Hi,
I really like the clubman - but can not afford the S with the options I want - so is the non-s way too underpowered?
Also - I live in southern Arizona - so how does it do in the heat?? And is the AC really under-powered??

diane

 

Hey Diane,

I had that same feeling when I went to get a Clubman S. Decided to test drive the regular Clubman, and found it to drive better than expected. I had just sold my Subaru WRX and wanted to get into a "better gas mileage/automatic" but still have plenty of power. I was actually blown away with how much oomph the 118 hp felt like. So I ended up buying it last weekend. My wife and I couldn't be happier.

I would suggest you test driving one to be sure, but I'm not sure what you might be comparing it to.

Good luck

 

The only way toe know if the power is right for you is to test drive the non-s and see if you like it.

 

I would suggest driving both and seeing if the S is worth sacrificing some of the options you want. The AC is far from the coldest system I've experienced but I was able to manage last summer in Socal just fine. Not getting a sunroof or black roof helps, as does tinting your windows.

 

I'm having the same dilemma as you are. I have test-driven the S in manual and the regular in automatic, but I can't really compare the two since I want a manual either way. I'm waiting on my dealership to get a manual non-S (Cooper or Clubman) so I can give it a test drive and make my decision...

One thing to consider is that there are some differences in options between the S and non-S. For example, front fog lights and sport seats come standard on the S. I'm not sure what other options are available on the S, can anyone chime in?

 

super happy with our non s We decided to load it up with the tech and features instead of going for the S. When we thought about it in our travels with the car 97% is bumper to bumper traffic in DC, so what is more power going to do for me!

I agree with littleredclubman - it really does feel a lot more peppy then the horsepower ways.

 

I believe the S also gives you 16" wheels (standard), dual exhaust, hood scoop for intercooler, fog lights (mentioned) & the switch for it (to fill interior flip switches), and the sport seats. And you can't forget the $3000 premium over the non-S, but obviously most people believe it worth the extra $$$.

 

Really fog lights are standard on the S?

 

Ahh, thanks for the information.

Yes, but only the front fog lights.

 

Get the S. No brainer. I get 38.9 MPG @ 73MPH with cruise control set and car set in normal mode (This is for an automatic Clubman S). To me the S model is well worth the extra premium over the standard car. Personally, the Cooper Clubman feels a little anemic in highway driving conditions (Yes I have driven it extensively). The Turbo really rounds up the car and the loss in fuel economy is minimal IMHO.

 

It's far from a no-brainer. Just because your brain thinks it's an easy decision doesn't mean other brains won't have to think about it.

Drive both. If the Cooper gives you the power you need given the driving conditions for your situation, go with it. You can spend that extra few thousand dollars on options or save yourself some money.

Can't speak for the Clubman since I've never driven one. But as far as the coupes go, I prefer driving my Justacooper over our MCS. And it's plenty peppy for my driving situation (entire commute on a secondary road).

 

You really have to drive them both to decide. They didn't have a base clubman when I was at the dealer so I drove a clubman s (auto) and a base coupe (manual). Both offer a nice drive, but for me I was sold on the S (w/ the manual).

I went back and forth due to price and options, but this only sealed the deal for me with the S. For the options I wanted, it was less than $1k difference. When it came down to that - it was a no brainer for me.

If you are not focused on top performance and don't care about fog lights, sport seats, etc. the base clubbie is still a great car at a great price. But you really need to drive both to see what fits you best. My advice is to drive the base and then the S. The other way around will only exacerbate the power difference in the base.

 

yeah but here's the deal you can get everything in the base that you can get in the S for the most part. We have all the tech options, we didn't care for the mini wheels so we got some 3rd party 17"s and tinted the windows. We paid 27 for the car not the 31 with the same options for the S. I don't know but for the driving I do that 3.5 -4k can go a long way on something else.

To me, the idea that some have tried to connivence me of that most mini owners are rocking it on the track or passing in 6th gear @ 90mph is kinda BS. Are their enthusiasts - sure! But for day to day the non S is fine.

In the 04 coupe that we had and now in our clubbie i have gone head to head with friends that have Cooper S's and do they beat me off the line at the local stop light - YES! Can I compete at 30mph + Yes!

Before I start getting blasted the S is kick *** - I wanted one - still do but many people here on NAM and else where make people feel like they have to have an S or else they're posers - in my opinion this could not be further from the truth. Like other posters on this thread have said - drive it and try it for your self, just don't go in hating the non-s

 

Hope I didn't come across that way. I think the non-S is still a great car. You won't find that much fun in any other non-turbo small car competitor out there. For me, the extra umph was worth it, and for my specific (and relatively minimal compered to some) option set up, the price difference was small.

