Just in time for the end of May, I got my July C&D

But anyways, they reviewed the Clubman, and i've got to say it's not very positive.

They praise the power and handling for the most part, but they hate the van doors, and the 'weird proportions'. They argue the MINI in general is overly styled and better deals can be had.

It's not online yet as far as I can see, but if you're a subscriber, feel free to fire off an angry letter

 

Yeah, a "better deal" is called a Toyota Corrola. Perhaps they should give examples of a driving machine as *perfect* as the MINI in this price range.

Oh yeah, that's right. There are none.

 

I think a case could be made for the Mazdaspeed 3 and maybe the VW GTI. Car and Driver has the same opinion for the Cooper hardtop, so this isn't really surprising.

 

I'd add Audi A3 as well....same general size as the clubman but with 4 doors, way more trunk space, and a higher overall quality. It's a blast to drive as well...definitely comparable to the clubman

Of course....still love my clubman.

 

What do you expect from a bunch of guys who couldn't work the manual AC controls on the coupe . . .

 

Will someone scan & upload already?

 

I checked out the article while in the store today. The author didn't like it much, but the rebuttals did.

 

I got to read their review yesterday. Any review that lists go-kart handling as a negative, as this one does, is worthless. As one of the rebuttals says, the author missed the boat on this review.

 

To be fair, they listed go-cart handling as a positive and go-cart ride as a negative.

 

Whoops! But that makes me think that guy was even more lame. Talk about wanting to have your cake and eat it too.

 

Did you notice the two short rebuttals at the end. The author wasn't accused of smoking crack, but it was close.

 

You know, people in general don't get this car. UNTIL THEY DRIVE IT.

When I told friends I got a Clubman S, they weren't too sure. However, those few folks that did get to drive my car were smitten with the handling and acceleration as well as how the styling was so well done.

Car & Driver missed the boat, I agree. However, that rag needs Toyota much more than they need Mini...

Just a thought.

 

While this is my first post, I have been lurking on this forum for about a month. I have been wondering about the wisdom and likelihood of purchasing a Mini Clubman for my next car, and have found you all very helpful. On the strength of your comments, I test drove a Clubman S a couple of weeks ago to find out several things:

Is it as much fun as they say it is?
Is it the quality they say it is?
What are the chances of it fitting my family? (My wife and me, plus an eleven and
thirteen year old.)

In short, the answers are all “Yes! Absolutely.”

Two things have happened over the weekend: I took my family to the Denver dealer so we could all test drive the Clubman—they were gaga—and I received my copy of the July Car And Driver in the mail.

As an author, I can tell you that the first paragraph or two of any article or book intentionally sets the tone for the remainder. The authors of “The Not So Mini” didn’t want the Clubman to be a winner from the start. They approached it not only as skeptics, but as people determined to reject the Clubman on a sort of cooked-up principle alone. Ignoring history, they completely minimized the admittedly fine handling, engine and quality, having predetermined that anything other than the Mini introduced in 2002 must be a bastard child.

Like grumpy old men hearkening back to bygone days when men were men and cars were cars, the authors pre-viewed the Clubman as an oxymoron—it should be stripped of its’ Mini monikers because it is too big to be a Mini. Get it off the road. Virtually any time the authors complimented the Clubman it was grudgingly and loaded with words like, “However.”

Their article wasn’t so much a review as it was a comparison, one that doomed the Clubman before the beginning. Here’s one of their summary comments: “And at the end of the day, we prefer the standard Mini to the Clubman.” And there it is—the authors weren’t reporting on the virtues and delights of the Clubman, they were comparing it to their hard-held, elitist views of the Mini.

Here’s what they find fault with:
“Those side-hinged doors. . .particularly if it’s raining. . .”
“A longer load floor with a relatively low roofline can make for an awkward reach to get at stuff stowed toward the front.”
“. . .the rear seat may be habitable,. . .but comfort isn’t included.”
Cuteness is diminished versus the Mini.
The ride quality with the sport package is as bad as the Mini.

Here’s what my family and I thought in comparison:

#1—We loved the side-hinged doors. Anyone who thinks a car like this should have a large enough and vertical rear opening so as to protect them in case of rain should rethink “small car.”

#2—We loved the flexibility and roominess of the Clubman cabin. Anyone who cites the “low roofline” as a fault when reaching into the relatively cavernous cargo space is simply looking to ignore or deny a terrific benefit—especially when the roofline is one inch higher than on the Mini. The authors are spin-doctors.

