Never going to track the car, and prefer a "quieter" look and the blue leather seats, but want to make sure the car will be quick enough on back roads....thoughts?

 

Here's what Motor Trend says in their long term review:

"But would a Clubman owner feel left out choosing the S instead of the range-topping John Cooper Works model? There would be some performance envy, but not as much as you might think. The Clubman JCW (shown below in black with red accents) is powered by the same 2.0-liter turbo as the S, but it’s tuned to 228 hp and 258 lb-ft—up 39 hp and 51 lb-ft from the S model. That equates to a 0.6-second drop in its 0–60 and quarter-mile times. The JCW only comes in all-wheel drive and gets a unique sport suspension or an optional adaptive damper system. Combined, the JCW’s performance goodies result in a 25.8-second figure-eight lap—0.7 second quicker than the Clubman S All4.

The JCW is tremendously fun to drive, especially when equipped with the slick-shifting six-speed manual like our tester, but you get about 80 percent of that same experience driving the Clubman S. I do wish our long-termer got the newest version of the Mini Connected infotainment system available on later-build 2017 models. The display features sharper graphics and Mini’s first touchscreen, which makes inputting addresses much easier. Starting in July, newly built Clubman models offer Apple CarPlay compatibility.

By picking the Clubman S All4, you’ll miss out on the few extra thrills of the Clubman JCW and the more crossoverlike driving experience of the Countryman, but it won’t be enough to make you want to trade it in for a different Mini."

Full review here:

http://www.motortrend.com/cars/mini/...date-4-review/

 

How's the Donna sport tuner? Smooth acceleration or peaks?

 

Read Power Up in the JCW section for lots of info.

The Dinan Elite is supposed to be even better than the Sport. Either way, or the NM box, will make the S be what it’s supposed to be. I’m completely satisfied running my Dinan in +3psi sport mode. A little punchy, but smooth power boost that makes the car lively.

I went a bit posh with lounge leather and lots of upgrades. Glad I did. Love the car. And I’ve owned many performance/lux cars. Clubman S All4 is a hoot, with lots of BMW lurking under its skin. Drive them all before you decide. I’m not missing the JCW tightness. I prefer the ride dynamics of the S. But they’re all good. Depends on where you are in the game.

 

I'm officially going backwards...went from a 2015 bmw550x msport to a 2017 BMW X3 3.0 sport....to a mini....might be the only customer of bmw that goes this route....something about the mini puts a smile on my face...kind of like my Mickey Mouse watch....and in this crazy world we are living in these days, I want more smiles...thx for the insight...

 

I chose the 2017 Clubman S All4 over the JCW because I did want a few more of the creature comforts. I do have the dynamic suspension option, so it can be plenty frisky when the mood takes us. Absolutely no regrets.

 

you’re not going backwards. You’re moving on. I went JagXK to Range Rover Evoque to MINI Clubman S All 4. Each step had/has its unique joys. All good. A season for everything.

 

325is, 320i, 635csi, Z4, 540i - Countryman, F56

F56 is as fun to drive as the 325is from the 80's.

 

What creature comforts are available in the S that you can't get in the JCW?

I test drove a Clubman S All4 and found it a bit slow. The JCW may not be a whole lot faster on paper but it certainly feels quite a bit quicker.

 

In 2016, when I built my car, the JCW was just about to be released. At that time the ZFL (fully loaded) package gave you premium, sport, and tech packages. I added cold weather, lounge leather, homelink, alarm, spare, power seats, MINI Yours burgundy interior trim, Sport automatic with paddles and JCW steering wheel, and watched the price climb north of $40K. When I built a similarly kitted JCW, the price was higher still for the extra horses and different suspension and wheels. Also, the burgundy metallic/liquid silver combo I wanted wasn't offered in JCW trim. And I wanted to stay with 17" rims and I knew I would be changing out the run flats.

Long way of saying, by adding the Dinan tuner which was on sale and delivered to me for less than $250 at the time, I got a little extra zip, which makes all the difference, got the colors I wanted, and I get to look at a tiny JCW badge and red stitching on my steering wheel, so I'm happy.

My concern was the stiffer ride of the JCW, which I later confirmed by driving one of the first JCW Clubbies to arrive on the West Coast, wasn't what I desired.

