Minis - anything to look for? (5 door Clubman)

[Tom_ed1987]

Hi all,
We are Thinking about a circa 2018-2020 Mini Clubman or Countryman as the next family car.
I'm erring towards a Clubman S as I like the rear doors & that it's less SUV-like.

Was wondering if anyone had any advice for what to look for?
Has anyone had one (or a similar era Mini as I guess they are quite similar?) & can offer any advice on general running costs/reliability?

In terms of spec/models/engines/depreciation, is there a particular sweet spot in the range? Is it worth paying extra for an approved used? Looks like there are a few nice ones in the circa £13-£14k range.

I see the Chilli pack is quite common, but also some others that have what looks like a wider satnav screen & panoramic roof etc which I guess are additional standalone options.

 

[Spleen Sauce]

I had a Clubman SD, must haves for me were Harman Kardon (you can tell as the speakers in the A pillars are very pronounced) and the full width infotainment screen - so many have the small screen which I think spoils the entire aesthetic. Mine had the flip-up heads up display which was useful but not really a must-have.

Things to look out for - if you’re going diesel then these 2.0 diesel engines often have EGR issues, mine did twice. I had the auto gearbox which was ok in most scenarios. Check suspension for any issues as these are a very firm ride (not sure if you can get adaptive suspension on these, mine didn’t have it). Bigger wheels make the ride even harder.

Test drive and make sure you get on with the unique barn door boot. Looks cool but it affects how tight you can park in smaller car parks and spaces and it annoyed me after a while.

Overall though really enjoyed the car, just don’t expect it to carry multiple adults comfortably, you’ll need at least the Countryman for that and in that I still couldn’t get a passenger in behind my driving position.

 

[kona786]

Count the doors.... There's 6!

I've had mine for a year now and really dig it. Can't think of anything I'd rather have at the same price.

All I'll say is things will go wrong and it's expensive to fix so I recommend getting an approved used one and keep extending the warranty.

Any specific questions fire away. Mine has pretty much all the options bar adaptive suspension and front sensors.

HK, pan roof, auto and Cooper S , parking cam were a must for me.

 

[[TW]Fox]

Mine had the flip-up heads up display which was useful but not really a must-have.

On the contrary I think it is essential - the instrument cluster is really poor and lacks basic functionality such as sensible navigation instructions, which the head up display fixes.

 

[Tom_ed1987]

Looks nice, good point on the doors

What sort of things have you had go wrong?
How does the approved used warranty work - looks like you get 1 year on purchase, can you just purchase subsequent years - is this indefinitely? Assume you have to have it serviced by Mini to do so?

The only real requirement stipulated is that it's a non-boring colour So in practice looking at what's for sale I think that means Red or Blue. I'd quite like a Cooper S and some cool options. Don't think we will be going for a diesel.

 

[Spleen Sauce]

When you say it’s going to be the family car, what cargo are you carrying (people ages etc) and what car do you currently have?

I wouldn’t be buying a Clubman as the family car. Sure it’s technically an estate but my Golf R was definitely more practical.

 

[kona786]

Looks nice, good point on the doors

What sort of things have you had go wrong?
How does the approved used warranty work - looks like you get 1 year on purchase, can you just purchase subsequent years - is this indefinitely? Assume you have to have it serviced by Mini to do so?

The only real requirement stipulated is that it's a non-boring colour So in practice looking at what's for sale I think that means Red or Blue. I'd quite like a Cooper S and some cool options. Don't think we will be going for a diesel.

I did save a nice example on Autotrader on the 10th Aug but good ones go quick.

Mine just had an engine mount replaced under warranty, nothing more. I've seen many examples have a gearbox fault where the microswitch has failed and not telling the car that it's in park. Cost to fix is at least 500 quid privately and something like 1500 at the dealer due to the labour. Given these modern cars have so many electronics it becomes a minefield for faults and repairs. Mine has electric seats and I'd hate to think of the repair costs if something went wrong. With warranty you just don't have to worry about finding a decent independent that won't bodge the job and have no recourse.

I'd say the cooper s 2 litre turbo is the sweet spot out of the range. Especially with the 8 speed auto. The B48 engine has been proven reliable and I've had the manual F56 jcw before my Clubman and the engine was spot on. Next to no oil consumption, good on fuel and robust and great power delivery. 8bspd gets the most out of the available horsepower/torque on the cooper S thanks to the extra ratios. Feels nice and torquey.


Yes you can renew the warranty every year for about £500 as long as it's under 100k mileage. Just get the services done at the dealer. Any extra work like brakes, tyres etc can be done at the independent. I did my service at Munich Legends which is an independent but also on counts as approved service centre as the use genuine parts and log it on on board service history.

Also don't go for the 19" wheels as the ride is far too crashy. I'm on 18 Runflats and it's only just bearable. Will be switching to normal tyres which should alleviate that concern.

And yes get the pro nav with the nicer screen. I have the 2016 MY and it comes with the older design touches which I much prefer over the later revisions. Such as the lights front and rear, fuel gauge, mini drive UI, guage cluster etc.

I also have the HUD but I think it looks naff and never use it.

 

[Conanius]

We had a 2017 Cooper D with the Chilli pack a while back as my wife's first car. She loved it and it was absolutely fine for the two kids and related paraphernalia.

Incredibly cheap to run, and the headlights were excellent.

 

[Tom_ed1987]

@kona786 do you have the details of those grill spotlights on your car - were they a dealer fit accessory? I haven't seen them fitted to many cars for sale.

I found a Clubman Brochure from 2017 & am getting a bit more of a feel for the options & the overall market now. Narrowed the search down to basically a manual Cooper S Clubman in red/green/blue/burgundy & ideally approved used, unless I find a bargain outside of those parameters.
From what I have read the engine used in the Cooper S is pretty good, no real inherent faults or reliability concerns and returns very good MPG for what it is.

 

[kona786]

They're the chrome version of these

Genuine MINI Additional LED Headlights Retrofit Kit Installing Set 63122287148 | eBay

Part Number: 63122287148. Doesn't Include 63132211049 Bracket and Grille. For vehicles with LED headlight or LED headlight with extended scopes. This is the Black LED Kit. NEW - BMW MINI. Ensure Engines & Gearboxes are filled with correct oils to the correct levels.

www.ebay.co.uk

As you can see they're well Overpriced and the wiring is a tedious job. Mine were already fitted when I bought the car used.