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Quentin, I love the poses with the baby cousin. I'd love to read a review of your new Clubman to see how it compares with your wife's "original" Pepper White S.
Quentin, I love the poses with the baby cousin. I'd love to read a review of your new Clubman to see how it compares with your wife's "original" Pepper White S.
Here is a review I sent to a friend that asked about my impressions.
"We actually sold the old mini privately a few weeks back.
We have a pretty lightly optioned S All4 version that we ordered back in March (May delivery). Wanting to have the same overall positive experience we did with her R53 Cooper, we kept the fluff to a minimum to hopefully reduce cost down the road (no auto aiming headlights, auto folding mirrors, or adjustable suspension). We also went with the 6MT again.
I'm simultaneously impressed and confounded by the Clubman. I think it looks great. The UKL platform seems to fit the Clubman size better than the Cooper 3 and 5 doors as far as overhangs. My wife ordered same color as her old one.
I think the chassis is great. It is very stiff and feels robust in a way my MKV GTI never did. Suspension, likewise, feels more German luxury than sport compact. It eats up the rumble slow down strips with no crashing or booming. It isn't as lively as her old MINI, but if feels much more premium. The 18" rollers on 225 wide rubber grip for days, though. It feels quite planted and confident in a sweeping WV corner.
The sport seats in the basic black leatherette are nicely bolstered though not overly enveloping like my FR-S seats. Hits a nice middle ground of comfort but still keeping you from being thrown around in aggressive driving. The styling of the interior is probably the most true to the MINI name but with much nicer materials than I'm used to seeing in a MINI. The Countryman we drove just after the Clubman was two steps down in interior quality. We stuck with the more basic radio with the upgraded H&K speakers. While not terribly impressed with the interface of the radio, it does sound great. There are a bunch of fun little touches like the winking Mini in the IP when you turn the car off, the thought bubbles with a rocket ship and a gokart from the mini graphic when you turn sport mode on, or the LED around the radio that matches the rev counter. It definitely feels more special than a GTI, WRX, or Focus ST and I think those little touches really appeal to non-car guys/gals.
The extra width and wheelbase makes it a legit family car for a small 3 person family like my own. My daughter has tons of leg room behind 5'8" driver and passenger. I can sit in the back behind my wife with a good 6" between my knees and the seat back. We ordered the factory roof rails, so moving bikes or cargo to the roof is way easier than the other hot hatches. My MKV GTI, for example, required a $400 roof rack system from Thule that marred the paint. Having an actual spare tire in the trunk is awesome, too.
It is a huge plus that you can spec it out about any way you'd like. Tons of colors and wheel choices. AWD or FWD, 3 cyl or 4 cyl, MT or AT. They offer tons of different interior colors or configurations. You can even choose how your seats split in the back. The problem is how damn expensive everything is. You pay dearly for those options. We like simple black interiors and vinyl has come a long way, so we went with the standard interior. It is annoying that the non-reflector headlights were a $1000 option, for example. That dials back the premium feel.
The engine is where I'm probably the most pleased and simultaneously disappointed. First, only having 190hp makes zero sense when this same engine will make 228hp in the X1. The low end feels very strong, but as the revs pass 4500, power drops in a hard way. It feels 100% artificially limited. My wife rarely revs that high, so it is completely fine for her, but that fake limitation really hurts the Clubman's chances against the other hot hatches (in which it was already more expensive than). It has the chance to be the non-boy racer hot hatch, but $35k for a 189hp car is going to be hard to swallow for people that aren't already MINI faithful. I think the worse part is that BMW will unchoke it with software for $5k when the JCW is released. It seems shortsighted when Amanda has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from people that have ridden in it. The supercharged engine in the R53 is more entertaining when you are feeling a little manic. The new 2.0T is a much better daily driver engine and returned 34mpg on our last road trip. 28mpg was a tall order on the R53.
I both love and hate the barn doors. They are charming on one hand with a nice, wide opening but opening 2 doors to get full access to the cargo area is occasionally irritating. You also have to watch the opening area because it swings wider than the vehicle.
