RE: Mini Cooper D Clubvan: PH Fleet

RE: Mini Cooper D Clubvan: PH Fleet

Tuesday 30th July 2013

Mini Cooper D Clubvan: PH Fleet

Daily commuting duties reveal the Clubvan is still a Mini at heart



With Mrs Trent quite keen on our Focus, the Mini has been in my custody for the past few weeks. Although initially a bit disappointed to be given a diesel van over a turbocharged Ford ST, the PH Mini has proved a mainly excellent companion.

Driven safely? Contact @pistonheads...
Driven safely? Contact @pistonheads...
For now, my commute is a 17-mile grind across south London; it's torturous at the best of times, plagued with traffic lights, bizarre junctions and one-way systems. Very early at the weekend, it takes half an hour or less but, during the week, it can be anything up to ninety minutes.

And yet the Mini has made the interminable stop-start driving more tolerable than it should be. The torque of that diesel combined with its sharp steering makes it great for darting into gaps and scooting across roundabouts. The pedals are light, the gearshift sweet and the whole dynamic package encourages a cheeky driving approach. Which is what a Mini is all about, right?

The stop-start system deserves a special mention too while discussing urban driving. It's been 99 per cent perfect, killing the engine at just the right time and firing it again as soon as the clutch moves. Only very seldom does it get flustered, leaving you momentarily stationary as traffic moves again.

Load-lugging PH style!
Load-lugging PH style!
However, our PopBangColoured Mini isn't perfect for inner-city work. Being a van, there simply isn't any blind-spot visibility which, along with the tiny rear windows, makes some manoeuvres a bit tricky. Furthermore, while the graphics look fantastic, the contact details displayed do make it easy for anyone to complain about my driving. Not that there's anything to complain about, of course.

Elsewhere, the Media Pack has really proved its worth. The Bluetooth connection has been flawless, putting the systems in some more expensive cars to shame. The DAB radio has been great too, meaning Talksport (this is still a van, after all) is transformed from its normal crackly AM reception.

And if all this doesn't sound like a particularly PH update, that's because I have a slight confession; YH13UWD isn't that enjoyable away from the traffic. That electric turn-in is still there, the 16-inch wheels give an acceptable ride and everything feels really neutral through corners.

Corners more fun than straights in Cooper D
Corners more fun than straights in Cooper D
So what's the problem? It's that 1.6-litre engine, unfortunately. It would be churlish to complain about a diesel in a fully-fledged van but, because this is still ostensibly a Mini, it's always encouraging the driver to press on. The 112hp diesel, with its noticeable lag and narrow power band, simply doesn't. Having been passed by a few Cooper S hatches popping and gargling their way along, it's made me yearn for a blast in a petrol Mini.

But it can carry lots of Eunos parts (and left over beer from Le Mans) while also returning nearly 50mpg; this despite it often being driven with our best van driver boots on. It may not be perfect, but that doesn't stop the Mini Clubvan being a useful and fun member of the PH Fleet.


Fact sheet:
Car:
Mini Cooper D Clubvan
Run by: Matt, others when an Ikea visit beckons
On fleet since: June 2013
Mileage: 2,929
List price new: £19,575.50 (Basic list of £14,275 +VAT plus £400 for Midnight Black paint, £1,700 for Media Pack, £55 for Storage Pack, £50 for space saver spare, £105 for leather two-spoke steering wheel, £60 for velour floor mats, £45 for warning triangle and first aid kit and £30 for front passenger airbag deactivation switch. All options prices inclusive of VAT.)
Last month at a glance: Mini proves adept at the urban grind, less fun on the open road


Previous reports:
Mini gets run-in the PH way; to Le Mans!

Author
Discussion

V8 FOU

Original Poster:

2,970 posts

146 months

Tuesday 30th July 2013
quotequote all
At the risk of being flamed, seeing this is PH...... If your 17 miles commute across Sarf Lunnon is SO awful, and poor vis from the van, etc.. Ever thought of public transport?

em177

3,127 posts

163 months

Tuesday 30th July 2013
quotequote all
I'm doing 800 miles a week in a Cooper D Clubvan just now. Am loving it, great fuel economy, fun to drive and funky looks. Really can't fault it so far.

Edited by em177 on Tuesday 30th July 11:12

David87

6,648 posts

211 months

Tuesday 30th July 2013
quotequote all
I'm not sure what I'd do with it, but I really want one of these. biggrin

TNH

559 posts

146 months

Tuesday 30th July 2013
quotequote all
Looks better than the ClubMunter in Clubvan form

stewy68

1,826 posts

242 months

Tuesday 30th July 2013
quotequote all
Saw one yesterday and (even in white) it looked great.

Ozzie Osmond

21,189 posts

245 months

Tuesday 30th July 2013
quotequote all
£20 large for that!?!

court

1,485 posts

215 months

Tuesday 30th July 2013
quotequote all
Think they missed a trick not offering an S or SD model. It's not as if it would any more to produce.

guffaw

14 posts

166 months

Tuesday 30th July 2013
quotequote all


£45 for warning triangle and first aid kit and £30 for front passenger airbag deactivation switch.


