Opinions Please, Looking At A Clubman

[Mark Elvin]

Looking at possibly replacing the wife's FR-V with a March 2008 Clubman from Mini Bristol.

What are peoples experences with the Clubman good or bad.

what are the service costs like on a Mini Cooper?

[thetope]

servicing should be free as almost every mini is sold with TLC which gives free servicing for 5yrs/50k miles

[paul04]

Quote: Originally Posted by thetope (original)

servicing should be free as almost every mini is sold with TLC which gives free servicing for 5yrs/50k miles

But doesn't it cost £150

[simeds]

Quote: Originally Posted by paul04 (original)

But doesn't it cost £150

which is what most main dealers will charge for one service

[Magic Carl]

Everyone here who has a Clubman, seems to love them. My wife wanted me to get one. she think they are FAB, but I don't think they are worth the extra cash. The extra door is a bit daft for this country, it's on the wrong side, and they are longer but without the benefit of much more space on the inside.

Having said that they look great, a great looking retro style car, and the way the back doors open is rather cool I think.Not a lot of help that really is it? But seeing as I've gone to the trouble of typing it I might as well post it!

Good luck in your choice.

[simeds]

i loved the back of my clubman S, but not the front. I f i could have had the s rear and the cooper front ( and maybe no ridges in the roof) I may have kept it. But it was a great car to drive.

[gary396]

I bought a Clubman D in Sept 2008 (changed from a BMW 3-series - nothing to do with costs, just didn't need a bigger car anymore and always wanted a Mini!). Has proved to be a good choice - really great, fun car.

Ref the side door not being much use - I don't accept this arguement but I suppose it depends on your circumstances. We very rarely need to use the rear seats but I find having the extra door on the driver's side is great if you just want to throw your jacket or bag on the back seat. It's more use to me there than on the passenger side. And I think that more often than not people park in car-parks rather than parallel street-park so the dangers of opening it onto the road are not too frequent.

In short, no matter what opinions people will express about different cars, if it's what you want then it's the right choice. Great little (although slightly bigger) car.

Gary

[Darth Mini]

Another clubman (and hatch) owner here. Loving my Clubman at the moment! I agree with what Gary has to say.

From my point of view, I down-sized and although not a major point for me, the improved economy and cheaper road tax was a welcome bonus (and another reason for me to "justify" buying it!). The clubdoor is a bit of a gimmick - I'd have preferred bog-standard 2 rear doors like any other car but then again, that wouldn't quite fit with Mini's perceived retro trendiness I guess. I have found it to be quite useful though - I tend to put my work bag behind my seat when driving so when I've arrived and parked up, I use the club door to access that space without having to put the driver's seat forward and lean into the car. Compared to the hatch, it does make getting out of the back seats a lot easier.

In terms of boot and space, - it depends on what you are used to. Compared to your FR-V, I suspect it will be a big drop - it was for me! However, compared to a Mini hatch, it may not be a huge amount more but it is significant - my little kids always prefer to sit in my clubbie as the few cms of extra rear leg room makes their ride more comfortable. Also whereas many things don't quite seem to fit into the hatch's boot, they do just fit in the clubbie's boot (eg. my very large dog!)- plus with the seats folded down (and a flat load space option), it's like a little van.

The best thing of course is that it is still a Mini to drive and the fun factor remains (even if it is a tad slower than the hatch).

There are a few common faults so make sure you check all the rear window seals are tight, the rear doors work okay, and that the clubdoor opens properly as well as the usual general checks around the car.

As for servicing, most are sold with the TLC pack which is transferrable between owners, so you need to check with your dealer to see if it has it. If not, given the current economic climate, you could always push for an equivalent servicing pack to "sweeten the deal".

At the end of the day, you need to take it for a proper test drive and see if it suits your needs. If you are anything like the rest of us on here, you'll enjoy the drive too much and everything else like lack of boot space and funny clubdoor will be things you convince yourself to put up with for the sake of Mini ownership.

[Mark Elvin]

As far as boot space goes, I have a new Fiat 500, that to be honest is used way more the the FR-V, but somethimes the boot is just a little too small.

We are hopefully going to Bristol Mini to see one tomorrow, the actual car is at Swindon Mini (who incidently were VERY rude on the phone when I asked for a better deal) but is part of Dick Lovett group stck.

My only concern is that it was a Mini loan car, but hopefully it will be in good condition.

[Darth Mini]

Wouldn't worry too much about it being a loan car as modern cars are said not to require running in like they used to. It should still be covered under warranty for another two years anyway. I would say to check the wheels to make sure they haven't been kerbed though - my local dealer now doesn't let any loan car have fancy wheels (eg composites or painted wheels) due to customer damage.

[Mark Elvin]

How wide are the rear seats? Enough room for 3 (friendly) adults? Obviously it's not going to be spacious but is it possible?

[1958 harry]

I'm assuming you are buying it from Dick Lovetts?

My advice - take everything they say with a pinch of salt, check and double check everything they tell you.

[davyboy]

Hi Mark

My wife has a Mini hatch and I have a Clubman S. We find the Clubman great as it has that bit more space in the rear and more rear leg room

I have had a problem with the rear door and rear wipers but now sorted

The only major problem has been rattles, although other people haven't had any

So take it for a good test run and have a good look round it. It still has a warranty so if anything does go wrong least it won't cost you

Is it a "S" you'll looking at? if so once you drive it you will be hooked - I was

Good luck

[Darth Mini]

Quote: Originally Posted by Mark Elvin (original)

How wide are the rear seats? Enough room for 3 (friendly) adults? Obviously it's not going to be spacious but is it possible?

Enough for three children. It will fit three adults but as you say they'll have to be pretty friendly!

[dalboyne]

Quote: Originally Posted by Darth Mini (original)

Enough for three children. It will fit three adults but as you say they'll have to be pretty friendly!

Do you need to ensure it has the fitting for 3? I'm minded it's possible to spec the car with only 2 rear seats?