I am in the market for a used 6MT Clubman (2018-2023), and had read that almost all 2020 and 2022 models were automatic. I just found a 6MT 2022 in Minnesota -- not the spec I want, so will pass, but thought that I would post WMWLV7C0XN2R88254 here:

 

You could get the manual, but only with FWD models. If you wanted to get the All4 drivetrain, auto was the only option.

 

Yep, still super rare with the manual.

 

@ayliar

Just googled a question on 6 speed manual availability pre-LCI ( mid- 2019) Clubman S All4 vs LCI Clubman S all4 and the answer I got was that the 6 speed was eliminated in the LCI model. If that is correct, you should be looking at pre- LCI model years.

Keep looking. I was lucky this summer when I got a call back from a nearby Mini dealer that I had visited looking for a pre owned manual Clubman S. They had just taken in a 2019 Clubman S All4 six speed manual as a trade in late Saturday afternoon… I was there first thing Monday AM to buy the car.

Fun car to drive.

 

Thank you for the reply!

As you pointed out, the LCI eliminated all base models (AT & 6MT, FWD & All4: no 1.5-liter survived) as well as the Cooper S All4 6MT. The manual survived on the FWD Clubman S, but then disappeared with MY 2020 before reappearing with MY 2021 and disappearing for good after MY2023.

FWIW, I have the Mini US sales brochures for every year. The 2020 brochure does not mention manual transmissions at all -- see here -- while the 2022 brochure mentions it as a "new option" for the Mini Hardtop (but not the Clubman).

I have never seen a 2020 6MT Clubman S FWD, but that does not mean that they don't exist. Car & Driver mentioned performance for the manual model, but their report on the 2020 actually links to a 2017 (pre-LCI) test. AFAIK, "the manual transmission option was temporarily eliminated from all U.S. models in mid-2019 due to a severe lag in emissions certification with the EPA for the 2020 model year" -- reintroducing the manual in March 2020 for some models, but not for the Clubman (see here).

I have read conflicting information about the 2022. There were apparently supply chain issues, both due to COVID and later to the invasion of Ukraine, that led to the removal of the manual option. The Ukraine war, though, would only affect cars made from Feb. 2022 onward. The car to which I linked, WMWLV7C0XN2R88254 , was initially sold in Jan. 2022 -- predating that conflict. Here is one of the sources I consulted.

PS: I am ignoring the JCW models as I am looking for a base (pre-LCI) or S (LCI) model.

 

Looks like you did what I am doing. I will be interested in learning more about your car, and how you made sure that there were no issues.

I have gone to two dealers to see if I might like the A/T, as there are many more available, and the answer is "nope" -- nice car, but not my cup of tea. I test-drove a 2018 Countryman All4 6MT a few days ago, same thing -- way too big and ponderous for my taste, even thought the engine surprised me positively. As an aside, there is a big pad in the CM's footwell that limits the right knee space -- no such issue in the Clubman. The two salesmen know that I am seriously interested, they know exactly what I want, and they know that I am talking to both of them -- I am in no rush but plan to move quickly if the right car pops up.

 

Sounds like you want a 2018-2019 F54 Clubman JCW manual. Good luck, those are unicorns, especially low mileage examples.

 

@ayliar looking at what say you want a "base (pre-LCI) or S (LCI) model." they maybe a "unicorn", but seems you are being diligent which is the only way to find a car.

My search was broader; I was looking for a Clubman S with 6MT, newest model year car I could find, with lowest mileage I could find, and with good carfax records / documentation.

After driving several different optioned and years pre-owned AT Clubman S at the dealer, the sales guy knew I liked the cars. When I told him I they were all nice, but what I really wanted was a MT Clubman S, he laughed out loud, and said in three years working at the dealer he had not seen one... said that they were known as "unicorns". Ilaughed out loud when I heard that term, and asked if he would call me if he sees one, he said yes and then he did about 4 weeks later.

