I'm considering buying a new Clubman S or JCW Clubman to replace a Lotus Elan S3 (plus my daily driver). But the dealer is an hour away and I'm trying to reconcile whether this is a reasonable distance to travel for service.

I'm narrowing down my list of potential cars to those that actually have some feel. Like the Mini. Like my old Lotus.

But my constraint is that the car needs to fit a couple of child car seats and have a roof. It should be really safe, too, and get good gas mileage. It needs to come with a manual transmission and be good in the snow.

So far, my list includes (in order of preference):
1. JCW Clubman
2. Cooper S
3. VW GTI 4 door
4. Audi A4 with sports suspension

Cars I'm not a fan of:
1. BMW 335xi: Too smooth! Fast but not fun.
2. WRX: Not inspiring nor interesting. Have to go too fast for it to be fun.
3. BMW 135: I want it but they don't make it with awd
4. Mazdaspeed 3: Not as good as the Minis or GTI.
5. Anything Honda or Acura or Nissan or Toyota or Lexus. No spirit!

OK, so, if the Mini didn't exist, what would you buy?

Jason (oh, and this is my first ever post. I hope there will be more)

 

Just not sure if I wanna deal with the gas mileage. Which when combined with the 6AT you get 25 hghwy. Not at all bad for a V8 RWD performance car. But right now it's between this and a Clubman S. Polar opposites I know, but I want a car I can enjoy and that will look good for years to come.

 

I would go with a 2010 Prius. It's an appliance on wheels and has zero road feel but 50+ mpg's is awesome. I also like the look of the new Kia Soul but not sure if I would own one. The 2010 VW Golf and GTI look sweet too.

 

I always liked the look of the Volvo C30, but it probably doesn't fit your practicality requirements.

As far as dealer distance, don't sweat it. I have to drive four hours to my dealer for service, but I have yet to go and I've owned my MINI for a year. I've got about 10K miles on her, and I'm going to get the oil changed in a week or so. I know it'll be an all day affair, just because of distance, but I don't really do anything on Saturday's anyways.

 

Oh, it's also nice to see we got some night owls on here!

 

4 HOURS... Holy crap. And I thought I would have far to drive. The closest 2 dealers are 50 miles and 56 miles away and I was thinking that was too far to go for service. I also have 2 more 85 miles and 95 miles away as well.

 

 

My last chevy, and I have had many, spent more time at the dealership than it did in my driveway. When it was running, I loved it so much, but it left me stranded more often than not due to ignition switch problems, tranny problems, electrical issues, etc. GM now makes great looking cars but their service techs are useless clowns who break what is not broken and don't bother fixing what is broken. THe camaro looks incredible and has great power but I doubt it will ever be as much fun as my clubmanS!! Get the JCW clubby and enjoy life. Their customer service is second to none.

 

Hi Jason,
I'm a new Clubman S owner so I might be biased Of the 4 on your list, I have owned one (GTI) and a sibling of another (Audi A6) The A4 will be roomy and sporty, but won't be near as fun in twisties and corners as the Clubman or GTI.

My 2007 GTI had the DSG vs the 6-speed stick. Either tranny is great, but the DSG required a $400 or so service at 40K. Not sure what clutch life is like on the stick, but it's fun to row the gears. I averaged 27-30MPG in mixed driving. I'm getting about 31-32 mixed in the Clubman S (only 1K miles so far vs 49K in the GTI when I traded it).

The 4-dr GTI isn't any longer than the 2-dr, so handling will be the same or close. They make the front doors a bit shorter to accomodate 2 more doors, and the price difference is only something like $350. And 4 doors will be easier to deal with for car seats.

Speaking of car seats, make sure you take yours to the dealer and ensure they fit. I have a friend looking at the Clubman, but the baby seat he insists on using for his son doesn't give him many options, car-wise. It's a large contraption, that when mounted faces rearward but sticks off the seat cushion slightly. Would make for a tight fit in a lot of small cars, not just the Clubman.

One other car you might add to the list is the Audi A3. It's slightly longer than the GTI, but gives you most of the sporty feel with more space. Price should be comparable to a fully spec'd GTI.

Good luck!
-Jim

 

In my opinion I'd probably go with a nicely equipped BMW 135i. BMW's (and therefore MINIs in many respects) are just spectacular vehicles. Im getting a MCS because I enjoy the custom appeal, the sportiness, and the cost effectiveness (as I am a teenager, that last one is important), however for about 8k more than my MINI I could have a 135i and truth be told I'll probably spend 4k in aftermarket stuff for the MINI in the next few years. Test drive everything and see how you like each one. It may take a while to get to all of the dealers but in the end you'll be happier knowing you covered the bases.

