Buying an R55 Clubman
Discussion
Hey,
I'm thinking about buying an R55 clubman as a halfway house between needing to cart around more stuff and buying a gigantic family-hauler. I've driven the same generation Cooper S and love the lightness, the steering feel, the willing engine, the 6 speed manual and the interior.
Living in the USA the distances between available cars can be pretty huge (one of the reason people here seem to drive to local dealers and buy whats on the lot, even if its not what they want!) so to minimize wasted Saturdays, I'm hoping to get some guidance on how to buy a late model (2012-2014) Cooper S Clubman.
A few questions.
- Are there any must-must-must have been done service items for a 3-5 year old Cooper S? Turbos? Suspension? Electronics?
- Are there any important model updates / years to avoid? (compared to, say, IMS problems on certain year Porsches, oil sludging on certain year Saabs)
- How do these cars take miles? I've seen 2013s with 50-70k miles and earlier cars with 25k miles. When do these start to feel a bit leggy?
- I've read the ride quality on JCW models is noticeably worse, and that all the aftermarket parts only fit the Cooper S, making it a less good buy considering the price premium. Any truth in this?
- How happy are Minis in the snow, when on the appropriate tires? I'm guessing they perform as well as any FWD car on snow tires?
Excited about mini ownership potential, just wanting to make the right decisions and not waste time driving 150 miles to see clunkers.
I'm thinking about buying an R55 clubman as a halfway house between needing to cart around more stuff and buying a gigantic family-hauler. I've driven the same generation Cooper S and love the lightness, the steering feel, the willing engine, the 6 speed manual and the interior.
Living in the USA the distances between available cars can be pretty huge (one of the reason people here seem to drive to local dealers and buy whats on the lot, even if its not what they want!) so to minimize wasted Saturdays, I'm hoping to get some guidance on how to buy a late model (2012-2014) Cooper S Clubman.
A few questions.
- Are there any must-must-must have been done service items for a 3-5 year old Cooper S? Turbos? Suspension? Electronics?
- Are there any important model updates / years to avoid? (compared to, say, IMS problems on certain year Porsches, oil sludging on certain year Saabs)
- How do these cars take miles? I've seen 2013s with 50-70k miles and earlier cars with 25k miles. When do these start to feel a bit leggy?
- I've read the ride quality on JCW models is noticeably worse, and that all the aftermarket parts only fit the Cooper S, making it a less good buy considering the price premium. Any truth in this?
- How happy are Minis in the snow, when on the appropriate tires? I'm guessing they perform as well as any FWD car on snow tires?
Excited about mini ownership potential, just wanting to make the right decisions and not waste time driving 150 miles to see clunkers.
Buy the best specced car you can for your budget. Once you buy one you start wanting all the options.
On the test drive check for rattles. Some interior rattles can be impossible to fix on a Clubman so if it rattles too much then look eleswhere. Check the rear barn doors for corrosion: (1) around the twin chromed handles and (2) around the door edges and (3) where the rubber seal rubs against the inner part of the first barn door that opens. MINI in the UK have been generous in respraying cars out of warranty so in the super litigious US they are likely to be more generous. The Club door had small corrosion issues so check the whole door carefully.
The other problems tend to be the fuel pump which can be a common fix, rattly anti-roll bar/sway bar bushings. In use the upright windscreen is prone to stonechips so hand back from the vehicle in front.The front wipers lose interest in wiping effectively fairly soon after replacement due to the curvature of the screen. It's best to stick to OEM Bosch wipers for the rear barn doors because non-OEM tend not to lay flat.
The best thing about my Clubman S is the handling. One minute it will tackle a twisty B-Road and the next minute it's a securely planted motorway cruiser with loads of power in reserve. The slightly longer wheelbase of the Clubman makes it ride better and it seems a notch softer than the 3 door hatchback. We use our Clubman for all our trips away unless we need luggage space.
I would recommend looking at buying the spacesaver spare, mounting bolt, screw locator and foam tray. I run my Clubman S on Nokian WR3 winter tyres and there hasn't been a slope/hill that has defeated me yet.
On the test drive check for rattles. Some interior rattles can be impossible to fix on a Clubman so if it rattles too much then look eleswhere. Check the rear barn doors for corrosion: (1) around the twin chromed handles and (2) around the door edges and (3) where the rubber seal rubs against the inner part of the first barn door that opens. MINI in the UK have been generous in respraying cars out of warranty so in the super litigious US they are likely to be more generous. The Club door had small corrosion issues so check the whole door carefully.
The other problems tend to be the fuel pump which can be a common fix, rattly anti-roll bar/sway bar bushings. In use the upright windscreen is prone to stonechips so hand back from the vehicle in front.The front wipers lose interest in wiping effectively fairly soon after replacement due to the curvature of the screen. It's best to stick to OEM Bosch wipers for the rear barn doors because non-OEM tend not to lay flat.
The best thing about my Clubman S is the handling. One minute it will tackle a twisty B-Road and the next minute it's a securely planted motorway cruiser with loads of power in reserve. The slightly longer wheelbase of the Clubman makes it ride better and it seems a notch softer than the 3 door hatchback. We use our Clubman for all our trips away unless we need luggage space.
I would recommend looking at buying the spacesaver spare, mounting bolt, screw locator and foam tray. I run my Clubman S on Nokian WR3 winter tyres and there hasn't been a slope/hill that has defeated me yet.
No problem. Going back to some of your questions:
- Are there any must-must-must have been done service items for a 3-5 year old Cooper S? Turbos? Suspension? Electronics?
Not really. Check the service history. It can be condition based servicing. You can flick the button on the indicator stalk to see when the next service is due, expected life in brake pads etc. Check out some youtube videos of what to expect.
- Are there any important model updates / years to avoid? (compared to, say, IMS problems on certain year Porsches, oil sludging on certain year Saabs)
You're looking at 2012-2014 models which means the LCI upgrade with the N18 engine which is better than the problematic N14 Peugeot engine. You can still get leaky plastic valve covers and exhaust gas leaks from the turbo gasket. It more or less shares issues with the BMW 1 or 3 series.
- How do these cars take miles? I've seen 2013s with 50-70k miles and earlier cars with 25k miles. When do these start to feel a bit leggy?
My car is on 80k. For the first few years it was a garage queen and the bushes started to creak and rattle so I started using it more often and the noises disappeared. It's still a tight car. The interior has one or two areas where is is a bit scuffed - seat backs from the kids but otherwise it looks as good as new. More importantly is still drives and tracks like new.
- I've read the ride quality on JCW models is noticeably worse, and that all the aftermarket parts only fit the Cooper S, making it a less good buy considering the price premium. Any truth in this?
Can't help with this one. I have switched to non-runflats on 17" alloys and it's firm but good. The runflats made the car horribly crashy. It's a personal decision and plenty of pro and con views on the internet.
Check out mini2.com and northamericanmotoring
I ended up going with a Golf wagon - the R55 clubman boot was full with just a stroller and a bag, and we will be taking trips out to see family pretty frequently.
The driver in me wanted the Mini though. Its remarkable they could make a car handle that nimbly with todays regulations and expectations - it had the chuck ability of a late 80s/early 90s hot hatch.
The driver in me wanted the Mini though. Its remarkable they could make a car handle that nimbly with todays regulations and expectations - it had the chuck ability of a late 80s/early 90s hot hatch.
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