Mini Clubman - TopCarNews

Mini Clubman (2015 – present) | Expert Rating [hide]

Summary

The Mini Clubman is a small estate based on the Mini hatch. The current model is the second generation and was launched in early 2015 before going on sale in the UK later that year.

Like the Mini hatch, the Clubman models are built here in the UK at Mini’s factory in Cowley, Oxfordshire.

As an estate version of the five-door Mini hatch, the Mini Clubman doesn’t have any direct competitors. Exterior size is comparable to a Volkswagen Golf or similar, as is boot space, but interior space falls somewhere between a Golf and the smaller Polo and similar cars. The Clubman is also available in a high-performance John Cooper Works (JCW) specification.

The Mini Clubman has received generally positive scores from the UK motoring media, with fairly similar scoring for the Top-spec JCW model. It has received particular praise for its high level of personalisation and overall comfort. However, it has also been criticised for numerous styling clichés that compromise its functionality, as well as being relatively expensive. The JCW version has also been criticised for not being as good to drive as similarly-priced rivals.

In its 2021 owners’ survey, What Car? rated the Mini Clubman in a very creditable fifth place on its list of the most reliable family cars.

autos, cars, mini, mini clubman, mini clubman

Key specifications

Body style: Small estateEngines: petrol, diesel
Price: From £21,950 on-road

Launched: Autumn 2015Last updated: Spring 2019
Replacement due: approx. 2023

Image gallery

Media reviews

Reviews, road test and comparisons from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.

The Car Expert

Model reviewed: John Cooper WorksScore: 9 / 10“The Mini Clubman John Cooper Works is a unique proposition — a small family car with estate-like looks, genuine character and hot hatch performance. However, if the driving experience is key you might be left wanting.”
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Auto Express

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 8 / 10“The Mini Clubman is a fun, small estate that’s well-built and powered by a great range of engines – but it’s not that practical.”
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Model reviewed: 1.5-litre petrol automatic CooperScore: 7 / 10“While the Clubman has always tried to be slightly more comfortable than the Hatch, it still has a chassis that’s typically MINI.”
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Model reviewed: JCWScore: 8 / 10“Fast, fun and full of character, the MINI Clubman John Cooper Works finally offers buyers a unique take on the fast estate car theme.”
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Autocar

Model reviewed: CooperScore: 7 / 10“Of course, the ability to personalise your Clubman is seemingly endless, so it’s no surprise to find there are now a few more options.”
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Model reviewed: Range reviewScore: 7 / 10“As an extension of the Mini brand, the Clubman is a good car but not a great one.”
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Model reviewed: John Cooper WorksScore: 7 / 10“More than your usual facelift, that’s for sure.”
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Car

Model reviewed: John Cooper WorksScore: 6 / 10“How to celebrate the innovative front-wheel-drive Mini’s 60th birthday? By giving the biggest all-wheel drive John Cooper Works derivatives a 74bhp power boost.”
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Car Keys

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 8 / 10“Next to a conventional family hatchback, the Mini Clubman offers a dash of spark that you just don’t get from rivals – with a fun driving experience accompanied by a stylish look inside and out.”
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Carbuyer

Model reviewed: Range reviewScore: 8 / 10“With its unconventional styling and twin boot doors, the Mini Clubman offers an appealingly left-field alternative to the traditional family hatchback.”
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Carwow

Model reviewed: Range overview“The Mini Clubman is the British brand’s take on the hum-drum estate car. It looks great and comes with plenty of kit, but more traditional alternatives are cheaper and more practical.”
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Company Car Today

Model reviewed: Range overview“Very minor updates don’t make a massive difference to the Mini Clubman’s appeal. It’s still a neat and slightly compromised alternative that hasn’t quite yet gained the mass appeal of rivals.”
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Model reviewed: 1.5-litre petrol manual City“A useful addition, and a fairly cost-efficient way into a fun little hatchback with all the essential equipment and a premium badge.”
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Evo

Model reviewed: John Cooper Works“Rarely has a small car of this power felt so toothless, whether it’s in the initial response to the throttle, hauling through the mid-range, or revving at the top end.”
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Model reviewed: Cooper SScore: 8 / 10“In Cooper S spec the Mini Clubman is an interesting, enjoyable alternative to the hatchback and small-estate norm. Just make sure the first thing you do is switch the tyres.”
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Green Car Guide

