2010 Mini Clubman Reviews

As cute as the new Mini was it wasn't the most practical car you could drive, but that was where the Mini Clubman came in.

If you've dreamed of buying an old classic, doing it up and driving it around BMW has invented the car for you. While old cars have plenty of style and a great feel about them they are encumbered with brakes, safety gear, comfort and engines from another period and most of it is not good.BMW though did the next best thing and reinvented an old classic, the Mini. And they did it well. The new Mini has much of the feel of the old car with its round headlights, large dials and retro styling but importantly is bigger, safer, more powerful and more comfortable than the old one could ever be.The Mini has been the stand out success of the retro motor movement leaving the re-made VW Beetle in its wake and proving more versatile than the little re-born Fiat 500. But then Mini invented the Clubman.While it has been around for a while I revisited it again last week in readiness for the arrival of the next generation Mini, the AWD Countryman which is due here early next year. The Clubman offers much more space, including useable rear seats, than the standard Minis and the Convertible droptop. But the Clubman is a bit of a mix and match job with both seriously good and somewhat ordinary features.People don't buy Minis for value. At $45,550 there are plenty of larger, more practical and sportier cars you can buy and have change in your pocket. But very few of them can offer the fun and the big wide grin on the driver's face from being the centre of attention that comes from driving a Mini. The range does start $9000 cheaper with the Cooper but the Cooper S offers much more power and fun.The 1.6-litre in-line four cylinder engine is a cracker. With 128kW of power and 240Nm of torque it is well suited to city traffic with its spritely acceleration and lively manners. The manual gearbox is a delight with its slick shifting but the reverse gear is a little awkward to get used to. The manual is also more fuel efficient than the auto by a not insignifcant 2L/100km. It reaches 100km/h from a standing start in 7.6 seconds.There's no getting away from it, while the standard Mini is accepted as a great looking machine people are far more divided over the longer Clubman. The real problem is the silly third door. The fact that is placed on the driver's side and therefore opens onto the traffic side means it is going to be a risk to open at times which limits its use. Though when open it does make accessing the rear much easier.The cute rear doors, copying the styling of the original little Mini wagon are easy to open. One pops open with the press of the key fob button while the other opens by a more conventional handle. The doors open wide to provide easy loading access. There's not a great deal of space (260-litres) but if you fold the rear seats down there's plenty of room (930-litres) for the shopping, a pram or more likely for Mini owners, a folded down bike or two.One thing you do get for your nearly-$50,000 is a car packed with safety features. There's everything from six airbags to stability control, brake assist driving and electronic brakeforce distribution. The car also has one of the best hillstart assistance packages I've tested to ensure it doesn't roll backwards when starting on a slope. Handbrake starts are virtually unecessary.Looks are everything with this car, whether its behind the wheel in the retro cockpit or its outside where the stand-out Mini front wins praise. With the Clubman though the back, while quite square, splits opinion. The driver's seat is adjusted manually, which while suiting the retro-feel, is a bit cheap in a nearly-$50,000 car.On the road the Mini is a handy device, you whip through the gears with ease though getting into reverse is a bit clunky. It accelerates from a standing start smoothly and is a happy highway cruiser. Rear vision through the two club doors is a big improvement over the normal Mini and the Convertible.The test car came with a sunroof that opens slightly but it tends to make the road noise louder so it will probably be of limited use.

