http://www.motivemag.com/pub/feature..._Clubman.shtml

 

Thanks for posting that - a light, entertaining article that some of us MINI diehards will not agree with 100%.

 

Besides the reviewer's apparent lack of common sense (put the big *** water bottle in the large cupholder?) it wasn't a bad review

 

That's a glass half empty type of review. Never talks about how 90% of the people are in their car alone, doesn't talk about how much space is available in the trunk, how much space with the seats down......or most importantly, how he has saved 3/4 (actually more) on gas!

Oh, and IKEA? Last I checked, IKEA was INEXPENSIVE furniture that looked expensive. The Mini, at least in my opinion, is NOT INEXPENSIVE and operates within the high end of its class and has somewhat of a "Status."

I guess the Corolla better fits his needs. lol

 

Interesting article to say the least.....thanks for posting!

Donna

 

I guess I was too diplomatic.

 

There's a phrase, "too clever by half", that perfectly describes this review and reviewer. He's too caught up in his silly "3/4" theme. Yes, it's not a Suburban. As for the reviewer, I give him "1/4".

 

Hi guys, sorry for the delay but registration approval for my account here took a while. I'm the author of the article posted above. Thanks for reading it and thanks for the feedback, both good and bad, though I must say I thought Mini owners were all nice people. Some of you must have owned Volkswagens in past lives. I'd like to address a few of the points made:

VicSkimmer- By "big cupholder," do you mean the one behind the armrest where it's impossible to reach? The one I tried but it also didn't hold the bottle? A 20oz bottle is as common as common gets in my opinion, and any cupholder should be able to deal with one. Yes, the photo was a bit of an exaggeration with the bottle being crushed, but the point still applies, as does the point that any bottle in there blocks the window and lock toggles. Still, they're better than the zero front cupholders of the first gen.

Jeremy AZ: I don't see the review as half empty at all. I commended the Clubman's dynamics, power, and efficiency, while the only downsides were some visibility and packaging issues. Also, I think I addressed all the things you say I missed. I give a few real world examples of trunk space, both with the seats up and down (grocery bags, 35-inch boxes), say this about fuel economy: " the Clubman's numbers equate to twice that of the thirsty Chevy V-8" and do say it is a good one person car: "the Clubman's perfect for a single twenty-something". I'm sorry you missed my point with the Ikea reference that the Clubman is a huge bargain. A beginning price of $20,000 for something that, as you put it "operates within the high end of its class and has status" What you're getting with the Clubman is a small, inexpensive BMW and I think that's great.

And for the record, the review of the latest Corolla was about as negative as it could be: http://www.motivemag.com/pub/feature..._Corolla.shtml

I've said multiple times in our own forums that if I were buying a car right now, it'd be a Clubman S or a BMW 128i. To say I'd rather have a Corolla, or any Toyota for that matter, is just offensive. You have to understand that I need to write to a broader audience, one with children and space needs. Motive isn't a brand-specific fan site, and therefore I have to think more universally, even with cars that I personally like a whole lot. If I had written the article for a Mini enthusiast site, it would have been a bit different. While many of the Mini's quirks are not only tolerable but loveable to me (and obviously all of you), not everyone wants a giant center-mounted speedometer and hard-to-reach toggle switches in their car.

Miniclubman: I'm sorry my story idea didn't entertain you, but I'm also perfectly comfortable with the fact that not everyone is going to like what I write. I picked a theme and I ran with it. Sorry if it was in there too much, but I'd get critiqued for straying from my theme if I didn't carry it all the way through.

I urge you all to read Motive again once in a while--hopefully you'll go from 1/4 liking our stuff to perhaps 1/3 or even 1/2 liking it. If you have any Mini-related story ideas you'd like to see, or just want to call me an idiot some more, feel free to e-mail me at stu@motivemag.com.

Cheers and happy motoring,

Stuart Fowle

 

Wow who knew that you guys read these types of forums? Haha.

I guess I'm just happy that we have cupholders that fit anything at all in them vs. what we had in the last generation.

I can't say I've ever had a problem reaching the one between the seats (or having anything falling out of it) but I can at least see where you're coming from

 

Stuart,
I'd like to commend you on following through on your post and actually taking feedback. I've most recently owned an AMG E55, BMW Z4, BMW 540 etc....and I know lots of people with high-line cars (exotics) and its funny that we all love the Mini Cooper S (Cooper, Convert, Clubman etc.) as if its on a par with our other vehicles. I think Mini's give a pleasure and a weird type of prestige that other regular cars (aka Mazda, Toyota, Scion) don't.

