I took delivery of a new Mini Cooper 5 Door Diesel, in the UK, last May. I've covered almost 9,000 miles now. It's averaged 46mpg with a record on a 450 mile round trip to London (on one tank of fuel & in just over 3hrs 15 each way, so moving along) at an average of 57.5 mpg. Delighted with the car. My wife says it's the nicest car she's driven and she's had a couple of new SL500s in the past. I have a new one on order for May this year and have decided on the Cooper SD 5 Door.
Hey Motoman! Great Clubman review, thanks. My daily drive is a Mini Cooper 3 door. Had it a year now and absolutely love it. I work in Lyon in France and move around several times during the day. The Mini is excellent for this. Fun, quick, easy to park, fun, responsive, good looking, fun, good economy, comfortable, and above all.......fun!
+Simon Thomas Thanks for the insight . . . Looking at your pic - do you drive a Jag? If so, you seem to have an affinity for all things on four wheels that are British . . . like myself!
+MotoManTV Unfortunately no! The picture is the car I would love to have as a daily drive if I didn't live in a city with miniature streets and parking spaces! And the French use their bumpers to sense when they're parked......ouch.
I bought a Mini Cooper S manual in Australia in March 2015 and I love it. I bought it as a fun car and use it to drive and only consider a front seat passenger as the rear seats are not habitable for anyone other than a very, very short person whom you don't particularly like. The car has the 2 litre (see we spell litre differently as well) twin turbo (as you explained this definition) and to me, it has plenty of power and I seldom put it in 'sport' mode (especially in suburban areas with low speed limits) mainly because I haven't found the need and also because in that mode, it blips the throttle for you on downshifts and I like to 'heel and toe' myself. I could wax lyrical about the car because I really love it and I haven't said that about many of the cars I have owned. I didn't go for heaps of 'add ons'; it is Volcanic Orange overall with the chrome pack to highlight various parts and also the larger sat nav. Everywhere I go, people look at it and I often find people in shopping centre car parks giving it the once over. As for any car there are shortfalls but if you go into the purchase being aware of the shortfalls then there is o excuse for complaining later on. There is a lot of BMW in the car so it is almost a BMW in a mini shell. The shortfalls to me are repair goo instead of a spare tyre (the goo when used, stuffs the tyre which then has to be replaced). In Australia with the distances we can travel a spare is almost obligatory. No jack so I can't take the wheels off to clean the inside of the rim and it is so expensive to purchase one ($289 here vs $74 overseas). To finish, I love the new Clubman that you reviewed but I don't need it. Hope this too long winded. All the best for 2016.
+Gordon Clark Did you buy it as 2nd hand or is it 0 KM new ? I love to drive BMW's and the new mini's they design but everyone talks about the electrical issues in them and they made me not sure about owning one. Did you have any electrical issues ?
+BlueDragon Hi BlueDragon. My Mini was purchased as a brand new model. I ordered it late in 2014 and because most are made to order, there was a three month late so I got it as a 2015 production and it arrived in Australia in March 2015. It now has 4000 kilometres and I haven't had a problem with anything. Reading Mini forums does not reveal any adverse comments on the current model so only time will tell. Thanks for the question.
I bought a used 2007 Cooper S in 2013 and use it for short local trips and weekend mountain blasts here in Estoril, Portugal. Love making the exhaust pop.
Hey Motoman, I got a 2004 Mini Cooper I live in the U.K. I don't drive it every day as I have a new company car for work. I absolutely love my mini I love the way it handles and all the quirks. It has bags of character and always brings a smile to my face. My company car a Ford Mondeo (fusion) which is good in many ways but doesn't have much personality. I look forward to getting a newer mini one day. I love the new interiors. Going back to mine though, I've had many years of reliable motoring with it, only minor issues. Build quality is very good, doesn't look like it's 13 years old.
The Mini van . .. fond memories of the mid 60s, off to England to meet the fiancee's family. Bought a 850 Mini van and toured some of Europe. A piece of foam rubber for a mattress in the back for a bed. Almost died from lack of oxygen because it was a cold night on the Dutch coast and the windows were closed.
I'm in Florida, I drive a mini Cooper S hardtop and I just use it for my daily life and as someone who hates driving in general, mini actually makes me wanna drive my car, it's that fun! suffice to say I can never own anything else but a mini
my wife and I purchased a 2012 Countryman S. Love the way it maneuvers and the quickness from the Lil turbo 1.6 L. 6 months later we purchased another Mini a 2012 2 door hard top cooper s. very fun cars to drive. plus the ability to customize them the way u want. from side mirrors to rear view mirrors to the A Panel graphics. we mainly use ours to commute to work. Plus we recently joined a car club of Mini's. If u buy one used, please consider a extended warranty cause price for parts get alittle pricey cause of being a BMW.
We are about to replace our Audi A1 & having had a 2005 Cooper we wanted to look at the latest incarnation... we needed a little more flexibility in the luggage arena so started looking at the Clubman (I passed my UK driving Test in an original Mini on 08/08/1988... lol) .. We came across your review and Fate reared her head.. Our Son is living a stones throw from Savannah Georgia and raves about it.. he plays Rugby for Hilton Head too.... thanks for the detailed review and the depth of engineering that went into the new Mini... have a great year. The Rogers Family UK
8 лет назад+1
Great review!!! To answer your questions , I drive a JCW GP2!!! I live in Florida. I love driving it , and I can't get enough of getting on and off sharp exit ramps!!! what a machine...
