Mini works over its Clubman wagon, but there are still bumps to smooth out
CASEY WILLIAMS | Auto Reviewer
autocasey@aol.com
In the beginning, there was the Mini Cooper — a pint-size two-door road cart that had cute looks and glee-inducing handling. Then customers asked for more space, so Mini gave us the Clubman wagon and Countryman crossover. This week, we’re stuck in the middle with the Clubman — all updated and more suave, especially in the John Cooper Works edition.
It’s as cute as any other Mini, with bulging oval headlamps, cute curves and a floating roof. But look a little closer and you’ll see six doors — four on the sides and two Dutch-style in the rear. LED lamps front and rear ignite the night while the short little rear wipers keep glass clear. (Our model came with black 18-in. wheels, but I’d go for the special-edition 19-in. JCW alloys.) Definitely choose the red roof and stripe package — very British bling.
Stoop and slide to see what’s inside. Mini keeps its interior with the large center screen, podded instruments behind the thick leather-wrapped steering wheel and toggle switches in the lower console. Heated cloth seats are all-day comfy and side-gripping supportive. Dual-zone automatic climate control is simple to use and there’s reasonable space for four adults and their gear. Wireless phone charging, Apple CarPlay and navigation are also appreciated. Rain-sensing wipers clean the screen.
On the flip side, I could do without the annoying parking sensors that beep immediately upon starting whether you’re in gear and driving into anything or not. The rear camera is much nicer. I do not get the dash-mounted head-up display that makes you look down to view it; it’s a mere imitation of real head-up displays that visually project over the hood. BMW has very nice HUDs, so maybe Mini will receive help.
Clubman JCWs burble with a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine delivering 228 horsepower — plenty to plant power to pavement through the standard all-wheel drive system. As in all Minis, the shifter for the 6-speed manual transmission is a bit stiff, but gets the most out of the engine. Fuel economy is rated 21/31-MPG city/hwy — not stellar for a compact, but frugal for a performance machine that can run 0-60 mph in 6 seconds and 147 mph top speed.
Owning any Mini is about the driving experience. Keeping in mind it has a firm sport suspension, the car does a good job of soaking up rough pavement. But it’s really at home sweeping through fast curvy backroads, throttling the Interstate or honing the local track club. The chassis and steering hold hands as if they are happily married. Oversized brakes keep it all on the pavement.
My family owned a Mini Countryman for five years. It was always an enjoyable car to drive on the highway, but the rough ride and rattles tried our patience. If the Clubman JCW proves the more refined machine I just experienced, I could go for a Mini that’s been worked over by John Cooper.
Prices for the Mini Clubman start at $24,800, rising to $35,900 for JCW editions and $41,500 as tested. At that price, competition includes the Mercedes-Benz GLC, VW Golf R, Subaru WRX and Audi S3.