MINI Clubman 2.0 Cooper S (Chili/Media Pack XL) 6d Owner Review

Too early to say on the reliability front but as with all recent MINIs the build quality seems very good. The car does seem quite sensitive to where it is driven with regards to fuel consumption - around town it is doing 35/36 but out of town it manages 40 to 42 whereas with my previous Cooper S 3 door hatch the difference between town & out of town consumption was much less. My main complaints with the Clubman are the restricted rear view due to the design of the rear doors and the amount of road noise on all road surfaces. There are a few minor complaints which apply to all the new MINI models such as no water temperature gauge, having a stepped lever rather than a rotary knob for the seat recline mechanism, the front seatbelt being awkward to fasten due to its very close proximity to the front armrest and the fact that it is too easy to select reverse gear rather than first gear on the gearbox. Overall however the Clubman is an excellent car in my opinion, the performance and handling being only maginally off that of the hatch model. The car is still exciting to drive but with the added convenience of more rear leg room and boot space.