My Mini is the former Clubman, R55. It's my daily driver, it goes on long trips, and I have taken it to the track where it did quite well, for a car with 120 hp. It's also great in the northern Michigan winters with good snow tires on it. Inside it feels like sporty luxury. I want a second 8 years out of it. Perfect so far, mostly :-)
2015 Mini Hardtop 3dr owner (the "classic mini style" you might say). Location is Edmonton, Canada (so basically its cold here). Car is basically a stripper with no options besides sport seats and sunroof. The car is nearly 7 months old now and has 15,000km on it. Used it for camping trips to the mountains with bikes on the roof rack, various other road trips, commuting 50km everyday, but no track days yet: Those will come next year. Snow performance is good, but I saw a 20% reduction in fuel economy since the temperatures have dropped below freezing and winter tires were added to the car (48mpg (US gal) avg summer, 39mpg avg winter). Handling on slippery surfaces is lively with strong front end grip and a rear that rotates on throttle lift. Only issues are that the car is too small to carry 4 large people and I'm 6'4" so sitting behind me is tough, but do-able for a short trip. The only tough things about buying a Mini is the option list. The sale people at the dealership didn't have a very good grasp of everything available, so it was a bit tough to figure out what's what when it comes to configuring the car. My advice: Get the roof rack rails from factory, the upgraded stereo, and maybe LED lights. Those are the only truly necessary options.
I have a 2009 Mini Clubman S here in Texas, and I love it! It's such a corner carver for Hill Country back roads, and fantastic for my daily commutes. I do take it on several long distance drives, over 1000 miles round trip. It's refinement could be better for sure, more hard plastics than desired, and the seats could be slightly more supportive, especially on those long drives. But I would say my ownership experience has been solid! I've had a few issues with cooling, but I was able to sort it out easily with new parts. Other than that, it has been an AWESOME daily and I can't wait to rack up more miles!
I live in Florida, and I drive a 2006 cooper S. It's my second cooper S, and I have put every mile on it since mile 3 when I bought it. I love it's go kart, whiptastic handling and I use it as a Daily driver, long distance, and on the track. Did I mention I love my car? I've rolled past the 100k mark, and it never completely breaks which can be really awesome, and frustrating at times. I really don't want to sell her, but I really want a tech upgrade. If I could afford it, I'd be getting a new one and keeping my 06. I've been watching the AlfaRomeo Giulia, and as much as I might want it - it's not a mini and I know I'll be wanting to get back into a mini. :)
I was looking for a car for me. My fiance said check out the mini countryman. We found a lifted all4 s amazing mini. came with spare wheel and tire a roof rack even a sweet off road style cargo trailer. Well I never got a new car she did. When ever I get to drive it I am impressed. the thing is so damn amazing it reminds me of a little tight handling race car. I love sport mode and paddle shifting. Previous owner lived in the mountains. We frequent the mountains so this mini is the perfect little beast for our mountain trips.
I own a 2014 Mini 2 door hardtop with the 3 cyl turbo and manual transmission. I live in the Northeast. My car has the sport suspension upgrade and a couple other options. It is very comfy, very good handling, very quick/torquey and yet it returns over 36mpg avg in mixed driving. I use it as a weekend car mostly. In 2014 BMW really upped their game on the Mini being more refined. This car is very comfy, even on bumpy roads yet somehow manages to handle very sharply in the turns with little body roll. You feel like you are in a premium small car. However it sounds like the new Countryman takes this to a whole other level.
I just bought a Clubman :) That one shown is over $40k. I bought the basic one and still feels like a fancy luxury car. I bought it as a sub 30k luxury car that could sit people comfortably car. My other alternatives were the Buick Encore (terrible seating, underpowered engine, $25k) Audi A3 (not enough leg room, too sharp of a slope in the back $28k) Mercedes CLA (Only a small child and a contortionist would sit in the back, the most expensive of all the cars I tested at $34k). I bought my mini with 1k in options for $26k.
First the bench. That's where Tom Hanks sat in Forest Gump. As for the Mini and the history in _my_ life. I've owned two - a base 2007 hard top. I purchased it, because I wanted a fun car that was used, cheap, fun to drive. Purchased in my mid-30s we had no intention of having kids (nor do we still) - so it was my splurge. Loved it, went on to purchase a 2010 (used) Clubman, because older I got the more room I needed for Home Depot trips - again, no kids .. but practicality. I live in Buffalo, NY. Snow "perceived" capitol of the world. With that said, I have two sets of rims / tires for snow/no-snow parts of the year. The 6-sp I have is stupendous. However, an ongoing start-rev issues has plagued both my Mini's. It's also fussy. With all well refined and designed things, it has tolerances. As a combat rifle guy, all I can say its a high-end AR-15 .. a little sand, and its prone to failure. The AK-47 is the total opposite and was designed for all conditions and basically run without any maintenance over its life .. mind you accuracy in both rifles could not be more opposite on the spectrum. The Mini is like an AR-15 .. but a lil bit lower, however still requires to have a sensor on every thing you can imagine. Case in point is the blue-juice cap ... seriously?! Anyway, the Clubman is a lovely car with great history / spirit and this new one just rips out the soul of what I consider a car you shouldn't HAVE to refine. In its line-up, BMW has spread to thin the line with a Roaster (?), Paceman, and now this. It's overpriced, overwhelming, and such a Subaru Outback .. I don't even know what to say. Sure its appealing to an older, more mature Mini owner, now that we are in our 40s, but I'm going back to a 4-door hardtop, because there is no way I can even think about owning something that expensive. A used one, at that. We are pragmatic, bohemian style folks who are particular, quirky and don't require approval. But don't bucket us into these 40-50 year old mom/pop folks. It's to much tech, to much "fancy", and to just simply to much.
