A friend of mine who bought an MCS Clubman at about the same time I did six months ago asked me to list the reasons I bought my car. This was not an idle exercise for either of us, as we're both enthusiasts and long-time automotive journalists who are used to writing about cars and motorcycles, and to asking, and answering, such questions. Here's what I came up with - I thought it might be interesting to post it here.

It's an interesting question and it goes right to the old saying that there's a seat for every a$$. I think it's kind of a left-brain/right/brain deal - everybody arrives at his own conclusion/decision based on the way he/she parses the practical and emotional aspects of car-buying. In other words, what works for me might not work for anyone else. But since he asked, here's what worked for me.

It came down to several things, which I'll list in no particular order, as follows:

In spite of my general dislike of front-wheel-drive cars, I really like the way these things work.

I really like performance. I like it a whole lot. But I like performance I can use. As much as I'd love to have a new Carrera or Corvette, for instance, there's no way in hell, in practical terms, that I would be able to use the performance those cars offer. Not in today's traffic, not with today's draconian penalties for misdeeds, not where I live. Seems to me such cars are like the guys back in the disco era that used to stuff a sausage down the front of their tight pants, if you dig what I mean. Sure, I wish the MCS had 235 bhp, or whatever the hot Focus has. But in an FWD car, I'm not sure that's good for much besides turning front tires into puddles of molten rubber.

I like the immediacy of the MCS' responses. Ask it to do something, it does it right now. That's a good thing.

I like miles per gallon. I really like that. And the MCS provides that - 37.1 mpg for me on a recent trip of 1,000 miles. I like the efficiency of a small engine doing big work, like the N18 in my car does. I've not owned a V-8-engined car in more than 40 years. Efficiency, frugal performance, just makes sense to me.

I really like comfort, but I don't mean comfort as imagined by Buick or Lexus. I mean a seat that fits well and holds me in place, visibility that works well, decent reach to the controls, decent upper- and lower-body positioning. I'm very comfortable in the MCS thanks to all these things, and thanks also to the lack of rock-hard suspension and low-aspect-ratio tires as on my '05 version of the same, a car I loathed.

Another aspect of comfort I really like is the large door opening. I'm 6'4" when I remember to stand up straight, and at 70, I'm not as limber as I once was. My wife's car, a new 3 Series sedan, is not as easy for me to get into and out of as the MCS is. And the seats aren't as comfortable. Go figure.

I really like small cars. I find them easier to work with, easier to position in the driving lane, easier to guild along a line, easier to park.

I don't like cars that look like they're going a zillion mph even when they're at rest. An MCS isn't exactly a Q-ship, but it's not a giallo fly Ferrari, either. So it doesn't automatically divert the attention of an otherwise sleepy traffic cop from his jelly-filled doughnut. Not unless I'm doing something really stupid, which I try not to do. I mean, why would any performance driver want to attract attention?

I really like that I can fold the rear seats down to haul stuff. The Clubman, especially, offers that ability in spades. My old 911 did not. Hey, the case for my Pete Seeger-model longneck Vega banjo fits. And that's sayin' something, buddy!

Oh, and I really like the four-year, 50,000-mile warranty. That's incredibly important.

And finally, I really like that the MCS is built for drivers. It is not, as far as I can ascertain, intended to be an appliance, a role so many cars today seem to fill. The thing has a look, a feel, a character all its own, and all of those quotients seem, at least to me, to point toward competent, spirited driving. I need a car that is fun to drive, that connects me to the driving experience. The MCS does that.

Downsides? Wonky dash design with a silly speedo position, wonky switchgear that is badly deployed, and some of which feels cheaply made; runflats; no spare tire; badly designed dipstick that's hard for me to read. And that's about it.

But enough about what I think. What do you think? Why did you acquire yours?

 

I'll be back...

 

I, too, am 6'4", and have always been a small-car guy. At age 62 I have some old neck and back injuries, but they pose no problem with entering and exiting the car. I've owned Mustang, Opel GT, Ford Escort, 240Z, Fiero and Sunfire, all pretty small... OK, so the 'Fire wasn't a very sporty car, but it served me very well for 165K miles, I'll give it that!


