Cars.com Reviews the 2008 Mini Cooper Clubman S

Both the base Mini Cooper Clubman and the sportier Clubman S recently spent time in the Cars.com test fleet. Winning the race to the full review treatment was the Clubman S. Senior editor Joe Wiesenfelder spells out the differences between the elongated Cooper and the original Mini, including where its better and where it falls short. He also reiterated all the Cooper line’s faults, which also follow the Clubman S to production. Check out the review and video below.

2008 Mini Cooper Clubman Expert Review

Mini John Cooper Works Pricing

We got to see the new John Cooper Works versions of the hardtop Cooper and Clubman in New York City last week, and they looked pretty snazzy in their red, white and black duds. This year marks the first time the performance-oriented trim level will be created at the factory instead of at the dealer level, which should make enthusiasts happy when they go on sale this summer.

The changes are much more than cosmetic. Turbocharged engines from the S trim levels get more power, up 36 hp from 172 to 208 hp. That shaves about a half a second off the cars’ 0-60 mph times. There will also be new high-performance brakes, sports suspension, exhaust system, modified six-speed transmission and unique 17-inch light alloy wheels and tires. 

The price bump isn’t a small one, though: $28,550 and $30,800 will get you into the JCW Cooper hardtop and Clubman, respectively. Prices do not include a $650 destination charge. That’s a $7,330 and $7,350 premium over the S versions of each car. Is it worth it? Tell us in the comments.

Mini Cooper Wienermobile Cheesy

Last week, ABC featured a new Oscar Mayer Wienermobile based on a Mini Cooper S. The aptly named Mini Wienermobile swallowed NY Giant defensive end Michael Strahan for photo ops, sporting a license plate that read “LTL LINK.” The Mini is a full 12 feet shorter than the full-size Wienermobile.

Since we’re so used to seeing the full-scale version, this downsized version is rather irksome to look at. But in this world of high gas prices, we guess it’s acceptable.

Seeing a Man About a Dog (NY Time Wheels Blog)

Cars.com Faceoff: 2008 Mini Cooper S, Saturn Astra, Volvo C30

In one of the toughest Faceoffs in recent memory, Mike Hanley, David Thomas and Joe Wiesenfelder matched up three premium hatchbacks. It was a tough fight, with each car having strengths that won us over. The Volvo had the style, the Mini the go-kart goods and the Astra the practicality. Check out the winner and let us know if you think we got it right.

Cars.comparison: Premium Hatchbacks

Mini Clubman Could Be Scarce in U.S.

Blogging all things Mini, Motoringfile.com reports that BMW is limiting exports of its new Mini Cooper Clubman to the U.S. While demand will probably be healthy, the U.S. dollar is not, and the company won’t make as much selling the car here as it will in other countries. Italy seems to be the benefactor in all this.

What does this mean to those waiting to buy a Mini Clubman? Go to your Mini dealer now and put in an order. Many dealers are getting a scant four models a month for the first few months after the car comes out in February. Even the regular Mini Cooper coupe has one of the shortest turnaround times in the business. It seems the Clubman will be no different.

Clubman to Have Limited Availability in US (Motoringfile.com)

Mini, BMW, Infiniti Top Best Resale Value List

Our list of the cars, trucks and SUVs with the best resale value has just been updated, and a lot of familiar names top the list. When we break down resale values by segment, the Mini Cooper, Honda Accord, Infiniti G35/G37, BMW 5 Series and GMC Sierra/Chevy Silverado top their respective segments.

When you take a look at the top 10 resale values overall, it’s the Infiniti G35/G37, Jeep Wrangler and BMW 3 Series taking the top three spots, knocking the Mini Cooper off its previous No. 1 perch.

Which cars rank lowest? The Mazda B2300, Ford Ranger and Suzuki Forenza top that dubious list.

Check out the full rankings below. 

Best Car Resale Values by Class
Best Overall Car Resale Values
Worst Overall Car Resale Values

2008 Mini Cooper Convertible Remains Unchanged

While the Mini Cooper coupe got a redesign for 2007 — and remains the same for 2008 – the convertible hasn’t gotten such treatment. That means the 2008s don’t get the new body, turbo engine and other tweaks; they’re similar to the models that debuted in 2002.

The convertible prices remain unchanged for 2008, starting at $21,950 for the Cooper and $25,400 for the Cooper S, not including a $650 destination charge.  A John Cooper Motor Works kit is a factory option for the 2008 Cooper S at $6,000, and the Sidewalk edition returns on both the Cooper and the Cooper S for $4,000. 

