It was hard to think what to say that hasn’t been said before when trying to surmise our time with the MINI Cooper D Clubman. We’ve already found ourselves waxing lyrical about the MINI Cooper S Clubman, despite our reservations on first impression, and we’re unashamedly keen admirers of the MINI Cooper D in hatchback form, it’s the first Cooper to burn oil rather than gas, but it’s a cracking combination of fun and frugality for sure. So sticking the two together should be a match made in heaven, right?
It’s fair to say that, following hot on the heels of living with the MINI Cooper S Clubman derivative, the first impressions of the diesel powered Clubby were not quite as entrancing as it’s faster petrol sipping sibling. Gone was a brilliant and bold blue and silver exterior, and in it’s place sat a metallic beige and black Clubman, with less options, less power, and from where we were looking, far less curb side appeal.
I mean, a Cooper S is a cool car right? Doesn’t matter that it’s been around a while, nor is it a concern that some of the kudos is being eroded by harsh economic conditions meaning people don’t appreciate flash ‘arry going around in his sporty little car, the MINI is cheeky enough, universal enough to appeal to many and offend few, and the Cooper S is surely the crème de la crème of the range. Add in some extra Clubman curiosity, and you’ve got a car that one way or another turns heads.
But this is a Diesel, an oil burning wanna be estate MINI with a backwards opening rear door placed on the wrong side. This is a small car trying to be a family car, this is sensible, this has hugely impressive MPG and a low, low VED tax band, this is surely a cynical attempt at a MINI for the masses. This therefore, could very well be the dullest of MINIs we’ve ever encountered.
But maybe it’s true, as the saying goes, that it’s the quiet ones you’ve got to watch. While the Cooper S grabs the headlines, the MINI One attracts the bargain hunters, and the good old MINI Cooper has it’s own timeless appeal and instant recognition, we really do think that the Cooper D possesses a certain je ne sais quoi, and as our own family has grown, the Clubman does, much to our genuine surprise, add just enough practicality to make it work in those rare situations the hatchback MINI falls a little short.
Living with the Cooper D was an enlightening experience, the noise of the Diesel engine, still an issue and concern among many could-be diesel converts, is present, but not intrusive, and the torque you have on offer across the range is more than enough for spirited driving along the lanes or a motorway drag. The cabin is the familiar MINI set-up, so nothing much to report here, other than to grumble once again about the lack of thorough consideration given to ergonomics when piecing together certain aspects such as heater and stereo controls.
While we had possession of “the D”, we just went about our daily drives, took on our regular daily commute and did our regular shopping trips, and despite in the not too distant past taking the painful decision to swap our own MINI Cooper S for a sensible “family” hatch, we honestly felt that the Clubman could do everything we needed. It really didn’t fall short in any regard, we didn’t curse the lack of a second rear door, but did appreciate the flexibility offered by the one additional door we had. The rear barn doors were never an issue, they’re not exactly huge and we never found ourselves parking, or being parked, too close to other vehicles or walls that we couldn’t sling a child’s buggy, shopping, a camera and tripod setup in the back with no fuss. The only niggle we had in that regard was the propensity we found for grabbing the rear door glass, rather than the less naturally positioned handles. Grubby fingerprints a-plenty there, but you could put that one down to user error.
As ever, the test car supplied was far from what could be described as a bare bones example, loaded with nearly £3,000 of optional extras you’d be hard pressed to account for if asked to justify. And that’s the clever trick MINI play, the car we were driving around in cost over £18,000 OTR, yet people don’t think you’re any kind of show off for driving around in a car that costs a fair whack, has an unusual door configuration, and is still, despite it’s efforts, less obviously practical for a family than many other larger, cheaper vehicles.
By the time we said goodbye to our short term stead we were sold on its charms for sure. The colour had even grown on us so much that “metallic beige” started to be referred to by its correct title of champagne silver, and we’d even become accustomed to the rear seat bench, which in three seat configuration did present a challenge for fitting child seats securely, and pity anyone larger than tinker-bell who wanted to occupy that third spot! The Cooper D Clubman is still holding up well in terms of residuals, better it would seem than the Cooper S, and despite all its sensible appeal, it really is great fun to drive, and exceptionally easy to live with.
Well done MINI, you’d convinced us, the MINI Cooper D Clubman works, and works well.
Tags: bmw, clubman, mini, mini clubman, mini cooper d, mini cooper d clubman, mini cooper diesel
[...] really, really like it. Here’s my review: MINI Cooper D Clubman | theSwitchback We also had one for a few weeks over the MINI United weekend and it just grew on us more and [...]