MINI Clubman Cooper S

• Report 1: The sport and small estate arrives
• Report 2: When is a MINI JCW not a JCW?
• Report 3: Can the MINI Clubman really be a family car?
• Report 4: Is the MINI Clubman a dying breed?
• Report 5: Apple CarPlay proving frustratingly unreliable
• Report 6: The modern car with character
• Report 7: Our MINI finds itself in the wars
• Report 8: It's farewell to our versatile MINI

Report 1: The sport and small estate arrives

It's one of the smallest estates on the market but follows on from the Volvo V60, Skoda Octavia vRS and Audi RS4 Avant we've previously run.

Date: 17 August 2022 | Current mileage: 4513 | Claimed economy: 44.1mpg | Actual economy: 36.2mpg

Small estates are becoming few and far between. In fact when looking for direct rivals to our MINI Clubman, we couldn't really find any. A decade ago you could get estate versions of many small cars, models like the Renault Clio Estate, Peugeot 208 SW and the Skoda Fabia Estate - the latter of which only disappeared this year.

Now if you want a small estate car there's a limited choice, so the MINI Clubman stands out. Of course it's not cheap - this is a MINI after all. The entry-level model has a list price of £27k which gets you a Clubman Cooper Classic. Our more powerful Clubman Cooper S Sport will set you back £31,500. 

Our car is finished in Midnight Black II and has the DTC Sport Automatic gearbox fitted (which was optional but has since become standard equipment). It also has 19-inch JCW wheels which added a further £500 to the final price.

Unlike many MINIs, our car is quite reserved (dull, perhaps?). There are no stripes or fancy coloured mirror caps. Even the roof is black. Personally I'd have gone for something a bit more exciting - and green - but I have to admit that it does look very sleek and I like the black on black lettering and badging.

It's powered by the same 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine you'll find across the MINI and BMW ranges, in the Cooper S it delivers a healthy 178PS while official economy is rated at 44mpg. Given the cost of fuel I'm more concered with the second figure rather than the first...

First impressions have been good. It may be a bigger MINI but the Clubman is more than quick enough, has plenty of character and is fun to drive, something that's becoming increasingly rare these days. 

Over the next six months we'll be putting the MINI Clubman through its family paces as we see if it works as a family car for five. Getting three cars seats in the back will be the first challenge, although we've already discovered that our youngest's pushchair fits easily enough. Phew.

Report 2: When is a MINI JCW not a JCW?

Given all the John Cooper Works extras, you'd think our MINI Clubman was a JCW. But in fact it's a sheep in wolfs clothing. A standard Cooper S dressed up as a JCW.

Date: 31 August 2022 | Current mileage: 4935 miles | Claimed economy: 44.1mpg | Actual economy: 36.0mpg

When the MINI first arrived with us, I wasn't the only one a little confused as to whether it was a standard MINI Cooper S or a JCW. The wheels had JCW on them, as did the steering wheel, seats and even the sill plates. Yet on the back was a Cooper S badge?

I have to admit to getting a little excited in the hope that a MINI Clubman JCW had been delivered instead of the Cooper S I was expecting. However, those hopes were quickly dashed after a quick drive. While the Cooper S isn't slow, it's certainly not as quick as a John Cooper Works models.

What I soon discovered is that it's possible to get a whole lot of JCW bits added to your MINI Clubman if you go for the Cooper S Sport model which comes with the MINI John Cooper Works Sport Pack included. This adds the piano black exterior, a nappa leather steering wheel, anthracite headlining plus sport suspension.

It also includes the Premium Plus Pack which gives you heated front seats, a rearview camera, electric folding mirrors, panoramic glass roof and the Sport Automatic DTC gearbox.

This is usually £3300 so while our MINI Clubman isn't cheap at £35k, it's actually decent value considering everything you get. A basic MINI Clubman Cooper S starts at £29,890 although it's interesting to note that you can no longer get a manual gearbox - the Clubman is now automatic only.

Am I disappointed that our MINI isn't actually a JCW? Well I've no doubt I'd enjoy the 300+ PS it has but I rarely find our Cooper S is short of power with 178PS in what is a relatively small car. And when most of my driving tends to be either school run or motorway, I doubt I'd get a chance to use all that power. Plus there's the small matter of fuel economy.