In that interim period I set up several internet searches on sites like Autotrader, national wide searches. Was trying to see what was out there, confirm the Unicorn. I have bought cars on the Internet before, usually well documented, mostly from dealers of that make, and had them shipped to me. Works especially well / lower risk with relatively new cars coming off lease. However I was just not seeing any MT Clubman S (certainly not any newer years' models with MT since I also discovered Mini had stopped making them!) finding an occasional older, higher mileage, not well documented Clubman S that was often the model with the "cool" wider side door (always liked that look). Most of the time listings from a non-Mini dealer, like Chevrolet that had taken the car as a trade in. I stayed away from those listings, however if any cars had been within 200 miles I would have driven to see the car and actually drive one...

You wrote "I will be interested in learning more about your car, and how you made sure that there were no issues." So my Mini is a 2019 Pre-LCI Clubman S All4 6 speed MT which had ~70K miles on it when I bought it. One owner car, he had bought the Clubman from the same Mini dealer where he had just traded it in for a brand new JCW convertible. I was also told that the guy's wife also had a Mini, newer car, but not a Clubman. Carfax told me that the PO had done regular maintenance / oil changes, no major repairs. When I got to the dealer before lunch the car was just coming out of service. They gave me a list of maintenance and repairs just completed that included; 70K service, brake fluid flush, new spark plugs, replaced ground strap, replaced cabin filter, and replaced rear GUIBO joint due to cracking / tears. Car looked clean, well cared for. Dealer had not detailed the car yet. Drove the car, it was a lot of fun, much more enjoyable to me than the AT with paddles, and while I was not thrilled on the color (Melting Platinum Metallic) I knew that this was my opportunity to get a really good condition MT Clubman S. It needed tires which we worked into the deal. I did not get run flats, as I've not heard anything good about them (I had already ID a spare and jack set up to get for the Clubman). I paid to have the slightly peeling racing stripe removed & replaced. Wife and I took a road trip to Canada this summer and I've put on several thousand miles on the car since early June, been lots of fun to drive. Recently heard a grinding noise as I was turning the steering wheel.. Took it to a nearby independent BMW / Mini shop and they said it needed new upper strut mounts. They told me that at 70+K miles that was not an unexpected item to replace, not inexpensive but now car drives a lot better and no grinding. They did a thorough inspection, like a PPI, and thought the car was in great shape.

Some pictures attached.

For kicks I just now threw a search into Autotrader and got these two hits for MT Clubman"

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...icle/767457479

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...icle/768145894

Good luck on your search your car is out there! 😬

 

Don’t rule out a Clubman with an automatic! I, too, wanted a manual transmission, which was unavailable on my new 2024 Clubman S. However, I’ve been very happy with the automatic, which shifts smoothly and is amazingly responsive. In sport mode it’s nearly as fun to drive as a manual. And if you ever drive in traffic you will vastly prefer the auto in stop-and-go driving. Unlike most 4-cylinder cars, there is no loss of power in the MINI with the DCT. Test drive a Clubman with the automatic before dismissing it.

 

I completely agree with that statement, particularly if that is a daily commute thing. 👍

I do not have traffic to drive in, I don't commute, and if I were going somewhere that I'd expect lots of traffic, a Boston or NYC for example, we would take my wife's car with an automatic transmission.

Thanks for pointing that out.

Added - Also I know I have a bias for manual transmissions. Learned to drive on one, always owned at least one in the household, and for me it just feels like "normal" driving. I do think it is harder to drive than an AT which is why carmakers are getting rid of them. I read a year ago in a review of a Porsche model that you still could get with a MT, that less than 20% of Americans can drive a MT. Mini clearly understands their market.

Rob

 

Thank you for the detailed and very helpful reply!

Your approach looks to be exactly mine. I have searches with alerts turned on with AutoTrader, KBB, CarGurus, Edmunds, CarMax, and Carvana for a 6MT Clubman S FWD (pre- and post-LCI) or S All4 (pre-LCI), Clubman JCW (pre-LCI), and base FWD or All4 (pre-LCI).

