[Cooper D Badger]

If you have two children, one of them has to get in from the driver's side. The above example just highlights the dificulties of one parent getting two children into a car whether it's a Range Rover, people carrier, or a MINI (even getting on a bus can tough if one needs encouragement).

The club door being on the driver's side is no reason not to get one- in fact in some cases it's an advantage.

When the car is in the garage with the passenger side up against the wall I can put my daughter in without having to leave her unattended whilst I move the car out of the garage. In car parks I try to reduce the chance of others scratching/ scraping my car by parking next to a wall/ pillar on the passenger side.

They could have designed the Clubman without a club door at all- whilst it's not perfect it makes life a little bit easier.

Sorry but none of us buys a MINI because it is a practical family car.

[swamos]

Quote: Originally Posted by Cooper D Badger (original)

They could have designed the Clubman without a club door at all- whilst it's not perfect it makes life a little bit easier.

Sorry but none of us buys a MINI because it is a practical family car.

I'm afraid I don't get your logic there. I have purchased a MINI in the past. I would have purchased a clubman if they had put a door on both sides.

[Cooper D Badger]

Quote: Originally Posted by swamos (original)

I'm afraid I don't get your logic there. I have purchased a MINI in the past. I would have purchased a clubman if they had put a door on both sides.

If it was viable for them to put a door on both sides I'm sure they would have, my point was they could have made it [cheaper & easier] without a club door at all. They couldn't make it with 2 doors so 1 is better than none.

You proved my final point by not buying one- guessing you've got an Audi, excellent cars would have one over the Clubman any day but not very practical to teach people to drive in

[murattaner]

We don't have a MINI yet, but our children are not the reason at all.

I have 3-year old twins and severe back problems. I find that it is much easier for me to get the kids into my 2-door Honda Civic hatchback than into my wife's 4-door Nissan Almera. With rear doors, I have no choice but to bend over to get them strapped in. This means one of them gets in on the traffic side. It also means I get a sore back.

With the Honda, I open the passenger side door, slide the seatback forward, put both kids in, then get in myself, and finally slide the driver seatback forward. If it's cold or raining, I can even close the passenger door. Then I can kneel and lean on the front seatbacks while I strap the kids down. It is also much easier for me to get off or put on their coats in the car. Not only this is more comfortable (and fun) for us, but it is also safer because we do not get on the traffic side.

Now I realize this may not be possible with a MINI coupe, but I am sure it is possible with a Clubman. We are planning to get a MINI in 1 or 2 years, and our main concern is to decide whether it should be a coupe or the Clubman. BTW, I would have preferred a 2-door Clubman.

Our kids already love the MINI. We visit the dealer every now and then and they are kind enough to let the kids climb all over the car. Unfortunately, the Clubman hasn't arrived here yet.

[Kinster]

I've got an MCSC and have a 2 year old and a 6 year old. I can get them in and out no trouble. Quit making excuses and get one.

[Tigger, Eeyore & Roo]

Our daughter likes to sit on the passenger side, where it always used to be much easier for me to keep an eye on her when she was small; now she's bigger, she prefers the extra legroom she gets by sitting behind my wife. It also means that if I drop my wife and daughter off on the side of the road, not only does our daughter get out onto the pavement, but I don't have to get out as well simply to let her out into the traffic.

As the Clubman only has the one rear door, on the opposite side, it rendered it useless for us I know that it still has the same front door as the hatch on the passenger side, but the seat is further back and I'd hoped for more practicality from the estate, not the same, or slightly worse

[jvs]

Quote: Originally Posted by Kinster (original)

I've got an MCSC and have a 2 year old and a 6 year old. I can get them in and out no trouble. Quit making excuses and get one.

I have got three kids (12, 10 & 7 years old) but never got a mini.
Do you think Clubman rear sit can manage with all of them? I have heard the rear central belt is just for people under 50 Kilograms, can anyone confirm this ?

I'd really like to join the mini family but I wonder if it´s suitable....

[billy.batson]

Quote: Originally Posted by Shaun (original)

Give it a rest we all know which side the door is on by now.

Yes I agree, I am quite sick of reading press reviews trashing the Clubman because the club door is on the "wrong side" ! Don't these people remember that even without the club door, the Clubman is no different to the 2-door MINI or any 2-door car for that matter.