Just found your channel, and congrats! you have a new subscriber! I have a 2011 Mini Cooper s. I got it just over a year ago and have loved it ever since. *Disclaimer I have wanted a mini for as long as I can remember and may be extremely biased towards them* my experience hasn't been just with the car, but with the people as well. I live in Northern California and have joined multiple mini clubs, both local and online. The community is great, filled with helpful people that like minis for their weird quirks as much as I do. I think the only real problem I have with my mini is that it's small, and mini knows there are people like me that love the style, quirkiness, and speed of the Cooper but need more space. I'm only 22 and don't really have a huge need for a bigger car but after college, I will, and you can bet I'll be looking for the (possibly) AWD clubman equipped with the JCW package.
I drive a 2014 MINI Clubman. Use it daily for short trips, usually. Love how it steers. Specially on roads with lots of curves! I have it on Run Flats. Probably will change to Regular Tires, and see if bumps and wholes are felt less. Love what BMW/MINI has done with this 2 Gen. Clubman. Different, and same. Targets the family oriented buyers, but that want a sportier looking car.
Never been a fan of Mini because of their long history of severe reliability issues. But surprisingly at 6'7" I fit very comfortably in even their smallest models.
Happy New Year Motoman. I have never driven an BMW Mini of any sort (for me there will only ever be one true Mini). As for the bench, my guess is that it might be the bench that Forest Gump was filmed sat on. Best of luck for the new year and I look forward very much to all the content yet to come.
I originally had a 2006 Mini Cooper that I bought new in April 2006 and kept it until August 2015 when I bought another new Mini but this time a Cooper S with the 2 litre engine. I had no issues with the original one during my nine years of ownership but it had done under 60,000 kilometres in that time. The new mini a Cooper S automatic only has about 3,000 kilometres in it and has been faultless so far and has a lot more power. The original one while it had a number of options on it was as close to what I wanted that I could get as it was already built and in the country but the new one I ordered and had built with the exact options I wanted and is fantastic.I am in Australia
Great review, i will be upgrading my current Mini cooper clubman 2011 to the S version , or wait for the JCW if it wont be too far long a wait, simply put Mini's are fun to drive, i love mine.i live in Johannesburg , and here MINIs are a character on their own
08 cooper non-s in NY. got it as my first car and looking to replace it with another Mini, maybe even this clubman. Love my r56 tho. There's a certain experience of being inside it and driving it that puts a smile on your face. After a few years tho the super glue they assembled with with is starting to come undone :/ but quality aside its been nothing but joy to own one.
Im a mini owner, live in Denmark and have the clubman s works model. I use my car for short distances, midrange distances ( summerhouse in the countryside ) and once a year a trip to southern Europe.The car gives me a fantastic ride.....but most of all, im looking forward to driving it, and everytime im sitting in the driverseat im a happy guy. The only downside to the car is the enormous repaircost for laber and parts.In Denmark we pay costly for Mini's and Bmw. My car with the xtras will set you back around 80.000 $ But overall a fanyastic car :-)
I had this car same color but black interior and I used to take it up to 140mph easily and drift it around parking lots it was very fuel efficient when you weren’t hauling tail honestly one of my favorite vehicles similar to driving a go cart it responds super linear to your inputs in sports mode and I want to buy another one just thinking about it
'15 Countryman JCW, driven long distances, short distances, medium distances, and pretty much everywhere. Drives great in poor weather conditions (snow, ice, torrential downpours of rain). Great car have had 0 issues with it. However, the dealership is horrible. Bring it in for service, i.e oil change ect., they don't actually do it. They charge $70 at time of purchase for nitro tire fill, they never actually fill the tires with nitro. Had to bring the car back multiple times for them to properly balance wheels. I reside in Canada.
As a brit , I don`t mind you waxing lyrical about the mini Motoman , but the driving description of this Clubman was " mini-mal" ( if you forgive the pun.) The "blind-spot" in your chuntering was not mentioning this problem with rear vision out of the van-like rear doors , not a deal breaker , but something punters should be made aware of.
+SuperWHIZZO But isn't that issue a part of the design of the Clubman since its first generation? (Correct me if I'm wrong) I mean, this should not be defined as an issue of the Clubman anymore, because a Clubman's fan is aware of it :) I dont like it either btw, but (if I buy this car) I can live with it
I live in the NYC and would like to own one. Mostly for work purposes. But I would like to know how is the mini in snow or rain. And will 4 wheel drive be the way to go. I would gladly like to hear yours or anyone input.
I tested one using the reach now app in nyc not sure how it is in snow but i drove an all wheel drive model identical to his i floored it on some wet cobblestone it slipped then took off.
Love the customization options on the MINIs, its the small stuff that make a one of a kind of 'reasonably priced' package that sets it apart from Appliances on wheels. We need more blue interiors … or something (Audi got green!) … the beige & grey interiors are booooorrriiing! The visual tricks they do in designing MINIs are very cool… I remember when the Countryman & Paceman came out a few years ago, people were going on & on on how MINI sold out & betrayed their heritage … I genuinely thought they'll be in the size of an Escalade, but when I saw them in person… they are smaller than a BMW X1! Looking forward to hear about your trip to CES… The Cars, The Tech…etc, it will a be a geek overload lol! will Bose demonstrate their new Cadillac-Excusive Panaray system? That thing better sound like perfection! Because it certainly doesn't look the part … jeez we got spoiled by Burmesters, Bang&Oulfsens, & Bower&Welikns! Are you going to NAIAS this year? As always, excellent episode M! & looking forward to season 6!