Prices for the 2008 Mini Cooper and Cooper S coupes also remain unchanged at $18,050 and $21,200, respectively. The 2008 convertibles are now on sale, the coupes go on sale in December and the all-new 2008 Clubman goes on sale in February 2008.

Related
More Mini News (KickingTires)
Research a Mini Cooper (Cars.com)

Question of the Day: What's Faster to 60 MPH?

Since SEMA officially kicks off tomorrow and we’ve already been inundated with reports on some of the production and concept cars showing up there, we figured today would be a good day to answer one reader’s question about speedy, specialized hatchbacks.

The reader’s inquiry was which hatchback is faster to 60 mph: the Mazdaspeed3, Dodge Caliber SRT4 or Mini Cooper S.

Which is faster from zero to 60 mph, the Mazdaspeed3, Caliber SRT4 or Mini Cooper S? (Ask.cars.com)

Suburban Dad: 2007 Mini Cooper S Update

I know, I know: Why is this Dad so fixated on the Mini Cooper? Well, it’s been a few months since the Cooper first visited me in the suburbs where the wife and I fell in love with it. So, when the opportunity arrive to put the Mini through its paces as a long-distance, four-passenger car over the weekend I couldn’t pass it up. Unfortunately, with the kids in tow, the results were less than I had hoped for.

This Week in Ask.cars.com

One of our favorite groups of cars is the semi-luxury sport compact class, and with the new C30 on the market, we answered a question about what’s the better value between the new Volvo hatchback and its competition. We also dipped into a good portion of vehicle segments this week while responding to your questions – including the compact, minivan, SUV, hybrid, crossover and sports car classes. If you have your own question, head over to Ask.cars.com and submit one.

• What's a better value: the Mini Cooper S, Audi A3 or Volvo C30?
• Are any minivans coming out with hybrid engines?
• What is a “crossover” vehicle?
• How long is the engine break-in period on my new car?
• How long do hybrid batteries last?
• What is the difference between a Mustang GT and a Mustang Cobra?
• What SUV can tow 4,000 pounds and get good mileage?

Friday Fleet Notes: 10.12.07

They may not be the sexiest of test vehicles, but a few of us got to check out two important entries for their respective brands. One other staffer also discovered why the Mini Cooper S is so beloved when it returned to our fleet for a short time after topping our Top 10 Urban Cars list.

Suzuki SX4 Sport

• I'd driven the SX4 Crossover before with the automatic transmission and thought it was OK, but not great. The SX4 Sport with a manual transmission was a lot more fun to drive. I didn't push it, but it was reasonably peppy away from stop signs and, given its small size, decent over rough pavement. The large A-pillar didn't bother me, but it did bother Mike Hanley when he had the car for a much longer time than I did, so it's something to check out. (I really liked the little window in the A-pillar, though it's more of a decorative than functional thing. It'd be even better if it were an old-fashioned vent window.) Sedans aren't my thing, but I left the SX4 Sport hoping I'd get the chance to put its Crossover brother, with a manual, to the Weekend Athlete test. — William Jackson, Buying Guides editor

Mini Clubman Release Date, More Photos

Most people wouldn’t consider Mini owners to be practical. The car is such a style statement, after all. But a large number of Mini owners looked at their purchase and blurted out “this car needs more room.” Mini name be darned, the company execs said, we’ve done it before and we can do it again, and they introduced the Clubman version of the Mini Cooper. Now, to help those practical people plan their purchase — say that three times fast— we’ve learned of the tentative on sale date in the U.S. That’s right; drum roll, please…

More Mini Clubman Details, Photo Gallery

We’ve been covering the release of the new Mini Clubman, which BMW is calling “the other” Mini, for the past few days, and now we learn all the details and get to see much more of the elongated Cooper.

First we’ll deal with the new configuration: The Clubman has split rear doors that swing outward, versus the standard Mini’s upward-opening hatch. The passenger side has a clamshell door setup that makes it easier for rear passengers to get in and out. Once in the backseat, those passengers will also enjoy 3.5 more inches of legroom.

What everyone really wants to know about, though, is cargo room. The Clubman has 9.1 cubic feet with the rear seats in place, versus 5.7 cubic feet for the standard Cooper. With the seats down, the Clubman has 32.6 cubic feet versus 24 in the coupe. Even the Clubman’s expanded size is nowhere close to other small hatchbacks like the Honda Fit, four-door VW Rabbit or Nissan Versa, which sport 17.8/50.4, 15/46 and 21.3/41.9 cubic feet, respectively.

