Yup. Tempest in a teapot, methinks.

I enjoyed the comments -- despite my joke about having the wrong-sized garage. It's always interesting to read what others think about the car, whether they agree with my thoughts or not.

--
Darryl

 

Thanks everyone.

and about the garage, well, can one ever REALLY have a big enough garage?

 

WOW - all that over someone's review of a loaner Clubman!?
Some people seem to be more defensive than others - so be it. No harm no foul.
Personally, I know that the Clubman does NOT appeal to other MINI fans - not saying that is a bad thing - don't take it to heart; just recognize someone else's opinion - that's all it is.
We can all agree that MINIs are FUN!

 

Some people get very defensive when something that they like is questioned; I've experienced that a bit here, too. But really, all message boards are like that. I agree that it's interesting to see other people's opinions and that there's absolutely no reason to be offended unless someone is clearly being personal or pugnacious.

Manuals generally get better mileage than automatics (like someone else said -- you can see that on the MINI site), so that part makes perfect sense. For me, the extra room in the Clubman is a necessity, so whatever compromises there are in terms of the doors is worth it.

My very, very young MINI is going into the dealer again to get a bunch of issues fixed (hopefully) so maybe I'll get a coupe for a loaner to see how the other half lives!

 

Everybody is entitle to having an opinion and I think BSUcardinalfan made a good review of his loaner. I agree about the automatic transmission; I tried before and I did not like the response time so I went with manual, but by all means is a matter of preference. At the end of the day, mini's, auto or manual, are about having fun when driving.

The third door is ok and my kids like to use it just to show their friends they have a car with a third door but 90% of the time stays closed. The barn doors work fine but I found them more a "nostalgic" item than practical, but again, it is just my opinion (I have a 2 1/2 car garage, so no problem with space...yet).

By the way, I tried the series 1 and I love it too (great car), but gas mileage and size won over for me (Downtown parking is always an issue).

BSU, whatever you decide to drive in the future, just make sure you still have fun driving it!

 

Exact same experiences as BSUCardinalfan with regards to the '08 MCS, 32-33 MPG extremely consistent over almost 2 years with 70% highway driving (stick). However, it's pretty safe to assume the loaner was beat like a rented mule, thus the poorer gas mileage. Plus NA Coopers can get away with regular gas (but that's another can of worms isn't it).

 

Nice review BSU. I too thought the clubbie had adequate power; enough for me to still have fun. Also, what really blew me away was that with the front seat adjusted to where i was comfortable and my oldest son sitting behind me his knees did not even come close to touching the seatback. In my Mazda3 if he sits behind me his knees are uncomfortably (for him) into my seat. The Mini is supposed to be the smaller car! Still trying to convince the wife to let me have one but no dice yet.

 

Wow - interesting thread.

We love our R55 (Clubman S, manual), get fantastic mileage (~ 32/33 city), have no issues with space in our garage or getting our freakishly tall 8 year old in and out of the vehicle. In short - LOVE IT! Have ridden in the Coupe (pronouced coo-pay) and found it too small for our needs. That's ok, different strokes for different folks!

Lots of passion and opinions here! It's all good. Thankfully MINI makes more than one model to meet the needs and preferences of its customers .

 

I will have had my 2009 for two years in April, and love the car. The only problem that I have had, and it is consistant with a lot of other Mini owners, is having to have the Clubman towed twice to the dealership because of high pressure fuel pump problems. It's documented that there is a major problem with the design of this pump causing a significant number of problems with all "S" owners. Makes me a little weary about my warranty about to run our.

 

I will have had my 2009 for two years in April, and love the car. The only problem that I have had, and it is consistant with a lot of other Mini owners, is having to have the Clubman towed twice to the dealership because of high pressure fuel pump problems. It's documented that there is a major problem with the design of this pump causing a significant number of problems with all "S" owners. Makes me a little weary about my warranty about to run out.

 

Xeraux (cool moniker!) wrote:

>> I doubt it. I'm sure you can, but very few can shift more efficiently than a computer-controlled automatic transmission. <<

I know, for sure, that I can. But I have been driving stick shift cars and motorcycles exclusively for almost 40 years, and I'm pretty damn good at it. However, the lag was not so bad that it caused me to not buy my auto. Clubbie.

But, I mainly did that because traffic in the DC area has gotten SO bad in the past 5 years that I am sick to death of clutching and rowing a shift lever in our ever-present traffic jams. And, trust me, I NEVER thought I'd write those words....

 

I've had my MCCS now for 8 months, so I thought I'd go ahead and post my impressions.

First, due to my family situation, I wouldn't own a Mini if they hadn't come out with the Clubman. With two kids and activities to shuttle them to, and with my wife wanting to drive the 4Runner, we HAD to have a car that wouldn't fit them like a sardine can. My MCCS delivers.

Second, I would have gotten a MCCS JCW, but my wife categorically refused to drive manual. Sigh/Cry. Nothing left to do but mod heavily to make up for it...

Barn Doors: Absolutely fabulous - no complaints. My garage is, I suppose, standard Ca size, but we only park one vehicle in it (have to have room for my shop!). Perry (the Platypus, my kids named my MCCS from a cartoon character) fits great, with plenty of room front and back. I probably just need more crap...

Access: My kids love the third door, and my daughter (8 yo) and son (5yo) are quite good at opening it from the inside. Sure, we could live without it, but I'm sure that it will be more and more useful as they get older (and by default, bigger).

Driving: I have NOT driven a regular MCS, but I can tell you that this car is zippy as hell. A few modifications and I almost need a pilots licence. One of these days perhaps I'll get to drive/compare Perry vs. a regular MCS and determine whether handling is different.

Problems: none so far, except what may be the first signs of death rattle , but that's not a Clubman-specific problem. The only real complaint I have is that there are fewer mods that have been "approved" for the clubman. Heck, when I got my rear strut installed, my local mini enthusiast garage had never done it on a clubbie and were "excited to taker 'er apart and see what happens".

All in all, the best vehicle purchase I've ever made. Sure, I wish it was JCW. But it fits my family's needs for room, and my need to drive like a maniac with a go-kart.