mini Clubman Road Test Reports and Car Reviews

Mini Clubman Cooper D 2008

Will try to be as neutral and honest as I can, I know often these reviews swing from extreme negatives to undying pledges of allegiance to the brand so this is hopefully a rounded view. Mine is a company car Clubman D selected as a low tax / high fuel economy choice with enough room to occasionally potter around in with the kids. As the main work car it actually made financial sense for me to downsize and my wife to have a big car, especially with the fuel situation at the time. I’ve just hit 12000 miles and my thoughts are mixed... Economy is nowhere near claimed figures (is it ever?), or at least I cannot get it there. I drive regular long runs from Manchester to Durham outside peak hours and even when very gentle can get around 59 mpg tops whilst holding everyone up. So economy is not bad, but then in my experience a carefully driven Mondeo/Vectra/Passat diesel isn’t that far behind at around 50-55 mpg average with more space and comfort to boot. I opted for three rear seats as a no cost option - but cannot fit three child seats in abreast so its pointless really. [to be fair we have an MPV for general use so it’s not an issue, just for information for those considering as a main vehicle]. Engine wise it’s a bit noisy and no fireball but then that was not a criteria for me and performance is more than acceptable for most needs, the 6th gear making motorway cruising very easygoing. If you want outright performance in this range go for a petrol Cooper S. Comfort wise, I actually find the car ok over long distances, but theres no doubt the run flat tyres and suspension make for a firm "Germanic" ride, and after a year I’m ready for some comfy seats to be honest. One surprise omission on the pepper pack is that the side mirrors are not heated - that was a surprise and means you have to manually defrost /demist them. I can’t believe that is not standard, wiping my mirrors with my sleeve in a morning takes me back years... Space wise it’s ok if you understand and accept the limitations of a car this size to start with - it’s no estate car for Ikea visits but will take a weeks family shopping ok. See it as a Mini + but don’t try to convince yourself or your other half it’s a family car. Quality - well I’m sorry but there’s just no getting over the hard, black plastics for me and the ones that are painted silver look and feel home painted as they are not lacquered i.e. "cheap". It feels cold, clinical and, well, Germanic. Everything is hard to touch in mine, and that registers on cold mornings! I’m sure you can up spec but at this price you’d have to be mad to stump up even more when you could get a decent new Golf for the same money. The side door is useful [when it works, which it often doesn’t on mine and the dealer cannot seem to fix] Which brings me onto reliability. Generally mine has been ok, but there are niggles such as that side door which sometimes does not work, the fuel filler cap which does not engage properly when the car is locked so hangs open, and a rattle under the bonnet on cold mornings. The rattle is quite bad, although the dealer cannot find it. I’d be a bit concerned and embarrassed about it if it was my own car, ditto the fuel filler flap. It’s all well and good having a warranty but that assumes the dealer can find/fix the problem! At least they wash and hoover it for me when it goes in. Long term [or if you are considering second hand], what worries me is the engine stop / start system, which swithches the engine off at idle to save fuel. Great idea, and you get used to it - but when you are doing high speed e.g. on the motorway and hit standing traffic the turbo must be frying itself when the engine stops and therefore the oil supply stops. Time will tell! You can switch this feature off but I suspect many owners won’t either without realising the potential for problems down the line or just because of the hassle factor. Pound for pound a Fiat 500 / Clio / Fiesta are probably just as good and economical for half the price, but failing that, and if image isn’t top of your list please don’t write off a second hand, well driven, well maintained rep mobile for comfort, safety, equipment, space and economy. For the dealers, it’s like shooting fish in a barrel; there’s no need for a "sales" team, these cars sell themselves. You buy one mentally before you actually drive one. You’ll love the 20 minute test drive, you’ll be grinning like an idiot and remembering the first mini you had in the old days and you’ll want one, whatever the cost - but how long will the novelty last? To sum up - there’s no doubt it’s a nice enough car, but there is an element of toy like novelty that will wear thin with the miles, and what you are left with is a very expensive [£15400], very small [260 litre boot], average supermini. I’m one year in to my 4 year tenure and already I wish I had followed my head, not my heart and got a worthy but dull Mondeo. I’m saving on tax and people stare at it but that isn’t enough for me to choose one again. A lenghtly review, but I hope I have been fair and this helps.