But Mini fans look for Mini style and Mini performance, and the Clubman has both. Engine choices are the base four-cylinder with 120 hp, and a turbocharged Clubman Cooper S with 175 hp. Prices haven’t been announced, but the Mini Clubman should go on sale in early 2008. Check out the photo gallery below and let us know what you think.

Mini Clubman Photo Gallery

Max-Mini: Mini Clubman Perplexes

Obviously, the only thing wrong with the Mini Cooper is that it doesn't offer a Max version. But it will, starting this fall in Europe and coming to the U.S. in the first quarter of next year.

That’s sad, because the initial attraction of the machine was its size — a David out to do battle with all the Goliaths. Its petite size won many fans for the Mini camp, including people who found it easy to park along congested streets or in cramped downtown garages. In the garage at home, you could slip the bike, mower, and car into the same one-vehicle garage stall.

Of course, if you have six kids and two dogs, it's not the car for you. It’s also a mite out of place for soccer moms, considering how many Minis you could fit in a soccer goal. But the Mini is cute and cuddly, and that's what won over fans.

Mini Clubman Revealed Online

A number of websites leaked information about the Mini Clubman last night, days before it was supposed to be revealed. The surprising thing is one of those sites was owned by Mini itself. These images are of the new Mini Clubman, an elongated version of the Mini Cooper that will go on sale early next year.

A Clubman micro site was launched today by Mini and that’s where these computer-aided images are from. Keep reading to see more pictures and visit Mini.com for a lot of video game-esque driving. We’ll have full specs and official photos as soon as possible.

Mini Cooper Cruising

There seems to be a lot of rumors of what the next Mini variation might be. After the new Clubman debuts soon, there’s word an SUV might be next. Or Mini could just follow in the footsteps of an industrious Spanish Mini owner and build a Mini Cooper boat. We don’t have much more information on the transport shown here other than it was indeed a Mini at one time. We also don’t know if the boat can drive on land. Still, the picture is priceless.

Mini Boat (Motorpasion via MotoringFile)

Cars.com Faceoff: Cheap Speed, the Sequel

Last year, the all-new Volkswagen GTI bested the then-aging Mini Cooper and the new Honda Civic Si in one of our most popular faceoffs to date. Today, Mike Hanley, David Thomas and Joe Wiesenfelder took last year’s champ and put it against a redesigned Mini Cooper and a newcomer, the Mazdaspeed3. Which affordable, accelerator-friendly hatchback won out? Click below. 

Cars.comparison: Small and Fast, Take II

Cars.com Reviews the New Mini Cooper S

When the all-new — yet remarkably similar-looking — Mini Cooper S hit our fleet, it was the talk of the staff. The Suburban Dad even managed to steal it for a bit before it went to senior editor Joe Wiesenfelder so he could, you know, review it.

That review is in, and if you want all the details on the new Mini — and whether it really is as good as we all thought — check it out.

2007 Mini Cooper S Review

Suburban Dad: 2007 Mini Cooper S

“You know,” she said, “it’s not often that we’re trying to get all five of us into your car.”

It was a diplomatic comment, aimed at me. Was it the break I’ve always dreamed of, but never believed could happen? Could my wife truly be endorsing a Mini Cooper — one of my dream cars? Not exactly.

“I wouldn’t mind being seen in this when you drop me off at school,” my daughter continued. “It’s cool-looking.”

It’s that and more. I’ve loved, from afar, the Mini’s small size, its style, the BMW heritage, the nifty airplane-like switches on the center console. I’ve also been intrigued by the ardor that the car has gotten from its owners for the past five years or so, and I’ve always considered it an inexpensive version of the “midlife crisis.”

My 24 hours with the Mini Cooper S were no disappointment.

2007 Mini Cooper S: Cars.com's Most Wanted

We’re pretty jaded around the Cars.com offices. Our reviewers and editors get to drive dozens of cars every year, from the poshest Mercedes-Benz to the thriftiest compact. So what new model had everyone scrambling for its circular fob? None other than the all-new Mini Cooper S. Sure, it looks a lot like the outgoing Cooper, but the new one is radically different. There’s a nifty new turbo engine, all new bodywork and a new interior.

First, reviewer Kelsey Mays took delivery of the Cooper S and got a full, clear night behind the wheel before bringing it into the office for a photo and video shoot. Then the Suburban Dad got to take it home for the night (don’t ask why the Urban DINK didn’t get such treatment), then it came back for senior editor Joe Wiesenfelder to flog for the rest of the week for an upcoming expert review.

