The MINI Clubman is dead. Due to sales and a world that can’t get enough of small crossovers, the wagon-like Clubman will soon end after an 15 year run. Beloved for its mix of utility and performance, the Clubman has become a cult favorite for the brand. However the passion of its owners won’t be enough to save it as MINI doubles down on crossovers with its next generation of cars.
The Clubman in particular has had a hard time finding an audience outside of Europe as small wagon sales have slowed to a crawl in many markets. And despite MotoringFile calling the F54 JCW Clubman the best all around MINI ever made, it’s been a hard sell for dealers. Especially next to the taller more SUV like Countryman.
And now MINI is making the Countryman even larger while introducing a smaller electric Aceman crossover the US might not even get. It’s a sad end to our favorite car in the MINI line-up
The original Clubman is a bit divisive. With the third door on the wrong side for right-hand drive markets, it was looked at as the “other” MINI even but the brand’s own marketing. While we loved the concept, it never really jelled for us as it felt too close to the R56 and didn’t find the sweet spot that the F54 ultimately did in terms of utility and performance.
The F54 Clubman on the other hand has been our favorite MINI model since it’s introduction in 2015. We’ve run three of them over the years – a manual Cooper S All4, the 228 hp JCW and most recently a 306 hp JCW. While all were great cars, the 306 hp JCW Clubman might just be out favorite new MINI ever made. You can read a collection of reviews of that car below.
Why? Its mix of utility and performance is unmatched in the range. As a wagon (even if MINI won’t call it that) it has can deliver almost all of the utility a crossover offers with none of the performance trade-offs. Having driven a Clubman on everything from the Dragon to the track to snow covers mountain roads we can confidently say there is nothing that comes close to the broad capabilities of the Clubman – especially in JCW form. Saying it will be missed is a massive understatement.
The Final Chance to Order MINI Clubman
The end of production for the MINI Clubman is scheduled to be Q1 of 2024. More specifically we believe the last production month will be February of 2024. That means the ordering books will likely close in November or December as MINI winds down production. So if you’re interested in getting your hands on a car that likely grow in cult status, it’s now or never.