DESPITE all the accusations that the MINI was too big, it was still too small to appeal to many 'lifestyle' customers, writes Andy Enright.

They needed something with a bigger boot. A long time before the hefty Countryman was a twinkle in it a product planner's eye, the Clubman answered the call.

A four-door estate version of the MINI it added a little practicality without taking anything from the driving experience.

What To Look For

Many of the teething troubles that afflicted the previous generation MINI have been laid to rest with the latest car. The 1.6-litre petrol engines, built in the UK at Hams Hall and shared with Peugeot, are some of the best in their class and have proven a good deal sturdier than the 1.6-litre powerplants of the older car. Likewise, interior quality has moved on leaps and bounds.

Check for uneven tyre wear on the Cooper S and JCW models and also make sure that the rear seats fold without the catches sticking.

On The Road

The engine merits investigation. The early Clubman One model uses a 95bhp 1.4-litre engine while the diesel in the MINI Cooper D offers plenty of torque.

The cars that have provoked the biggest clamour, the Cooper and Cooper S, both use versions of the same 1.6-litre powerplant.

The Cooper is normally aspirated, initially being propelled by a 119bhp engine that will get it from rest to 60mph in 8.9 seconds and on to a top speed of 126mph. The Cooper S gets an intercooled and turbocharged version of this engine that was at first good for 175bhp and would punt it through 60mph in 7.5 seconds.

The revised 184bhp Cooper S Clubman makes 60mph in 7.2s and hits 142mph. If economy is your number one priority, the 64mpg Cooper D will take some beating.

Also fitted as standard on Cooper models are run flat tyres. These are also fitted to the Copper S versions specified with the 16-inch alloy wheels. These tyres have a range of at least 90 miles in the event of a puncture and also mean that valuable space in the car isn't taken up with packaging a spare wheel.

Overall

The MINI Clubman is a bit of an odd one. Although many will be attracted to it by the promise of added space, it doesn't offer the sort of interior space you'd get in a supermini like a Renault Clio.

Still, you do get a very well engineered car that's great to drive, has proven very reliable, will probably have been serviced on the button and looks extremely cool.