The 6MT and clutch are easy to modulate and smooth, but both lack the engagement and feedback of my FR-S. The rev matching downshifts work well.
Overall, my wife loves it. It is the natural progression of a 34 year old mom from the 24 year old recent college grad that purchased the 2005 MCS a decade ago. They dialed up the comfort, convenience, and premium feel while dialing back the razor sharp handling (and accompanying rough ride). She didn't cry when she sold her old one, so mission accomplished, MINI (for at least one buyer, haha)."
Excellent setup! Glad to see a car seat fits well. I have a nephew due here in about 2 months and I bought the clubman specifically for him. It seemed like I would have the best luck getting him in and out of the back of the car for the days I babysit him.
Also really glad to see the rubber mats in the clubman. They make a world of difference.
Still have the '08 MCCS. Except for the name two totally different cars. Got the leather Sport seats with the Alcantara (like) inserts. Love them. Nav with HK & back up camera. Awesome sound system compared to the "HiFi" or older H/K. Totally agree with Quentins post. Wife (63) loves it. No comparison in fit & finish and materials.
Still have the '08 MCCS. Except for the name two totally different cars. Got the leather Sport seats with the Alcantara (like) inserts. Love them. Nav with HK & back up camera. Awesome sound system compared to the "HiFi" or older H/K. Totally agree with Quentins post. Wife (63) loves it. No comparison in fit & finish and materials.
That's great seeing them side by side
Welcome, and thanks for giving the F54 for some love on here...
If you are an S person where the slot car handling was the most important partnof the Mini, then don't pine for an S Clubman. Compared to past Minis, even the Countryman, the new Clubman feels huge. Even with an S engine, there is not enough power to really call it sporty. The X1 wirh more torque & power is much more sporty. But for older folks like us, that still enjoy a fun car, it fit the bill perfect.
I've been away for a while and I may not post a lot, but wanted to share a pic of my new Clubman S All4. She came home this weekend. Her name is Gemma. The pic doesn't show off her color too well, but holy shine batman! She's Pure Burgundy with Melting Silver roof.
Eagerly awaiting my BRG/white All4, scheduled to roll off the line tomorrow. We'll see how long it takes to get over the pond. This thread is a huge help with all these beautiful photos...
ETA: Any chance of an F54 sub-forum in the Gen 3 area?
I've been away for a while and I may not post a lot, but wanted to share a pic of my new Clubman S All4. She came home this weekend. Her name is Gemma. The pic doesn't show off her color too well, but holy shine batman! She's Pure Burgundy with Melting Silver roof.
Very cool. What is the dry weight of the F56? Looks Heavy With all the gadgets...
My 2017 Clubman S ALL4 in Moonwalk Grey below. I'll post the full build (MSRP was 38,650), when I figure out what I did with the window sticker. Quite happy thus far. Only complaints are the remarkable tuck in the rear and my personal dislike of the OE 17" Black Net Spoke wheels. Will likely pick up a set of BBS SX in 18" (they have a pretty low offset) or a set of OE 18" Black Star Spoke wheels shod in Continental DWS06 (if anyone wants a set of 17" Black Net Spoke w/ TPMS and OE run flats- PM me).
This weekend I will be installing OE black sport stripes on the hood and gloss-black vinyl over the chrome belt line this weekend. Would love if Mini would release black gloss headlight and taillight surrounds, mud flaps and maybe a black hood scoop (which is amusingly non-functional).
Long run, I like the idea of LED driving lights, but haven't seen enough of them in the wild. I worry that shared F-series lights might be a bit small for the F54 application.
Only renderings here too, will have to update when mine finally arrives around New Year's Day. riSurf, looks somewhat familiar with my selection, but went for the white top and left the silver wheels alone. You can always Plasti-Dip your scoop to get a more blacked out look.
Clubman S All4: Picked up from South Bay Mini, Torrance California on Saturday, Oct 29
Burgundy/Liquid Silver; 17" stock black rims with Pirelli 225/45 run flats ; Fully Loaded Package; Satellite Gray Lounge Leather heated seats; JCW steering wheel.
