I am in the market for a Mini and am having a hard time deciding between the Cooper S and the Clubman S.

I would love to hear your reason for choosing the Clubman vs the Cooper.

 

Read, Read, read, read and read some more.
1. Clubman gas mileage is about the same.
2. Clubman handling is about the same.
3. Clubman can actually put 2 people in the back seat
4. Clubman can acually carry stuff in the boot (I carry my mountain bike in mine)


Note for the Coop:
1. Receiver hitch is available but not (yet) for the Clubman
2. The Coop is less expense

Some say they don't like the looks of the Clubman and the rear doors.

For me there are only positives for the Clubbie so that's the choice for me

 

Old English Sheepdog

Ok, so I think the rear doors look cool to.

On the practical side the added wheelbase makes it a tad smoother (nothing you'd notice unless you drove them side by side).

If doing it over I would add the limited slip diff.

charlie

 

The extra foot and height space in rear seats. A normal size adult can ride back there.

 

I have a 7 year old and needed the extra room!!

 

Thanks for the replies. Keep them coming

 

Two words...Hot Chocolate

 

I have three reasons:

 

The fun of a Mini Cooper S, in a package that accomodates the dogs, passengers, gear, etc...

 

Space.

 

MINIS are already a unique vehicle. There are many more on the street all of the time but they still stand out even so. Clubman, other than it performing at the same level as a coupe and having more of a livable space, is more unique than the already unique coupe.

 

What made the choice for us was wifey wanted a Cooper. Having driven a Suburban for 5 years, she wanted something smaller and easier to park....not to mention better mileage.

We went to the dealer to look with our 2 boys (8 & 5). I got into the Cooper (I'm 6'4") and there was no way either boy was sitting behind me....even with the drivers seat jockeyed up.

So as she was hanging her head realizing the Cooper wasn't happening for our use, I looked over and saw a Clubman sitting there and said "Whats that?". We went over to the car, all of us climbed in.....we took it for a test drive (it was an S model), then she took it on a test drive by herself. The power and the room inside blew both of us away...wifey absolutely loved it and we bought it on the spot.

So basically our deciding factor was being able to fit our family in it on occasion...and the fact that wifey absolutely LOVED it....and well, happy wife, happy life.

So there's my .02¢

 

because a standard cooper is 100% completely useless unless you never want to carry anything of any size, or provide a back seat for passengers.. or you have a spare car for those tasks and the mini is a 'weekender'.

i've always wanted one, but i'm a musician and have a heap of gear to carry around, and living on my own I can't justify owning two cars.

then the clubman was released! woohoo.

clubman fits all my gear (large amp, large effects roadcase, and 3 guitars in full size hard cases. sure, it's no station wagon, but there is actually still a little bit of room to spare, and it's not a struggle or a juggle to fit the gear in... it all just piles in with little effort and a little thought.

i don't understand why there are some bad reviews about the look of the clubman (for instance the infamous top gear review). i quite like the look, and personally i prefer it over the standard cooper hatch. the hatch looks "squashed" in my opinion. Every person that has seen my car (strangers included) comments on the rear doors and how absolutely cool they are. In photo's the clubman does look a bit 'dorky'. In person it absolutely doesn't.

even a kid in a parking lot the other day who would have been no older than 7 or 8 said "hey, look, it's a big mini !"

 

I feel like it is so big inside until we get out and the Clubman is still small.

 

hehe good point. i love the fact it's easy to wash.. i love the fact it takes up less room in my garage and is easier to park

while driving, it's not until you pull up at the lights next to a massive semi-trailer truck or a big 4wd that you go "hmm yep i'm in a small car" !

 

One word: Utility. That's a nice way of saying Costco run, with 24 cu.ft. with rear seats down.

 

I wanted a Mini since they were reintroduced in the states. But the need to carry on occasion two other people for business and have enough room for my wife and my 70lb dog plus luggage for weekend beach trips just did not make the Mini a viable option. The Clubman solves these problems as other have said. I personnaly believe that the barn doors are an asset. Much easier access to items carried in the way back. The Clubman is a nice package for versatility and with the S option you can still have all the performance you want. Dan

 

Room for the family and the ability to haul the mountain bikes around were the decisive factors for me in choosing the Clubman. I could not have made a better choice!

 

I know the Cooper is extremely safe but I had a few scares in my MCS. So when the Clubman came out with the additional length it was my chance to get back into a MINI (which I loved) yet with more space for safety reasons.

I forgot, but there was one other thing that sold me on the Clubman. When I went by my local dealership there were two Clubmans ready for delivery (a PW/B and a HC/S). They were both sitting there and they reminded me of a modern twist on the old classic woodie wagon, surf mobile! It just looked really cool from the side.

 

Yep totally agree picked mine 4 the same reasons + I like the looks of the clubbie better.

 

Bottom line - carrying capacity - all the more room for adult sized humans, animals and stuff.

 

I don't have my Clubman yet, but I get to go order it soon!!!!

I can related to a lot in this post.
I've been driving a 4x4 Expedition for the last 5 yrs. But have wanted something smaller for 3 of them. I searched every brand, and model I could reasonably afford, and fit my list of requirements. The Clubman was the only one that fit EVERY one of them. (that didn't cost $45K)

my advice is to go test drive both of them. You'll know which one makes you all weak in the knees at the thought of having to leave the lot with out it

 

I'd been planning on getting a Mini for a couple years now, but last year we adopted a beautiful baby girl. After test driving a standard Mini and trying to fit a car seat in one I gave up the idea. Then the Clubman came along, and I haven't looked back It's actually easier to get my 1 year old daughter in her car seat in the Clubman via the club door than in my previous Saturn sedan.

Oh, and also: Hot Chocolate! Do you really need a reason other than that?

 

We've got two kids 7 and 9 and we keep out cars for a loooong time. They were ok in the back seat of the coupe, but I wasn't, and knew they wouldn't be for much longer.

PLUS the front passenger seat is more comfortable. I am used to being able to stretch my legs out in the passenger seat and I couldn't in the coupe.

Add the adorable barn doors, and the club door for access to the back and the Clubman was the only possible choice. It still drives the same, though a bit smoother, but the extra 9 inches makes all the difference in space and comfort.

 

I have one on order...... I am single, but my reasonings were:

1. I have a large dog that I don't want on the new upholstery

2. I like to have multiple friends along and the dog.... not really possible w/ the cooper

3. More unique and less popular (right now); imo a little more quirky than the cooper

4. I like the looks better and had the same performance as the cooper