2022 MINI Clubman

There was a time when station wagons came in all sizes, but in 2022 the Mini Clubman is the very last subcompact wagon you can buy in the U.S. Even all of the one-size-larger alternatives, like the Volkswagen Golf Alltrack, have fallen to the mighty crossovers. But Mini self-consciously offers small cars that other brands don’t, and the Clubman is almost the Goldilocks of Minis. It retains much of the smaller, lighter Mini Hardtop’s feel while offering a much more practical package with room like that of the Countryman crossover.

At 168.3 inches long, the Clubman is 17 inches longer than the two-door Mini Hardtop and 10 inches longer than its four-door version, with four additional inches of wheelbase. Thanks to that extra length there’s appreciably more rear legroom than in the four-door hardtop. The Clubman’s cargo volume is roughly equal to the larger Countryman’s, but it’s also much lighter. It has few direct competitors, but this extra size puts the Clubman on much more even footing with the Volkswagen Golf GTI, Mazda3 Turbo and small premium sedans like the Mercedes-Benz CLA and BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe than the smaller Minis.

Much of the smaller cars’ playful personality is on open display in the Clubman, which dispenses with the Hardtop’s three-cylinder base engine and is only available as the Cooper S or John Cooper Works (JCW) versions. Like the other Minis, there are some drawbacks. The car’s age (it was introduced way back in 2014) means some tech features found on other cars are absent, including some active-safety gear and Android Auto compatibility.

Though heavier than the smaller Hardtops, the BMW-influenced chassis and relatively light weight make the Clubman a fun drive, and the JCW a very fast one. That latter model rides harsh and sounds obnoxious, but it’s plenty of fun to wind up its 301 horsepower. It comes only with Mini’s ALL4 all-wheel drive (AWD), which is just as well with all that power. Cooper S versions can get manuals, but JCWs are automatic-only.

Though bigger than the little Minis, the Clubman is still not a huge car, so don’t expect a Ford Country Squire even if it is a station wagon. While much closer to the back seats of comparable cars from BMW, Mazda and Volkswagen, the back seat is still small. Like the other Minis, the Clubman can also get expensive as option boxes are ticked, and Mini offers not only three basic trims but also a seemingly endless variety of customization options that pad the bill.

For longtime Mini fans who need more space, the Clubman is probably a better overall option than the Countryman, but it’s also got added appeal for buyers who are new to the brand. This longer Mini gives you nearly all of the smaller car’s personality and charm with more space. The lack of Android Auto compatibility and dearth of standard active-safety features are major demerits, and so is the price when you start ticking boxes on the options list, but the Clubman requires fewer life compromises than the other Minis.

Performance: 13/15

The base Cooper S Clubman uses the turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine from the Cooper S hardtop. It makes 89 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque in the Clubman and can be mated with a six-speed manual or seven-speed automatic transmission. The latter is the faster-shifting option and can move the Clubman to 60 mph in the mid-six-second range, while manuals are closer to seven seconds. Adding AWD means an eight-speed automatic and slightly slower acceleration thanks to its extra 200 pounds of weight.

Enthusiasts will prefer the manual, but availability has been limited in 2022 due to supply chain problems. Still, the Clubman retains nearly all of the feel of the smaller Minis but offers a slightly smoother (but still very firm) ride thanks to the longer wheelbase. It also feels more connected to the driver than the Countryman crossover. The ALL4 AWD cuts down on torque steer and helps aid traction in the wet, but doesn’t change the behavior of the car too much.

The ultimate Clubman is the JCW, which comes with AWD and an eight-speed automatic. The AWD is for the best, because with a 301 horsepower, 331 pound-foot turbocharged 2.0-liter four under the hood, there’s plenty of power to put down. There are upgraded suspension pieces (and a correspondingly harsher ride), a louder exhaust and a variety of cosmetic enhancements. The Clubman JCW is Volkswagen Golf R level fast, but it’s also expensive, ranging up to nearly $50,000.

Fuel Economy: 12/15

The Clubman’s light and small body mean good fuel economy, but size is less meaningful towards mileage in the era of hybrid cars. It also only drinks premium. The good news is that the extra size of this wagon doesn’t equate to much of a fuel penalty when compared to the smaller Minis. 

The Clubman doesn’t offer the fuel-sipping 1.5-liter three-cylinder of the regular Mini Hardtop, but the Clubman S returns 25 mpg city, 35 highway and 29 combined with an automatic, only 1 to 2 mpg worse than the regular Cooper S hardtop. Manual versions and ALL4 AWD models lose 2 to 3 mpg from that, which is mediocre for the class. Happily, the JCW returns 23 mpg city, 31 highway and 26 combined, which is almost equal to the Clubman Cooper S ALL4.

Comparable offerings from Mazda, BMW and Volkswagen are all in almost the same range, and many of them require premium fuel as well, which boosts the Clubman’s score a little here.