Anyway, kudos to you for taking the time to read and respond. You're in the minority. Thanks

 

You're totally right. All of the more mainstream cars you can get for the same money are disappointing next to the Mini. That's all I meant by the whole "inexpensive but feels/looks expensive" comment. I've spent a lot of time in the new Volvo C30, a car that should be the Mini's most direct competitior, and even that feels cheap and dull in comparison.

In regards to me commenting here, the OP is also a member of our forums and tipped me off to the fact that he posted it here. We're an online-only car magazine, and as such we love to embrace the medium and interact with readers, rather than take the traditional "Word Cast Down From God" approach of the Car and Driver and the other print mags.

 

Stuart,

Likewise, I feel you've done an excellent job following up with the critque of your article. I must say I was surprised to see that you came here to this forum to address your critics.

While not everyone will agree with your review, I can understand that you must write for a broader audience, not just hardcore mini enthusiasts.

However, it's also good to know that deep down, you're still a mini lover

 

Stu,

I actually 3/4 liked your article .

 

Thanks!

 

This shows the purpose this wesite. I commend the writer for his insight and measured response to the criticism.. That is why they make pepper white and hot chocolate--to give everyone his (her) choice and ability to express it. It is nice when there can be discussion and disagreement with civility.

 

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Hi guys, sorry for the delay but registration approval for my account here took a while. I'm the author of the article posted above. Thanks for reading it and thanks for the feedback, both good and bad, though I must say I thought Mini owners were all nice people. Some of you must have owned Volkswagens in past lives. I'd like to address a few of the points made:

Stu@motivemag that was not nice to imply Volkswagen owners are not nice people. I have a jetta and hope to own a MINI and I think I am a [FONT='Times New Roman']relatively[/FONT] nice person.

 

This article was one I kept going back to when I was looking at the Clubman and deciding whether to order one.

This part rang especially true:

And this:

I thought it was well-written. While is wasn't totally flattering toward the Clubman, it wasn't unfairly mean, either.

Most of the things the author didn't like were not a problem for me. I don't mind the size of the cupholders at all but they DO interfere with some of the controls.

 

Wasn't able to link to the article but sometimes it's nice to have an "I-can-work-it-and-you-can't" attitude. As long as you're nice about it.

Can't say much about VW drivers but I recently moved from the East SF Bay where BMW drivers had that stereotype in spades.

 

I thought it was a great article. An interesting take on an interesting vehicle.

I had never heard of the online mag before, but it looks real nice. I loved the article about a flogged mini vs a hyper-miled hummer:

http://www.motivemag.com/pub/feature...g_a_MINI.shtml

I will now add Motive to my regular reading list.

 

BTW, I dated a VW driver for a while.


She tried to murder me once so I broke up with her.

 

Great article. I do the pulse/glide thing occasionally but I don't shut off the engine.

 

I don't think every article about the Clubbie has to be completely positive for it to be fair. People buy cars for a wide variety of reasons and there are compromises every driver makes to get the things that matter to them. As someone who is seriously downsizing my vehicle (from a Dodge Durango) and who has 2 kids (8 & 10 yrs. old), the Clubbie was a good fit for us. We are keeping the Durango since it is not worth a lot in trade-in and we still need it for the occasional haul (camping, hubbies band gigs, extra kiddo along) but the fact is that my kids spend about 20% of my total driving time in the car with me, so I wasn't going to plan my whole purchase aroung them, but I needed to have a carthat had enough space for my everyday needs. I am willing to sacrifice a decent cupholder (lets face it folks, it is not there) for the fun overall experience of owning a MINI and the Clubman gave me the chance to finally own one by offering that scootch more space and passenger friendliness that kept the hardtop from being a viable option.

I applaud Stuart for coming here to take his criticism from what is obviously a devoted following. I think every person who is serious about writing reviews of any product has an obligation to point out the things they notice about the product that bug them. For potential buyers, those things will either matter to them or they won't. To each his own, right!

 

I agree. When an articel is 100% positive I usually assume it is a glorified press release.

 

Jumboshrimp, that was my experience. I test-drove the MINI when they first came out and there just wasn't enough room for me.

That little bit of extra room on the Clubman has made all the difference.

I am even taking mine to some music gigs soon so we'll see how it goes.