I'm toying with the idea of trading my 2011 Hatch for a new Clubman to get some extra room for my Golden Retriever.

I'm assuming that from the driver's perspective things won't change much, if at all, in terms of how the car handles, visibility etc. Is that true?

 

My ex-wife owned a Cooper S, and my car is a Clubman S. They handle and perform very much the same. There is a slight weight advantage for the Cooper S, but you'd be hard pressed to tell from the seat of your pants. It is weird looking out the rear and having the door pillars in the middle, but you get used to it.

 

I used to own a hardtop and now I have a club man. From the drivers seat nothing has really changed other than when you look in the rear view there is barn doors instead of the hatch. I performs and handles just about the same as the hard top. I prefer the clubman over the hardtop just because it has a bit more room (especially when the rear seats are down).

 

I've read a few reviews where they thought the Clubman was more stable a speed because of the lomger wheelbase. When I put our Clubman S in the sport mode and hit my favorite twisty place you'd be hard pressed to know you were in a Clubman.

 

How is the back seat legroom on the Clubman? Too small for a regular sized adult?

 

I read that the rear seats give you 3 more inches of leg room then the hardtop. Now 3 inches isn't a whole lot but it makes a big difference and the 3rd door makes it a lot easier to get in and out of the rear.

 

I do just fine back there, but I'm only 5'8". My son at 6'1" is not comfortable in the rear seat unless the seat in front of him is close to all the way to the front stop.

 

My wife is 5'5" and she sits in the back when our son rides in the front and she says she has room and it's not that bad. We test drove a coupe first and after test driving the Clubman my wife and son were sold - we bought the Clubman and have been happy with it ever since. Years ago when my wife got pregnant I bought her a new Toyota Highlander AWD Limited and now she only drives it when she needs room for five on our son's field trips. She really loves her Clubman S!

 

Same here, Hardtop and then Clubman (and now Countryman)
I think the Clubman is the ideal 'compromise' MINI. The driving experience is virtually the same as the hardtop. The extra room adds up, not only in the backseat, where it becomes comfortable for an adult, but in the trunk. Additionally, I already miss the barn doors. I wish the Countryman had them.

 

My wife and I have a couple we hang with that are both a bit over 6 foot and they have never complained about the legroom in my Clubman.. We do scoot our seats up a bit to give them more room for being nice (I'm about 5' 11" and my wife is just above 5') and it's never been an issue.. At least they have never complained..

 

My yellow lab likes it in the back of my Clubman. I usually keep the back seats folded flat and I have a rubber mat to protect the carpet from dog hair.

Dave

 

Nope. It's got more space back there than my coworker's Audi A4 does. The extra few inches is real, and meaningful.

On handling, it doesn't turn-in quite as fast as a hatch due to the extra length, but it still handles like a MINI ought to.

 

In the Clubman, the rear seats actually become useful for adults. Your Retriever will love it back there.

Handling is similar but not as "crisp" as the MC. Taking corners fast you do notice the extra length compared with the MC, but you have to have a sensitive bvtt "skid pad". Going over bumps is softer in the Clubman because of the longer wheelbase. Overall does not feel as go-cart like as the MC.

Visibility out the front and the sides are the same as MC. Out the back, the center pillar comes into play as others have said. Its something you learn to live with.

 

I went from a convertible to a clubman. Both had sport suspensions and the clubman ride is much smoother, even on the run flats.

 

It's the difference between tolerable and comfortable, absolutely, and will probably also between the difference between fitting rear-facing car seat in the backseat or not.

When my wife and I first sat in ours, it was literally shocking the amount of rear seat room back there compared to a number of cars, including the hatch, the last VW I owned, and absolutely the trounces the 500 (one of many factors that torpedoed FIAT ownership to us.)

I agree, plus like it's been said, the extra length makes the ride smoother on broken/uneven pavement.

 

I find the handling to be identical between my hardtop and clubman. The only real difference I notice is rear visibility. It seems to have a larger blind spot, and the barn doors block a good bit of view from the mirror. But it's not bad, I prefer the clubman.

 

We have both, handling is similar but I do find the hardtop just a little snappier because of the shorter wheelbase.

The key to using the back seat well in these cars is to put the tall people in back and short in front. A short person can be comfortable with the seat pretty far forward and up. Headroom in the back is quite good. A 6'4" coworker of mine rides back there now and the without complaint.

 

Went from Ford Explorer to MINI Clubman S specifically for my 2 weimaraners. They love it!! When it went into the shop to get a sensor replaced, they actually bared their teeth at me when I put them into the crate that they had always been happy to hop into, in the back of the Explorer. Now they're back in the MINI. I bit the bullet and bought the MINI pet protector that goes all around the cargo area with the seats down (it adjusts if you just want it behind the 2nd seats). Then I put a dog blanket down, and because they want to ride up front with me, a spring-type barrier right behind the front driver/passenger seats. Happy dogs, happy mom!!!