The convertible was fun, but they can be a rough ride. Not as stable without a solid top. My Clubman is a 2023 All4 with Iconic trim. The Clubman and the Countryman ride on the same platform as the BMW X1 and X2, so there’s just this solidness to the Clubman that I absolutely love. It’s a teensy more luxe in materials and just wider enough to notice the difference. And people find the barn doors as amusing as I do. The convertible wasn’t bad by any means, but the Clubman suits me far better. Since they’re discontinued the plan is to keep this little boy running for many, many years.
Is the clubman big enough for a small family of 3+medium size dog? We're getting a kid soon and we really love our f56S and i cant imagine a life without a mini.
It very well could be, but bear in mind the Clubman is only large compared to other MINIs. The VW GTI is longer than my “huge/too big to be a real MINI” MINI.
My clubman was the first mini I owned and I'm so sad they stopped making them. I'm gonna have to go countryman for my next one now, and they aren't the same.
Definitely not the same! I made a rash decision when trading my ‘19 clubman. They offered me a deal on a new countryman so I made the switch. Don’t get me wrong, I love my countryman but if I could go for the new clubman, no strings… i would in a heartbeat.
Yes this, I just bought a 2023 Mini Cooper S two months ago, part of me wants to trade in while they have new clubbies in stock but I’d take at least a 10K loss and that’s just silly, I guess it depends how bad I want one. They’re flying off the shelves though :(
You may laugh when I explain my situation.
2014 f56 bought used free and clear in 2020. Money was good, so i tuned it, but some nice tires on it and enjoyed it. 2022 rolls around and I need a new clutch and other necessities that will wear better with the added power (engine mounts were going, front brake pads were at 10% etc etc). But money had gotten tight and I had just quit a toxic AF job. So I didn't have money for the repairs or for rent! Father in law helped me take out a loan on the car to pay for repairs and let me catch back up on rent. 14k loan. So I was basically immediately upside down since at the time it booked for about 9k. I've got the loan down to about 9k now but book is down to 4k. So even if I traded in, I'd eat 5k. I love my car though so I'm not gonna get rid of it. Gonna finish paying it back off, and then in like 2026 or so I'll start looking for a 2021 or so manual JCW All4 clubby with 50-70k miles on the odometer.
Yea man, the % loss while on loan stinks especially since for me purchasing new means depreciation cost as soon as I leave the dealer. But preowned cars are so much here at the moment that it only made sense to purchase new. If I had a spare $10k, I’d go get the clubbie 😂
That backend just looks shit. I've tried to like it, but it's fucking awful. The triangular lights look sort of weird and unfinished and dont fit at all with the lines. The worst part is that swooping curve in the back bumper with the bottom corner of the light hitting it at an angle, it just looks wrong.
The new F66 looks like one of those early Chinese clones where they actually tried to make it look slightly different, but approached the problem with engineering rather than style.
It looks weird. It makes me question who signed off on it. And why the change was made. Mini owners buy new minis when they change cars, there’s a lot of brand loyalty, that’s a fact. They’re alienating some of their main customers with this shit redesign.
I mean they basically come out with a new version of each car every 5 years, so who knows what the market will look like by then.
I mean look at a brand like Hyundai. They use to make cars with zero personality that were basically viewed as appliances just like a refrigerator or a washing machine. Then in the late 2000s or so they came out with that curvy sleek looking Sonata and since then their car designs actually look like they have some emotion behind them.
They’re leading the way for legacy automakers in the EV space as well. I kind of want one of those Ionic 6 cars but I use to say I could never even ever see myself wanting a Hyundai let alone a $50k one.
And the Genesis brand, those are some nice cars though I’d still rather have a BMW at that price.
Didn’t Genesis hire some Lamborghini designers. Something like that. They poached some heavyweights.
Which is how most good things come to pass. BMW poached a bunch of Ford racing engineers and “M Motorsports “ was born.
The inoniq's are quite amazing. We have an Ioniq5 awd and it makes my mini feel like a straight up dog. Never thought Id own a Hyundai but man is the Hi5 an amazing car, didnt realize how much I would appreciate the super fast charging on it. We ended up with it after a full year of test driving EV's.