Either way, you can't go wrong - the S and non-S are both a ton of fun. And for the record, I think some of the non-S "enthusiasts" are some of the more fun owners out there! Their "smile factor" is just as high as the turbo owners as far as I've seen.

 

I have not driven the non-S.

For comparison I had a WRX and a non-turbo Forester. The Forester was fine for around town. Much better gas mileage in town as well. On the open road the non-turbo had slightly better mileage.

Our Clubman S is a great car and I am glad we got the S. But, mileage when I drive it in town is relatively poor, <30. Not surprising since I have a heavy foot. The std should give plenty of zip.

charlie

 

Heed your own advice and go and drive both in the Clubman flavor. The second gen MINIs are totally different animals from the TRITEC powered 1st gen cars.

And before I get accused of being a "MC" hater, my first MINI was a 2002 R50 Cooper CVT which I drove for 6 years. I loved that car.

The Clubman adds 200 pounds to the package. And while the regular R56 Cooper is peppy enough in most driving situations, you do feel the extra heft when driving the R55 Cooper version of the Clubman. MINI should have added another 5-10HP to the base 118HP. In passing situations, with the car loaded, you have to push it harder. In the Clubman S, the turbo kicks in and extra power just comes in smooth as butta

I have nothing against the JustACoopers. It is just that I don't think they are the great value they used to be in the 1st gen models.

For the record, I came >this close< to order a justacooper Clubman automatic. The Clubman S test drive changed all that in a matter of 30 minutes and gladly paid the extra $2K for a car that is well suited to both city and highway driving with minimal loss of fuel efficiency.

I would also argue that a Cooper Clubman, nicely equipped, at $26K-$27K is a poor value considering the 118HP base powerplant. Trust me, 118HP is just adequate for the Clubman. I hope the 2010 model year refresh gives a bump of power to the Cooper models.

I forgo some options and went with a "Base" Cooper S Clubman with automatic, cruise control, iPod adapter, rear fog light and metallic paint. The rest of it is standard issue R55 S. $26.2K and $28K and change out the door.

6,500 miles and 9 months later, I do not regret the decision of going with the S at all.

Test drive both. I still think the S model is the better value of the two.

Good luck

 

Even if you have a heavy foot on a Clubman S, your worst average will still be 26-27MPG. If you drive it nice and smooth, you'll get 33MPG combined.

Compare that to my 2005 R53 6-speed MCS. A heavy foot will land you in the 19-21MPG range . Drive it nice and smooth and you'll break barely 25-26MPG. In the highway if you keep it @70MPH in cruise control, you'll get no more than 32MPG. Compare that to nearly 39MPG for the Clubman S with an automatic at the same speeds

In the first gen MINIs (For those of you that never owned one) there was a significant difference between the mileage of the R50 Cooper and R53 S Supercharged models. That gap in fuel economy between both models has been substantially minimized with the current Peugeot Prince engines. Hence why I think the second gen Cooper models no longer hold the candle in the value per dollar and fuel economy depts.

 

See... I don't need to. I'm not the one shopping for a new MINI.

Again, I think it's wise for the OP to drive them both because what one person feels is sufficient HP for their needs may not be the same as another person.

 

This is probably the most posted about "decision" on this forum, anyway.

There are so many threads already and I guess there will continue to be.

I have the Cooper Clubman - love it and find it meets all my needs/wants for speed and power on highways, hills, dales, archaic entrance lanes on to overly packed highways and the rest. I can way too easily cruise at 80 mph w/o knowing it...and I like the way it looks, too.

Different strokes for different folks and all that.

 

Drive the non-S first then the S. If there is still a question in your mind,then get the S..

 

I can't say I drove both.My sales guy told me if I drove the S I would not want anything but one. I can say however that I am happy with my Clubman and have no problems getting around town in a fast fashion. Saving gas & money were my goals, but nothing wrong with wanting to upgrade.

 

If you want a Prius that's attractive and fun to drive then the non-S will do fine. If you like cars and engines and power you will prefer the S. There's is no such thing as a car with too much power, but there are alot of vehicles that are terribly underpowered. I would never choose less power when more is an option.

 

Ditto. When we bought the Forester I did not drive the turbo version for that reason. We wanted better economy and lower cost. I knew if I drove the turbo, that's the one I'd want.

And I purposely drove the Cubbie S for that reason. I wanted the zippier car. Don't 'need' it. Just wanted it.

If you don't 'need' an S then don't get it. You won't be disappointed.

charlie

 

Bottom line. An S is not a NEED. The Justa has plenty of power, enough to satisfy the real NEED. If you WANT more, and can afford the cost and trade-offs, absolutely go for it! (Pepper-Prius?, HA!)

 

My Cooper will chew up and spit out a Prius in every conceivable measure of a car.