Sandy Sansing

• Introduction  »
• Interior / Walk Around  »
• Driving Impressions  »
• Summary

Walk Around

This second-generation version of the modern Mini Cooper, launched as a 2007 model, is unmistakably a Mini. The first-generation of the modern Mini Cooper was launched as a 2000 model. Anyone who is not already a Mini owner will have difficulty distinguishing the current Mini from the previous-generation (pre-2007) version unless the two are parked side by side. Nevertheless, not a single exterior panel is common between the two cars.

The convertible comes with a power canvas roof that opens at the touch of a button in just 15 seconds when the car is parked or traveling at up to 18 mph. There are no latches to operate. The convertible top has a heated glass rear window and a sliding roof function that opens just the portion over the front seats. It acts as a sunroof and can be opened at speeds up to 75 mph.

The soft-top maintains the same basic silhouette as the hardtop, though the rear window is tilted farther forward. The rear side windows are about a third of the size of those on the hardtop because the cloth top wraps farther around the sides of the car. Behind the rear seat, the convertible has a concealed Active Rollover Protection Bar that pops up in case of a rollover. When the convertible top is down, it rests at the back of the car and sticks up a bit, sort of like a makeshift spoiler. The look is fine, but it blocks the driver's lower line of sight to the rear.

The Clubman is identical to the regular Mini Cooper from the front bumper to the back of the doors. Of the 9.4 inches of added length, 3.1 inches are located behind the doors and in front or the rear wheels, thus lengthening the wheelbase by an equal amount. Another 6.3 inches are found behind the rear wheels, but the Clubman still manages to keep a wheels-pushed-to-the-corners look.

The two biggest changes from the regular Mini Cooper are the addition of a rear access door on the passenger side and the use of split rear barn doors at the back. The right-side access door, or Clubdoor, is a small door that doesn't open independently of the front passenger door and is meant to provide easier access to the third row. At the back, the handles for the split rear doors are placed together where the doors come together. The rear glass does not open.

Clubman comes with two-tone paint. The accent color found on the roof is carried over to the rear C-pillars, and it also extends down through the taillights and onto the rear bumper. Accent hood stripes can also be ordered.

Clubman and Clubman S models have their differences. The base model has a three-bar chrome grille, while the S's is black mesh. The S also has a larger lower air intake, also with a black mesh insert, a forward-mounted front hood scoop, larger wheels and tires, a chrome gas cap, and dual exhaust versus a single exhaust. The Clubman S also has two rear air intakes, while the base Clubman has none.

Interior

2010 Mini Cooper

The Mini Cooper cabin is charming with well chosen interior materials. Though there are many plastics, they have a quality look and feel. The same goes for the base upholstery, which is leatherette instead of cloth. Three leather seating options are available, a cloth and leather combination, a fully leather option, and higher end English leather. Mini allows customers to choose from numerous interior trims to give each car an individual character.

In keeping with Mini tradition, a big round speedometer is mounted in the center of the dash. The tachometer is mounted on the tilt/telescoping steering column, moving with it as you adjust it up and down. The convertible also has a unique Openometer next to the tach. It's a meter that measures the number of hours you drive with the top down. Think of it as a measure of your enthusiasm for an open cockpit.

Audio controls have been moved from the center stack into the bottom half of the speedometer dial, and the heating and air conditioning controls have been compressed below it. These changes reduce the width of the center stack, which increases knee and leg room in the foot wells, answering a common complaint against the previous-generation model.

For a car that has the smallest exterior of any four-passenger vehicle on the road, the Mini is surprisingly spacious inside. Even a 6-foot, 5-inch driver will be comfortable in the front seat; and the three manual levers, controlling height, rake, and front-rear position, allow both the driver and front passenger to find a comfortable position.

We found the seats comfortable for long-distance driving, with good support from the bolsters. The driving position is excellent. The seats are nicely bolstered to keep you in place when you inevitably hustle through the turns. The available sport seats are even better.

Vision to the rear is quite good in the hardtop. The convertible has a couple of visibility issues, however. The lower portion of the driver's line of sight to the rear is blocked by the convertible top when it's down. With the top up, the top blocks vision to the rear sides. Backing out of a parking spot is a challenge. In the Clubman, visibility from the front seat is good, though the line where the rear barn doors comes together is a bit of a distraction in the rearview mirror. Buyers in warmer climates might want to avoid the optional sunroof, as the shade is mesh and might not block out enough sun during the hot summer months.

