Okay, so now you are being nitpicky but i agree on some of these new points and not on others. And BTW nitpicky is okay i am the same way. I just find different this to nitpick about. We are all different and that is what make us "individuals"

Illumination Mine goes down in brightness when the dash lights are turned down and at 2:00am i need to turn down the speedo and tacometer as well.

Not just the side shade but the front visor is absolutly horrible. My dive consists of sun shinning thru the upper left corner of the windshield and the is no way to adjust the visor to block this sun.

Sorry to hear that. I usualy can not spend more than 2 hours in a car due to back pain, but i have found my Mini to be exactly the right design. I have driven my mini non-stop for a full tank of gas, more than 400 miles and 7 hours before having to take a break.

Gas Mileage:

I have done some driving in Boston where driving is thru major construction and stop and go one block at a time and was still able to get over 28 mpg. As for highway driving i have taken a few long trips and find that speed really does make a difference in the mileage.

55 mph continuous for 300 miles i got 39.3 mph.

65 mph continuous for 285 miles i got 36.1

75 mph mostly continuous for 310 miles i got 32.5 there was some slower 60-65 for probably less than 20 miles.

80 mph shows 29.5 on the OBC

90 mph shows 25.4 on the OBC

I hope you keep your car and can get over some of its misgivings.

No matter what you drive have fun doing it.

 

I'm glad someone else feels like me that this thread from the very beginning is over the top. You can't write a 500 word post complaining about things most people with 20/20 vision wouldn't notice and then say you like the car. If 8 or 9 is the highest grade one can get then you are dealing with a negative individual from the beginning. If no car is a 10 then he should build his own car and it would probably cost a million dollars. Its a $25-35 thousand dollar car. If you think a Mazda is a better value, then get a Mazda. I don't see how you can continue to chime in about Audi when the Audi is more money. I wouldn't drive a Mazda for $5, but that's just me. The MINI is solid is a rock and better built than anything that is not European. No way any Japanese car is even in the same league.

So I guess I am a fanatical fanboy whose common sense is blurred by my ridiculous love for my car. I don't think so. I think part of it is that everyone loves their new car the first few weeks. The real love comes after that. Some people love the MINI because its a manual and they came from driving an automatic SUV. Totally different animals completely. But I can't fathom another car out there I would like better. If there was, I would buy it. Why buy something I don't like? I can get better mpg's in a Prius, but it looks like SH*T. Sorry, it does. It also is about as fast as a box turtle with two broken legs. The Mazda 3, which for some reason is always compared here, gets worse mpg for the same performance. I can't think of any car that is this fast with 30-40 highway gas mileage. There is none. Is the Speedo too big? Of course it is, but that's the MINI schtick.

I never understand the build quality complaints though. I have driven a lot of cars, some very nice ones, and the MINI stands up there.

But the bottom line is that while we agree that the MINI is not for everyone, you seem to be more "negative", I won't say nitpicky, than most people. The cabin isn't even bright, if the family can't sleep at 2AM something is wrong. But if someone ever asked me how I liked my new car and I said, "So, so" I would feel like a complete jackass since that person may have been driving the same car for 10 years while poor little me who can afford a new car thinks its just ok.

 

to you wampa

 

.

 

I'd like to get a Clubman, but they don't have any on hand to test drive! Good thing I enjoy what I have Already.

 

Heh, if the OP just wanted to post his criticisms for potential buyers he would probably get more mileage posting them on autos.msn.com or yahoo autos. I'm not surprised on the comments this thread is generating since it was posted in a MINI forum which tends to draw passionate posters....

 

I agree completely. People who come to this forum are fanatics for their cars. I have seen more than one thread where the poster has been extremely upset over some minor damage to their car, that most people would not even think twice. I myself am guilty of posting just such a thread when someone vandalized Viola's bonnet at a casino. I was so upset over it, that I was in tears, and it was only a 65$ ding repair that took less than an hour to fix.

This is an enthusiast forum, after all. We wouldn't be enthusiasts if we weren't enthusiastic!

 

Just my opinion, but I really haven’t considered the OP as being hateful or really negative about his Mini. In fact I loved his term “death star sized speedometer”! Perhaps it’s because I don’t yet own a Mini that I’m not offended as a few have been. In fact I’ve viewed his comments and many of those that responded, as simple objective observation and viewpoints. For that matter this entire thread has, for the most part, convinced me to go order a Mini.

 

Okay, now some of the posters are getting personal and this is really discouraging as a fellow NAM member. So you guys and gals only want other NAM members who agree with you? We can all be enthusiasts without being in agreement on minutia. I never intended to depcit fellow NAM members as fanatical “fanboys” of the Mini brand if any of my posts were taken that way. And if the moderators think this thread is off base, they can close it. I’ve only provided a small portion of over the 4 pages of comments and perspectives. Clearly not everyone is offended by the thread.

I offered the original post to get some feedback to see if the things that are bothering me were any bother at all to other owners. I think I got what I needed to in terms of positive feedback so let me foremost offer thanks to many of you. For those that took my second set of "cons" seriously, please re-read the post. It was intended as humor. I do not think I am a negative person at all - nor does my wife. And for my "cons", I also think I provided a perspective on many positive aspects of the car I have been enjoying.

I would also argue that Audi is cross-shopped against the Mini, especially an A3 against a Clubman. They are very much in the same price point and both respected as well-built European cars. I agree they are intended for very different target audiences in terms of who may be happy with them long term.

Since many folks comments on the gas mileage, my calcs are based on hand estimates and not the OBC.

Finally, thank you schatzy62 for your reply. I hadn’t even tried lowering the interior dash lights. Making the illumination package lights tied to the dash controls makes a lot of sense!


Jon W.

 

I encourage debate, good conversation and rational discussion. I like to read and hear differing points of view. No need to get dramatic JWeiss.

I can give you 100 different aspects of the car that I am less than thrilled about. But as a whole, I really like the car and it so far has met and exceed my expectations. Believe it or not I am very picky to the point of acute OCD.

No one is attacking the OP. I think he has been very candid in expressing his discontent with the car and he is certainly more than welcome to it.

But things begin to take on a different twist when the conversation start with the "snide" hidden remarks..."Oh my! You all must be crazy because u like this car so much...Oh please pitty me because I am having the most miserable time of my life behind the wheel of this overrated clunker that you all so blindly love.". Please!

And this goes on and on and on.

OK, we get it. Bad purchase decision, the car is not what you expected, blah, blah, blah.

Ok fine. Move on. You got your opinions, symphaties, time to move on.

No one is calling you names or issuing personal attacks. Correct me if I am wrong, but I have yet to see anyone being disrespectful towards you JWeiss.

 

I think that there are extremes on both sides here.

There's the "keep drinking the kool-aid" snidery...

and then there's the: "you must be nuts to think that the Clubman is anything less than a perfect 10 - you'd better sell it immediately because it obviously isn't the right fit for you" crowd.

I can sympathize with both sides I guess.

 

this thread was somewhat clear in the beginning but now its beginning to confuse me.

I still feel you "settled" for this car for whatever reason and are looking for something "better" ... but not sure in what aspect.

I agree the car is not perfect ... heck I just picked mine up from service after 17 days for a part that did not arrive. If I did not love the freaking thing, I would be up in arms and bitching mysef.

MINI's are really love it or hate it machines ... but now we are getting the "I bought the car to save gas" crowd that doesn't quite "get" the brand.

 

I think we're beating on a dead horse here and now it's starting to stink... moderator, please close this thread now....

 

the most heated arguements that persist are ones that can never be settled! Why, cause there's no right answer so people keep spewing and spewing ad ifinitum. If the issue can just be measured and put to bed, the threads tend to be short and quick.

