2011 Mini Cooper Clubman Review

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A friend had spotted the Mini Cooper Clubman tester parked outside the coffee shop, and noticed that it was missing an “S” badge on the trunk, and a scoop on the hood.


“It must be slow”.

After a likely-boring lesson in power to weight ratio, I explained how the ‘average’ driver probably didn’t really need the turbo engine in the Cooper S Clubman, and that after a 6-hour highway trek followed by a few days of around-town driving in Northern Ontario, I hadn’t found the tester lacking in the stink department.

After all, few cars make it as easy to pretend you’re driving a toy go-kart as a Mini. They’re fun to drive, fast or not-- even if we’re talking about a Mini that’s slightly stretched, fitted with a third hidden door, and intended for those 2.2 kids or extra gear you might have to haul around.

Cheeky inside and out, not to mention city-friendly
Sure, as a Mini, even this up-sized Clubman isn’t very big-- though it does make plenty of sense where a compact, fuel efficient and city-friendly little ride is desired. Not only is it cheeky and smart and nicely decorated, it’s also amusingly fun to park and dart in and out of traffic. The tester got chrome accents, two sunroofs and a two-tone colour scheme, while stripes and sporty alloy wheels dressed things up even further. For a little body, the Clubman sure wore a lot of gear.

Naturally, you won’t be loading up this Mini with 4 people and their gear for a weekend of camping, but it does have enough room for a day’s worth of errands-- for most owners anyhow. Getting in and out of the back is slightly tight for full-sized adults like yours truly, but once seated, rear accommodations aren’t half bad at all.

High-character cabin with plenty of style
But it’s up front where Mini’s designers have really showed off their unique interior decorating skills. Simple dark colours were broken up by aluminum trim, and everything has a youthful and almost toy-like appearance. There’s a tachometer and digital speedometer mounted to the top of the steering column, beside which sits the key slot and engine start button.


The included central command interface is based on the iDrive system used by Mini’s parent company, BMW, and it allows quick access to numerous vehicle functions once drivers figure it out. There’s also a USB slot to accept a portable drive filled with your favourite tuneage—though the stereo system’s performance was adequate at best.


The climate control console mimics the shape of the Mini logo, and all switches, even for the locks and windows, are, strangely, centrally mounted and use quirky aviation-style toggles. Mood lighting was on board too, allowing drivers to select their favourite background colour after dark.

Oh, and of course, the speedometer, is centrally-mounted to the dash, and sized similarly to a trash-can lid. Added up, it’s all a little strange, youthful and eccentric—but unique and full of character.

1.6 litre of punch
Making the Cooper Clubman’s massive speedometer move was a 1.6 litre, 121 horsepower four-cylinder engine. That’s not a whole whack of juice—but the Mini’s modest size and light weight mean the power doesn’t have much mass to motivate. As a result, I found the Cooper Clubman moved along in something of a hurry when opened up, and proved fun to drive-- especially with the slick-shifting six-speed manual gearbox. The easygoing, precise clutch and smooth shifter feel nicely matched to one another, too.

The engine’s a bit noisy, but it loves to be worked hard, and gets the job done. Best of all, the modest power output and light weight mean the Cooper Clubman won’t make your gas money disappear faster than a Spongebob cake at a five year old’s birthday party. Your writer was happy with the tester’s overall winter test average of 7.7L / 100km.

On the road
Other notes from the test-drive?

With snow tires mounted, advanced antilock brakes and a full function stability control system, the Cooper Clubman felt comfortable and stable driven over snowy roads, even at speed.


Above-average small-car ride quality and noise levels on par with its competition mean the Cooper Clubman is happy to take in an efficient highway cruise in relative comfort. Oh, and though entry and exit up front posed no notable problems, I did wish for some more covered interior storage space and an arm rest.


My other gripe dealt with the turning circle—which is surprisingly large given the size of the car.

Conclusion
End of the day, those comfortable with the Clubman’s size, styling and quirky interior should find that it hits the mark where elevated levels of character, uniqueness and efficient, premium, fun-to-drive attitude are concerned.

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