+IceDree Hitting both CES and NAIAS . . . CES is a bit different for us as we are going behind the scenes with Bose on some stuff. Can't say what it is otherwise I'd have to kill you:) However, I will say this . . . Have I told you before that you are a smart man:)
Haha sounds like I'm getting close ... Anyway, have fun there! Ohhh & swing by BMW's booth if you got time... They'll have this AirTouch thing there ,& I'm sure Mercedes & Audi will have something cooking for CES
never driven one but my dad had a clubman that was as small as yours looked and very daunting being in one. next to the trucks of the day. very good review but would have liked more of a look at the original. By the way there was a brand called Maxi also made by BL who made the mini which was very nice to sit in at least is series 2 L form
I had one if the original mini Cooper with a 1275cc I lived in the countryside with lots of single track roads it was a hoot to fly about in , you would think you where going very fast and look at the Speedo and it register 50mph , I'm thinking of having a go at a modern one
I love the look and presence of the new Mini Clubman. Cooper S or Cooper S 4WD (If they make it) is what I would drive. I previously owned a 2006 2dr Mini Cooper S Chili in dark metallic grey/black roof with tons of options for six years until 2012. Expensive, but nice. While initially i loved being able to park on a dime and manoeuvre traffic easily, the hard sports suspension takes its toll on you after a while (especially at the time on Sydney CBD's bumpy, c-grade roads). I did get to drive a basic Clubman Cooper auto as a courtesy vehicle while I still had my Mini. It was good but the suicide door was on the wrong side for Australia (opening into traffic) and the split tailgate would take some getting used to. The ride on Mini's can be overly harsh for those used to larger cars. Run flat tires don't necessarily help either and are expensive to replace (Pirelli's if I remember correctly, ~$500ea). While I currently drive a (yawn) VW Tiguan, i yearn to get back into something smaller and sportier with practicality. On my shopping shortlist is VW Golf GTI Performance / R, Volvo V40 XC T5, Audi Q2 (if a sporty variant is available) and now maybe even a new Clubman Cooper S provided the backseat is generous enough. Also, mini serving can get a little expensive, so well worth the pre-paid TLC packs/ext warranty imho. Happy motoring. :) Regards Erin
+Erin West In 2014 they addressed the harsh ride. My 2014 is very comfy yet still is very sharp handling...not sure how they did that but it is much better than the previous generations.
I have a 2010 Cooper S with the dreaded N14 engine that BMW got sued over in a class action suit. This engine consumes oil like nothing I've ever seen. It drinks about a quart every 1,000 miles ! That's ridiculous that an engine designed in these modern times burns oil like that. I purchased this car used with a CPO warranty (thank gawd) and have driven it for about 20,000 miles. In that time, I have had $8000 worth of warranty work done on it. When it is working it is a blast to own and drive. That is, when it is working. My warranty expires in 3 months and I am replacing it with a MK7 GTI, equally fun to drive and I am will to bet, more reliable. I will spend the remainder of my days on this blue marble admiring MINIs from afar, but will never EVER own one again.
Yes I did see this car for real just last week. The 2016 model. Its a very big car for a mini. Granted its not very tall but its very long and wide compared to the real mini and its taller than a real mini.
I live in the Ann Arbor Michigan USA area and just bought a used 2011 Clubman S manual transmission. It is an absolute riot to drive yet it is very practical. It holds tons of luggage and stuff, has a very nice leather interior with wood look dash. Awesome handling and acceleration yet gets 32 mpg city/highway combined. I think the new Clubman is just too big and has lost it's charm. The forward opening third door on the right side is unique and with the new model, you lose that uniqueness.
Let's see, my brother bought a brand new 08 or 09 Cooper s with the shitty French engine. The ownership experience was pretty bad. The interior rattled, the timing chain tensioner went bad a few times, the thermostat went bad and he had to get a new engine under warranty, and a fuel line came loose and he had to get it towed one time. Luckily he got the extended warranty. The dealer experience wasn't terrible but wasn't great.
dayly driver, track prepared and commuting . small, loude, and reasonably uncomfitable. Cheep on repares. England Mini City E (1992) The customisabillity is outstanding especially if you look at none standard parts Driven around europe for one mounth over 3000 miles camping on my own. the car never put a foort rong
was this an ad for mini? Very little information was shared and felt cheesey for a motoman "review". Love him to death but this style of video was terrible and all about BNW ties to mini which i think is well known by know.
How about less of you and more of the car. We come to these reviews to see the cars. When you're talking about the stitching or shape of the seats, how about actually showing them? Your reviews are quite technical (and that's good), but I think you need to do a better job about actually showing the cars (especially the interiors).
I took delivery of a new Mini Cooper 5 Door Diesel, in the UK, last May. I've covered almost 9,000 miles now. It's averaged 46mpg with a record on a 450 mile round trip to London (on one tank of fuel & in just over 3hrs 15 each way, so moving along) at an average of 57.5 mpg. Delighted with the car. My wife says it's the nicest car she's driven and she's had a couple of new SL500s in the past. I have a new one on order for May this year and have decided on the Cooper SD 5 Door.
Hey Motoman! Great Clubman review, thanks. My daily drive is a Mini Cooper 3 door. Had it a year now and absolutely love it. I work in Lyon in France and move around several times during the day. The Mini is excellent for this. Fun, quick, easy to park, fun, responsive, good looking, fun, good economy, comfortable, and above all.......fun!
+Simon Thomas Thanks for the insight . . . Looking at your pic - do you drive a Jag? If so, you seem to have an affinity for all things on four wheels that are British . . . like myself!
+MotoManTV Unfortunately no! The picture is the car I would love to have as a daily drive if I didn't live in a city with miniature streets and parking spaces! And the French use their bumpers to sense when they're parked......ouch.
