Hi, I'm still around 7 months away from getting out of Alaska, but when I do I plan to buy a fun car... as much as I love the hardtop, the Clubman seems to just a little but more of what I need... (able to haul my bike, kids...)

So I've read plenty of reasons why I shouldn't buy a Mini and most of them revolve around reliability... being a somewhat smart guy, I know the forums only have a very small part of the Mini owners...

So, tell me why I should buy a Clubman!

Thanks,
Chris

 

Hey four flys,

I just bought my 2008 clubman up in portland 3 weeks ago. I must say, driving/owning a Mini makes you feel like you've joined a cult. They are wonderful, you will smile, constantly. They are an obsession, and a lifestyle, all of which is good.

I drove SUVs for 20 years (2 jeeps and an xterra), well I wasted 20 years of not driving a mini, go get one! I have two teenagers, one is now 6 foot, no problem sitting in the back, I'm also 6 foot, also, no problem. They really are pretty roomy. Im A photographer, and a cyclist, I'll make it work, because driving one of these is the best decision I've ever made! They are super cool. I hope you'll join us soon

 

Hi Fourflys,

I just traded my older Cooper S for a clubman S and I'm loving it. Just because it's a mini
I love the way they handle, literally , like go karts.....hanging curves, speeding , and just seeing people look at the mini probably saying to themselves, ' that looks fun'.

Hope you buy a mini too!

 

I decided to invest into a Clubman S when I got a new job.
I was driving 80miles per day 5 days a week in an Expedition XLT 04'.

The gas on the Expedition was costing me about $125 per week plus the payment I was making were $350 so it was costing me $850 a month just to drive to work each month and that's not including insurance.

When I took the Mini for a test drive, it reminded before when I bought the Expedition when I use to drive my Acura Integra GSR only this was faster. The quick response, Turbo, MPG and Sports mode were attractive. Surprisingly enough, it is spacious inside. I found that when I put the seats down, the back provided plenty of room to pack almost anything.

As for the seats in the back, there is plenty of room for everyone. People are always amazed at how much room there actually is inside.

After about a year in a half from mid 2013 to now I am at about 57k miles. My warranty is up but luckily cuz of my Integra days, I use to change my own oil and provide my own basic maintenance. So when I did my 1st oil change, I was surprised of how easy it was to change it... almost too easy.

Soon, I found myself modifying things like the Air Intake. I also, bought it some rims and next week I am installing an exhaust system.

The Clubman S has been performing excellent, even after 57k Highway Miles, it runs smooth, clean, fast, and best of all I am now spending 80 bux a week on gas for 80 miles drive on a 5 day work week.

I have been so happy and impressed with this car I went and bought the 2013 Countryman / R60 which is also the same N18 engine as this Clubman except it has 4 doors and a bit heavier, but its used more as the "Family" vehicle as the Clubman has now turned into my "Fun" vehicle.

 

awesome reply, thanks!

 

YES! If you can, buy a 2011 or newer. Less issues, hopefully most of the recall stuff will have already been done by previous owner.

 

yes, 2011 or newer , otherwise expect problems. IMO I would not buy a used MINI of any year without it being CPO with the 100K 6 year warranty. Things cost way too much and very difficult to repair yourself, even if your experienced in auto repairs.

I some times love working on cars, have for 35 years or more but with a FWD turbo car there is no room. Speaking of turbo, I would never let anyone buy a non turbo without trying both first. After owning my turbo clubman I was given a justa loaned once, nice car but zero fun factor.

But if you want a clubman then buy soon since it was last made in 2014 they will become harder to find.

I would buy another clubman without a question, new or CPO . I would avoid 2008-2010 unless they were giving it away, too many issues.

 

I'll second the 2011 or later advise. You want the N18 engine. May more reliable. You also want a car that was maintained. The earlier N14 engine has issues with time chains, oil tubes to the turbo and seals at the water pump to name a few. It also came from the factory with a 15k mile oil change interval which was way too long for a turbo engine even with synthetic oil.

I just bought a 12' S clubman with 60k miles on it. It needed a intake cleaning (ala seafoam) and new spark plugs. With that it's running great. I plan on frequent oil changes and then replacing items with performance parts as they break or wear out. Rear brakes and regular (non-runflat) summer tires are next on my list.

Cheers.

 

I own an '11 Clubman and have for over a year. It's a great car and can fit my family of 4 without issue. I usually end up driving to lunch at work and all of my coworkers are surprised how roomy it is. I have even sat in the back and am 6' tall with no issues. I also haul lots of things as it does have lots of room. I am planning on getting a roof rack which will help move the bigger items like bikes and skis.

Oh yeah, it's a BLAST to drive!

 

Subscribed

 

I purchased a 2012 about 18 months ago and have loved every minute.

Yes you do see a lot of concern over reliability however you can insulate yourself a bit. If you are smart about it.