On that front, our MINI Clubman has been proving surprisingly efficient, averaging about 36mpg over the last few weeks. I'll be experimenting with the 'Green' setting in the driving modes to see how much of a difference it makes, if any...

Report 3: Can the MINI Clubman really be a family car?

As a family of five, having a car we can comfortably - and safely - fit everyone in is crucial. Usually this means having something big and practical, not something you'd associate with the MINI brand. But the MINI Clubman is actually proving to be a useful family car.

Date: 15 September 2022 | Current mileage: 5204 miles | Claimed economy: 44.1mpg | Actual economy: 36.3mpg

Having three children to move around, the youngest of which has recently turned one, means a MINI has never really been on our radar as a family car. Three car seats and a pushchair takes up enough room in most big cars, never mind a MINI.

But having our own family wagon (a Citroen people carrier) means that we've been able to run the MINI, safe in the knowledge that we have a back-up should the Clubman prove too small. 

Our first concern was the rear space. We have three car seats to fit in, one of which is a bulky Cybex Anoris T i-Size for the youngest along with a Britax Römer Kidfix III and a backless booster for the eldest - all of which have Isofix mounts.

We soon realised we couldn't get all three seats next to each other in the back. But usefully the MINI has Isofix mounting points on the front seat. This means I can ferry all three kids around on my own, very handy at school run time. However, it does also mean a lot of moving car seats around to avoid arguments...

Of course, this still doesn't mean all five of us can fit. There's simply not enough width in the back for three big car seats and even if there was, the Clubman only has Isofix mounts on the outer seats. On the plus side, though, there's more legroom in the back than I thought and I only have to move the driver's seat an inch or two forward to give the kids enough room behind. 

Then there's the boot of course. With 360 litres it doesn't look promising on paper, but actually we can get our Nuna pushchair in easily and there's even a bit of space either side for bags and the like. Not bad for a car that is only 4.2 metres long.

Of course if you want more space and versatility there's the MINI Countryman, the brand's well-established small SUV. I'll be comparing these two more in depth in the coming months, but for now I can say that the MINI Clubman has surprised me with how well it has coped as our family estate.

Report 4: Is the MINI Clubman a dying breed?

It seems rivals to the MINI Clubman are few and far between. So where have all the small estate cars gone? And is there anything left to compete with the Clubman...

Date: 5 October 2022 | Current mileage: 5433 miles | Claimed economy: 44.1mpg | Actual economy: 36.1mpg

If you wanted a small estate car ten years ago there was plenty of choice on the market. Indeed, when the first generation MINI Clubman was launched in 2007, there were plenty of rivals around. Now though, the competition has all but vanished.

Slow sales have seen the likes of the Renault Clio Estate, Peugeot 207 SW, SEAT Ibiza ST and Skoda Fabia Estate all disappear. In fact, this is now a barren market.

The MINI Clubman is one of the last remaining small estate cars with nothing from the likes of Audi, Volkswagen or Peugeot comparable. So what is out there? Well the only other small estate that comes close is the Mercedes-Benz CLA.

With its coupe-esque looks and swooping rear roofline, it's very different in design to the squarebacked MINI Clubman. The CLA Shooting Brake has the space advantage with a 505 litre boot compared to the 360 litres in our MINI with a much deeper boot. That's helped by the fact the CLA is 40cm longer.

Then there's the small matter of the price. The cheapest Mercedes-Benz CLA is £36,000 which makes the MINI Clubman seem suddenly very affordable. To get something that comes close to the performance of our 180PS Cooper S means going for a CLA 200 with 163PS. And that will set you back £38,500.

In reality, the CLA Shooting Brake is a different proposition to our MINI Clubman - I doubt many Clubman buyers would consider a CLA and vice versa. The real question here is where have all the small estates gone?

Well the answer comes in the shape of the small SUV and its popularity among those wanting a small but practical car. In effect, buyers of things like the Skoda Fabia Estate are now very likely to be driving a small SUV like the Skoda Kamiq.

