Review
MINI Clubman estate
Price: £14,490 - £23,245
/5
- Pros:
- Rear space is adequate for adults
- Highly original styling
- Very cheap to run
- Cons:
- Expensive to buy
- Single rear 'club door' opens onto road in UK
- Boot is still small
pictured: MINI MINI estate 2012 4 door
reviewed by Carbuyer
"With its asymmetric door design, this is the quirkiest MINI on sale, but the Clubman offers useful extra space compared to the smaller MINI hatchback."
At a glance
- The greenest
- MINI Cooper D Clubman 4dr
£17,180 - The cheapest
- MINI One Clubman 4dr
£14,490 - The fastest
- MINI Cooper S Soho Clubman 4dr
£20,295 - Top of the range
- MINI Cooper SD Hampton Clubman 4dr
£23,245
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Often called the ‘MINI estate’, the Clubman's aim is to keep all the MINI hatchback's positive traits - quirky styling, classy image and fun ‘go-kart’ driving experience - but add more rear space and a bigger boot. It's that simple. However, because MINI likes to be different, access to the rear comes via a rear-hinged ‘club door’ on one side only. Unlike the smaller MINI hatchback, two adults can sit in the back - although the boot is much smaller than you’d find in a conventional family hatchback like the Volkswagen Golf.
Drive
More refined than the Hatchback, then Clubman is still fun to drive with good engines.
MINI has made the Clubman a little more comfortable than the smaller Hatchback. It seems to cope with potholes and manhole covers slightly better, allowing road imperfections to vibrate the cabin less. As a result the Clubman feels slightly less go-kart-like than the shorter MINI. The driving position is still excellent - sitting you low, and with lots of adjustment for the seat and wheel - but the steering is less accurate. Only the 98bhp One feels like it could do with more power, because with a full car you’ll be changing down gears all too often to get adequate acceleration. On the other hand, the Cooper D is adequately fast in any gear, and the John Cooper Works version will make you feel like you’re driving the world's oddest racing car - it's loud and very quick.
Comfort
Spacious and reasonably practical but the driver's-side-only suicide door is a pain for UK drivers.
The Clubman's distinctive approach to extra space both helps and hinders comfort: while there's more rear legroom compared to the hatch, the single back door is on the driver's side. That means it opens out on to the road rather than the kerb, which isn’t ideal , although because it is rear hinged it physically makes access to the back seats easier. The Clubman doesn’t feel spacious from the rear in the same way as, say, a Volkswagen Golf does. Yet, for family buyers there's just enough room to fit two child seats in the back, and most adults will have enough room for short journeys.
Reliability
The Clubman upholds MINI's reputation for strong reliability and high levels of standard safety kit.
MINIs carry a justifiable reputation for trouble-free ownership, with BMW build quality and engineering evident. The Clubman also has electronic stability control as standard, six airbags, Isofix for child seats and a five-star Euro NCAP rating.
Practicality
Marginally bigger boot is still ridiculously small and access door to the rear opens out into the road.
The Clubman's 260-litre boot is a 100-litre improvement over the Hatchback's, but it's still so small that a child's buggy will fill it entirely. By contrast, a family hatchback's boot is, on average, around 350 litres. The Clubman's biggest advantage over the Hatchback is that the rear seats can be used by adults, but it's far from the most practical of cars available at this price point .
Value for money
Premium over MINI hatchback is justified and Clubman will hold its value well.
The like-for-like premium for a Clubman over a standard MINI is justifiable for the extra space you get, and as with any MINI, the brand's popularity means the car will hold its value well. That will keep monthly lease rates low and ensure private buyers get a good price when they sell it after a few years.
Running costs
Cooper D engine has fantastic economy and £200 'tlc' pack buys free servicing for five years.
There's no getting away from the fact the Clubman is an expensive car to buy, but once it's on your driveway you’ll enjoy pleasingly low running costs. All engines are relatively frugal, but the 68.9mpg of the Cooper D is excellent, as is the 51.4mpg of the petrol-powered Cooper. In addition, MINI's 'tlc' pack buys five years of servicing for just £200, which means you’ll avoid big bills at a later date.