But the really important question is: what do women want in a car?Finding the answer keeps carmakers tossing and turning at night, because they are well aware that women choose more than half the vehicles sold in Australia. There are all the ones they buy for themselves, as well as the deciding vote on most of the ones bought by households.Sorry, fellas. It’s true. No matter how much you want that souped-up sports car, unless the head of household finances agrees you may as well back away from the vehicle now.One of the earliest attempts to deliver a car for women was the mid-1950s Dodge La Femme. It was actually a 1955 Dodge Custom Royal Lancer under the skin, but the Detroit designers camouflaged that skin as thoroughly as a make-up artist doing Vogue covers.The car was decked out in pink paint, with an interior covered in pink vinyl, set off by pink rosebud tapestry. And to show that this was not merely a cynical marketing exercise, Dodge kitted the car with accessories they thought reflected the growing independence of post-World War II women moving into meaningful career paths - a pink handbag complete with office essentials like a matching powder compact, lipstick case and comb.Sales estimates run as low as less than 1000 cars. And the pink panderer was quickly dropped from the Dodge range at the end of the following year.Australia’s own Carla Zampatti tweaked a Ford specifically for women in the 1980s, but whether it won women - with accessories including a hanging hook for handbags - is still open to question.However, Dodge and Ford weren’t completely on the wrong track. Women want a car to be stylish, but also practical. Luckily, these days there are quite a few vehicles that fit the bill – without playing the pink paint card. These are the best style picks for women today, from a woman's perspective, with the figures for the basic car.Don’t agree with these? Let us know what YOU think women want in a car in our poll at left.LIGHTMazda2Price: from $16,030Engine: 76kW/137Nm 1.5-litre petrolTransmission: manualEconomy: 6.4L/kmEmissions: 152g/kmThe baby 2 has cute and slightly edgy looks, is compact with usable space, and the long doors make it easy to get in the back seat. The auto will be preferred by most, but it adds to the weight of the little car.Close calls: Ford Fiesta from $16,990; Peugeot 207 from $22,490.SMALLBMW 1-SeriesPrice: from $38,900Engine: 160kW/270Nm 2.0-litre petrolTransmission: manualEconomy: 8.2L/kmEmissions: 190g/kmA pocket-sized entry in German prestige – without breaking the pocket. Looks stunning, an amazing amount of room, and great to drive.Close calls: Mazda3 from $21,330; Hyundai i30 from $20,390.MEDIUMFord MondeoPrice: from $31,990Engine: 118kW/208Nm 2.3-litre petrolTransmission: manualEconomy: 9.5L/kmEmissions: 227g/kmThe best thing Ford has brought to Australia in … ever, possibly. Enough space to make you wonder if you’ll ever need a larger car, elegant design and well built.Close calls: Mazda6 from $31,834; Audi A5 Sportback from $78,400.LARGEAudi A6Price: from $74,500Engine: 125kW/350Nm 2.0-litre petrolTransmission: automaticEconomy: 5.8L/kmEmissions: 153g/kmThere’s not a high chic quotient in this class - where the homegrown Falcon and Commodore lean more to aggressive styling - so the Audi’s restrained elegance makes it a clear winner.Close calls: Honda Accord from $36,381Mercedes-Benz E-Class from $80,900.PEOPLE MOVERHonda OdysseyPrice: from $46,166Engine: 132kW/218Nm 2.5-litre petrolTransmission: manualEconomy: 8.9L/kmEmissions: 212g/kmIn a class that’s dominated by lumpy boxes, the Odyssey is a sleek stand-out. It's low-slung, car-like and leading with a fashionable face.Close calls: Citroen C4 Grand Picasso from $39,990; Chrysler Voyager $60,990.SPORTYBMW Mini Cooper ClubmanPrice: from $36,600Engine: 88kW/160Nm 1.6-litre petrolTransmission: automaticEconomy: 6.8L/kmEmissions: 163g/kmA bonsai wagon with go-kart street cred and revamped retro lines, this one will get admiring glances from everybody.Close calls: Kia Cerato Koup from $23,690; Audi S3 from $69,100.CONVERTIBLEVolkswagen EosPrice: from $47,990Engine: 103kW/320Nm dieselTransmission: automaticEconomy: 6.0L/kmEmissions: 158g/kmThe EOS is streamlined and sophisticated, looks equally good with the roof open or closed – and has enough room in the back to get a couple of extra friends in for short trips.Close calls: BMW Z4 from $86,200; Lexus IS250C from $80,150. SUVHyundai ix35Price: from $26,990Engine: 122kW/197Nm petrolTransmission: manualEconomy: 8.5L/kmEmissions: 201g/kmThere’s heaps of practicality but precious little style in the SUV paddocks. But Hyundai’s new compact ix35 proves you can have both. Ultra-modern lines, trim shape and space to spare.Close calls: Jeep Wrangler (medium) from $31,590; Land Rover Range Rover Sport (large) from $99,900.

There were motor shows coming, Mini's retro look-at-me originality was becoming a little ho-hum and there was a niche or two still to fill. The answer for BMW was to track the path of the original Mini ... move from the idea of a small passenger sedan to a small everything van in the style of the quirky little Traveller.Thus was born — or reborn — the Traveller Concept, an ultra-compact two-seat load carrier with the Mini's funky front-end and cabin and a bread van at the rear. A couple of years on the show circuit and the idea was tweaked and refined. A second row of seats added along with a rearward-opening “suicide” door in the style of Mazda's RX-8 — just one, in this case — and the modern rendering of the Clubman was born. What is really interesting about the Clubman is how cleanly it divides opinion.It is a love-it-or-hate-it proposition, even among those enamoured of the little sedan. My 15-year-old daughter, already plotting ways to get her hands on a Cooper S, turned away in disgust. “It's gross ... how could they even do that?” she said. Evidently the opinion only bore depth if one was outside looking on or sitting to the rear of the B-pillar. Everything about the cabin and the front of the car still passes muster. The funky bits ... oversized dials, tactile switchgear and huggy seats still push the right buttons.However, it appears that the rear seats and the admittedly Mini-sized load area are going to win favour from the practical set — those stable, left-brain utilisers of society. That is strange because practical and sensible are not catchwords that go hand-in-hand with Mini. Look under fad in the dictionary and you will find Minis in general and the Clubman in particular. Yet, perversely, to a goodly degree the Mini Clubman is practical — particularly if you pretend it doesn't have rear seats and fold them out of the way. In that case you are going to be able to fit in a bike, a huge weekly shop or lots and lots of nice things to drink. The rear barn doors swing wide on clever hinges to ensure unfettered access to the load area. Coupled to the car's natural low ride height, this makes for very comfortable loading.You just have to be careful when closing the doors that you do so in the correct order — something you would probably get used to as an owner.What you are less likely to brush aside any time soon — particularly if you are using the rear seats for the children — is the self-centred design team that made those seats accessible only from the traffic side of a right-hand drive model. The criticism will carry little weight in Germany and continental Europe but for the Australian owner it's a biggie.All that aside, Clubman buyers will still know they have bought into what the manufacturer will have us believe is the most fun club in the country.And driving the Clubman is fun. Despite its longer body and the 80kg of extra bulk, the go-kart qualities of the original brick-on-wheels still shine through. While it may not be as sharp through the really twisty bits — or even around the cones at a gymkhana — it still has the ability to bring a smile to your face and leave a host of beefier, bulkier rivals wondering which way you went, as we discovered in testing with the Cooper S. The sports suspension tended towards being harsh but it did all that was required of it to maintain connection with the road.That impression of a firm ride is not helped by the use of run-flat tyres — but that is nothing new in the BMW stable. But under the bonnet the Clubman is exactly the same package as the basic Mini. In the Cooper S test car that means a punchy turbo 1.6-litre four-cylinder with 128kW of power and a noticeable 240Nm of torque there for the asking.The engine is a real treat. It provides more than enough punch to explore the well-sorted Mini chassis and brakes that allow you to dive deep into corners without any sense of fade.You will be able to find a touch of torque steer, particularly if overly enthusiastic on the throttle while the steering is loaded.But it is not snappy and merely acts as a reminder to wait through the corner before getting stuck in again.It is, after all, a front-driver.In the test car, drive was through a snicky six-speed manual — which begs the question: why anyone would want to dull the performance by paying a $2200 premium for the automatic.Does anyone really need a Clubman? Probably not, but there are going to be more than a few who will want one ... and the extra space won't hurt when putting forward a business case.