I bought a Mini Cooper S manual in Australia in March 2015 and I love it. I bought it as a fun car and use it to drive and only consider a front seat passenger as the rear seats are not habitable for anyone other than a very, very short person whom you don't particularly like. The car has the 2 litre (see we spell litre differently as well) twin turbo (as you explained this definition) and to me, it has plenty of power and I seldom put it in 'sport' mode (especially in suburban areas with low speed limits) mainly because I haven't found the need and also because in that mode, it blips the throttle for you on downshifts and I like to 'heel and toe' myself. I could wax lyrical about the car because I really love it and I haven't said that about many of the cars I have owned. I didn't go for heaps of 'add ons'; it is Volcanic Orange overall with the chrome pack to highlight various parts and also the larger sat nav. Everywhere I go, people look at it and I often find people in shopping centre car parks giving it the once over. As for any car there are shortfalls but if you go into the purchase being aware of the shortfalls then there is o excuse for complaining later on. There is a lot of BMW in the car so it is almost a BMW in a mini shell. The shortfalls to me are repair goo instead of a spare tyre (the goo when used, stuffs the tyre which then has to be replaced). In Australia with the distances we can travel a spare is almost obligatory. No jack so I can't take the wheels off to clean the inside of the rim and it is so expensive to purchase one ($289 here vs $74 overseas). To finish, I love the new Clubman that you reviewed but I don't need it. Hope this too long winded. All the best for 2016.
+Gordon Clark Did you buy it as 2nd hand or is it 0 KM new ? I love to drive BMW's and the new mini's they design but everyone talks about the electrical issues in them and they made me not sure about owning one. Did you have any electrical issues ?
+BlueDragon Hi BlueDragon. My Mini was purchased as a brand new model. I ordered it late in 2014 and because most are made to order, there was a three month late so I got it as a 2015 production and it arrived in Australia in March 2015. It now has 4000 kilometres and I haven't had a problem with anything. Reading Mini forums does not reveal any adverse comments on the current model so only time will tell. Thanks for the question.
I bought a used 2007 Cooper S in 2013 and use it for short local trips and weekend mountain blasts here in Estoril, Portugal. Love making the exhaust pop.
Hey Motoman, I got a 2004 Mini Cooper I live in the U.K. I don't drive it every day as I have a new company car for work. I absolutely love my mini I love the way it handles and all the quirks. It has bags of character and always brings a smile to my face. My company car a Ford Mondeo (fusion) which is good in many ways but doesn't have much personality. I look forward to getting a newer mini one day. I love the new interiors. Going back to mine though, I've had many years of reliable motoring with it, only minor issues. Build quality is very good, doesn't look like it's 13 years old.
The Mini van . .. fond memories of the mid 60s, off to England to meet the fiancee's family. Bought a 850 Mini van and toured some of Europe. A piece of foam rubber for a mattress in the back for a bed. Almost died from lack of oxygen because it was a cold night on the Dutch coast and the windows were closed.
I'm in Florida, I drive a mini Cooper S hardtop and I just use it for my daily life and as someone who hates driving in general, mini actually makes me wanna drive my car, it's that fun! suffice to say I can never own anything else but a mini
my wife and I purchased a 2012 Countryman S. Love the way it maneuvers and the quickness from the Lil turbo 1.6 L. 6 months later we purchased another Mini a 2012 2 door hard top cooper s. very fun cars to drive. plus the ability to customize them the way u want. from side mirrors to rear view mirrors to the A Panel graphics. we mainly use ours to commute to work. Plus we recently joined a car club of Mini's. If u buy one used, please consider a extended warranty cause price for parts get alittle pricey cause of being a BMW.
We are about to replace our Audi A1 & having had a 2005 Cooper we wanted to look at the latest incarnation... we needed a little more flexibility in the luggage arena so started looking at the Clubman (I passed my UK driving Test in an original Mini on 08/08/1988... lol) .. We came across your review and Fate reared her head.. Our Son is living a stones throw from Savannah Georgia and raves about it.. he plays Rugby for Hilton Head too.... thanks for the detailed review and the depth of engineering that went into the new Mini... have a great year. The Rogers Family UK
Great review!!! To answer your questions , I drive a JCW GP2!!! I live in Florida. I love driving it , and I can't get enough of getting on and off sharp exit ramps!!! what a machine...
My Mini is the former Clubman, R55. It's my daily driver, it goes on long trips, and I have taken it to the track where it did quite well, for a car with 120 hp. It's also great in the northern Michigan winters with good snow tires on it. Inside it feels like sporty luxury. I want a second 8 years out of it. Perfect so far, mostly :-)
2015 Mini Hardtop 3dr owner (the "classic mini style" you might say). Location is Edmonton, Canada (so basically its cold here). Car is basically a stripper with no options besides sport seats and sunroof. The car is nearly 7 months old now and has 15,000km on it. Used it for camping trips to the mountains with bikes on the roof rack, various other road trips, commuting 50km everyday, but no track days yet: Those will come next year. Snow performance is good, but I saw a 20% reduction in fuel economy since the temperatures have dropped below freezing and winter tires were added to the car (48mpg (US gal) avg summer, 39mpg avg winter). Handling on slippery surfaces is lively with strong front end grip and a rear that rotates on throttle lift. Only issues are that the car is too small to carry 4 large people and I'm 6'4" so sitting behind me is tough, but do-able for a short trip.
The only tough things about buying a Mini is the option list. The sale people at the dealership didn't have a very good grasp of everything available, so it was a bit tough to figure out what's what when it comes to configuring the car. My advice: Get the roof rack rails from factory, the upgraded stereo, and maybe LED lights. Those are the only truly necessary options.