If you buy a CPO (Certified Pre Owned) from a Mini dealer you have just extended the 50K warranty to 6 years or 100K from the original purchase date.

In my case my Clubman was 1 year old and had 4K on the odometer (essentially new IMHO). The price was almost $7K less than the original sticker and in the deal I had maintenance to 100K thrown in to close it.

Basically the 100K warranty will cover quite bit (not everything) and the maintenance throws in most of the routine expenses (including brake pads and rotors and clutch believe it or not).

While you still leave a bit of risk on the table, it is probably less than most other cars especially in light of brake and clutch expenses.

This is one idea to work the deal but you can mitigate the risks however you would like.

Just be realistic in what you expect. I have been on a lot of forums over the years and the Mini stories are no different than any prior car I have owned.

Remember it is human nature to be quick to complain and slow to compliment.

 

Thanks to all...

two more questions
1. has anyone bought from CarMax and gotten their extended warranty? I've read it is as good any any factory-backed extended warranty...

2. I know the JCW got the n18 engine later (in 2012?), but I think I read somewhere that the N14 JCW engines weren't as problematic... any truth to that? of course I'm not convinced I want a JCW due to the extra cost and monster torque-steer I've read about...

Thanks,
Chris

 

The only problem with owning a JCW clubman that I have experienced is not having enough reasons to drive it more! I have had mine since July and have already put 10,000 miles on it. I LOVE this car!!!!! It handles incredibly and is Fast!! (I did do some suspension mods and some performance mods) Its a little shorter than my rabbit pickup and about the same size as my rabbit GTI but it does seem to have enough room for 4 adults at least for basic city driving. I don't know how people would fare with a long haul. I bought mine used and at 37,000 miles I went ahead and did the Walnut blast for the valves. It wasn't that bad of a job really and I have no hesitation of doing it again in the future. ( I have owned and modified old vw's all my life so doing my own work is a given) Regardless of what anyone says pros or cons about the Clubby go test drive a couple of them. I had the chance to drive a buddys Clubman S a while back and I was sold. There may be more practical cars out there and more fun cars out there but my 2 cents...this is a great combination of the two.

 

My wife sold her 02 Justa 5sp in October with 140k. It was a good little dependable MINI, but it had cancer around the tail lights growing from the inside out. She drives 80 miles round trip to work and was averaging 32 mpg. We replaced it with a 2010 Clubman S with the N14 motor and 77k miles, but got a great deal on it. I checked it out good before purchase and it had been maintained by a MINI dealer and the engine runs smooth and quite. I am keeping an eye on it and I have the space and tools to keep it running if some of the N14 issues pop up. I like driving it with the 6 sp manual. My wife likes everything about it except the split rear doors. She says she likes the hatchback better for rear view site. I especially like driving in sport mode with the manual tranny. It definitely is a head turner.

 

I surf and work in fitness... as well My mom has a JWC GP. No way I could have the usability of mine with hers, put my surfboards in it? No way. Id love a JWC clubman S. The Clubman is simply very pragmatic and usable

 

Being an avid muscle car owner I had no interest in a Mini. For 10yrs the wife drove a SUV that got 13 mpg. It was time for an upgrade and she tells me she wants a Clubman so I did my usual research. I was not impressed with the "C" rating on its reliability but ended up test driving a 2011 "S" auto.

My overall impressions on the test drive was damn that was fun! I never expected it to be a real quick car but the turbo over boost put a smile on my face. It had the sport suspension package and seemed to turn very tight like a go kart but the ride felt a bit rough with the run flat tires. The extra rear space the Clubman has makes it a bit more practical yet still fun to drive. Finding parking spaces is easier in a Mini!

I got on this forum after buying our Clubman so I learn a bit from the current members and found myself modding or improving a few things even though it's my wifes car. With all the reliability and repair issues some have experience I still liked the car. With the few upgrades done I now enjoy driving it more and more. Almost makes me wish I got a 2011+ JCW Clubman instead of the S.

Knowledgable Mini owners have said...

Non turbos are okay but it's preferred to buy a 2011+ turbo one with certified warranty and/or extended warranty with low miles.

 

only because it is the coolest Mini! Those hearse double rear doors, the long low chopped look, suicide door on the passenger side....love it. There's just no vehicle like it anywhere in the world.

Get one fast before they turn it into a boring 4-door in 2015. I was a hair away from getting a JCW Clubman instead of the hardtop. I found the hardtop handled a little better in hard cornering and felt a little lighter on its feet.

If I had garage room, there would be one there right now. I smile every time I see one on the road.

