Hey Everyone... I'm new to the board.

I've been debating back & forth between purchasing a Mini Cooper and a Mini Cooper Clubman, base model - can't afford the S.

I've always wanted a Mini and now my lease on my Chev Optra will be up in November. I fell in love with the look of the Mini, but am weary about the space, so I started looking at the Clubman, but I don't really like the look of it because it just seems so much bigger... i find it takes away from what I originally even liked about the Mini in the first place....

We test drove a Mini Cooper over the weekend and it was awesome, so fun to drive... but unfortunately the dealership didn't have a Clubman, so I didn't get to test drive it. I'm concerned about blind spots in the Clubman because of the doors at the back. Also, the reason I wanted a Mini is because it's small and fun to handle, do you lose that "fun" in the Clubman?

Would you say the extra room is worth it?? Or is the Mini Cooper all that bad for space??? I"d be using it to get to & from work and to school, little road trips and really thats about it. I live in the moutains so we usually take our bikes and use my boyfriends truck, so don't really have to worry about heavy packing or anything like that...

I'd like opinions from Clubman owners and Mini Cooper owners.. Pros & Cons would be great!!! Thanks!!!

ok, do you need a large boot /trunk? If not why not go for the cooper. I have a cooper convertible, great fun.

Hi,

Go for the cooper. It will be fine, more fun as handling is better too. I guess its lighter in weight, which will added to the performance.

I have cooper s, wife, 2 kids and its a squeeze and space is tight. That said in the two years i've had the cooper s the family have only been in the car twice!! I use it the same way you have described above, going to work, the odd blast now and then. Two up in the front it's fine. With the back seats down I even got a new washing machine with all the packaging in the back!

Mini also do bike racks and there are some other brands that will fit if the truck is not available.

Buy the cooper today, you won't regret it.

Thanks for you replies!

Ya i mean, I'm 24, I don't have any kids, it's just my boyfriend and I. I will only really be using it to cruise around the city & the odd road trip here and there... and the more I think about it, I barely EVER have any passengers riding in the backseat of my Optra anyway... It'd be fine for me to cruise to over to my Mom & Dad's farm which is 8 hours away and toss our luggage in the back for the both of us!

Thanks for the "washing machine" tip... hahaha that actually made it easier for me to visualize how much room there actually is!! LOL

I had a 50inch plasma TV Stand in the back of my cooper!

The sales guy said it wouldn't fit in my Mini!

Not a fan of the clubby still looks nice but if u have no kids why not go for the hatch back!

If you're not keen on the CLubman looks, and don;t need the extra space then go for the hatch.

Personally I like the Clubman, and bought one even though I don't need one.

As far as handling goes the Clubman, in S form at least, handles better than the hatch. It's far less twitchy and more planted under acceleration, and through bends.