I have a 2009 Mini Clubman S here in Texas, and I love it! It's such a corner carver for Hill Country back roads, and fantastic for my daily commutes. I do take it on several long distance drives, over 1000 miles round trip. It's refinement could be better for sure, more hard plastics than desired, and the seats could be slightly more supportive, especially on those long drives. But I would say my ownership experience has been solid! I've had a few issues with cooling, but I was able to sort it out easily with new parts. Other than that, it has been an AWESOME daily and I can't wait to rack up more miles!
I live in Florida, and I drive a 2006 cooper S. It's my second cooper S, and I have put every mile on it since mile 3 when I bought it. I love it's go kart, whiptastic handling and I use it as a Daily driver, long distance, and on the track. Did I mention I love my car? I've rolled past the 100k mark, and it never completely breaks which can be really awesome, and frustrating at times. I really don't want to sell her, but I really want a tech upgrade. If I could afford it, I'd be getting a new one and keeping my 06. I've been watching the AlfaRomeo Giulia, and as much as I might want it - it's not a mini and I know I'll be wanting to get back into a mini. :)
I was looking for a car for me. My fiance said check out the mini countryman. We found a lifted all4 s amazing mini. came with spare wheel and tire a roof rack even a sweet off road style cargo trailer. Well I never got a new car she did. When ever I get to drive it I am impressed. the thing is so damn amazing it reminds me of a little tight handling race car. I love sport mode and paddle shifting. Previous owner lived in the mountains. We frequent the mountains so this mini is the perfect little beast for our mountain trips.
my friends said they love the car too. one friend said it looks amazing and tough looked like it needs to be jumped lol
+Jay Chapman last comment we can't wait till we can afford the new all 4 s clubman with the indigo blue interior.
I own a 2014 Mini 2 door hardtop with the 3 cyl turbo and manual transmission. I live in the Northeast. My car has the sport suspension upgrade and a couple other options. It is very comfy, very good handling, very quick/torquey and yet it returns over 36mpg avg in mixed driving. I use it as a weekend car mostly. In 2014 BMW really upped their game on the Mini being more refined. This car is very comfy, even on bumpy roads yet somehow manages to handle very sharply in the turns with little body roll. You feel like you are in a premium small car. However it sounds like the new Countryman takes this to a whole other level.
I just bought a Clubman :) That one shown is over $40k. I bought the basic one and still feels like a fancy luxury car. I bought it as a sub 30k luxury car that could sit people comfortably car. My other alternatives were the Buick Encore (terrible seating, underpowered engine, $25k) Audi A3 (not enough leg room, too sharp of a slope in the back $28k) Mercedes CLA (Only a small child and a contortionist would sit in the back, the most expensive of all the cars I tested at $34k). I bought my mini with 1k in options for $26k.
+mundotaku Does it have that blue interior?
buildmorefarms100 No, that option was 1,750 extra bucks which I was not interested on paying.
First the bench. That's where Tom Hanks sat in Forest Gump. As for the Mini and the history in _my_ life. I've owned two - a base 2007 hard top. I purchased it, because I wanted a fun car that was used, cheap, fun to drive. Purchased in my mid-30s we had no intention of having kids (nor do we still) - so it was my splurge. Loved it, went on to purchase a 2010 (used) Clubman, because older I got the more room I needed for Home Depot trips - again, no kids .. but practicality. I live in Buffalo, NY. Snow "perceived" capitol of the world. With that said, I have two sets of rims / tires for snow/no-snow parts of the year. The 6-sp I have is stupendous. However, an ongoing start-rev issues has plagued both my Mini's. It's also fussy. With all well refined and designed things, it has tolerances. As a combat rifle guy, all I can say its a high-end AR-15 .. a little sand, and its prone to failure. The AK-47 is the total opposite and was designed for all conditions and basically run without any maintenance over its life .. mind you accuracy in both rifles could not be more opposite on the spectrum. The Mini is like an AR-15 .. but a lil bit lower, however still requires to have a sensor on every thing you can imagine. Case in point is the blue-juice cap ... seriously?! Anyway, the Clubman is a lovely car with great history / spirit and this new one just rips out the soul of what I consider a car you shouldn't HAVE to refine. In its line-up, BMW has spread to thin the line with a Roaster (?), Paceman, and now this. It's overpriced, overwhelming, and such a Subaru Outback .. I don't even know what to say. Sure its appealing to an older, more mature Mini owner, now that we are in our 40s, but I'm going back to a 4-door hardtop, because there is no way I can even think about owning something that expensive. A used one, at that. We are pragmatic, bohemian style folks who are particular, quirky and don't require approval. But don't bucket us into these 40-50 year old mom/pop folks. It's to much tech, to much "fancy", and to just simply to much.
Just found your channel, and congrats! you have a new subscriber! I have a 2011 Mini Cooper s. I got it just over a year ago and have loved it ever since. *Disclaimer I have wanted a mini for as long as I can remember and may be extremely biased towards them* my experience hasn't been just with the car, but with the people as well. I live in Northern California and have joined multiple mini clubs, both local and online. The community is great, filled with helpful people that like minis for their weird quirks as much as I do. I think the only real problem I have with my mini is that it's small, and mini knows there are people like me that love the style, quirkiness, and speed of the Cooper but need more space. I'm only 22 and don't really have a huge need for a bigger car but after college, I will, and you can bet I'll be looking for the (possibly) AWD clubman equipped with the JCW package.
I drive a 2014 MINI Clubman. Use it daily for short trips, usually. Love how it steers. Specially on roads with lots of curves! I have it on Run Flats. Probably will change to Regular Tires, and see if bumps and wholes are felt less.
Love what BMW/MINI has done with this 2 Gen. Clubman. Different, and same. Targets the family oriented buyers, but that want a sportier looking car.