Mini / BMW are a bit steep for the old safety items ...
£45 for a triangle and £30 to be able to turn the airbag off !!!
Crikey shouldn't these things be included in the standard, given that in most countries in Europe it is compulsory to have a triangle in the car and anyone carrying kids in the car would need to turn the airbag off especially as you have no rear seats. Scandalous!

garypotter

1,483 posts

149 months

Tuesday 30th July 2013
quotequote all
do not like the mini but I can see from a business point that this is good marketing, plenty of s/employed people can buy/lease through the business and use for their own purposes.

G0ldfysh

3,304 posts

256 months

Tuesday 30th July 2013
quotequote all
court said:
Think they missed a trick not offering an S or SD model. It's not as if it would any more to produce.
+1 a <works> van would make so much more sense given these are sold as a lifestyle van for the small business wanting to create that certain inner city cool hurl impression.

em177

3,127 posts

163 months

Tuesday 30th July 2013
quotequote all
G0ldfysh said:
court said:
Think they missed a trick not offering an S or SD model. It's not as if it would any more to produce.
+1 a <works> van would make so much more sense given these are sold as a lifestyle van for the small business wanting to create that certain inner city cool hurl impression.
An mapped SD would be a perfect daily hack.

Jimbo89

141 posts

143 months

Tuesday 30th July 2013
quotequote all
You had LEFT OVER BEER!? We took 112 between 6 of us for two nights in Scotland and we had to buy more.

I have a Discovery 4 Commercial as a company car, it's cheap to tax, I don't have to differentiate between business and private mileage so don't pay for fuel, it goes anywhere, lugs loads of kit (I sleep in the back when camping at events) and it looks great. There's a lot of mileage in this car based van business.

MikeyBoy2000

72 posts

148 months

Tuesday 30th July 2013
quotequote all
Dan - a wee bit off topic, but I assume that's a Eunos exhaust manifold stashed in the van? Looks tidy - where did you get that if you don't mind divulging??

Stuart

11,635 posts

250 months

Tuesday 30th July 2013
quotequote all
I've been spending a bit of time in this recently, for the aforementioned IKEA run and for when Mrs F needed some urgent help at the Garden Centre. It is a lovely little thing, but I'm finding the steering a real bugbear. We ran a gen 1 Cooper S and I always loved how direct and sorted the steering felt, but the steering on this is far less perfect. I find it feels a little too light mid-corner, and the most annoying thing is that tends to return to dead ahead from a turn far too quickly - it almost snaps back, which can take you by surprise.

None of the rest of the team have noticed this, so it is quite possibly a consequence of my poor driving skills. The car is great in so many other ways, but I'd love to know if other electric steering minis display this trait.

Matt Bird

1,450 posts

204 months

PH Reportery Lad

Tuesday 30th July 2013
quotequote all
MikeyBoy2000 said:
Dan - a wee bit off topic, but I assume that's a Eunos exhaust manifold stashed in the van? Looks tidy - where did you get that if you don't mind divulging??
Hello! That manifold has been working its way round the PH office as it was originally intended for Garlick's 1.8 but is actually a 1.6 manifold so it's going on Dan's Eunos. Garlick's just told me it's from Jackson Racing, hope this helps.

Cheers,


Matt

em177

3,127 posts

163 months

Tuesday 30th July 2013
quotequote all
[quote=Stuart]and the most annoying thing is that tends to return to dead ahead from a turn far too quickly - it almost snaps back, which can take you by surprise.
quote]

Mine does this. Not sure if its down to the rack or comical amounts of caster...?

skilly1

2,700 posts

194 months

Tuesday 30th July 2013
quotequote all
So does this qualify as a commercial vehicle meaning you pay no benefit in kind if used as a company car?


m44kts

801 posts

199 months

Tuesday 30th July 2013
quotequote all
112bhp is probably ample for essentially a city van where they're most likely to be found, but I wonder if a remap would liven it up a bit if they're available for the van yet.

If I didn't need the Vivaro I have now, I'd have a Clubvan, they're rather cool but would be far too small for the work I do.

skilly1

2,700 posts

194 months

Tuesday 30th July 2013
quotequote all
m44kts said:
112bhp is probably ample for essentially a city van where they're most likely to be found, but I wonder if a remap would liven it up a bit if they're available for the van yet.

If I didn't need the Vivaro I have now, I'd have a Clubvan, they're rather cool but would be far too small for the work I do.
I have just been looking at chipping, I guess it is the same engine set-up as the clubman:

http://www.chipexpress.com/products/2955/

Takes it from 112hp to 140hp and 270nm to 325nm which could be fun !


MikeyBoy2000

72 posts

148 months

Wednesday 31st July 2013
quotequote all
Matt Bird said:
MikeyBoy2000 said:
Dan - a wee bit off topic, but I assume that's a Eunos exhaust manifold stashed in the van? Looks tidy - where did you get that if you don't mind divulging??
Hello! That manifold has been working its way round the PH office as it was originally intended for Garlick's 1.8 but is actually a 1.6 manifold so it's going on Dan's Eunos. Garlick's just told me it's from Jackson Racing, hope this helps.

Cheers,


Matt
That's smashing! Thank you Matt! biggrin