Mini Clubman
Mini’s rebirth was obviously pure marketing genius, and no one cared too much that the new hatchback was tight in the back and couldn’t take the contents of a retail park. Neither could its Mini Clubman sibling, but at least it tried.
As with all Minis, you have to check the specification of any prospective purchase: they vary considerably, chiefly because there were a lot of options. The One had the usuals: electric windows/mirrors and central locking. The Cooper S had alloy wheels, and although many people ordered air-con, it didn’t become standard until 2009. The 1.6-litre diesel engine is the same one you find in Citroëns and Peugeots, so there was a bit of burnt-out smoky turbos due to carbon build-up early on.
The 2.0-litre diesel is thumpingly responsive. The timing chain can rattle at you and sometimes a new tensioner is a fix if the service history is a bit sparse. The One offered a 1.4-litre engine or a 1.6-litre like the other petrols – including the ultra-rare John Cooper Works, which is surely a future collectible. The clutch might be on its way out in a hard-used car; the stop-start plays up; and it might need an ECU reset. Trim and dashboard rattles are also an issue.
Most buyers will want the 1.6 Cooper S over a tepid One, but it depends on the price, condition and insurance.
Ones we found
2007 Mini Clubman 1.6 Cooper S 74,000 miles, £4695: A tidy example with a comprehensive specification and service history and a year’s MOT. Its petrol engine should exceed 40mpg. High insurance group and £170 VED are the only downsides.
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I regularly see one of the above Clubmans driving around near me. It looks so small and neat compared with its bulbous, lardy-arsed successor with those ridiculous, oversized rear lights. Why on earth did they decide to fit horizontal ones when the original vertical lights were so much more in keeping? It was a pity that this version of the "new" Mini was an afterthought so that the position of the fuel filler prevented the fitting of a rear door on the other side. I believe that was why many didn't "get" this version when it was actually a better interpretation of the original Mini and quite practical with it.
There's little mention of the problems the petrol Prince engine can give, I'm sure I have read many horror stories on Autocar about the prince engine, enough to make me weary of considering one.
I'd forgotten that the engine in the first BMW Minis was a joint venture with Chrysler - presumably what you call the Prince. Chrysler had a rubbish reputation for engines (and the rest of its cars for that matter) so I remember wondering why on earth BMW went into collaboration with it to produce an engine that didn't really shine at all.
It was the second generation (Peugeot-Citroen) engine that was the Prince one, not the first generation Chrysler engine. I actually liked the sound and characteristics of the Chrysler unit, I've personally had no problems with either the Chrysler or Prince engines over the last 18 years of MINI ownership, though my mileage is low and I've always had the lower powered versions.