As a matter of fact, having had some weeks practical experience of the Clubman I find the club door being on the drivers' side is an absolute boon: you return to the car with your shopping and easily put it on the back seat, as you get in to drive: no walking round to the back or other side.
I think we in the UK are actually lucky in that respect!

[heli_guy]

I have a couple of young kids (4 and 5), and find the club door fantasic. I can easily reach in to help them with their car seat buckles, and they can get in and out without having to move seats.

In North America there is no three seat option, and for us, only two car seats can sit side by side in the back anyway. I would think three in the back would be extremely tight. i.e. they would be shoulder to shoulder. Ok for a quick trip to the store, but not for any length of time I would say.

Only way to tell would be to try it though. For 4 people, the car is great IMO. Enough room for a short weekend trip (including luggage), great mileage, and overall fun to drive. For longer trips, it may be a bit tight.

[ViscountCharles]

Quote: Originally Posted by Kinster (original)

I've got an MCSC and have a 2 year old and a 6 year old. I can get them in and out no trouble. Quit making excuses and get one.

I have an MCS - not the Clubman - plus a 6-month old and a 5 year old, and never have a problem either. And it's our only car. Some people just like to worry about things like that, on their way to convincing themselves that they need an MPV or a Chelsea tractor.

Though I am swapping for a Clubman later this year, as the MCS is now ancient and a bit more space won't hurt. The club door is on the CORRECT side IMO - I can guarantee that as the driver, I'm going to be opening and closing the driver's door a lot, and having the club door on the same side makes perfect sense; if it were on the passenger side, I'd need to run round the car every time that I wanted to use it (so probably would end up not bothering!).

[NickyJ]

Quote: Originally Posted by jvs (original)

I have got three kids (12, 10 & 7 years old) but never got a mini.
Do you think Clubman rear sit can manage with all of them? I have heard the rear central belt is just for people under 50 Kilograms, can anyone confirm this ?

I'd really like to join the mini family but I wonder if it´s suitable....

Yes apparently there's a weight restriction on the middle seat, either 40 or 50kg, I can't remember which.

Take the family and try a 5 seat one on a test drive and see what you think

Quote: Originally Posted by heli_guy (original)

I I would think three in the back would be extremely tight. i.e. they would be shoulder to shoulder. Ok for a quick trip to the store, but not for any length of time I would say.

It's snug let's say

I sat in the back with my two boys, who are 10 and 12 and it can be done reasonably comfortably but I wouldn't like to travel too far

[simeds]

Quote: Originally Posted by ViscountCharles (original)

I have an MCS - not the Clubman - plus a 6-month old and a 5 year old, and never have a problem either. And it's our only car. Some people just like to worry about things like that, on their way to convincing themselves that they need an MPV or a Chelsea tractor.

Though I am swapping for a Clubman later this year, as the MCS is now ancient and a bit more space won't hurt. The club door is on the CORRECT side IMO - I can guarantee that as the driver, I'm going to be opening and closing the driver's door a lot, and having the club door on the same side makes perfect sense; if it were on the passenger side, I'd need to run round the car every time that I wanted to use it (so probably would end up not bothering!).

absoultey, this is what i've found in the last 2 months. Leaning over to open and shut the ordinary passanger door is bad enough, but having to try and open the club door from the drivers seat must be a nightmare

[JustACooperClubman]

Check my gallery....

Flickr: Photos from frankcoopers71

[clubwanted]

Haven't really put the children in the car yet, have a 26 and 7 mth olds, only picked the car up on Friday. I did get a bit of discount for a factory made one, really pleased with what I got, it was double what I got on my last mini cooper with fleet discount! The dealer had a slot that week so wanted to fill it and I wasn't too bothered if I ordered it or not, it wasn't a local dealer to me, so my attitude was they want me to place the order more than I want to place it with them so they accept what I'm offering or I go to my local dealer.

[Morro]

Quote: Originally Posted by KenL (original)

True, but parking on the "wrong" side increases your risk of an accident, and is illegal in some countries

In "some" countries the clubdoor is just where you want it.

[Morro]

Quote: Originally Posted by jvs (original)

I have got three kids (12, 10 & 7 years old) but never got a mini.
Do you think Clubman rear sit can manage with all of them? I have heard the rear central belt is just for people under 50 Kilograms, can anyone confirm this ?

I'd really like to join the mini family but I wonder if it´s suitable....

I don't see why they offer three seats at all. There is only room for two. and the three seat option just clutters up the back with seatbelts and headrests.

Possibly OK for three skinny 7 years old.