Comments on: BMW 128i vs Clubman S

By: D3MINI

D3MINI — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:18:54 +0000

Zealot’s maybe however I agree in pure performance and the like the BMW wins. However that being said the intangable things. Looks FWD in a winter climate (also not a fan of RWD cars) Community MPG Resale Those are the things the swing my vote to the MINI.

By: The Seraph

The Seraph — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 14:29:55 +0000

I’ve never seen so many zealots in one place as I do with MINI owners (and I OWN an R53). It seems posters JonPD and Jon are the only true car enthusiasts in this column. Truly sad when MINI owners get their panties in a bind over an honest review/comparison especially considering the parent company of MINI is BMW.

By: SFRedMCc

SFRedMCc — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 01:17:36 +0000

It seems most Americans equate “hatchback” with “cheap econo car” and would rather drive an impractical 2-door coupe they think has a sexier, more upscale image. We all know it’s not that way in Europe, where most people have only one car and try to make it as versatile as possible.
I was surprised when I got the California title for my MCc, and it said “SW” for body type; which I guess means “station wagon”. Does anyone know if they also classify 5-door hatchbacks as a station wagon? Maybe they think since it has the “barn doors” instead of a hatch it has to be a station wagon?

By: C4

C4 — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 16:55:47 +0000

My guess is a 5-door 128i hatchback in the USA could eat into Clubman sales. That would be a more relevant comparison IMHO.

By: iNomis

iNomis — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 16:43:17 +0000

I think this highlights how little value options add to a well optioned base model. At least for comparison tests. That and why can’t we in the USA have a 5 door 128i?

By: Jon

Jon — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 14:52:23 +0000

As hot hatchs Mini ranks well, but there is more than a little company in those ranks. The Mini is still the clear choice in my view for its iconic design, however when it come to pure performance and handling the picture is much less clear.

By: eto

eto — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 13:25:42 +0000

When I’ve discussed MINIs with non-enthusiasts, I often point out that it is one of the very few cars that can get to 60 in 7 seconds, handles like a sports car, can seat my family of 4, and still get 40 mpg on the highway.

By: Holly

Holly — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 08:11:43 +0000

They should mention that the resale value of any MINI beats the BMW. I've got a 2002 330 CCi (Buffy) with less than 6,000 miles on it, never in rain, snow, no perfume, passengers, smoke, etc., still smells new and the dealership offers $16 K for what was a $56K car. I was the first one on the list in Arizona for my Clubman (Otto) and it was a two-year wait. I like the MINI community so much more. I don't fit the snobby attitude of many of the BMW crowd. I will sell the 330 convertible to put the proceeds toward a 2009 MINI Cabrio. For me the response of the MINI far outweighs the performance of the BMW. I love Buffy, but I'm in love with Otto.

I looked at the 135is and I was not impressed. The other day I got an email offer from my BMW dealer for .09% financing. I don't think MINI will ever have to offer that to sell their cars.

By: MINIme

MINIme — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 03:54:08 +0000

I just don’t see the relevance of this comparison…

By: JonPD

JonPD — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 03:01:21 +0000

The funny part is the 1 series and the Mini brand are both good cars, I feel that the price point is way to narrow between these cars. I love the Mini brand, hence why I have two R53's at home. However in many ways the 1 series is still a better car. Neither are perfect but then again there is no such thing either.

If I were looking at a top end Clubman I would also be looking at the 128, likewise a JCW Mini versus a 135i would be a very easy decision for me.

By: rs

rs — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 02:10:59 +0000

I can't get past the looks of the BMW. That is one butt ugly car. I was hoping it would be more beautiful. The MINI's no super model but on looks alone, I'd take the MINI. At least it doesn't look like a wannabe Hyundai. Keep your speed, your rwd, your ultimate driving machine, your Bimmersque smug look. Me, I'll take the quirky little car.

Now, if it were a previous generation M5...now that's a BMW. But, those days are long gone for me. Its a different time now, mpg gets factored into everything since my commute is so far. The MINI is a excellent all around car.

By: Dave MacMini

Dave MacMini — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 22:02:06 +0000

I cannot warm up to the look of the 1 series. The 5-door hatch, not available here, looks a lot better in my opinion, and would be a better car to compare to the Clubman. I still love my MINI, but I was presented with the chance to pick up a 2004 745i for less than the cost of a new MINI Cooper so now my wife is driving (and loving) the MCS while I am enjoying my first BMW. A totally different drive, to be sure, but still a great driver’s car without the super quick handling (and the rough ride) of the MCS. However, we will lkely keep a MINI in the family, replacing the current MCS with a Clubman when the lease is up.

