, offering a decent blend of economy and pace.
Equipment isn’t generous, though. Even on our £17,210 Cooper S, air-conditioning is not standard.
With the likes of Peugeot, Renault and Skoda all tackling the supermini estate market, the Clubman will face some tough competition. But while it doesn’t quite have the practicality or space of its rivals, it’s still larger than the standard car – and that’s the key.
For potential MINI customers who were put off by the hatchback’s limited practicality, the Clubman makes great sense – especially those with families. And the brand’s image is still one of the strongest. So it looks as though MINI has another winner on its hands.
RIVAL: PEUGEOT 207 SW GTI
The Clubman doesn’t have many natural rivals. MINI bosses cite a diverse range of cars such as the SEAT Altea and Volvo C30 as possible competitors, although the forthcoming Peugeot 207 SW GTi is perhaps the closest-matched challenger. It is powered by the same 1.6-litre engine, but has more boot space (a total of 1,258 litres) and is expected to cost around £16,000 – which is about £1,000 less than the MINI.
More MINI COOPER articles
- Car Reviews
- Car Group Tests: Mini Cooper
- First Drives: MINI Cooper S Works
- Car Group Tests: MINI Cooper
- News
- Auto Express News: MINI John Cooper Works edition preview
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FIRST OPINION
- Has MINI really created the hottest new property of the small car market for a second time? The answer is yes! As well as offering greater practicality, the newcomer builds on the appeal of the hatchback model with a series of creative solutions to the MINI’s need for greater versatility. However, it has not done this at the expense of the car’s basic strengths – which include great styling, handling and quality. MINI should be satisfied that, despite the major challenges, this is a job well done indeed.
AT A GLANCE
- Price: £17,210
- Engine: 1.6-litre 4cyl turbo, 175bhp
- Transmission: Six-speed manual, front-wheel drive
- Econ/CO2: 44.8mpg/150g/km
- 0-62/top speed: 7.6 secs/139mph
- Standard equipment: Six airbags, stability control, alloys, run-flat tyres, leather steering wheel and gearlever, sports seats, auxiliary port, electric windows, start/stop button
- On sale: November
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