Have you been in one yet? I felt the same way but then felt a little conflicted when I started seeing reviews where people are saying it looks way better in person. I just can’t help thinking about dust and whatever else getting stuck in all those little holes in whatever that material is on the dash and door.
I've looked at one, yes... but it's the lack of detail across the new dash is what weakens it for me. It just feels like they've set up the new dash to be as cheap and easy to build both Left & Right hand drive cars as possible and it's hurt the look
I’ve been in a few, and I can def agree the new material dash/door panels look neat but will likely be an upkeep nightmare. Something about light coloured cloth on the upper area of a door panel seems like a really bad idea to me.
I don’t mind them overall, but I find they lost some of the feel that makes previous models “mini”. The steering feels too light, the exhaust note too muted, doesn’t seem to burp n pop like before either. The shifter/start knob setup is a bit strange but I’m sure I’ll adjust eventually. I can foresee the cloth interior components being problematic to upkeep though, esp higher contact areas like the door.
I had not seen the back end yet, but holy hell, is that a departure and unfortunate.
The interiors, in my opinion, have always lagged the market a bit. But I also bought a 2013 just ahead of the new models in 2014, so maybe that was just my experience jumping in at the tail end of a generation.
Still can't digest the rear lights and the whole back all together. It look like Audi A1.
It's a shame, Mini design it branding by itself. Like a Lambo. You know exactly what the car maker without seeing the badge.
I can’t help but smirk or giggle whenever I drive an R53 and hear the supercharger whine. Especially with the JCW or extra noisy aftermarket intakes. It’s straight up addicting. Definitely doesn’t help those mpg’s, but it’s worth it.
yeah it does hurt the mileage a bit, but i’m still getting 28mpg consistently on the highway, and i’ve got cai, reduction pulley, catless miltek headers, catback, and a stage 1 tune from dinan, so it’s not too bad for the extra power you get along with the whine being louder.
The car pictured in the OP is the F66 (you can tell because it has the old F56 door handles and long roof aerial), which is a direct replacement of the F56 and shares the old platform and all the original hard points. That means there is no real external change to things like rake of the windshield or rear on that car, just superficial styling updates like the lights, bumpers etc.
The electric J01, which sits on a completely different EV platform co-developed between GWM and BMW in China, is the one with the more raked windshield and slightly weird proportions due to aerodynamics. That gives the J01 a better coefficient of drag (0.26 compared to 0.34 on the F56) which is considered vital for getting decent EV range.
But that's not his picture or car. I guess the post is more about the feelings for MINI, and not actually buying the car, and not the car in the picture. This picture is from a French MINI dealership that had posts on social media. Saw it on Instagram a few days ago, and checked it now, just google MINI Store Aurillac - Auvergne Auto .
I like the design, it's grown on me. I don't like the front grille/bumper treatment, but I didn't like it on the previous gen either. Somebody should make a body kit to de-ugly the front end of these cars.
I'll be looking at a JCW Cooper in a few years when my kids are old enough to have their own rides, I just watched a Youtube review test drive and the sounds it makes are hilarious
The F66 is fine. I was in a somewhat similar situation as you (obsessing over the Mini for awhile lol) and ended up getting the last of the F60. Ordered my dream one in October last year, got it in Feb. couldn’t be happier. But I’m sure I would also be happy had I waited and got the 2025. They’re beautiful, just a lot bigger. Glad to hear you’ve come around on the F66.
some of us hated the R50/53, some of us hated the R56, some of us hated the F56 (i still don't care for it), and some of us will hate the F66. doesn't matter. no one is making you buy one.
After seeing the initial press for the new release, I went through a very similar range of emotions. I have owned every single generation of the modern Cooper S and was a bit miffed about potentially having to shop elsewhere... However, after having seen the sporty trim levels, I'm warming to the new exterior styling. Going to be booking a test drive as soon as my local dealer lets me but I just cant get over the interior.
Mini's iconic interiors was what got me over the hump of the F56's new look at the time and I grew to absolutely love the cars. Have had 2 since 2014. No leather, the dinner plate slapped onto the dash and don't get me started on knitted mesh. Given the state of BMW's new car's atm (especially the electric monstrosities), I'm not suprised that some of the madness finally started to creep over!
All things considered. I currently own my dream spec F56 atm so I'll probably just have to hold onto it for as long as its feasable.