Never been a fan of Mini because of their long history of severe reliability issues. But surprisingly at 6'7" I fit very comfortably in even their smallest models.
Happy new year motoman
+Mubashir Ahmed Thanks, Mubashir - appreciate you joining us on our journey . . . Wishing you a great 2016!
Happy New Year Motoman. I have never driven an BMW Mini of any sort (for me there will only ever be one true Mini). As for the bench, my guess is that it might be the bench that Forest Gump was filmed sat on. Best of luck for the new year and I look forward very much to all the content yet to come.
+Jack Uddin Hey Jack . . . Thanks for the kind words . . . As for driving a MINI, you really need to try one out . . . A pisser to drive.
I originally had a 2006 Mini Cooper that I bought new in April 2006 and kept it until August 2015 when I bought another new Mini but this time a Cooper S with the 2 litre engine. I had no issues with the original one during my nine years of ownership but it had done under 60,000 kilometres in that time. The new mini a Cooper S automatic only has about 3,000 kilometres in it and has been faultless so far and has a lot more power. The original one while it had a number of options on it was as close to what I wanted that I could get as it was already built and in the country but the new one I ordered and had built with the exact options I wanted and is fantastic.I am in Australia
Such amazing vehicle
I do 💗 mini cooper
Great review, i will be upgrading my current Mini cooper clubman 2011 to the S version , or wait for the JCW if it wont be too far long a wait, simply put Mini's are fun to drive, i love mine.i live in Johannesburg , and here MINIs are a character on their own
Happy new Year MotoMan :)
+Sebastian Eschenbach Happy 2016 to you . . . Thanks for joining us!
08 cooper non-s in NY. got it as my first car and looking to replace it with another Mini, maybe even this clubman. Love my r56 tho. There's a certain experience of being inside it and driving it that puts a smile on your face. After a few years tho the super glue they assembled with with is starting to come undone :/ but quality aside its been nothing but joy to own one.
I've been there. Lovely place. I miss it.
Very nice car, and very nice motoman ;) the blue interior is nice , the new 2015 chrysler 300S is comeing with blue interior
Im a mini owner, live in Denmark and have the clubman s works model. I use my car for short distances, midrange distances ( summerhouse in the countryside ) and once a year a trip to southern Europe.The car gives me a fantastic ride.....but most of all, im looking forward to driving it, and everytime im sitting in the driverseat im a happy guy.
The only downside to the car is the enormous repaircost for laber and parts.In Denmark we pay costly for Mini's and Bmw. My car with the xtras will set you back around 80.000 $
But overall a fanyastic car :-)
I had this car same color but black interior and I used to take it up to 140mph easily and drift it around parking lots it was very fuel efficient when you weren’t hauling tail honestly one of my favorite vehicles similar to driving a go cart it responds super linear to your inputs in sports mode and I want to buy another one just thinking about it
I cannot wait to see the JCW All4 version...
'15 Countryman JCW, driven long distances, short distances, medium distances, and pretty much everywhere. Drives great in poor weather conditions (snow, ice, torrential downpours of rain). Great car have had 0 issues with it. However, the dealership is horrible. Bring it in for service, i.e oil change ect., they don't actually do it. They charge $70 at time of purchase for nitro tire fill, they never actually fill the tires with nitro. Had to bring the car back multiple times for them to properly balance wheels. I reside in Canada.
As a brit , I don`t mind you waxing lyrical about the mini Motoman , but the driving description of this Clubman was " mini-mal" ( if you forgive the pun.) The "blind-spot" in your chuntering was not mentioning this problem with rear vision out of the van-like rear doors , not a deal breaker , but something punters should be made aware of.
+SuperWHIZZO But isn't that issue a part of the design of the Clubman since its first generation? (Correct me if I'm wrong) I mean, this should not be defined as an issue of the Clubman anymore, because a Clubman's fan is aware of it :) I dont like it either btw, but (if I buy this car) I can live with it
I live in the NYC and would like to own one. Mostly for work purposes. But I would like to know how is the mini in snow or rain. And will 4 wheel drive be the way to go. I would gladly like to hear yours or anyone input.
I tested one using the reach now app in nyc not sure how it is in snow but i drove an all wheel drive model identical to his i floored it on some wet cobblestone it slipped then took off.
that's where Tom Hanks was shooting Forrest Gump?
Love the customization options on the MINIs, its the small stuff that make a one of a kind of 'reasonably priced' package that sets it apart from Appliances on wheels.
We need more blue interiors … or something (Audi got green!) … the beige & grey interiors are booooorrriiing!
The visual tricks they do in designing MINIs are very cool… I remember when the Countryman & Paceman came out a few years ago, people were going on & on on how MINI sold out & betrayed their heritage … I genuinely thought they'll be in the size of an Escalade, but when I saw them in person… they are smaller than a BMW X1!
Looking forward to hear about your trip to CES… The Cars, The Tech…etc, it will a be a geek overload lol!
will Bose demonstrate their new Cadillac-Excusive Panaray system? That thing better sound like perfection! Because it certainly doesn't look the part … jeez we got spoiled by Burmesters, Bang&Oulfsens, & Bower&Welikns!
Are you going to NAIAS this year?
As always, excellent episode M! & looking forward to season 6!
+IceDree Hitting both CES and NAIAS . . . CES is a bit different for us as we are going behind the scenes with Bose on some stuff. Can't say what it is otherwise I'd have to kill you:) However, I will say this . . . Have I told you before that you are a smart man:)
Haha sounds like I'm getting close ... Anyway, have fun there!