The Clubman has space (wife can no longer drive, so we're a 1-car family) while still being small. It's a driver's car, and I can flog it while still achieving great mileage. 31 city, 39 at an average of 70mph on a recent trip. Was able to fit all our junk in it, including a full-size Weber grill on the trip back home!


It's quirky, way cool, and has panache. People seem to love it. Everyone that checks it out seems to be fascinated by the barn doors. Gotta admit, they are "too cool."

I agree about the switchgear, but that's a minor niggle... I love the panoramic sunroof. Mine doesn't have a lot of toys, but I got what I needed/wanted, including the lovely BRG color.


And it handles. I love being tailgated exiting the freeway by a 'Vette, Mustang, Camaro, what-have-you, and by the time I get to the top of the ramp the tailgating "sports car" is no longer there... heh heh heh. As another member of NAM says, "you'll kill me on the straights but I'll dust you in the corners." It's also a ton-o-fun on any winding road, although the noise from the passenger seat sometimes will slow me down a bit. Not a rattle or squeak, generally some cussing, but that may be my fault not the car's!


Oh yeah, I love love love the British Racing Green color. And the nifty 6-gear box.


Regards,
XLXRider


PS - Mine is a Justa... after owning it for 8 months or so, I know if I'd have gotten an "S" I'd be broke paying for speeding tickets.

 

Just a note, as a Clubman owner you can add a spare with a proper tire well insert for around $200.

Welcome to the club. I'm a pretty tall guy too, (6'2"). Plenty of room all around for me.

I never liked big bulky cars.

Hearing that people in their 70's enjoy the car makes me happy.

 

Jon, your reasons are a pretty close match to mine. I want responsiveness from a car, as well as driving enjoyment. I'm not into just plain acceleration, I like handling. And fuel efficiency. And I like that I fit into the car without having to slouch, as I have to do in many cars.

My Justa is, as I quipped to a service advisor for my wife's car, the biggest car I've ever owned! (OK, except for the early Accord which was just slightly longer.) And certainly the most powerful. It is also the only new car I've ever owned.

 

When my fiance bought her Justa, I thought to myself "that's a cute little car for a girl, but nothing I'd see myself in." I like my rear wheel drive, 300 hp car that I could slide around corners, have fun at the track with, etc. Then I drove it.

That experience boggled my mind. I was trying to figure out how a fwd car with almost just 1/3 of the power that my vehicle had could be infinitely more fun to drive.

To cut a long story short, a couple of years later (last month), I traded in my previous vehicle for an MCS Hardtop. There was something about the way it felt. I too am a bigger guy (6'1" and about 230 lbs) and I find myself in a very comfortable driving position. And my hate for FWD disappeared as well between driving her and now mine. As the OP stated, the car just responds to what you want it to do.

My old car was fun, but there weren't many times I could open it up all the way without the possibility of getting a big ticket, losing my license, or even going to jail for my antics. My MCS, lets me drive it at or near its limit whenever I want and I enjoy every moment of it.

 

Just a couple of quick comments:


Slave to felines, me too. I mean my wife and I, too. Love our cats.


My car is an S with a 6-speed manual. I do believe I forgot to mention that salient detail.


Recent trip over the holidays, about 1,000 miles from Lost Angeles to the Bay Area and back, with the return trip down Hwy 1 for the incredible peace and scenery (yeah, OK, also the corners), 37.1 mpg at highway speeds, as measured by gps, of 75 to 80. This is with two people up plus luggage for a week-long trip. I'm very pleased.


Thought I might also comment on danjreed's comment about people age 70 enjoying the car. Trust me, 70 sneaks up on you on little cat feet; you will be there before you know it. I urge you to plan for it. Save all the money you can, contribute as much as you can to your 401(k) plans. You're going to need it. You're also going to need your health if you're going to enjoy life and driving cool cars. I still do, of course, but this is after a lifetime of automotive and motorcycle enthusiasm. I don't go as fast as I once did, but sure, at 70 I still love to drive, to concentrate on the line and the task at hand, even if I have slowed way down - I haven't tested a car's top speed in donkey's years. I hope that all of you will find the same enjoyment once you reach this advanced number. But the enthusiasm for a well-built, comfortable and responsive vehicle still hangs with me. I can only hope that it will hang with you for as long as it has hung with me.