Model reviewed: 2.0-litre diesel Cooper DScore: 10 / 10“The Mini Clubman Cooper D, now with a decent amount of space for rear passengers and luggage, offers a good all-round package, with a major focus on character and driving fun.”
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Honest John

Model reviewed: Range reviewScore: 8 / 10“If you’ve always wanted a Mini and found the rest of the range a little too tight for space, the Clubman is perfect. It competes well with the competition on price and standard equipment, plus it’s good to drive, comfortable and practical enough for a family.”
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Model reviewed: 2.0-litre diesel automatic Cooper SD All4“Do you need All4? The answer is probably not. The purer, lighter and more cost-effective setup in any Mini is front-wheel drive, a manual gearbox and a petrol engine. The All4 diesel combo is both inferior and pricier.”
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Motors.co.uk

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 7 / 10“The Mini Clubman is a stylish and well-finished small estate car. Offering better levels of practicality than the hatch upon which it is based, the Clubman addresses many issues that people have with the standard car’s levels of space.”
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Parkers

Model reviewed: Range reviewScore: 9 / 10“It might not be as sharp as the hatchback but the Clubman has inherited all of the smaller car’s character, offering agile handling and strong levels of grip.”
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The Sun

Model reviewed: 2.0-litre diesel automatic Cooper SD All4“The Mini Cooper SD Clubman All4 is the longest, lardiest Mini ever. It’s longer than Kanye West’s list of things Kanye West likes about Kanye West.”
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The Sunday Times

Model reviewed: 2.0-litre diesel automatic Cooper SD All4Score: 8 / 10“There are not many desirable, sporty family cars with four-wheel drive, in this price range, that live up to expectations by proving to be a jolly good romp on a nice stretch of road.”
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Model reviewed: 2.0-litre diesel manual Cooper DScore: 8 / 10“Yes, it’s put on weight and length, but it still runs tight through corners, sweeps bends aside and seems firm in the hands and under the feet. It’s still a Mini, in other words. But a practical and comfortable one.”
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The Telegraph

Model reviewed: John Cooper WorksScore: 4 / 10“Sounds like faint praise, but this is quite a likeable vehicle as long as you don’t drive it hard. At that point it gets untidy and the brakes are truly awful. Clubman JCW tests the limits of what Mini can be and ends up feeling outgunned and expensive.”
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Model reviewed: Range reviewScore: 8 / 10“In most ways the Clubman does a successful job of expanding the Mini’s appeal into a bigger, more family-oriented car that’s still fun and frugal to drive. However, those unconventional boot doors are a gimmick, and it’s expensive compared with many rivals.”
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Top Gear

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 6 / 10“The Mini Clubman has charm but, although roomier, it’s not as fun to drive as it was.”
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Model reviewed: John Cooper WorksScore: 6 / 10“Now very much on the same page as the Merc, Audi or VW. Just a pity it isn’t as playful or interactive to drive as you’d hope a JCW would be.”
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What Car?

Model reviewed: Range reviewScore: 6 / 10The Mini Clubman’s an entertaining car for those looking for cutsie looks, lots of customisation, and a smart, funky interior. It’s also reasonably practical. If you value tidy handling then choose an Audi A3 instead, or if a smooth ride is your thing, a Volkswagen Golf or Mercedes A-Class.”
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Model reviewed: John Cooper Works“There’s a charm to the Mini Clubman JCW for something quick and quirky, but at more than £35,000, it’s playing with the big boys. Does it deliver? If interior quality and designer looks are your thing, yes, but not if you’re a keen driver looking for real thrills.”
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Which?

Model reviewed: Range overview“Stylish, semi-practical estate car.”
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Safety rating

Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP

Overall rating: 4 stars
Date tested: December 2015

90%

ADULT OCCUPANT

68%

CHILD OCCUPANT

68%

VULNERABLE ROAD USERS

67%

SAFETY ASSIST

Read full Euro NCAP review

Eco rating

Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP

No eco rating

The Mini Clubman has not been lab tested by Green NCAP. This is a new initiative, launched in 2018 as a sister organisation to Euro NCAP.

As yet, very few new cars have been tested for environmental impact by Green NCAP, and inevitably the testing programme was halted in early 2020 by the coronavirus pandemic before resuming later in the year.

Awards

Trophies, prizes and awards that the [Make and Model name] has received

2021

News UK Motoring Awards – Best Dog-Friendly Car

2018

Honest John Awards – Best Estate Car

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