2008 MINI Cooper Clubman Consumer Reviews

Lady in Red

Written by: Lady in Red on 11/10/2008

Vehicle

2008 MINI Cooper Clubman 3dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl 6M)

Review

Love everything about the car from the inside-out. Pickup on steep hills could be better. Navigation is great and looks so much nicer than the standard speedometer and the back-up camera for me was a must. The upgraded stereo system sounds great. Felt the sunroofs weren't dark enough so I bought 4 tinted window spots from Axist (2 in front & 2 in rear) and now they're tinted the way I like them, from a person who suffers from skin cancer.

Favorite Features

Being able to customize the interior color scheme (red & black) to match the exterior. Everyone comments on the sporty look with the chrome foglights and black sport stripes. My neighbor says it suits me. Love the 31.6 mpg with plus gas - beats my BMW 330XI that got 20.9 mpg.

Suggested Improvements

Better pick-up on steep hills would be nice. Not having to pay $250 for an armrest (has very little storage), nobody else charges for one. Having a solid material shade besides the mesh sunscreen shade on the sunroofs I think is very important, especially with skin cancer on the rise.

1 out 2 people found this review helpful

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Great Car

Written by: davidscar on 10/09/2008

Vehicle

2008 MINI Cooper Clubman 3dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl 6M)

Review

Moved away from European to Japanese now back to Cooper. Great Car! Really have trouble keeping it at legal speed. Getting ready for first trip, 600 miles, can't wait. Traded in a Miata for this, don't regret it at all.

Favorite Features

One button to open windows and sunroof. A/C works great. All controls are simple to use.

Suggested Improvements

Would be great if it had better back up lights. Only one doesn't quite do it.

4 out 4 people found this review helpful

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Great Car

Written by: J on 08/22/2008

Vehicle

2008 MINI Cooper Clubman S 3dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl Turbo 6M)

Review

Mini does it right. A gas sipper that is actually fun to drive! On top of that the Clubman is stylish. Great to drive, top of the line brakes, head turner, good safety features, great gas mileage, highest resale value, best warranty by far. What else do you need to know...excellent options available altough at a cost. You can truly make the car feel as though it suits exactly you.

Favorite Features

Gas mileage, character, interior design being unique, warranty.

Suggested Improvements

XM instead of Sirius?

16 out 16 people found this review helpful

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Only a Few Surprises -- Good and Bad

Written by: Djwlawdad on 08/15/2008

Vehicle

2008 MINI Cooper Clubman 3dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl 6M)

Review

I love my MINI. It's a blast to drive. I'm getting about 32 MPG with the auto. transmission in mostly country road-type driving. Good surprise: We fit 3 adults, a teenager, a goalie hockey bag and five medium-sized grocery bags in the car for a one-day round trip, 3 hours each way, & it was comfortable, even in back, and rear visibility wasn't blocked! The car is very well engineered but had some minor defects when delivered (not a surprise), which are still being fixed after 5 weeks (a surprise). The biggest surprise is that the car is a fantastic highway cruiser! It's amazingly stable at high speeds. You don't feel the speed, so you need to be very careful that you don't go 90 in a 55!

Favorite Features

Sirius satelite radio with 10 speakers, Bluetooth, Ipod interface, auto climate control, dual sunroof, cargo room with the rear seats up or down, hidden dashboard storage (you need to check it out), surprisingly powerful, great-sounding, small engine without the turbo, & digital cruise control.

Suggested Improvements

Better quality control, more effective rear defroster, stronger headlights, an adjustable warning gong whenever you exceed a certain speed (seriously).

16 out 16 people found this review helpful

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Great overall, MINI continues to improve

Written by: Hoopi on 08/13/2008

Vehicle

2008 MINI Cooper Clubman S 3dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl Turbo 6M)

Review

I transitioned from a 2006 Mini Cooper S to the 2008 Clubman S, and I am really pleased with the Clubman overall. The turbo charged engine feels more robust and smoother compared with the prior years, and the improve fuel economy is wonderful. Overall my mileage on my 2006 (manual 6 speed) was around 29 mpg for all types of driving. With the new Clubman (manual 6 speed) I am averaging around 33 mpg for all types of driving. This is wonderful for such a high performance little engine. The extra space is terrific, and the build quality is better overall than my 2006.

Favorite Features

The engine performance and smoothness are great. Get the run flats! Ignore comments about ride quality and noise with run flat tires. They are a safety item. Period. No car should be without them. Every time I see someone beside the road on a freeway, I think “That will never be me.”