The Clubman offers the most interior space of the Mini Coopers. Almost all the additional wheelbase length was translated into addition legroom for rear-seat passengers, and those in back have more shoulder room, as well. The rear seat of the Clubman is much easier to access from the passenger side through the Clubdoor than it is from the driver's side. Occupants sit down and into the seats, leaving plenty of room for two and creating more legroom than might otherwise be available. Rear occupants will only have a problem if the front seat occupants are really tall.

Cargo space in the Clubman is 9.2 cubic feet with the rear seats up, and 32.8 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. The Mini Cooper offers 5.7 cubic feet with the rear seats up, 24.0 with the back seats folded. The Clubman is available with a flat luggage floor system, which includes a covered storage bin.

On the passenger's side the rear-hinged Clubdoor allows much easier entry and exit to and from the rear seat. And, in back, the Split Rear Barn Doors, as they are called, are hinged on the outer sides of the rear pillars and thus provide a very wide and open access to the luggage area.

Upholstery and trim is very nice and there is a wide range of options. At one extreme, by ordering sport seats with leather and contrasting cloth trim, along with metal accents and ambient lighting, the buyer can create a trendy, fast-and-furious cabin. At the other extreme, by opting for very-English leather seats with contrasting piping, trim panels matching the piping color, and real wood accents, it can have the look of an upscale British luxury car.

Heating and air conditioning controls in the base model are straightforward. The available automatic climate control system, which maintains a constant temperature dialed in by the occupants, is cleverly configured in the shape of the winged Mini logo.

The audio controls built into the speedometer dial are a bit too clever for their own good, in our opinion, sacrificing ease of use for design symmetry. For example, though the tuning knob is in the audio cluster, the volume knob is placed below the speedometer in the center stack, closer to the HVAC controls than to the audio controls. A similar knob in the speedometer is used to switch between radio presets. It can be confusing which knob does which. MP3 players can be connected to the audio system. A specific adapter for an Apple iPod is available. However, the integrated design of the audio controls in the speedometer dial will make it nearly impossible to fit any aftermarket sound system. Cosmetically, the audio and HVAC controls could be better. Made obviously of plastic, with a matte-gray in finish, the controls could be described as refugees from a Buzz Lightyear remote control system. With their prominent positioning, they detract from the otherwise high-quality interior appointments.

A navigation system is optional, and if selected, replaces the central speedometer with a round display of the same size, which has a central rectangular display screen surrounded by a digitally generated needle indicating vehicle speed around the perimeter. It has a 6.5-inch screen and comes with real-time traffic. The design works, but it looks out of place.

Chrome toggle switches that look like something out of an airplane or racecar cockpit are positioned at the base of the center stack to control the windows, auxiliary lights, and DSC system. They are duplicated by a second panel of toggle switches above the center of the windshield to control interior lights, the available sunroof, and in the case of the convertible, the power top.

The toggle switches and the stalk switches for the headlights and turn signals are pleasing to look at and offer a satisfying feel in use.

The rear seat of the hardtop is suitable for adults only for short rides and access to it is anything but convenient. The convertible has considerably less rear leg room, 28.1 inches compared to 29.9 inches, so adults or even children won't fit back there unless the front seats are moved far forward. So it's best to think of the Mini Cooper as a two-seater with emergency provisions for extra passengers.

With its large rear hatch and separate folding rear seatbacks, the Mini hardtop is quite flexible in configuration, though its overall size limits luggage space with the rear seats up to an airline roll-aboard and a brief case. With the rear seats down, there's 24 cubic feet of cargo space, more than enough for two passengers on a two-week trip.

The convertible has quite a bit less cargo space. It has a small trunk with only 6.0 cubic feet of space that isn't affected by the position of the convertible top. We couldn't even fit our roll-aboard suitcase back there because the opening was too short. The rear seats still fold down, though, and Mini claims that opens up 23.3 cubic feet of space. The opening is still short, though, so larger items won't fit but groceries will.

One of the great things about the Mini is that the hardtop has useful cargo space. It is also possible to put four people in it. The convertible, however, almost completely lacks cargo space and has a rear seat that is really only useful as a parcel shelf. If it weren't just so much fun to drive, the convertible would be almost useless for anything but two people and a very small amount of luggage.

Go to Driving Impressions