Really, if NAM turns into a Mini cult where dissention isn't tolerated by the members, then it will be a worse place for us all. So what if it's an enthusiast site! One can still be open to what other say without getting snippy or posting indirect swipes.

I'm at 98k miles, and still not drinking the coolaid!

Matt

 

I've had my clubman s automatic tranny since June 4. My observations:

Of all the cars I have had in my 43 years, it is my favorite.

Mileage: not great - averaging 23-25 on mostly city driving on East side of Los Angeles (with short runs on freeways) but does great on longer hwy runs. Didn't buy it entirely for mileage but it does better than my previous car (Honda Element 5 speed) by a good margin. If you want better mileage, don't get the S. Me, I LOVE the motor and am gladly trading for the MPG.

My only nitpicks: Window controls should be on doors not center panel. Cupholders block panel swithces.
I have pretty much every option save for cold weather and alarm and the stereo is so gawdawful that I can't wait to have someone completely hot-rod it. anyone know a someone in LA who can help with this?
The sunroof still lets a lot of light through even with limo black film and the shade.

These are nitpicks - i knew about all of these issues from test drive and reading the forum prior to purchase. My dealer was awesome - monrovia and universal city guys were total a-holes so i went to Long Beach for my car. Finally, i am 6' 3" 215 lbs and i fit in the car and sportseats with ease - the ergonomnics are great (i do miss a little bit of vertical vision but just need to ducck my head down a little).

i get more comments on this car than i can tell you - love it. Sorry you don't like as much - hope you find something more suitable for you.

brian

 

I ordered mine without ever test driving it. Hope I like it

 

JWEIS, don't answer your door if UPS visits. It's probably a Clubman owner coming to whack you.

Napria, I didn't drive Clubman either.
The Cooper and Cooper S were my test drives.

 

I bought my Clubman S with out ever seeing one-had never driven a Mini-built my car online. My main concern was the available space in the boot with the seats down. It makes an awesome delivery vehicle. Holds all the product I need it to-and two dogs.
Extremely happy with this car aslong as it stands the test of time.

 

This is an interesting thread. I test drove a Clubman (Pepper White with Black - Awesome color!) before ordering. I love it. My wife and I have had SUVs (smaller ones) for a while now and like them for a variety of reasons. But they have their quirks and design issues. I have a 2001 Sentra SE and love the car. But there are things about it that I really dislike.

So far, I love the Clubman and the quirkiness. After having the car for a while, I am certain that there will be things that I won't like so much.

How can there be a perfect car? How do you design a car for millions of people who all have different tastes? All will have good and bad. I think that, for the money, the Mini has more good than bad.

 

I ordered a clubmanS and auto also. wk 36 expected 10/7 delivery.
I would think 23-25 in the city to be great. Im hoping to get around 30 combined in a NJ surburb of NYC. and would think 35+ on long hwy trips.
What have you gotten on the highway runs? Is there anything out there that you think would have been a better choice mileage wise that you woud fit in?
Im 6'4 210 I looked at Honda Suburu VW Toyata Kia and with the exception of the VW I wasen't comfortable in any of them, and their fuel milage figures werent great. The MINI wasen't even a consideration because of it small size, until I read a review that a guy 6'3 said it was roomy inside. I din't get the sunroof because people complained that the car became an oven with it. Im still amazed at the amount of room in this tiny vehicle has and how fun it was to drive. Ive been driving GM Surburbans and pickups for the last 18 yrs. I just hope the mini will be comfortable after 4hrs of driving. I think the price is kind of high for what it is but if it's reliable and the service dept takes care of the minor bugs that all new cars have it will be worth it.

 

Why not change the title to( things i would change, how about you) much better then.. Is anyone else as disappointed with their Mini purchase as I am?

 

Is it just me or what?

 

 

I tried to diagram that sentence, but my head started hurting.