The arrival of the Mini Clubman brings the back-seat freedom and luggage space that has been missing since BMW brought the 60s swinger back from the dead.The maxi new Mini is fatter in almost every area, including price, which will probably be between the existing Cooper S and convertible at $45,000 and $50,000.Running a tape over the Clubman shows it is 240mm longer, has a 160mm longer rear overhang and sits on an 80mm longer wheelbase than the Cooper.That means usable rear legroom for the first time, as well as 260 litres of luggage space with the rear seats upright or 930 litres with them folded flat.BMW believes the cult car following of the born-again Mini will be boosted by the Clubman and Clubman S, which arrive in April.The bigger Clubman will take the number of Minis to three, sharing the limelight with the Cooper and Cabrio, though the open-air model has not yet had the overhaul of the second-generation model.The Clubman shares almost everything with the Cooper, including the suspension, interiors and 1.6-litre four-cylinder normally aspirated and turbocharged engines.Visually, with its rear barn doors and long, flat roofline, it pays homage to the original 1960 Mini Traveller and Clubman .The roof, the longest of any BMW product, including the X5 four-wheel drive and 5 Series Touring wagon — has a slight hump. A 20mm high dune line along the sides extends from the windscreen pillars to the tail, finishing with an integrated rear spoiler.The Mini's designers have added a twist with the Clubdoor, effectively a rear-opening suicide door on the passenger side of the car for left-hand drive markets. But the rear-hinged door is on the wrong side for Australia, because there was no way to re-engineer the fuel filler.High-strength steel ensures the Clubman is as strong in a side impact and frontal collision as the Cooper, which means it should achieve a five-star crash rating.BMW Group head of driving dynamics Heinz Krusche says the stiff body ensures optimum performance of the steering and suspension. The MacPherson struts in the front and the Z-axle with longitudinal arms and centrally pivoted track arms at the rear have been tweaked a little from the Cooper. Front and rear roll-bar thickness and suspension rates were altered to maintain the sharp, near-neutral driving experience of its shorter-wheelbase sibling.Australian specifications and prices are yet to be set, but buyers can expect similar equipment levels to the Mini and Mini Cooper S.BMW Group Australia spokeswoman Laurissa Mirabelli expects the Clubman to make up 10 per cent of overall Mini sales locally. Two hundred are coming to Australia next year. The Clubman has the same driving fun that has made the Mini a hit.It may be 60kg heavier and 80mm longer in the wheelbase than a Mini Cooper hatch, but the Clubman is just as engaging to drive and more user-friendly.It is agile, composed and, if anything, the longer wheelbase helps smooth out the ride quality over indifferent roads. Particularly on the sportier 17-inch wheels.The turbo 1.6 on the Clubman S sings as sweetly as the Cooper and provides plenty of low-down urge and mid-range acceleration.The limited-slip differential fitted in the European evaluation cars aided performance, getting the power to the ground without spinning the front wheels.At first glance the Clubman looks the same as the Mini, but from the B-pillar back things change. Walk around the car and view it from the side and you can see how it has grown. And almost all of the added length in the wheelbase has gone into rear-seat legroom.So passengers sitting behind a driver of average height still have plenty of legroom, and the rear seat is still cosy even when the front seats are set to the rear-most setting.Even though the Clubdoor will be on the drivers side of the car in Australia, it still adds a dash of user-friendliness.The rear barn doors take some getting used to in a passenger car, but it's a small price to pay for individuality.