Opinions Please, Looking At A Clubman

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

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:wink.

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.

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 :biggrin:

Good luck :nice::biggrin::nice: