Pros

• Even the entry-level model has great control.
• The cabin is made of high-quality materials.
• There are a lot of ways to customize.
• The speed is much faster than the John Cooper Works version.

Cons

• It’s more expensive than small hatchbacks with the same features.
• The ride at John Cooper Works is really hard.
• I am not being compatible with Android Auto.

How does one move the Clubman? The Clubman JCW has a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine that makes 301 horsepower. It only took our test car 4.7 seconds to go from 0 to 60 mph on the test track. Launch control lets the Clubman JCW speed up quickly, change gears quickly, and even make a tire chirp sound during the 1-2 upshift. When you step on the gas quickly, and there is enough low-end power, it feels fast even when you drive it a lot.

This Clubman JCW doesn’t feel like an early Mini go-kart; instead, it’s smoother around turns. The steering is heavier than you might think, even though it feels strong and quick. Even if you have all-wheel drive, torque steer can happen. In general, it’s more challenging and more fun to drive than a Cooper Clubman S.

How does the Clubman make you feel? Mini spent a lot of time making the suspension and driving better. When engineers tweaked it for speed, they forgot to think about comfort and refinement. Clubman JCW is a tough guy. Things are not going well here. Potholes make your teeth rattle and cause you to crash on rough ground. The seat being extremely stiff and padded doesn’t help. The bolsters do a good job of keeping you in place on winding roads, but they also make the ride quality worse.

It’s not all bad inside. When it’s not sending chills down your spine, the Clubman JCW is quiet and classy. This sound is still good, even if a lot of the turbocharged engine’s growl is caught and played back. The air conditioning works well, and the back seats have vents.

How is the inside? The Mini Clubman JCW has a fair amount of space inside for such a small car (pun intended). There is a lot of shoulder and space because it is semi-boxy and stands straight up. It’s fine, especially when compared to the Hardtop norm, even though it doesn’t have as much legroom as some rivals. Also, the tall windows make it easier to see. It’s easy to look everywhere.

It’s a great place to drive. The controls are in a good place, and it’s easy to get into a relaxed driving position because of its small size. The square doors make it easy to get in and out. We’re surprised at how small the Clubman JCW looks from the outside, even though it’s not as big as a VW Golf or a Honda Civic.

What’s wrong with the tech? This is where the parent company BMW’s impact is most clear. The Clubman JCW uses a lot of technology that comes straight from BMW’s stock of parts. The entertainment system is mostly BMW, but the Bright Mini’s user interface has been used. It’s easy to use and looks fancier than other tools that do the same thing. Voice controls and navigation work well, and the available head-up display on our test car did a great job of showing us where to go each turn. Apple CarPlay was offered in the Iconic trim level of our test car, but Android Auto was not.

The way driver assistance devices work has also changed because of BMW. Adaptive cruise control does a great job of controlling speed and keeping gaps close, whether you’re going up or downhill. The Clubman’s driving aids are pretty high-tech, though the lane-keeping system occasionally pushes the car out of its lane.

What’s going on with storage? A VW Golf R or a Honda Civic Type R has more room behind the back seats than the Clubman JCW (17.5 cubic feet). Still, the room is more useful than it looks because it is low and boxy. In addition, there is a lot of storage space underneath. The split barn-style back doors make it easy to put things in and take them out. The trunk space goes up to a much more reasonable 47.9 cubic feet when the seats are folded down.

There are some small bins for your items and some pretty big door pockets in the front. Will you have small children with you? That being said, the back seat is not smaller than anything else in its class, but it is also too small to fit a child safety seat.

How much fuel does it use? One of the most fuel-efficient cars in its class is the Clubman JCW. The EPA says that driving in both cities and highways will get you 26 mpg, which is better than the Honda Civic Type R. Based on our real-world test route, where we got an average of 28.5 mpg, the EPA’s predictions seem likely.

Is the Clubman worth anything? You can decide for yourself if the Clubman JCW is worth the money based on how much you love Minis. If you choose a better grade, you can get adaptive cruise control and leather seats, but the base Clubman JCW costs more than $40,000. Our fully equipped Clubman JCW has a lot more features than any other hot hatch on the market. Still, it looks more expensive than most of its rivals, and the JCW’s harsh tuning is a big reason for that. Mini also offers better-than-average scheduled maintenance for three years and roadside help for four years.

The Clubman JCW has a strong turbocharged engine, all-wheel drive torque, and quick handling, but it’s not as exciting as other hot hatchbacks. The ride is so tight most of the time that you’ll probably avoid bumps rather than use the engine’s wide torque curve.

On the plus side, it has charm, just like the Mini versions of it. Every little thing about it, like the two-tone paint job, the Union Jack silhouettes in the headlights, and the ambient lighting that changes colors, makes it look like it’s one of a kind.

The Mini Clubman Cooper S is the best of the bunch. It’s fun to drive and doesn’t make you feel bad. It can also move itself out of the way. If you choose the Signature trim package, you can get a lot of cool features and choices for a low price.

Styles of Mini Clubman

There are three trim levels of the 2024 Mini Clubman, each with a different engine. The models are the Cooper S, the Cooper S All4, and the John Cooper Works All4. The Cooper S models come with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that makes 206 pound-feet of torque and 189 horsepower. The front wheels of the Cooper S are driven by an automatic transmission with seven speeds and two clutches. The Cooper S All4 has all-wheel drive and an automatic engine with eight speeds.