I'm not nervous about purchasing my Clubman without test driving one, but I was wondering if anyone else purchased without a test drive?

I test drove a justa cooper in July of '05. Don't remember much about it, except my kids were cramped. Wish I could remember how it handled. I do know I didn't feel negative about the handling.

 

I ordered my 2009 MC after test driving an 05 MC. I am sure this isn't really what you wanted to hear, I just wanted to tell you!

I hear the clubman's leg room in the back is better, but not awesome if that helps.

 

I actually did get to sit in one and put my kids in the back... And they fit! I couldn't test drive it, though because it was waiting to be picked up by its owner.

It's just the handling that I'm (somewhat) concerned with. I know it'll be fine. I used to drive 3 series BMWs and I can't imagine that it's too far from the old 3s.

 

I got to drive quite a few cars in the MTTS LA. The handling is just about as good. In the Road and Track magazine they rate the stock MCCS with a higher lateral g pull than the MCS. But let me tell you that you wont be missing out on any fun in a Clubman than the Hardtop. It changes the feel but not the fun.

My sister just got her Clubman S in and she and the hubby love it. She never use to drive fast really but now she wants to take all the corners fast and be sporty. Stop worrying youre fine. Only reason I got the JCW over the Clubbie version is that I am single with no kids.

 

Even though a friend has a Clubman and offered to let me try it out, I didn't drive a Clubman before mine arrived. My dealer didn't have a single one on the lot when I ordered, so I test drove an MCS. After 3 whole days of ownership, I can say I'm utterly thrilled with my car. Those extra 3" in the wheelbase make for a smooth ride, and I think it handles great. As this is my first MINI, I can't speak with any authority as to how it compares with other models. All I know is it's a blast to drive on city streets and winding, hilly country roads. I even found a 2-mile stretch of red brick road today (Old Lincoln Highway), and the ride was still good. And when I find an empty roundabout, yee-haw! Clubbies do love curves!

On a side note, I'd also read some complaints about the visibility out the back due to the split doors. Perhaps it's the years of antiquing and dog shows, with the back stuffed to the roof with crates and stuff, but the view out the back of the Clubman hasn't bothered me one bit. It was only when I remembered the complaints that I looked back and thought, "oh, yeah, I guess there is a little obstruction there."

 

The first time I ever drove a Clubman was when I picked mine up at the dealer.

I had driven a first gen Cooper a few years ago so when it came time to test drive the Clubbie I let the wife take the wheel.

It was a smart move because she fell in love with it.

 

Ordered my Clubman without a test drive also.... no regrets! I drove both a Justa and S MC about 15 months earlier and decided at that point that I wanted the S.

The room in the back is pretty immaterial to me though since I don't have youngsters at home anymore. I wanted the Clubman for carrying ability on trips and dogs. If you'll be using the back seats on a regular basis, you might want to see if there is someone nearby (maybe even from these boards) with a Clubbie that you could see so that you could check out the roominess in the back.

 

I wanted to buy a justacooper but could only test drive a Clubman. Worked for me.....until I went back and test drove a MCS and decided to buy that.

 

I love that week 32 has a logo badge now!
As an original week 23'er, I think imitation is the highest form of flattery!
LOL!

 

When I ordered my 06 MCS, I had never been in a mini, nor saw one up close. In Germany they don't have cars on the lot, like here in the states. When the salesman asked me what I was interested, I told him an 06 mcs, he sid he was sorry he didnt have any to show me, I said it doesn't matter.. I want the car.. I ordered on blind faith. I have never regretted it.. not once

 

I don't even notice the split rear window anymore.

I was very concerned about visibility but once I sat in the Clubbie I realized that the visibility is actually very good.

The Club door pillars would pose a bit of a problem in a right hand drive model but I don't need to worry about that where I live...

 

go to a club meeting, someone will let you take a spin...

 

Huh... There's a thought.

I'm actually kind of excited to drive mine for the first time on Friday (hopefully -- keep your fingers crossed!)

I doubt there's any club meetings between now and then, but I wish I'd thought of that sooner! Hopefully your suggestion will help someone else out who's earlier in the process than me!

 

3 out of 4 of our MINIs were ordered without a test drive....and we never looked back or regretted what we ordered...

Donna

 

Funny how some week builds just take off and stay together and others have only a handful of posts!

RE the split doors, really they aren't a problem. I drove Suburbans for ages with split doors and they REALLY had a center pillar! The tiny thing in the middle of the Clubman window is nothing!

 

I was able to test drive one Clubman before I ordered mine, but it was an automatic and I really wanted a manual. It was also an S, and I absolutely loved it. I considered getting a non-S, but as I wasn't able to find one of those to try before buying and I was a little worried about get-up-and-go, I decided to just go for the Cooper S manual and call it good.

My MINI is, I hope, somewhere on the Atlantic making her way to me now... I really loved driving the automatic, and I've never met a manual that I didn't have fun driving, so I'm sure it will be fine. But it was very strange making such a pricey decision with so little first-hand information. Thank goodness for NAM!!

And of course I've never bought a car that I had to wait so long for... I'm thinking about ordering my NEXT MINI when the first one arrives, just so I don't have to go thru this again!

BTW, I had no trouble with visibility at all, the seats were VERY comfortable, and there was plenty of room in the back for my husband and I (tho we are neither of us very tall.......) LOVED everything about the Clubbie - except no white roof option... You'll love it, too, I'm sure!

 

Well, I took my test drive tonight... Out the showroom doors and all the way home! Bianca came in early and I picked her up after work

I've got to say that I was a little overwhelmed with all the idiosyncracies that my MA illustrated during the PDI (pre-delivery inspection), which made for a somewhat distracted first part of my drive, but when I hit the little, twisty roads near my house, remembered to push the sport button and gunned it -- I was grinning from ear to ear.

I had to wait for my husband, who was following me home, to pull into the driveway first, so I did some tight donuts in the court in front of my house and my 10 year old daughter was laughing so hard and saying, "do it again!"

This is one FUN car!

Oh, and I agree with gbsim. The barn doors visibility is fine. I drove home in the dark on a major highway and I appreciated the center pillars blocking some of the light of the headlights from the cars behind me.

 

Congratulations! Don't forget pictures! And now you've got lots of bedtime reading to do to get through all of those manuals.

 

Congrats on the new Clubman, we test drove by our house but they did not have much Clubman selection only a non S to drive. The next weekend we drove 60 miles down to South Bay Mini to test drive a Clubman S. We feel in love with it. We have been waiting since the beginning of August. Our Clubman will arrive in Port Hueneme on the 12th and will pickup in LV on the 23rd (canceled order with South Bay to get it sooner from LV)

 

Congrats, and so glad to hear you're enjoying it! Now - PICTURES!!

 

whoa, if my dealer did this to my car I'd raise Holy Hell.

 

Hi Donna,

Have you purchased a Mini in SoCal? If so, from which dealer and how was your experience with price, service, etc?

 

I ordered my jcw without even ask a question....