The cars are rare, but not impossible to find. FWIW, I passed on the blue car in my OP above, but I could have bought it. I also just passed on a 2023 6MT at AutoNation in Florida with 36k miles, because even though it is pretty much what I want (colors, options) it has a smoke smell that won't go away. The hunt continues.

 

Thank you for the response. I don't like to rule out things without first trying, and for this reason I test-drove two automatics at my local Mini dealer -- a 2022 S All4 and a 2023 S All4. Hard pass for me on that engine combo. Both cars are All4 and have an 8-speed auto, though. What your post suggests is that I ought to drive the FWD with 7-speed DCT. I'll try to do so this weekend.

The Clubman will replace my 1996 Roadmaster wagon as a "utility fun" car. One of the reasons is size (I don't need to transport as much as I did in the past 3 years), the other reason is that I really prefer to drive a stick shift all the time (the Roadie has plenty of torque and will move surprisingly fast and well, but she ain't a sports car of course). My choices are limited -- not many manufacturers in the past 10 years have made 6MT wagons. If VW had ever sold in the States (as it did in Europe) the Golf AllTrack with the same engine and transmission as my GTI, then that'd be my top choice. As is, I've narrowed my search down to either another GTI or a Clubman. I already own a GTI (though it is driven mostly by another family member, I'll never sell it), so a Clubman it is.

FWIW, I test-drove a 2018 CountryMan All4 with 6MT last weekend at another Mini dealer who is local to me. Too bulky for me, and way too little space for my right knee (unlike the Clubman), BUT the test drive was good in that I liked the engine combo -- it is actually fun if one drives the car spiritedly.

 

Thank you for this info. Your car is pretty much what I'd love to find -- and Melting Silver is a color that I actually like. Thank you also for the description of what you did, I have added a few items to my "TO DO" list as a result.

I am aware of the two cars you noted (red 2023 in FL, burgundy pre-LCI in CA). The red one is the car I mentioned in my other post earlier today. I'd have bought it already if it did not have a smoke smell (WHICH the dealer did try to remedy, but with only partial success). I would look at the burgundy one if it were closer to me or if I had a short time frame -- but that's not the case, and so I am waiting. I am ready to move quickly for the right car, but I can wait.

 

@ayliar
smart to pass on the smoked in car… that smell will never come out !

Good luck on your search. 👍

 

I went to test drive a CPO 2023 Clubman S with 7AT yesterday. Lo and behold, you were right. No comparison with the 8-speed AT on the All4, which I did not like -- even in sport. In sport mode, the 7-speed DCT is a completely different animal altogether: lots of fun.

--> I have now widened my search to a good 6MT (my preference still) or the exact spec I want on a Clubman S FWD (plenty of those around with DCT, so I can be picky with colors/equipment). Thank you all, will update

 

I found a 6MT that I like. One owner, low miles, full maintenance with proper records. Recently listed for sale, so I was going to see it this weekend -- but it's out of town and the flights got cancelled. Let us see if it is still available later this week.

Meanwhile, I posted a question about the car here:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...r-wrinkle.html

Any comments/thoughts on cross punch seats? Good/bad vs. other seats?

 

Starting my search for a 6MT now. I would have picked up the one that the OP passed on in MN...

@ayilar Hope you got the one you noted above.

 

Here is a 2018 Clubman (not an S) All4 6 speed MT that popped up on Bring a Trailer this morning. No Reserve, maybe interesting to see where pricing is these days.

Non S model has the 1.5L engine.


https://bringatrailer.com/listing/20...n=Model_Update

 

@RobH912 ~ I saw that as well. Thank you..

Will be keeping an eye on where that price lands.

 

That one popped up in my email too. Has anyone driven one of these? Seems like it would be pretty underpowered - especially with it being an All 4, with the added weight that goes with it.
I've already become addicted to my JCW horsepower, but still long for a MT.