Safety & Driver Assistance Tech: 7/15

The 2022 Mini Clubman has not been evaluated by either the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which holds back its safety score. It shares some structural elements with the regular Mini Hardtops, which earn good but not great evaluations from both agencies. The Clubman loses a bunch of points, however, for its lack of active-safety technology. 

Lane departure warnings, forward collision warnings and automatic emergency braking are standard but the list grows thin thereafter. Features like adaptive cruise control and parking assist require adding a $1,250 driver assist package and blind spot monitoring isn’t available at all. Most competitors, like Volkswagen and Mazda, offer more standard or available active-safety gear.

Comfort & Room: 12/15

Like the Mini Hardtop, the forward cabin has plenty of room even for tall drivers, and supportive, comfortable seats. The real difference is in back, where this wagon boasts 34.8 inches of rear legroom, a big jump up from even the four-door hardtop. The larger rear doors also make fitting a child seat much easier in the Clubman than in the four-door Mini Hardtop and some hatchback alternatives like the Mazda3.

This is still not all that big a number, but you can really feel the difference from the Hardtop and it’s actually better than some larger cars, like the Toyota Corolla Hatchback (it’s evenly matched with the Corolla sedan), its platform-mate the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe, and some small crossovers like the Corolla Cross and Lexus UX. The Mazda3 Turbo hatchback, Volkswagen Golf GTI and BMW’s X1 and X2 offer more backseat space.

Infotainment: 10/15

For 2022 Mini has made the previously optional 8.8-inch infotainment screen standard and added a digital instrument display. As in previous Minis, cool ambient lighting accompanies the infotainment inputs in the higher trims and the gauges and screens look good. The familiar, well-labeled and easy-to-use trademark toggle switches remain a staple of the Mini experience. 

The Clubman uses Mini’s version of parent-company BMW’s iDrive infotainment system. It isn’t difficult to operate or learn but some displays and settings require many taps of the screen or selector. Apple CarPlay is standard on models equipped with Navigation, but that can add $1,000 to the price tag on lower trims, which seems excessive on a premium car. Android Auto is absent altogether, and that won’t be resolved until the next generation of Minis, which may or may not include a new Clubman.

Cargo Space & Storage: 13/15

Just as there’s more passenger space in this bigger Mini, there’s also more cargo room. There are 17.5 cubic-feet of space behind the rear seats and 47.5 with them folded, which is almost exactly even with the Countryman crossover and appreciably more than any other Mini. It may be bigger than the hardtop but it’s still small, and compares well to the Honda Civic Hatchback (24.6 cubic-feet and 46.3 overall), Volkswagen Golf GTI (19.9 and 34.5) and Mazda3 hatchback (20.1 and 47.1), all vehicles that are physically larger.

Few other small premium cars offer hatchbacks, but the Clubman is far better on cargo capacity than the sedans it might compete with, including the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class or BMW 2-Series Gran Coupe.

Style & Design: 8/10

The Clubman stretches the Mini hardtop into a small-scale station wagon and loses none of the model’s playful, vivid style in transition. The double side-hinged rear doors look and function like no other wagon and feature pretty chrome detail work and Union-Jack themed taillights. Like the other Minis, the Clubman’s interior is a retro-cool array of round dials and toggle switches, with clever ambient lighting. It looks and feels premium.

The John Cooper Works (JCW) edition turns up the “Sport Compact Car” vibe with larger air inlets, side skirts, a spoiler and aerodynamic mirror caps. A wide color palette and a vast array of personalization choices only improve the Clubman’s cool factor. 

Is the 2022 Mini Clubman Worth it? Which Clubman is the Best Value?

The base model Clubman Cooper S is our pick for the best value in the lineup and starts at a fairly reasonable $30,750, including an $850 destination fee. For this, you get the six-speed manual transmission, but availability has been constrained during 2022 and will continue to be so for 2023, so it might not be possible to find a manual or this price. 

The Automatic is a $1,500 stand-alone addition but is also included on the $4,600 Signature Trim. This package adds lots of niceties that make the Clubman feel like the premium car it is, including Apple CarPlay, Navigation, a Harmon-Kardon premium audio system and a panoramic sunroof. At $35,350 on the Monroney, there’s still plenty of value here, although the $1,250 Driver Assistance package also feels like a good addition.

From there, the price gets quite a bit higher on the JCW or with the $9,500 Iconic trim. Both bring nice extras, including the JCW’s fearsome performance and many extra luxury goodies, but the price begins to approach larger and more luxurious machinery.

How Much Does it Cost to Insure the Mini Clubman?

The Mini Clubman is generally less expensive to insure than its competitors. According to our data, a typical 30-year-old female driver with a clean record can expect an average annual premium of $1,994, though this averages all 50 states. JCW buyers can expect an annual premium of around $200 more. That compares to $2,566 for the Mercedes-Benz CLA, $2,335 for BMW’s 228i Gran Coupe and $2,400 for the Golf GTI, but only $1,798 for the Mazda3. To get a more accurate picture of your potential insurance expenses, visit our car insurance calculator.