Ohhh & swing by BMW's booth if you got time... They'll have this AirTouch thing there ,& I'm sure Mercedes & Audi will have something cooking for CES
Great review, I'm loving the new Mini's. that's where they filmed Forrest Gump
never driven one but my dad had a clubman that was as small as yours looked and very daunting being in one. next to the trucks of the day. very good review but would have liked more of a look at the original. By the way there was a brand called Maxi also made by BL who made the mini which was very nice to sit in at least is series 2 L form
I had one if the original mini Cooper with a 1275cc I lived in the countryside with lots of single track roads it was a hoot to fly about in , you would think you where going very fast and look at the Speedo and it register 50mph , I'm thinking of having a go at a modern one
I love the look and presence of the new Mini Clubman. Cooper S or Cooper S 4WD (If they make it) is what I would drive.
I previously owned a 2006 2dr Mini Cooper S Chili in dark metallic grey/black roof with tons of options for six years until 2012. Expensive, but nice. While initially i loved being able to park on a dime and manoeuvre traffic easily, the hard sports suspension takes its toll on you after a while (especially at the time on Sydney CBD's bumpy, c-grade roads). I did get to drive a basic Clubman Cooper auto as a courtesy vehicle while I still had my Mini. It was good but the suicide door was on the wrong side for Australia (opening into traffic) and the split tailgate would take some getting used to. The ride on Mini's can be overly harsh for those used to larger cars. Run flat tires don't necessarily help either and are expensive to replace (Pirelli's if I remember correctly, ~$500ea).
While I currently drive a (yawn) VW Tiguan, i yearn to get back into something smaller and sportier with practicality. On my shopping shortlist is VW Golf GTI Performance / R, Volvo V40 XC T5, Audi Q2 (if a sporty variant is available) and now maybe even a new Clubman Cooper S provided the backseat is generous enough.
Also, mini serving can get a little expensive, so well worth the pre-paid TLC packs/ext warranty imho.
Happy motoring. :)
Regards
Erin
+Erin West In 2014 they addressed the harsh ride. My 2014 is very comfy yet still is very sharp handling...not sure how they did that but it is much better than the previous generations.
buildmorefarms100 That's great news. I hear, too, there's a new Countryman on the boards. Bigger.
***** Good advice. Runlets are horrendously expensive too.
My guess is that's where forest gump told his life story in the movie
I wanna buy one in between bmw x6 and mini Cooper club man, which one will be much better?
wtf, pretty different cars. I'd probably go for the X6, amd make it an M, lol
MotoMan that bench looks like the one in Forrest Gump.
we bridge the gap with mini designs
E.V WILL BE FASTER AND cheeper and no more pollution get it Beautiful car
mama always said.."Life is like a box a chocolates"
we go for the blue interior leather .
I have a 2010 Cooper S with the dreaded N14 engine that BMW got sued over in a class action suit. This engine consumes oil like nothing I've ever seen. It drinks about a quart every 1,000 miles ! That's ridiculous that an engine designed in these modern times burns oil like that. I purchased this car used with a CPO warranty (thank gawd) and have driven it for about 20,000 miles. In that time, I have had $8000 worth of warranty work done on it. When it is working it is a blast to own and drive. That is, when it is working.
My warranty expires in 3 months and I am replacing it with a MK7 GTI, equally fun to drive and I am will to bet, more reliable.
I will spend the remainder of my days on this blue marble admiring MINIs from afar, but will never EVER own one again.
Yes I did see this car for real just last week. The 2016 model. Its a very big car for a mini. Granted its not very tall but its very long and wide compared to the real mini and its taller than a real mini.
I live in the Ann Arbor Michigan USA area and just bought a used 2011 Clubman S manual transmission. It is an absolute riot to drive yet it is very practical. It holds tons of luggage and stuff, has a very nice leather interior with wood look dash. Awesome handling and acceleration yet gets 32 mpg city/highway combined. I think the new Clubman is just too big and has lost it's charm. The forward opening third door on the right side is unique and with the new model, you lose that uniqueness.
motoman,we wanna see masarati on your channel if possible reply for this
Let's say I know some insider from Mini factory... A piece (or two) of advice: don't go diesel or automatic gearbox... you will probably regret it.
Let's see, my brother bought a brand new 08 or 09 Cooper s with the shitty French engine. The ownership experience was pretty bad. The interior rattled, the timing chain tensioner went bad a few times, the thermostat went bad and he had to get a new engine under warranty, and a fuel line came loose and he had to get it towed one time. Luckily he got the extended warranty. The dealer experience wasn't terrible but wasn't great.
@MotoMan that looks like the Forest Gump bench.
"Life is like a box of chocolates". But only if you don't look at the pictures on the box.
It's a very sexy Mini, that's for sure. Even if it isn't that minute as the original one, I heard majority of girls prefer larger things ..
i see that you're showing respect to android now ... good i guess >>
They have some cheek calling that a mini.
B to the O to the S with a E...
with an*
hard to love ...design wise...but just my opinion
dayly driver, track prepared and commuting . small, loude, and reasonably uncomfitable. Cheep on repares. England Mini City E (1992)
The customisabillity is outstanding especially if you look at none standard parts
Driven around europe for one mounth over 3000 miles camping on my own. the car never put a foort rong
M to the I to the N with another I...
was this an ad for mini? Very little information was shared and felt cheesey for a motoman "review". Love him to death but this style of video was terrible and all about BNW ties to mini which i think is well known by know.
*now
Not so mini anymore
LOVELY% HI, WHAT'S UT? COUGH POISED WHAT DO YOU THINK, GUYS3..
How about less of you and more of the car.
We come to these reviews to see the cars.
When you're talking about the stitching or shape of the seats, how about actually showing them?
Your reviews are quite technical (and that's good), but I think you need to do a better job about actually showing the cars (especially the interiors).
Boring, don’t care