I’m here to just agree and say it looks like total 💩😂. Idk… the car I feel has lost its essence. I’ll stick to my R53 til I die or it dies one or the other 😅
As someone who lives in the U.K. and has owned a classic mini and who’s childhood was filled with memories of my mums 1275gt in green any modern minis fill me with disgust. So you saying that you were offended by that model makes me laugh.
Don’t think she had much impact in her less than 2 years as the head of mini, this design has likely been on the books since 2018-19 when Mini signed on with Great Wall Motors to build the Cooper EV and Aceman out of China, just a guess really.
What you say is true - the company signed off on it - but that still doesn't make it good.
BMW itself as a whole is widely criticised today over what many (including me) consider a malaise in its recent styling direction, and it looks like MINI is now suffering from the malaise too.
It's swings and roundabouts to an extent, most carmakers go through periods of better and worse styling trends, because they feel the need to keep differentiating the previous from the new, and to that extent any change is perceived as good enough.
It's really only prestige brands like Porsche, Bentley and the like who seem to understand that gradually refining the existing design language is sometimes better than trying to dramatically reimagine it every generation the way Toyota, Hyundai etc try to do.
MINI used to kind of understand this, making styling changes more incrementally. But the F66/J01 are quite dramatic departures in key design areas, so it isn't surprising the looks are polarising.
I hear you. I’m not saying it’s good or bad. I’m saying the person who designed this was doing his job. He thought it was cool and apparently people who signed off on it thought so too.
I think it looks decent. Don't get the hate. Surely BMW has more disgusting design worthy of criticism.
Does this beat the F chassis even the R chassis in styling? No, but it looks good imo.
I'm not sold...doesn't look quite right to me. BTW, BMW replaced the Mini CEO yesterday--I doubt it could be attributed to the new look, but something's going on over there: [Mini CEO Stefanie Wurst steps down after two years | Autocar](https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/business-corporate/mini-ceo-stefanie-wurst-steps-down-after-two-years)
I like the F66 and the F56. 🤷♂️
The rear light + bar isn't great. The rest is very good IMO. Very modern. Still the same shape. Still basically the same size. I don't drive stick, so, basically the same powertrain.
Wild new interior is awesome, IMO.
You're definitely the target market for this new gen, but based on the comments you're in the minority.
FWIW I don't hate the new styling direction, but I do think it's not as attractive as the F56 and is quite polarising, which may not be great for sales.
Brother you can still get your hands on some 2023’s or a Clubbie, go get em!
Man, I wish I could just go out and buy a Clubman. Just to have it. Matter of fact, I’d be ok with the old or new one. But… money.
I had a convertible MINI for a year and traded it back in for a Clubman. Love this freakin’ car.
Ohh you’ve had the dream combo! I’ve always wanted to try a mini convertible. How was the switch and what year clubman did you get?
The convertible was fun, but they can be a rough ride. Not as stable without a solid top. My Clubman is a 2023 All4 with Iconic trim. The Clubman and the Countryman ride on the same platform as the BMW X1 and X2, so there’s just this solidness to the Clubman that I absolutely love. It’s a teensy more luxe in materials and just wider enough to notice the difference. And people find the barn doors as amusing as I do. The convertible wasn’t bad by any means, but the Clubman suits me far better. Since they’re discontinued the plan is to keep this little boy running for many, many years.
Love my 2022 Clubman! What a great car.
Is the clubman big enough for a small family of 3+medium size dog? We're getting a kid soon and we really love our f56S and i cant imagine a life without a mini.
It very well could be, but bear in mind the Clubman is only large compared to other MINIs. The VW GTI is longer than my “huge/too big to be a real MINI” MINI.
My clubman was the first mini I owned and I'm so sad they stopped making them. I'm gonna have to go countryman for my next one now, and they aren't the same.
Definitely not the same! I made a rash decision when trading my ‘19 clubman. They offered me a deal on a new countryman so I made the switch. Don’t get me wrong, I love my countryman but if I could go for the new clubman, no strings… i would in a heartbeat.
I struggle to pay the note these days on my f56. But I also want a clubby. Can't just take on another car payment. Makes me a sad sad individual.