#3—Taking turns, my wife and I each sat in the back seat while underway. Both of us found it unexpectedly and unusually comfortable back there—it’s remarkable! I’m 5’11” and she is 5’5”. Perhaps they’re each 6’5” and 350 lbs. A Suburban ought to be in their future.

#4—With the possible exception of the rear stripe thingy, we think the Clubman might be better looking than the Mini. (That’s not unanimous though.) We all love the look of it from the side, particularly—long and sleek are cool with us.

And point #5 is particularly odd. The only thing that matched-up with their elitist icon was a bad thing, the ride. Having driven both iterations one after the other, I disagree. They’re not the same. Personally, I think the Clubman’s ride is a tad bit softer, and I’m glad. Besides, some people love the ride given via the sport package, and hope it’s the same with the Clubman.

I was very disappointed by the article, primarily because it wasn’t a review of the merits of the Clubman, but was instead a grumpy old men’s whine fest. Pity if they’re only in their thirties or forties. They’ve got some “ivory tower” syndrome working, in my opinion.

To their credit, they allowed for two counterpoints, both of which I thought were spot-on. Essentially, Tony Quiroga and Mark Gillies found what I found: the authors are “out to lunch. . .”

Well, yeah.

 

Their article is so wrong and biased! They must work for consumer reports!

 

All the bad comments on the new mini are because of WHERE IT IS MADE..... With the direction of the USA auto builders are going down again... VOTE DEMOCART.... LETS GET OUT OF THE hole..

 

Are the Democarts a new party? Hope so; the other 2 kindof suck.

 

Huh?

Not only does that make no sense (the U.S. isn't Anglophobic), but the longstanding meme against the car mags is that they're biased against DOMESTIC AUTOMAKERS.

Besides, the domestics appear to maybe, finally, be waking up. GM's big announcements yesterday - closing four truck plants, possibly axing or selling Hummer, greenlighting the Volt, planning to launch a compact, 40mpg sedan in 2010 - seem promising. Whether they can pull it off - well that's something else entirely - but they're making the right noises.

 

LOL - yeah, that was what I was thinking too. I'd like to learn more about this new Democart party

 

Car & Driver is often criticized for bias in favor of BMW.

It's quite predictable that the 3 series wins every comparison, and the M3 makes every "10 Best" list. I think they've tried to polish the magazine's reputation a bit by bashing Minis in general for the last few years.

 

there's a valid reason for both those points

not sure about Car & Driver since I never read it ... but Automobile Magazine is very much in love with all things BMW.

 

the rever, you've got it right.

I read the article, and it was written almost as if C&D felt that the Clubman was built to replace the regular Mini Cooper. The Clubman is not meant to replace the standard Cooper, so I don't feel it should be compared that way. It should be compared to (like others said) the VW GTI, the Audi A3, and the Mazdaspeed 3. That's the market they were going for, not the current MINI drivers.

I've never been impressed with how Car and Driver articles are written, they almost always seem just a tad bit off the point. Just my opinion though, they do have quite a bit of credibility in the auto review world.

 

My wife was kinda so-so on the Mini when I proposed it as our around town, safe gas, save the environment car. That is until she saw the Clubman when we went to the dealer to order a coupe. It's a great compromise in that it runs fast and handles well and it will also haul the groceries home. I was impressed when I loaded 3 2' x 4' sheets of plywood in the back. She loves the car so much I may have to get another one for me (JCW Coupe maybe?)

I also think the Car and Driver guys only like real BMW's, not the fun ones.

 

I read it today during a haircut. Toying with the idea of trading in my 06 Cooper (43K).

Their "MINI owner's" report didn't exactly get my motor running. I'd hate to give up my bonnet unless really convinced. Lots going for the Clubman though.

 

They finally got the link to it.
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...bman_road_test

 

I don't think these guys talk to folks like us! It looks cool, goes really fast, has terrific handling,great gas mileage (oh they forgot to mention how great that is), and today I fit four, yes four 3' X 4' paintings into the back! Got the work to the gallery and man,this is truly an "ART CAR". That should be my new plate! I love the Cubman more than any other ride I've ever had and I gotta tell ya, I really loved that chevy SSR! THere was no way I could have gotten more than one painting at a time in that baby.