BUT, and I stress this point, one configuration isn't better than another, it just depends on preference. Any way you slice it, once over $40K, you're gonna get a really nice Clubman, regardless of configuration.

Also, quickness vs. speed are very subjective. I've had V8 Jags that pull and pull and pull like crazy. And my old V-12 XJS has that seamless torque that no turbo 4 banger will ever match. So I know that feeling. After I lit up the rear wheels a couple of times on my last XK V8, just because I could, I quickly got over that. My Clubman S with the Dinan Sport is not a torque monster, but it zips and zags and gets up and goes nicely for me. And makes nice sounds doing it. And my Clubman, with all the goodies and my JCW steering wheel with the paddle shifters, in Sport mode, is pretty darned fun.

But MINIs aren't for everyone. Lots of good choices and alternatives. I was shopping for a BMW to replace the Range Rover and drove off in our Clubman instead. We old geezers do strange things..

 

To me the big difference in decision between the F54 JCW vs F54 S is how you option it AND if you want the big brakes.

I went with the JCW because most of the options I wanted on the S were Std on the JCW. For a few $$'s more I got more power, those dinner plate sized brakes, a boost in power and an overall tighter drive (stiffer suspension, tighter shifter).

 

Yup.

 

Fair enough. I guess the only real "creature comfort" you miss out on with the JCW is the softer suspension. Other than that I think all of the amenities available on an S are available on the JCW as well.

Personally I love the fact that the JCW can be optioned out with all of those amenities. I'm not a fan of companies who don't allow you to combine luxury features with their performance trim. It's fine on a hardcore sports car but doesn't make sense to me on something like a sport sedan or hot hatch.

 

Also, a small thing, but at the time I was building my car, the JCW Clubman was only available with black headliner. I wanted my headliner to match my gray seats and lower dash trim. I think the lighter interior and dual tone dash really adds to my aesthetic enjoyment of the car. Strange how little things matter.

 

Absolutely. Personally I'm a big fan of a dark headliner but if you have a lighter interior then it would be nice to have it match that.

 

JCW was just becoming available when I ordered my Clubby ALL4 S. I priced one out, but since I was using a buying service and saving $4700 under retail, the choice became a $10,000 difference that I couldn't accept. I also figured with 1) a tune box (Dinan), 2) a short shifter (Cravenspeed), 3) better throttle response (Sprint V3), and 4) a rear sway bar (NM 25mm bar), I could have close to JCW performance for a lot less money. One and two are done, with 3 and 4 coming in the near future.

 

I wanted the two-tone seats and matching headliner in my JCW but...It was stuck with the dark headliner which I've grown to quite like.

 

Yeah, $10k is a lot of money. Personally the only reason I have a Clubman at all is because I got an amazing deal on my JCW, so I totally get it.

 

My decision was more of my wifes decision for me

MB AMG C63 to 17 Clubman S ALL4..

For sheer power.. the Mini does not even come close, but for handling in tight and twisty corners.. the Mini wins hands down.... I'm not unhappy about the purchase (obviously not seeing as this past Sat we picked up a 18 Countryman S ALL4, all of our cars are manual)

 

I love manuals too....I installed the Cravenspeed short shifter, shift ****, and custom cap....

 

There's also this, coming soon ...

http://www.motoringfile.com/2017/10/...ryman-clubman/

 

I realize I have an R58 not an F series. But I added a Stage 1 ECU tune for only $500. Not a clipon box. You can do the same thing to the MCS cars. I added more HP than the JCW tune, and it improved the exhaust sound to boot (although the exhaust is the same). More burbles and pops when you let off the gas at higher RPMs. Something to consider. Took the guy about 2 hours including loading the latest firmware to the car.

 

Interested to find out if this exhaust will add HP to a F54 JCW with flap open in Sport+

 

Also important to figure out when any possible added torque/hp comes into play. Is it usable for the way you drive?

Like anything else, intakes and exhausts may best enhance performance as part of a total tune package. As a stand-alone mod, the greatest value in an exhaust is the sound. If you want more and different noise, an open flap system will get you that for sure.

 

So, as the car isn't going to be tracked, decided that exterior color is important...going to go with the Burgandy S All4...next is how to get that additional "punch" on the road. Dinan Elite appears to give more power, but Mini's "in house" kit is just that..."in house"....less chance for problems...though a bit less power....thoughts?