 

Wanted a compact car as a daily driver. Never thought of a mini until my wife said to test drive one. Looked on the Internet for couple of weeks and everytime I looked I was drawn to the clubman overall look. The car looked badass. Went to dealer and test drove all the models to see how each felt and overall feel. The countryman was not fun at all. Paceman is the same as countryman but couple version. The mini hardtop handled the best but the interior made me feel confined and overall feeling tight. The Clubman gave the best of both worlds. It felt roomy like the countryman but handled like the mini hardtop. The looks on it was unique and cool. I was sold after test driving the other models. I opted for non turbo model for reason of being less problematic. That's again my own opinion. The car is the most enjoyable car I have owned. It's even more enjoyable than my fully modified 500+ HP 2007 E93.

 

so did anyone cross-shop the GTI? The GTI is the Mini's biggest competitor right now without having the chance to drive any of them... I will also look at the Fiesta and Focus ST, but I really don't care for the racer-boyness of them... Really, I think the GTI is the only thing that competes with the Clubman for me...

 

The GTI doesn't have the same look as the clubman. Clubman looks more sportier IMO. I can't even remember even seeing one since I purchased mine. There are relatively rare in my neck of the woods. GTIs are nice but no where as unique as the clubman. It's sad they are discontining the R55 for the F56

 

plus the real deciding factor will be if I can fit at least my 56cm road bike inside with the seats folded (front wheel off of course), and hopefully my mtn bike... if I can't fit the road bike, it'll be the GTI... I have to to have the bike inside because of where I'll likely be parking while at work...

 

I finally saw another Clubman today after a month or so with my new car. I was in shock! Same color but it wasn't modded with rims. These cars are eye catchers!

 

I did, Went with the Clubman.

I'm a long time Golf owner, and currently own a 2011 Golf TDI as the Wife's car.

The Clubman - blows away the Golf's handling. And yes, I know its the TDI, but it has the same wheels and suspension setup as a GTI.. not even close.

The loading *is* better in the Golf, I find the hatch more useful than the barn doors, but I can flat-load 4' long objects in the Clubman and close the doors in the back. Something like a bike fits easy in both. (seats folded of course).

the Golf has more room in the rear for storage as well. The loading height of the Clubman with my good 6'3" height sometimes is a challange with the lower roof, but I still get everything in there no problem.


The Clubman gets way more smiles and head turns than a GTI ever would. IMHO, its just a better car to drive in terms of "fun". Both cars are good in bad weather/snow - that comes down to tires and the driver.

I also looked at a Focus ST. A few things bothered me, the rear doors were useless for taller people, the loading area was too small... The controls looked cheap and the computer setup was goofy and crap.

As for reliability - the 2007-2010 Turbo cars have engine issues (carbon buildup, timing chain issues, leaks, etc..). The rest of the car is mainly solid. The LATER Turbo cars 2011-and up have the later N18 engine, which is so far - rated as much better than the early cars.

N14 Engine - N14B16AC (171hp / 177 ft-lbs)
Infinitely variable single VANOS (intake only)
Siemens DME MED17.2 engine management

N18 Engine - N18B16M0 (181hp / 191 ft-lbs)
Infinitely variable double VANOS
Map-controlled oil pump
Variable valve timing (Valvetronic) with 3-phase servomotor and integrated eccentric shaft sensor
Composite camshaft construction
New piston design
Siemens DME MEVD17.2.2

The PCV design is updated in the N18. Rather than an external hose on the passenger side, the vacuum line is internal to the valve cover. This is (presumably) intended to reduce propensity for effluents pooling in the intake manifold. The boost line between the valve cover and turbo intake pipe is also different but seems to be functionally equivalent.

The N18 added a cosmetic cover over the front of the valve cover.

The N18 adds a small heat shield over the turbo oil pipe to help mitigate any coking in the line.

The turbo intake pipe in the N18 is rigid, as opposed to the flexible pipe in the N14.

The noisemaker is eliminated in the N18.

The N18 intake airbox base is slightly different (the JCW intake won't fit because the mounting screws don't line up).

The N18 oil dipstick is different (and many would say a step backwards in usability)

The Sport Button adds "pop and burble" to the exhaust

-----

That said, the "justa" Non turbo cars seem to be reliable in all years.

If I were to buy a used one, it would be with an extended warty from a dealer - and a factory Mini warty - no 3rd party BS deals.

 

^Thanks Dan, awesome run down!

The only non-Mini warranty I might consider is the Carmax one, but I need to talk to a few people that have had it and used it...

I do like the uniqueness of the Mini and is what first attracted me to it... I can't wait until I get down to the lower 48 and have a chance to drive both!

the other thing Mini has an advantage over the VW is the club community, at least what I can tell online... it seems like the majority of the stuff I read about the GTI is all about "bagging" the car, etc... not really my scene... I'm not against some mods (I had a Miata), but not that...

Thanks again,
Chris

 

'Cause it's the prettiest MINI ever!

My 2010 S has been the most reliable car I've ever had.

Dave