There is a photo gallery below from the Urban DINK, with commentary about the few snow-soaked hours he stole in the Mini. Besides being one of the best cars he's driven in a long time — especially for city dwellers — he still found some problems, but not with how the car performed.

2007 Mini Cooper John Cooper Works Tuning Kit

The new 2007 Mini Cooper just went on sale in the U.S. last month, but now there’s official word on the John Cooper Works Tuning Kit. The factory-installed kit hasn’t been priced as a U.S. option yet, but it will be available this spring and can be combined with a number of other Mini add-ons, like suspension upgrades, exterior enhancements and interior accessories, to create something that looks like the vehicle shown in the pictures above and below.

What do you get with this particular performance package? A new exhaust system, air filter and engine-management system that provide more efficiency and add up to 192 hp, versus the standard Cooper S’s 172 hp. Will that alone be worth a potential price bump of $2,000? We’re not sure, but Mini lovers certainly won’t complain. We do like the fact that Mini allows such performance customization completely under warranty.

Source: Mini and MotoringFile

Mini Billboards to Get Interactive

Mini is sending out invitations to some preferred owners in order to test a new advertising concept to promote the new Mini Cooper and Cooper S. The company is sending out instructions that allow the owners to personalize messages broadcast from billboards — yes, the big billboards you see on the highway — in select cities including New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Miami. The company is known for its innovative billboard advertising, but this is a whole new level of attention-grabbing.

After you enter some non-intrusive facts about yourself the company sends you a key fob. Their new billboards will sense the key fob approaching and display an appropriate message just for you, even though everyone else on the highway will see it as well. An example from Mini’s release reads: “David, your hair looks great today.”

How did they know it was me? I don’t even own a Mini and my hair looks awful today, really.

[MINI USA’s Motorby Pilot Program, MotoringFile]

2007 Detroit Auto Show: A World of New Mini Coopers

I busted onto the show floor before the first official press conference of the day but there was already plenty to see. My first stop was the Mini booth to catch the all-new — yet remarkably similar-looking — Mini Cooper. The booth had the Mini Cooper, Mini Cooper S, Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works Edition and even a fun Checker paint job — still getting its checked roof applied.

Overall, I was impressed by how good the new Mini looks. The single grilled is much preferable to the split job of the previous model, and the interior quality is also a welcome step up, as well. Miniphiles can check out the photos below.

Mini Announces 2007 Pricing

The all-new 2007 Mini Cooper will carry a sticker price of $18,050, a full $600 more than the outgoing model. The higher-performance Cooper S only sees a $300 rise in price, to $21,200. Both new convertible models are priced the same as the 2006 editions: $22,600 for the Cooper convertible and $26,050 for the Cooper S convertible. The prices do not include an increased destination charge of $650.

The enthusiast favorite John Cooper Works Edition will cost an additional $6,300 to the Cooper S Convertible price but it has not been updated for the new hardtop Cooper S.

There is no solid on-sale date for the new Minis, besides a vague “early 2007,” but we’ve heard there will be a push around President’s Day weekend and the pricing sheet provided by BMW says "effective date 2/1/07."

Related:
Next-Generation Mini Cooper Makes U.S. Debut at Detroit Auto Show
Update: More 2007 Mini Info
2007 Mini Cooper Fully Revealed, Almost

Next-Generation Mini Cooper Makes U.S. Debut at Detroit Auto Show

Europe got a taste of the all-new Mini Cooper last month in Paris, but it will be more than two months before anyone on U.S. soil gets a first-hand look at the familiar-looking Cooper redesign. Word came today that Mini would use the setting of the Detroit auto show in early January to debut the next-generation Mini to the U.S., instead of the upcoming Los Angeles Auto Show in late November. That’s fairly surprising, given the new Cooper is basically ready to roll and has already made its global debut.

Related:
Update: More 2007 Mini Info
2007 Mini Cooper Fully Revealed, Almost

Suburban Dad: Rally Impressions

Earlier this month, the Cars.com reviewers brought me along to an otherwise journalist-only rally where they got an early look at dozens of new car models. They wanted to get some thoughts on new cars from a typical suburban dad, and they wanted to see what I’d consider buying for me, my wife or my teenage kids. These writers aren’t having kids yet and they’re pretty jaded about getting to drive the latest and greatest cars. I’m not. Here’s my take.