Our cars: MINI Clubman
Coastal run reminded us of left-field estate’s strengths
OUR MINI Clubman has been with us for about six months now. We’ve talked plenty about its oddball rear doors, which are admittedly the most notable feature of the car; nothing else out there has them.
But all this chat about the doors means we haven’t talked enough about how the car drives, which is one of its best aspects.
I found out more about that on a trip down to Milford on Sea and Lymington in Hampshire just before the country went into lockdown. We had originally planned to go on holiday to Italy, then Spain when it became clear Italy wasn’t safe. But in the end we decided to stay in Britain and take the MINI down to the coast.
The drive there proved what my colleagues who have gone on longer trips have already found out: that the Clubman is comfortable on the motorway. Along the M3 from London it remained settled and composed, and the driving position kept me upright – helping to keep away any aches from spending time at the wheel.
Creature comforts such as the heated seats and decent stereo system kept us happy on the trip down, too. The car’s
sat-nav was clear and easy to read, so there was never any danger of missing junctions or taking a wrong turn.
We already knew that the MINI works well around town because its small size means it’s easy to park and nip through tight gaps. But thanks to that small size, it’s also great on country roads, because there’s lots of space in your lane to place the car. It means you can get out to the edge of the road to get a better view of an upcoming corner, allowing for a smoother drive.
It’s fun, too. The steering is quite fast, which gives the car a lively feel as you turn into corners. The three-cylinder engine is punchy and makes a sporty noise, which adds to the driving experience. Even the auto gearbox joins in, as it shifts smoothly and I’ve never found it gets in the way or changes at the wrong moment. A manual might be more fun, but I think I’d still pick the automatic gearbox because it makes town driving so much less stressful.
It’s not just on the motorway where the MINI is comfortable. While it’s not perfect – some potholes and rougher roads cause it to shuffle and shake – almost no car of the
MINI’s size and cost would shrug those roads off, so we don’t hold it against the Clubman. For the most part, it remains composed and rides smoothly.
The small windscreen has its pros and cons, a bit like the rear doors. It provides a unique view out, giving the MINI character, but it restricts visibility – though it’s not so bad that I feel unsafe, because it’s mostly sky that it blocks out, rather than road.
There was plenty of room inside for me and my husband Dave, thanks to the front seats being nice and spacious. And that brings me back to the car’s practicality.
My daughter cycled over to see us when we returned from our trip, but to save her a long ride back we loaded up the bike into the MINI to take her home. To our surprise, it slotted in without even having to take a wheel off. That’s pretty impressive from a car with a MINI badge, so with the seats down, the car is more practical than we’d thought. On paper, there’s an unremarkable 1, 250 litres of space, but the wide opening and decent packaging inside mean the Clubman makes good use of the limited space its fairly small body allows.