Suggested Improvements

The process for programming your “key” could be much easier. It works, but complicated to change things like daytime running lights, window locks, etc. One-touch open on the sun roof is gone (was in the 2006, not in the 2008).

7 out 8 people found this review helpful

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Emperor's new clothes

Written by: arnot327 on 08/04/2008

Vehicle

2008 MINI Cooper Clubman S 3dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl Turbo 6M)

Review

Wow - feel like I'm dealing with the emperor's new clothes here. I do not like this car at all. Special ordered it from England, waited months and am incredibly disappointed. Sure, it handles nice but it's incredibly noisy (run flats), obnoxiously bouncy, shifter throw is excessive, build quality seems pretty awful - less than 1000 miles and driver's window is stuck down, rear doors misaligned on delivery, tire pressue warning stuck on, side scuttle emblems fallen off, finish on $750 extra wheels pitted and corroding; cup holders awkward & too small, interior storage awkward. Info center controls unneccessarily complicated. I really wanted to like this little car.

Favorite Features

Good mileage (31mpg)

Suggested Improvements

Better quality control at the factory.

16 out 27 people found this review helpful

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All that and more

Written by: Luv My MINI on 07/14/2008

Vehicle

2008 MINI Cooper Clubman 3dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl 6M)

Review

Love this car. Don't get the runflats unless all-out handling is your only goal. The regulars are much more quiet and the ride comfort is vastly improved. And you get a spare. With the regular tires, this car is luxury car quiet on the highway, stunning for a little car.

Favorite Features

The rear doors: only people who do not actually drive this car complain about them "blocking the rear view", as the door jam becomes virtually invisible when you drive because it doesn't totally block anything.

Suggested Improvements

Wish the antenna was a shark fin (like other BMWs) that could go through car washes without being removed first. But since I intend to baby this car with hand washes, it isn't a big deal.

15 out 15 people found this review helpful

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Love my Clubman

Written by: QualMod on 07/06/2008

Vehicle

2008 MINI Cooper Clubman S 3dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl Turbo 6M)

Review

Highly recommend the Clubman. Great on gas mileage (drove to Reno NV and back from San Francisco on one tank), and is a very cool looking vehicle, to boot. I never cared about cars or driving before, but now I look forward to simply driving to the dentist! Perky and smooth ride at once. My dog fits in the back as does my 6'4 boyfriend in the front. Also, as the Clubman is new, it is a head-turner. I can't leave a parking lot without people drooling over it and asking me questions!

Favorite Features

Barn doors, split suicide door, "Rooster red" leather trim highlights inside door and dash, smooth drive, responsive, feels bigger inside than it looks from the outside. Cool car all around.

Suggested Improvements

Seat belt hard to pull from behind due to seat being right next to door. Only has one, white back-up tail light on right side, which is the side US drivers usually back into parallel parking spaces first, thus on-coming cars don't see a back up light when the mini is parallel parking.

15 out 15 people found this review helpful

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Cooper Clubman

Written by: Bart on 06/04/2008

Vehicle

2008 MINI Cooper Clubman S 3dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl Turbo 6M)

Review

Clubamn is an excellent drive. Use for business, wanted regular Mini S but tools would not fit. Clubman gives plenty of room. Great mileage, even with super unleaded. Drive 400+ miles on a tank of gas. Hard to stuff more than 12 gallons when empty. Fun to drive, have to be careful not to get too fast, ride is so smooth that speed can get away from you.

Favorite Features

Quality of workmanship, driveability, performance. Just a quality driving machine that performs when you need it to.

Suggested Improvements

For $30K +, you would think that cruise would be standard.

19 out 19 people found this review helpful

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Clubman is bliss. Bring on the Crossman!

Written by: clubbN on 06/03/2008

Vehicle

2008 MINI Cooper Clubman 3dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl 6M)

Review

Absolute joy to drive, in fact right after I bought it from the dealership and literally the first trip on the freeway- I got to test out the handling right away in order to dodge the remnants of a tire blowout on the freeway. Car handles tight and has nice "giddy-up". I would strongly recommend this car. I looked at all others in its class and this one really is in one all by itself. The ride is quiet too, now I just need to get it back from my wife. Overall it is a very well thought out and detailed oriented car. I look forward to driving it.

Favorite Features

My absolute fav feature is the ability to customize this car inside and out. "you-ify it" they call it. Additionally, the little touches are nice like the ambient light toggle. Get the multi function steering wheel and ipod/bluetooth - the convenience package is well worth it.

Suggested Improvements

I would like a digital compass and a clock. I know I can use the computer and click through to have it show on my dash, but I want the speed and the time.

8 out 8 people found this review helpful

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