So the current MINI Clubman could well be the last. There's already the MINI Countryman which is arguably more appealing to family buyers and with an all-electric crossover rumoured to be on the way, it seems the Clubman's days are sadly numbered.

Report 5: Apple CarPlay proving frustratingly unreliable

Usefully, our MINI Clubman is fitted with Apple CarPlay and you don't even need a wire. The problem is, whether it works is very hit and miss.

Date: 25 November 2022 | Current mileage: 5785 miles | Claimed economy: 44.1mpg | Actual economy: 37.0mpg

I remember a time when finding a car that had a lead compatible with an iPod (remember those) was a rarity. The fact the interface was non-existent and you could just about skip tracks forward and back using the in-car stereo was neither here nor there. It was just amazing that you could actually listen to your iPod through the car.

Fast forward to 2022 and things couldn't be more different. The iPod has disappeared, replaced by the do-it-all iPhone and now it's rare to find a new car where you can't connect your device to. Apple CarPlay means you can essentially mirror your phone on the infotainment screen and so in-car navigation has been made effectively redundant.

A few years ago this required a cable but it's now becoming increasingly common to be able to connect to Apple CarPlay via Bluetooth. I presume this is the same for Android Auto but I don't have one of those phones so can't tell you.

The MINI Connected system, essentially the MINI version of BMW iDrive, is one of the better infotainment systems around and connecting a new phone is simple and intuitive. Then your phone will automatically connect when you get in the car. Which is helpful when you have several children requesting to listen to something you've never heard of on Spotify. The phrase "can you just give me a second to actually get in the car" is an often used one in our family.

I say it's a 'great' system but that's more in theory. The issue I've found with our MINI is that very often my phone doesn't actually connect. The phone is recognised by the car, but for some reason it won't activate Apple CarPlay. 

For the past few months I've had to resort to disconnecting my phone via Bluetooth, then adding it again as a new device. Frustratingly slow and not ideal with impatient kids on the school run. On the plus side, it does mean I've had to listen to less of the Encanto soundtrack.

However, recently I've discovered I can get it to connect by switching to MINI onpboard monitor and then back Apple CarPlay in the devices settings screen, which only takes about 30 seconds. It's still not ideal but a quicker fix.

Report 6: The modern car with character

While modern cars are incredibly capable and well designed, something does seem to have been lost along the way. So the MINI is refreshing in that it's a small car that still has character.

Date: 14 December 2022 | Current mileage: 6145 miles | Claimed economy: 44.1mpg | Actual economy: 36.8mpg

There's a common phrase that does the rounds these days. "There are no bad cars made anymore." And to a large extent this is true. Modern cars are reliable, well built and safe. As buyers we have high expectations and tough competition among car manufacturers means there's no room for half measures.

We've certainly come a long way since the 1970s and the kind of cars British Leyland and the Rootes Group were producing. There's a great story about a new Rover which was delivered to 10 Downing Street for the then Prime Minister Jim Callaghan, not long after he had come to power in 1976.

Fitted with bullet proof glass and bomb proof armour plating, it was designed to showcase the cutting edge of British design. On its first outing, Callaghan pressed the button for the 'state of the art' electric windows. Only for the glass to fall in on his lap. At the end of the journey Callaghan handed the glass to the driver with the words, 'don't bring this car again'.

It's fair to say, things have moved on a bit since then and while the Rover brand is sadly no more, we as car buyers have never had so much choice and so much quality to choose from.

But I'm not alone in feeling that along the way, something has been lost. Modern cars are great, but there is a distinct lack of character. Few cars now feel genuinely involving to drive. Drive a classic car from the 70s or 80s and you'll immediately feel the difference.

MINI is one of few brands that has retained a bit of character about it. It obviously has a great heritage but it would have been easy for BMW to sweep that away when it relaunched MINI in 2001. Luckily that wasn't the case. Our MINI Clubman proves that continues today. There's nothing out there that feels the same way to drive.

The responsive steering and tight handling, combine with a great chassis to create a genuinely enjoyable car to drive even at slower speeds. There are lots of bigger, faster and more comfortable cars out there, but for me, nothing can match the character of a MINI.

