Over the years, the MINI has carved out its place as perhaps the most uniquely entertaining vehicle on the road. It’s nimble, alert, responsive, totally at home on a winding country road, yet also practical for tight city spaces. With the Clubman trim, imagine the possibilities.
The MINI Clubman is all Cooper, only stretched out by 10 inches, which provides an additional 2.5 inches of backseat comfort. With its passenger-side rearward-swinging third door, the Clubman has an easier in-and-out for backseat riders, and the vertical rear doors and split rear seats also provide more cargo space (9.2 cubic feet behind the rear seat and 32.8 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down).
Still, the Clubman is all MINI with its funky, fun attitude and its uniqueness. It’s quick and agile, and fuel economy is a big plus. Its champions love it for the total package; let’s face it—there are few driving experiences to compare to a MINI.
The base-model Clubman sits on 15-inch alloy wheels and comes with a respectable range of standard features including air conditioning, full power accessories, a leather-wrapped tilt and telescoping steering wheel, leatherette upholstery, six-speaker AM/FM/CD audio, a handy auxiliary jack and a trip computer.
Step up to the Clubman S model and you have a more powerful engine, firmer suspension, sport seats and 16-inch wheels with helpful “run flat” tires. Then, there is the John Cooper Works (JCW) version of the Clubman, which offers some extremely serious giddy-up-and-go with its more powerful engine, dual exhaust and 17-inch wheels. It also has serious hurry-up-and-stop with its Brembo brakes and MINI’s electronic differential lock control.
Another benefit of the MINI is the ability to really customize your ride with choices from a wide variety of available features and parts. These include different wheel designs and body add-on features such as roof rails, a roof spoiler, limited-slip differential, sport-tuned suspension, a sunroof, xenon headlights, rear parking assist and cruise control.
On the inside, you can choose from features like leather upholstery, heated front seats, automatic climate control, a multi-function steering wheel, navigation system, Bluetooth, an upgraded audio system with iPod connectivity, satellite radio, and various color and trim options.
The base-model Clubman comes with a well-regarded 1.6-liter transversely mounted inline four-cylinder engine that delivers 118 hp and 114 lb/ft of torque. Both the base and S models come with a six-speed manual transmission, and a six-speed automatic with manual shift is available as an option. The base Clubman is EPA-rated at 28 mpg city and 37 mpg highway with the automatic transmission.
Move up to the S model and there is a noticeable step-up in performance with a turbocharged version of the base 1.6-liter engine that produces 172 hp and 177 lb/ft of torque. When the S model’s “overboost” kicks in, horsepower jumps to 192, which, considering the size of the Clubman, is fairly serious power.
Finally, there is the John Cooper Works edition, which puts 208 hp and 192 lb/ft of torque at your touch (207 lb/ft with the overboost function). The JCW edition comes exclusively with a six-speed manual, as befits its commitment to true sports performance. Both the S and John Cooper Works versions of the Clubman are EPA-estimated at 26 mpg city and 34 mpg highway with their standard manual transmissions.
Standard safety features on all versions of the MINI Clubman include antilock disc brakes, stability control, front-seat side airbags and full-length side-curtain airbags.
The Cooper controls are funky and retro-styled. The overall effect is distinctly MINI—sporty and responsive with good power and superb handling—an altogether unique and satisfying ride.
The MINI Cooper Clubman begins at $21,150 MSRP.
