AboutThatCar.com
MINI Clubman -- Bigger is Better
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Frank S. Washington
The MINI has a slot in my dream garage. There’s only room for about five vehicles (how many cars and trucks do you need) and the MINI is one of them.
We fell in love with the car the first time we drove it which was several years ago in the dead of winter. To its credit, BMW, which owns the MINI brand, did not mess it up. It labels the British icon as the world’s only “small premium car.”
That may a bit much. But the MINI had panache, it had flair, it was quick, it handled really well, it was stylish, it was really fun to drive, it was economical and it was relatively cheap.
One reason you don’t see that many MINIs is that BMW has resisted market forces, stuck to its North America allotment of about 35,000 sales a year and it has sold every MINI headed to these shores without incentives since 2002.
Anyway, I had one real problem with the original MINI and the MINI Clubman takes care of it nicely. In a word, we’re talking space, or, the lack of it.
When I picked up the original car at the airport, I had a really oversized duffle bag. I had to lower the back of back seat to get the thing in the car and once in there wasn’t much room for anything else.
The back seat of the MINI is laughable. Although it looks like it can hold four passengers, common sense and the laws of physics say you get two people in the car. Well, the MINI Clubman takes care of that short coming. It’s bigger.
The Clubman’s wheelbase has been increased a mere 8 centimetres or 0.31 inches more than the regular MINI. But the Clubman is 9.4 inches longer than the original car.
So its now sold as a five-seater with rear seat passengers having more than 3.15 inches more legroom that in the regular MINI. What’s more, there is 9.1 cu ft of cargo space behind the rear seats.
An innovation is that the rear-seat backrest may be partially or fully tilted down. With the seat backs fully lowered the MINI Clubman's cargo space increases to 32.6 cu ft. Now that’s some room.
But the real news is access. The MINI HATCH provides split rear door access to the cargo area. Access to the rear seats is facilitated by an additional door, called the Clubdoor; it’s hinged at the back on the right-hand side of the car.
In other words, although it is a subcompact car, the MINI Clubman has five doors.
Like the MINI, there are two versions of the MINI Clubman. The MINI Cooper S Clubman is powered by a dual turbocharged 175 hp four cylinder engine that can scoot the car from a standstill to 62 mph in 7.6 seconds. Top speed is139 mph. What’s more, the MINI Cooper S Clubman gets a miserly 29 miles per gallon.
The MINI Cooper Clubman gets an even more economical 37 miles per gallon. Its four cylinder engine, without turbochargers, makes 120 horsepower and from a standing start can move the car to 62 mph in 9.1 seconds. Top speed is 126 mph.
The power plants can be mated to either a six speed manual gearbox or a six speed automatic. In the case of the manual transmission, it has a gas saving auto stop function: the car shuts off when idle. The MINI Clubman also has a five star European crash rating.
We were particularly pleased with its USB interface. This connection charges the compatible Apple iPhone while driving and an Apple iPod. Other MP3 players can be fully integrated into the MINI’s audio system via the USB audio interface.
Of course, the car has Bluetooth which turns any compatible cell phone into a hands free car phone. Prices start at $20,600 for the MINI Clubman and $24,100 for the MINI Cooper S Clubman.
I’m prejudiced but the MINI might be the best, fuel efficient, reasonably priced, and fun to drive every day driver on sale in the North American Market. If you don’t believe me, go see for yourself.
Frank S. Washington is managing partner/editor of AboutThatCar.com
About That Car:The '08 Jaguar XJ
this classic styling looks real good in the new year
2007-12-11
By Frank S. Washington
DETROIT – We were somewhat ho hum when they called and asked us if we were interested in test driving the 2008 Jaguar XJ Vanden Plas. After all, the overall body style has been around for more than a generation. But when it pulled into our driveway we found it not to be the placid sedan we envisioned.
First off, the 2008 Jaguar Vanden Plas looked good, real good. A few styling changes contributed greatly to its sportier image. The front end has been revised and our test vehicle had a chrome dual honey-combed grille and new chrome power side vents that looked like gills. There was also a new built-in spoiler.
Jaguar was one of the first automakers to use aluminum extensively in the construction of its cars. The body of our test car was lighter and stiffer and more fuel efficient than the model that it replaced. Indeed, a run to Lansing and back was included in our week-long test drive and we still managed to avoid the gas pump.
It was on that run that several pleasing attributes became apparent about this extended wheel base, top of the line model. There is a 400 horsepower supercharged 4.2-liter V8. Our test vehicle had the normally aspirated version of that engine which made 300 horsepower. Mated to a six-speed automatic transmission there was enough oomph to effortlessly get from 80ish to 110 mph in a few seconds.
The air suspension provided a comfortable ride. It wasn’t too sporty (as in firm) and it wasn’t too cushy (as in soft.) Although the power steering was speed sensitive, a bit more stiffness would have provided more of a feel for the road.
But, that was our only quibble with the new Jaguar XJ Vanden Plas which had superb road manners. It was quiet, responsive, it braked well, provided a cabin that was almost void of wind and road noise, it was easy to drive and it was really comfortable.
We’re technophobes, so we were quite pleased with the simple instructions it took to engage Bluetooth which turned our cell phone into a hands-free car phone. And on the way back from Lansing, it took some fumbling but, once the navigation system was programmed, it brought us right to our front door. Especially appreciated was the “Other” button which let us set the city and address as we saw fit.
The navigation system’s ability to recalculate the route after we shot by our turn was greatly appreciated too and when giving directions the audio system is completely muted.
With a sticker of $81,050, the 2008 Jaguar XJ Vanden Plas was chock full of creature comforts. Heated and air cooled seats, a rear seat DVD entertainment system, rear and side window curtains, power folding mirrors and a premium audio system.
This car was standout as we got the thumbs up from several folks, especially first-time buyers, interesting because, as we said, the XJ’s basic body style has been around almost 40 years.
The XJ is going to be replaced in a few years and some of today’s contemporary models will join legendary Jaguars as classics. The 2008 Jaguar XJ Vanden Plas has a good shot at joining the club.
Frank S. Washington is managing partner/editor of AboutThatCar.com