2023 Mini Cooper S Clubman Review: Last of the Affordable Station Wagons

If you want a wagon and don’t want to spend over $40K, this Mini is your best — and only — bet.

Published February 17, 2023

It may be in many ways a golden age for automotive performance and capability, but for station wagon fans, these days can feel positively apocalyptic. Once staples of the American roadways, they’ve slowly but surely been pushed aside as a family vehicle of choice: first by minivans, then by traditional SUVs, then by crossovers, and now, arguably, by pickup trucks. Today, manufacturers offer just eight new wagon models to U.S. buyers.

The situation is even worse if you’re not shopping in the upper echelons of the market. Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Volvo all still offer excellent wagons, sure, but once you look downmarket, your options dry up fast. The Subaru Outback, theoretically, could be considered a station wagon, but Subaru — and most buyers — would rather consider it a crossover. In spite of its Outback-y pretensions, Audi’s A4 Allroad is a station wagon — but it starts at $47,590, and the more appealing upper trim levels push it past $50K.

No, if you want a traditional station wagon — low to the ground, two-box shape, good-sized cargo bay, five-door configuration — and your budget doesn’t go above the median new car price, you basically have one option left: the Mini Cooper S Clubman.

What exactly separates the Clubman from the rest of the Minis?

Well, first off, it’s not a five-door — it’s a six-door, technically. Wander around to the stern and try to open what looks like a regular hatch, and you’ll find it’s actually two side-hinged doors.

It’s a cute feature, for sure, but less usable than you might think. One door latches atop the other, so you don’t have a choice which side to open or close first — they don’t really work independently. Given the relatively small size of the rear, opening a single door doesn’t provide much of a portal on its own. And while the split window may be hard to see from outside, it’s very obvious from the driver’s seat every time you look in the rear view mirror. (There’s a reason Chevrolet gave up on the split-window C2 Corvette after just one year.) The side-hinged dual-door model might work better for vehicles that aren’t, well, quite so mini; there are plenty of short people driving Tahoes and Navigators out there who probably struggle to reach the open hatches way above their head who would be grateful for an easier way.

And, in all honesty, that’s the most notable feature that separates it from the likes of the Hardtop 4-Door and Countryman, apart from some slight variances in looks and content choices. The Hardtop 4-Door will offer a six-speed manual for 2023 and the Countryman offers a bit more ground clearance and SUV-esque design, but odds are good many buyers’ decision between those two and the Clubman will come down to which they think is cuter.

Of course, uniformity is kind of Mini’s thing. Technically speaking, the Clubman sits right alongside the Countryman at the top of the Mini lineup; their base prices are just $450 apart. Truth be told, however, pretty much all Minis occupy the same fairly narrow pricing band. Even a no-options base model Mini Cooper hatch will run you $29,595 these days.

What’s the Cooper S Clubman like to drive?

Quite delightful. The turbo four may not even make 200 horsepower and barely exceed that number in torques, but it feels peppier than you’d suspect based on the specs. ZF’s excellent eight-speed automatic also helps, as it usually does, making intelligent shift choices that maximize the car’s power band. And my test car’s $2,100 option of all-wheel-drive made sure none of that is wasted on wheelspin — not that you’d expect much at this power level, but it’s still an added bonus to go with the all-weather grip and confidence it provides.

The ride is firm, but never quite punishing; more importantly, the suspension leans into the car’s sporty brief, helping give the Clubman the quick reflexes and tossable character that reminds you why you fell in love with driving in the first place.

If you want even more zip and zoom, there’s also the high-performance John Cooper Works version that packs 301 hp and a stiffer suspension, but be warned: Mini’s JCW models usually take no prisoners when it comes to trading away ride comfort in the name of agility.

What’s this Mini like inside?

Like all Minis, playful is the watchword inside. Circles, ovals and other rounded shapes and curved lines are a major part of the decor, presumably in reference to the car’s cherubic headlamps. It’s a theme that works better in some places than others: the click wheel climate controls are great; the square-peg-round-hole of the infotainment screen in the LED circle atop the dash, not so much. Still, Mini deserves kudos for sticking with simple, intuitive physical controls for many key functions without cluttering up the interior — especially the toggle switches, which bring a little dose of fun along with their practicality.

In terms of practicality, don’t expect the Clubman to offer Buick Roadmaster-style space inside; rear legroom is about five inches less than the aforementioned Outback, for example, and there’s about half as much space as that car in the cargo bay. (Again…it’s a Mini.) But on the flip side, unlike many fashion-forward crossover coupes and such, its boxy shape means it can make the most of those dimensions

All that said, is the Clubman actually that affordable?

Minis, admittedly, have developed something of a deserved reputation for being rather pricey for their size and class. Stack a base Cooper against a Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla, and it becomes hard to see it as anything but a novelty play or a serious identity-defining choice.

But with so few wagons available nowadays, the Clubman has become something of something of a bargain. The base model comes with all kinds of pleasantries that would be optional on other vehicles, from heated seats to LED headlights to a premium stereo. Tack on the all-wheel-drive, and it makes a compelling alternative for snowbelt dwellers who might otherwise feel forced into a crossover they don’t really need.