Question about a Clubman and an un born new born?

Question about a Clubman and an un born new born?

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RodMod

Original Poster:

1,169 posts

207 months

Tuesday 14th October 2014
quotequote all
Evening all,

Just a quick question, my other half and I are considering buying a clubman we have about £8k to spend at the moment. My question - is the Mini clubman a good car for my other half to consider as we are thinking of starting a family soon?

Unfortunately I just don't want a big estate euro box like all the other smug marrieds hehe

Thank you

Rod.

mike9009

6,918 posts

242 months

Tuesday 14th October 2014
quotequote all
We have had our clubman S for three and a half years.

We have a five year old daughter and an 18 month old son.

The Clubman is fine. The small side door allows access to get our son in. Daughter is able to get in the back and plug seat belt herself. Only slight issue we have found is that some baby seats are quite wide and you need to slightly angle the seat to get the seat to fit. (we do not use ISOFIX!)

We go on holidays with relative ease, using a roof box for the pram, scooter, travel cot, high chair and other additional luggage. With one child the pram can go in the rear seat. You do need to be a little selective with the pram you choose so that it fits in the boot if necessary. (We had a McClaren Techno XLR travel system which would not fit in the boot easily)

I always cringe when I see other relatives/ friends who instantly buy an MPV or SUV when their kids arrive. Driving pleasure and kids are not mutually exclusive ... you quite often read on here about S-Max being the best MPV. I would not consider one in a million years.

I am quite interested in the new MINI 5 door though.....


Mike

Slashmb

409 posts

256 months

Tuesday 14th October 2014
quotequote all
mike9009 said:
We have had our clubman S for three and a half years.

We have a five year old daughter and an 18 month old son.

The Clubman is fine. The small side door allows access to get our son in. Daughter is able to get in the back and plug seat belt herself. Only slight issue we have found is that some baby seats are quite wide and you need to slightly angle the seat to get the seat to fit. (we do not use ISOFIX!)

We go on holidays with relative ease, using a roof box for the pram, scooter, travel cot, high chair and other additional luggage. With one child the pram can go in the rear seat. You do need to be a little selective with the pram you choose so that it fits in the boot if necessary. (We had a McClaren Techno XLR travel system which would not fit in the boot easily)

I always cringe when I see other relatives/ friends who instantly buy an MPV or SUV when their kids arrive. Driving pleasure and kids are not mutually exclusive ... you quite often read on here about S-Max being the best MPV. I would not consider one in a million years.

I am quite interested in the new MINI 5 door though.....


Mike
I would agree with Mike. I've had a Clubman Cooper S since March last year and our little boy was born in September last year. He is now big enough to have a regular buggy rather than the travel system which is a bit easier. You do have to be selective with the buggy choice though like Mike says.

I have put the rear facing seat into my mums Volvo S60 and my mates A3 Sportback and in both cases it was more difficult than getting the seat into our Clubman what with there being no B pillar on the offside. I do find myself driving round car parks looking for a suitable space so I can open the drivers door and the Club door wide though!

Don't get me wrong, the boot would be more useful if it was bigger and we have had the odd little thing go wrong with it but I just cannot think of another car that would be better for us at the moment.

We went to centre parcs earlier this year for 4 nights and we could not get another thing in the car it was that close for us being able to take everything.

I too am quite interested in the 5 door MINI but even more so for the next Clubman if the spy shots are anything to go by!

Hope that helps a little.

mike9009

6,918 posts

242 months

Wednesday 15th October 2014
quotequote all
Hi Slash

Glad I am not the only one who thinks it is good family transport! wink I have not seen any photos of the new clubman, may have a look around unless you have some links??

I do have another issue which limits me to smallish cars - our driveway is quite tortuous to get in and out of (through two sets of stone gateposts, 90 degrees apart over about five meters!)....

Mike

sad61t

1,100 posts

209 months

Thursday 16th October 2014
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Good set of images of the Clubman concept here:

http://www.guideautoweb.com/en/galleries/24295/min...

I'm expecting it to be similar to the five-door but with the barn-gate rear doors instead of a hatch.

RodMod

Original Poster:

1,169 posts

207 months

Thursday 16th October 2014
quotequote all
Thank you for the reply's chaps.

If it was up to me I would buy one tomorrow ticks all the boxes.
Unfortunately my girlfriend will be the main user of our next car and she wants something else (she don't know what).

Any tips for me to push the clubman cooper to the top of the list?

Women FFS!

Thank you. thumbup

Rod.

Slashmb

409 posts

256 months

Friday 17th October 2014
quotequote all
RodMod said:
Thank you for the reply's chaps.

If it was up to me I would buy one tomorrow ticks all the boxes.
Unfortunately my girlfriend will be the main user of our next car and she wants something else (she don't know what).

Any tips for me to push the clubman cooper to the top of the list?

Women FFS!

Thank you. thumbup

Rod.
Yes, get her to test drive a Cooper S. She will soon change her mind.

vikingaero

10,256 posts

168 months

Friday 17th October 2014
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You forever get the retards regurgitating the fact that the Club Door is on the "wrong" side. It may be on the "wrong" side but I think it's on the best side. I can't remember the last time I parked in the street and had to open it in traffic. Most of the time I go from home to car park.

kazste

5,665 posts

197 months

Saturday 18th October 2014
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We've had two, the first one was written off at two weeks old.
So for a different take on them let me tell you about the first.
On a dual carriageway we got a puncture and was less than 300m from an exit so hard lights on and a very slow crawl off the road as there was no layby or hard shoulder to pull into. We got lowed into at a closing speed of between 65-70mph (from police report) and the hit came from the rear diagonally hitting the drivers side rear first as the car didn't see us apparently and pulled into our lane. This pushed us into the barrier which through a stanchion stopped us very abruptly. Our car was a write off, their car was a write off.

We had four adults and one 7month old baby (in the back middle) in the mini. All of us were able to walk out and only suffered short term problems.

spurs coupe

294 posts

173 months

Saturday 8th November 2014
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Really tempted by the mini cooper SD Clubman when I finally shift my Z3 Coupe.

I'm after something relatively quick, good on fuel and not too boring, have considered a Golf GTD, BMW 123d, Seat Leon FR TDI, Audi TT TDI.

I realise the 'mini' thread may be slightly biased.... but thoughts and real life MPG?

Cheers

CarbonV12V

1,154 posts

182 months

Friday 14th November 2014
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Clubman JCW with Recaros - great little car :-)

Go and try one out.