We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on the Business Car website. However, if you would like to, you can change your cookies at any time
The start point for the best source of fleet information |
Mini Clubman
|
|
||||||||
Finding a rival to the Mini Clubman isn't easy. Although the car is described by BMW as a five-door estate and it's based on a supermini, its rivals aren't supermini estates.
The reason is that, where a traditional estate would be the much more practical, load-lugging version of the car it is based on, the Mini Clubman could not be described as a load-lugger. And it's nowhere near as practical as a regular supermini estate.
However, if you are a fan of the regular Mini but need that little bit more room, either in the boot or for rear-seat passengers (not that access is easy with only one suicide door on the 'wrong' side of the car), then the Clubman will answer your problems.
A better reason to buy the car would be for its distinctive looks. You have to go a long way back in the BusinessCar test archives to find a car that has drawn as many comments as the Clubman, and all were positive.
This kind of feedback will translate into demand and you can bet BMW will be able to sell every Mini Clubman it can build, which will mean impressive residual values - possibly even better than those of the regular Mini.
Which brings us to the reasons businesses should consider the Mini Clubman - costs. At a lowly 21.5p a mile, bosses can have the Holy Grail of business transport; happy drivers at a low cost. It's no wonder the Mini repeatedly wins the BusinessCar award in the supermini category - nothing can get near it. As the panel shows, the Mini Clubman's rivals are all at least 3ppm more expensive, despite the Clubman's significantly higher initial purchase price.
The magic of a high price and low running costs comes down to two main areas. Firstly, a level of depreciation that is about £1300 lower than that of its rivals and, secondly, the fact that the Clubman gains BMW's Efficient Dynamics green package from day one. That means the 1.6-litre petrol Cooper version is blessed with a low CO2 figure of 132g/km and an impressive official fuel figure of 51.4mpg.
The Mini, even now that it's in Clubman form, may not be the most practical car available, but it's easily a head and a heart winner.
BusinessCar magazine ©2019
Business Car Magazine © 2020 | Business Car is part of NS Media Group.
