Does anyone happen to know whether ALL mini Clubmans meet CA emissions specifications? I'm a CA resident but am purchasing mine out of state...

 

I believe to be sold in the US they have to meet all the emissions standards set. Ca. included! In addition I know the Clubman is being sold in Ca. as we speak. (Just check some of the other psotings) Contact a dealer in Ca. if you want verification and piece of mind.

 

The problem is that some automakers have a 49-states-certified car manufacture, and then California-only certified. The CA certified are sold only in CA.

Can't find out if the Clubman is one of those 49/1 manufactures, or if 100% manufactured meet CA standards.

 

Hang tight. I'm thinking in a little while you'll hear from others way more knowledgable than I on this subject.

 

Yes, they all do, according to the EPA. You can find more info at www.fueleconomy.gov, the EPA site for vehicle mileage ratings and pollution scores.

 

but that chart shows two sets of stats - one for CA and northeastern states, and one for everywhere else.

 

I stand corrected. CA and NorthEast states are certified as LEV-II ULEV, whatever that means. All other states are BIN5. What I can't answer is if the actual engine or emissions systems and performance that differ, or if it's just the vehicle certification procedure that differs. Go to www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/ to find certification levels by make, model, and state. As to whether this is a problem in registering a new out-of-state car, I would recommend getting a definitive answer from the the CA DMV. Sorry for the earlier misinformation.

 

I called in to the ASK MINI folks and they said all clubpeople are 50-state certified this year. Also, it's one of the "top 12" greenest cars of 2008 according to an unknown auto magazine.

 

O.K., One more time. The MINI Clubman base has one engine spec for all 50 states, and the vehicle underhood emissions tag is 8BMXV01.6UL2 no matter where in the USA you purchase it.

That standard meets "BIN 5" in all states except the states that follow the CA regulations, and for those states that follow CA it meets CA standard ULEV-II. This is according to the EPA chart.

Here's the link, you can search for the MINI model you're interested in, and then go to the chart at the bottom to find the various certification codes.

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/bymanu.htm
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thanks for untangling the codes. that makes a lot more sense now.

 

It would be easier if the EPA site said something like "50 state certified", or had a link where you could directly check which vehicles meet which regulations. Still, it's an impressive site for a government organization. Your tax dollars at work!

 

As the other responders have correctly indicated, MINI Clubman (in fact all the MINIs) are 50 states cars...at least for now . As you may have read, CA is suing the EPA to allow it to have stricter standards than the rest of the states. But that won't impact your purchase.

I've purchased six MINIs from out of state (Classic MINI in Mentor Ohio) and there's no problem with bringing the car into CA and getting it registered...but it's just a little bit of a pain because you have to have the car verified by a peace officer or DMV person (to ensure all the paperwork matches the VIN & smog stickers) and you have to have a smog test done on the vehicle....which turned out to be somewhat of a hassle because of the change in the MINI electronics for 07 and newer cars. The test is required of all out of state cars, even though you're buying one which if purchased in CA would not require a test for the first 6 years of registration.

I'll post the info later about the smog test. The car passes, no problem; but most smog stations don't have the latest machines with the (can't remember the name of the electronics protocol) and so I had to go to a referee station to get it done (in S.F.Bay area)

PM me if you want more details.

Other than the cost of the smog test, you don't pay any more than a CA buyer does; in fact, you save the cost of the sales tax on the extra profit some dealers are charging for Clubman & Clubman S's which gets thrown into the total cost of the car; and you don't pay registration fees on this amout for the next 10 years.

Enjoy the out of state buying experience...it appears to once again be "fashionable" do to CA dealers taking advantage of a new MINI model introduction.