C4 May 6th, 2008 Link
We took a 600 mile roundtrip road adventure in the Clubman S this past weekend. 2 Adults + 1 toddler + luggage + stroller + toys = Incredible fun.
It is amazing the Amount of stuff you can cram inside this car. We had one piece of luggage (Midsize) and a Combi EX stroller, both of which fit in the back of the car without having to fold down neither of the rear back seats. The “secret” storage compartment underneath the main cargo floor proved to be equally practical as well to stash bags and other items, that otherwise, would be flying around inside the cabin of a regular hardtop MINI. Since the Clubman S has no spare tire, you can even tap into that area for further storage as well. The storage pockets inside the plastic trim of each rear barn door proved equally practical to place smaller items.
But I think the biggest highlight of driving the Clubman S up and down the Florida Turnpike is how incredibly smooth, powerful, fast and well planted this car feels at highway speeds. The steering feedback is fantastic. The car feels like it is riding on rails like the finest German metal. Clearly, the Clubman S is a car that was built for speed, superb stability and comfort for the highway.
The effortless power delivery of the turbocharged Prince engine is simply put quite amazing. The car accelerates with plenty of power on tap virtually from anywhere within the RPM powerband. But quite a revelation is how well mated is the AISIN 6-speed transmission to this engine. Gone are the dreaded tendency of hunt for the right shift, or worse yet, to abruptly downshift if more power is suddenly demanded from the engine. This transmission has to have the best programming of any automatic I have driven in recent memory. It provides a substantial amount of engine braking power as you come to a complete stop and the computer rev matches as it downshifts (This is even more noticeable with the Sport Button turned on). The AISIN does not shift into neutral and allow the car to coast down to a halt like most slushboxes do. I did not play with the steering wheel paddles that much, but in the little time I fiddled with them I found the up and down shift action to be fairly quick and precise. No, it is not in DSG territory but for a 6-speed slushbox with torque converter, is not bad at all.
Fuel economy you may ask? I managed to get 520 miles out of one full tank of gas. That works out to roughly 39 MPG on a Clubman S! The car was driven mostly between 70-75 MPH with the cruise control on. Speaking of the cruise control, MINI deserves another kudo for the much improved cruise control system in the second gen MINI. the new system is much more precise and responsive than the cruise control found in the R53, hands down.
Overall, the car was extremely comfortable and a blast to drive with a full load. This car is blazing fast and I can’t even begin to imagine the power delivery afforded by the factory JCW Clubman. In terms of handling, we took a fairly banked highway exit ramp in Orlando at mile marker 259 from the Turnpike onto I-4 going west. That exit is a clover leaf and a long, very tight curved ramp (Almost a 90 degree sweeper). I was doing probably between 50-60 and the car handled beautifully! It was fun to feel that many G’s build up inside the “Family truckster” like a sports car. Neither the tires or the suspension gave up the ghost. If you opt for the sports plus suspension you should be in for a treat. But the standard setup is no slouch at all.
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