 

If there had been no Clubman, I would have purchased the GTI. I have owned several VWs, and been generally pleased. But the GTi was not as friendly in the cabin, and the interior looked too much like my 2000 Jetta TDI. Kinda stale and without the "fun factor" of the Clubman.

The Clubman is definitley more fun to drive (though the ride is definitely rougher) and 2 weeks in I have no regrets. The GTI accelerated better, but did not handle with the grip or tenacity of the Clubman (or, I think, the TDI either.)

Our other almost choice was a Scion xd, but that really was charmless. A smart buy, but a dull one. We looked at and drove a Volvo, a Vibe, a Fit, the VW CC and new Jetta, a BMW 1 series (surprisingly blah) and the Mazda. The more we thought about it (which we did for 4 months) the more we agreed that the Mini was the best choice.

 

I have to say, I'm really leaning towards the Mini (which is why I'm on here). If the Audi A3 came in awd, that would be a serious contender. But it doesn't. I really prefer smaller cars and seem to dislike the smoothness of the BMW 6's.

I guess the Mini is as close as I can come to a 4 seater Lotus with good gas mileage!

I'm test driving a new Clubman S on Saturday and hope to have a new car by mid summer.

Thanks for the input.

Jason

 

The A3 does now come in AWD with the 2.0 engine...I still like the Clubman better...GTI is cool but there are so many and I'm not a fan of VW service/quality. Also, the new 2010 GTI is coming out so I felt like I should wait to see what that would really be like.

I also looked at the C30. Cool car and very unique but hard to find one on the lot that is not either over the top loaded or bare bones. The car is also super quiet on the road which, for me, was a bad thing. Could not here the engine rev at all...and it's supposed to be a sports car. We've owned a V50 T5 so we know the engine and the car fairly well.

 

The only other options is to walk.

 

+1
I don't see any suitable alternative. A JCW seems built for your needs, AND has some payload capacity to boot (the boot!) The GTI may be slightly better-built than the rest of the VW line, but when they place at the bottom (27th?) of manufacturers on build quality, I wouldn't risk it. G'Luck!

 

Porsche Cayman.

 

I think you gotta want a Mini to really enjoy a Mini. The Mini Cooper is a really different car then anything out there. I would not give up my Cooper for any other car. The looks, Power and Handling of my JCW is great and just plain "FUN" The build quality is perfect and at 33mpg average it is just a very good car.
Ronnie948

 

I thought this game was to find something in the same price range as the Mini. I see some pretty expensive choices here.

 

it's all about what you like.

 

If no Mini Clubman then A4, awesome in the snow. That is my winter car just sold my '05 MCS and about cried. The replacement MCCS will be here in 4 weeks or so.

 

By the way, you should have less to fix on the mini. An hour away is nothing. You won't remember the service guys name 'cause you never have to call him! My mini dealer is an hour away and most people drive farther than that.

 

Fiat 500, Nissan Micra, Toyota Yaris would be on my list....but this admittedly is looking from the opposite perspective of a JCW. In the small, well-packaged, nicely-optioned, fun, small car niche, MINIs price is getting beyond what seems proper for a Mini. If MINI wants to go that route, fine...more excusivity...just don't be shocked when sales start to level off big time (if that hasn't already happened). Watch yer back MINI...other makers have been watching you and taking notes.

 

But OP wants to fit in 2 car seats....those cars aren't family vehicles at all.

From a performance wagon perspective, this would be more what OP is looking for:
http://image.automobilemag.com/f/aut..._side_view.jpg

 

The RS4 is an amazing car but I think it's a little too fast! I want something I can toss into a bend without needing to go so fast that my eyes are bleary. Like an updated Rabbit GTI with safety equipment. Or a four seater Lotus Elan.

I think the Cooper S is still tops on my list but I appreciate the suggestions and the interest this thread has gotten. There are so few good cars out there today.

I will also look into the A3 2.0T Quattro, even though I know it won't be as fun as the Mini.

Jason

 

Hi Jason,
I know it's your choice and all, but I am curious - why consider only an A3 Quattro (AWD vs 2WD) when the Mini is 2WD only? I noticed that in your concerns with the BMW 135 as well. My GTI was FWD, never gave me any issues and I tossed that into corners and curves with the same gusto I tossed my RWD cars

Just curious, that's all.
-Jim