Report 7: Our MINI finds itself in the wars

Our MINI Clubman has been in the wars recently which resulted in damage to the front and us having to make a report to the Met Police.

Date: 10 January 2023 | Current mileage: 6706 miles | Claimed economy: 44.1mpg | Actual economy: 37.0mpg

They say things come in threes and that's certainly been the case for our MINI Clubman. First off we lost a wing mirror cover when a car passed by too close. Luckily I was able to retrieve and fit it back on. Despite my best efforts with polish, there are still a few scratches, so it will likely need replacing.

Then the next day we ended up with a chip in the windscreen. In almost slow motion I could see this small stone, kicked up from an HGV Tipper, coming towards the car. And then smacking off the glass. It's not a big chip but it is right in the driver's line of vision so I imagine it too will require a replacement before the first MoT is due.

Then to top it all off, a van collided with the front of the MINI in traffic. It was changing lane and seemingly didn't look as the van went straight across the front of the MINI, damaging the wing. While it's mainly paint loss, there is a dent which isn't that easy to see in the picture.

Worst still, the van didn't stop. Luckily we were in London traffic so only crawling along, but there was still enough of a jolt and a bang that you'd expect anyone driving to notice. If I'm being kind, perhaps the other driver wasn't aware, but deep down I think they simple drove off.

Which left me with the headache of reporting the incident to the insurer and also having to contact the Metropolitan Police. I did start by calling 101 but it was a Friday night and the Met were clearly busy as the automated voice was very keen to direct me to the Met website.

Luckily that's quite wasy to use so I was able to report it as a failure to stop or report an accident. I managed to get a pic of the van (complete with the company details on) and I also have dashcam footage thanks to my Nextbase dashcam.

Fortunately no one was hurt and the damage to the MINI is mainly cosmetic - a good SMART repairer will have few problems getting it back to its best. I've yet to hear anything from the police as regards the incident so it seems like this could be a claim that takes some time to resolve...

Report 8: It's farewell to our versatile MINI

After six months we're saying a sad goodbye to our MINI Clubman which has proved a surprisingly practical family car.

Date: 30 January 2023 | Current mileage: 7288 miles | Claimed economy: 44.1mpg | Actual economy: 38.0mpg

Well those six months flew by. Or maybe that's just because I'm getting older. Either way, it only seems a few weeks ago that a shiny MINI Clubman arrived on our doorstep to take on the task of being our family car. And with three children that's no easy task.

I did have reservations about running such a small car - especially as it was following on from cars like the Skoda Octavia vRS Estate and Volvo V60 that I had previously run. There was much talk of the MINI Clubman not being a proper estate.

However, it's really surprised me. True, you're never going to get half of Ikea in the back (other Swedish tealight stockists are available I'm sure) but it coped with two children at a time, a pushchair and everything we else we threw at it. 

Yes it was a squeeze at times, especially over Christmas when we had family to go and see. As the picture below shows, there was a bit of Tetris style packing involved, but we managed it without any breaking anything. And at 6ft2 there was still enough room for me to sit comfortably at the wheel and still leave some space for those behind.

Fuel economy has been pretty good for a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol with 180PS. It hovered around 37mpg for a long time but over the last month we've actually seen it improve to 38mpg, despite the cold temperatures. At just over 7000 miles it seems the engine is finally loosening up.

For me, I've really enjoyed having something that's enjoyable to drive and not an SUV. Not that there's anything wrong with an SUV, but in a sea of Nissan Qashqais, I'm happy to have something a little different that has character. And the MINI Clubman really fits that bill, as I mentioned in an earlier report, there's really nothing out there quite like it.

Which makes it all the more sad that soon the MINI Clubman will be no more. After seven years on sale, the Clubman will soon reach the end of its life with no replacement due. Instead MINI will be turning to a new range of electric cars. There will at least be a MINI Clubman Final Edition as a swansong.

Indeed, as 2030 approaches, we will see a host of existing models disappear, not to be replaced. We've already seen the Ford Fiesta go and many more will follow in what will be a massive seachange in the car industry. 

But for now it's time to say farewell to our capable and characterful MINI Clubman. Its replacement? An electric SUV. Some things are inevitable...