Hey! I sorta had my mind set on the Hardtop cooper s, but I recently went for a test drive in the clubman S and It was fantastic. The drive, design, and space was awesome. A really amazing vehicle, I am looking for some comparatives along with some input from owners of both, to make my final decision.

Thank you!

 

I really like mine. With the rear seat folded down, it has quite a large flat floored space for hauling things.

Dave

 

Love my Clubbie. Before the MINI I had a Mazda5 (smallest van in the US basically). The extra room in the Clubman is absolutely crucial if you plan to have 2+ passengers with any regularity. A lot of my friends live in center city Philly and don't have cars so when I go into the city on weekends I'm often carting several passengers. The extra space is great and allows the driver to sit in a still comfortable position and have rear passengers. I'm also a large person at 6ft, 325lbs. The MINI is the most roomy tiny car I've ever been in. The front cockpit area is no different from the Hardtop to the Clubman. If you're even considering the Clubman I'd go that way. Unless you're going to track/race the car, the difference in weight and handling is nominal.

 

Conrad, +1 on the Clubbie. My only gripe is the crazy bar that splits the rear windows, and thats a hugely minor nit, especially when you bend this sucker into an off-ramp and watch everyone receding in the rear view mirrors. Or as the sticker says, "objects in mirror are losing".

 

Yeah, the split rear doors are a little wonky sometimes but people flip out when they see you open them. I put the rear headrests on the front seats and don't use headrests on the rear seats unless I have passengers. Helps immensely with visibility...

 

My first "new" MINI was an 04 S and I loved it - now I have a 2011 Cooper Clubman for me and we just picked up a 2010 Clubman S for the wife - LOVE THEM!!! Just a little more room that a std MINI - but all the fun!!

Good luck on your decision

 

My first interest in a Mini was the Clubman, but since I rarely carry anyone other than my 9 year old daughter around anywhere I decided to save a few bucks and go with the Hardtop. However, it's amazing what that extra 9.5" (?) buys you with the Clubman. If I needed anything more than a daily commute car I would've gone Clubman for sure.

 

My wife and daughter have hardtops and I have a Clubman. There is a world of difference in what you can do with a Clubman. I've carried furniture (inside and on top), bikes (inside and on top), project stuff (like from Home Depot/Lowes inside and on top), and people (the Clubman would not be good for a trip longer than an hour or two with my family, but up to that length it works). Plus the Clubby has room for a real spare tire, and I can carry tools and stuff under the primary trunk and above the spare. Finally, I think the Clubman looks a little more balanced than the Hardtop....very personal preference....and I like the looks of the Hardtop.

 

I love mine!
Sometimes you need that extra room.
It handles great.

 

I love my Clubman for that additional space in the boot and leg room for the rear passenger is a big plus. Love the longer wheel base looks as well.

 

Conrad, if you transport anything bigger than a backpack on a regular basis, get a Clubman. I have to carry a fair amount of gear on a regular basis, and it's packed in big duffles or plastic bins... I can fit a ton of it in my Clubman S and still carry the kids in the back seats.

Also, definitely go with the S. I test drove the standard Clubman before I got the S, and it's a little wheezy... around town it's okay but it works too hard on the freeway.

I like the Club doors for the nostalgia factor ( http://www.seriouswheels.com/1960-19...aveller-RA.htm ), but I'd love to see MINI come up with another configuration, like a clamshell liftgate/tailgate for better rear visibility. Honestly though, I don't use my rear view mirror all that much... it's just a matter of adjusting the side mirrors properly.

 

I agree with STS-1 - I would love to have a hatchback liftgate door for accessibility instead of the barn door. Also, I wont bump head as often.

 

I think the rear visibility complaints due to barn doors are a bit blown out of proportion... The break in the middle isn't really large enough for anything to "hide" in, and it's really the only thing that makes a difference vs. a hatch visibility-wise.

The three inches of rear leg room makes a huge difference in ability to fit rear passengers and the cargo space is nice. Driving a Clubman is really a different experience than driving a hatch, though... While it's really not much bigger or heavier, the extra interior space makes it feel less like you're driving a small car. I prefer the looks of the hatch and the way driving one feels, but in the real world for a daily driver the added practicality of the Clubman makes up for the difference.

 

Go Clubbie you won't regret it. i love mine, my wife has a R57 and I like it but would rather be in the clubbie instead. It can haul a lot of stuff comapred to hardtop. I carry 4 passengers on a regular basis and no complaints

 

It all boils down to personal preference...

Before I bought my Clubman I rented each one for a week to see if I even wanted to buy a Mini. As for performance... both handled the same but getting into the backseat of the hatchback, even just to get my jacket out, was a chore. The club door can't be beat and the 3 inches of additional back seat floor space sure made a big difference if one was riding in the back.

To me the choice is simple: if one wants two seats - get the Clubman; if one doesn't care about the backseat, then get the single seat coupe. But... either way, get the S model!

As a note: Sales of the Clubman appear to be very low so apparently the hatchback is the popular choice. So if you want to be like the crowd....