By: GSP

GSP — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 21:16:38 +0000

The basis for such a comparison is fundamentally flawed … and in all likelihood was made to favor the ages-old FWD vs RWD, inline-6 vs 4-banger diatribe that so many bimmerheads spout. The MINI is a car that fits today’s realities while the 1-series tries to be the 2002 – and fails. Oh, and I owned and auto-crossed a brand new Deuce ‘way back when, as well as an E21 323i, and E36 M3, and two different 5-series.

By: Clubland

Clubland — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 21:15:32 +0000

A fun review, and an appropriate one at that as how the only car I've even thought twice about in second-guessing my Clubman S (arrived early July) was with the 128i.

For me, though, even while second-guessing at times, I always come to the same conclusion. In my Clubman S I have Auto, Xenon's, Bluetooth, Metallic Paint, USB/iPod, "Premium" (shit) Sound Package and... an armrest & cruise via MFSW. That all came to approx 28k which is still 1k less than you're going to be able to get into a 128i with none of those options.

The comparison is valid, but I don't think it should be discounted how much more you can get out of the Mini when you price it out at the same price as an entry-128i. I think when you take those options into consideration, the performance differences between the two cars start to become more negligible (for me, that is).

Great review, great blog!

By: goat

goat — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 20:31:51 +0000

A friend used a good expression the other day: "There are cars people buy because they think their friends would want them to buy them." It is that thinking that has put so many people who care little about the joy of driving into BMWs. It is funny because it is logic usually used against sports car buyers by non-enthusiasts - "you bought a small 2 seater with limited room and iffy foul-weather handling and paid THAT MUCH?!" :) But even enthusiasts can be guilty of peer-pressuring - "you got so little comparative HP and tire width and you paid THAT MUCH?!" Too many people buy their cars by the pound / shadow cast / engine size / power rating / etc. Works well with commodities, not so much with cars.

I have always said that, unless my friends are helping make my car payments, best to choose the vehicle that I want to drive. Now between these particular two, I would pick the 128i as well, but because I wanted it rather than because of others' expectations or a "comparative value" argument.

And yeah, this Edmunds writer clearly does not like the Clubman compared to anything, let alone compared to the 128i! The Edmunds editor that C4 linked to, however, sees the big picture.

By: Steve S

Steve S — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 19:17:13 +0000

I drove a Clubman S and 135 convertible back to back. The Clubman was easier to get into and had more rear seat room. The 135 still had enough room for the 6 foot salesman to sit in back though he didnâ€™t look super comfortable.

Between the two Iâ€™d probably opt for the 128 but then I usually take more power and RWD over almost anything else. I do think the Clubman would be more fun to drive though. If mini could come up with a 250-300hp AWD clubman that didnâ€™t cost more than the existing JCW then Iâ€™d be first on the list. Thatâ€™s not going to happen so Iâ€™ll have to convince the wife we should get the Clubman S as a 3rd car.

By: C4

C4 — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 18:04:04 +0000

Leaving everything else aside, the BMW 128 loses to the Clubman S in the fuel mileage dept. The extra power delivery of the Bimmer’s engine is nice but not at the expense of today’s gas prices. In this day an age of $4 gas at the pump, the argument in favor of a 6 cyl in line engine that drinks premium fuel, is weaker than ever.

By: SFRedMCc

SFRedMCc — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 17:51:35 +0000

Do as C4 suggests and check out the "Second Opinion" by Edmunds Executive Editor Michael Jordan, who definitely has a much more balanced take on this review:

"It's true that you have to make some real choices when you pick the Mini Clubman in this comparison, and you get some things and you give up some things. You get character and give up respectability; you get quickness and you give up ultimate speed. But I'm happy to make it my pick. Any weenie can choose a BMW."

By: ulrich

ulrich — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 17:45:37 +0000

I am going from an 03 Cooper S to a low spec 128. There is no reason to option this car up to 40K. Mine has xenons and the sport package and comes in nicely at under $32K including delivery. Also you get $750-1K discounts now (try that at Mini).

By: C4

C4 — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 17:38:20 +0000

Matt, I could not agree more.