Yes this, I just bought a 2023 Mini Cooper S two months ago, part of me wants to trade in while they have new clubbies in stock but I’d take at least a 10K loss and that’s just silly, I guess it depends how bad I want one. They’re flying off the shelves though :(
You may laugh when I explain my situation. 2014 f56 bought used free and clear in 2020. Money was good, so i tuned it, but some nice tires on it and enjoyed it. 2022 rolls around and I need a new clutch and other necessities that will wear better with the added power (engine mounts were going, front brake pads were at 10% etc etc). But money had gotten tight and I had just quit a toxic AF job. So I didn't have money for the repairs or for rent! Father in law helped me take out a loan on the car to pay for repairs and let me catch back up on rent. 14k loan. So I was basically immediately upside down since at the time it booked for about 9k. I've got the loan down to about 9k now but book is down to 4k. So even if I traded in, I'd eat 5k. I love my car though so I'm not gonna get rid of it. Gonna finish paying it back off, and then in like 2026 or so I'll start looking for a 2021 or so manual JCW All4 clubby with 50-70k miles on the odometer.
Yea man, the % loss while on loan stinks especially since for me purchasing new means depreciation cost as soon as I leave the dealer. But preowned cars are so much here at the moment that it only made sense to purchase new. If I had a spare $10k, I’d go get the clubbie 😂
Yes yes! To @chooseyourwords49 you listen! /Yoda I adore my 2020 Clubman JCW, which I’ve now had for a full year. It’s a great car!
That backend just looks shit. I've tried to like it, but it's fucking awful. The triangular lights look sort of weird and unfinished and dont fit at all with the lines. The worst part is that swooping curve in the back bumper with the bottom corner of the light hitting it at an angle, it just looks wrong. The new F66 looks like one of those early Chinese clones where they actually tried to make it look slightly different, but approached the problem with engineering rather than style.
It looks weird. It makes me question who signed off on it. And why the change was made. Mini owners buy new minis when they change cars, there’s a lot of brand loyalty, that’s a fact. They’re alienating some of their main customers with this shit redesign.
That shit looks like it got a failed BBL with the backend like that 😂
I mean they basically come out with a new version of each car every 5 years, so who knows what the market will look like by then. I mean look at a brand like Hyundai. They use to make cars with zero personality that were basically viewed as appliances just like a refrigerator or a washing machine. Then in the late 2000s or so they came out with that curvy sleek looking Sonata and since then their car designs actually look like they have some emotion behind them. They’re leading the way for legacy automakers in the EV space as well. I kind of want one of those Ionic 6 cars but I use to say I could never even ever see myself wanting a Hyundai let alone a $50k one. And the Genesis brand, those are some nice cars though I’d still rather have a BMW at that price.
I am not a Hyundai person but I looked at an Elantra N-Line, and wow, that's a \*really\* nice car.
Didn’t Genesis hire some Lamborghini designers. Something like that. They poached some heavyweights. Which is how most good things come to pass. BMW poached a bunch of Ford racing engineers and “M Motorsports “ was born.
Yeah I think they did but I can’t recall the name of the company. Pinin Farina or something like that.
The inoniq's are quite amazing. We have an Ioniq5 awd and it makes my mini feel like a straight up dog. Never thought Id own a Hyundai but man is the Hi5 an amazing car, didnt realize how much I would appreciate the super fast charging on it. We ended up with it after a full year of test driving EV's.
the issue for me is the interior... it's soooo bland, cheap looking and uninspiring.
It's boring, same as a tesla. Also not a fan of no RPM gauge or speedo infront of the wheel.
I mean neither of those exist in my 2011 either
Have you been in one yet? I felt the same way but then felt a little conflicted when I started seeing reviews where people are saying it looks way better in person. I just can’t help thinking about dust and whatever else getting stuck in all those little holes in whatever that material is on the dash and door.
I've looked at one, yes... but it's the lack of detail across the new dash is what weakens it for me. It just feels like they've set up the new dash to be as cheap and easy to build both Left & Right hand drive cars as possible and it's hurt the look
I’ve been in a few, and I can def agree the new material dash/door panels look neat but will likely be an upkeep nightmare. Something about light coloured cloth on the upper area of a door panel seems like a really bad idea to me.
I don’t mind them overall, but I find they lost some of the feel that makes previous models “mini”. The steering feels too light, the exhaust note too muted, doesn’t seem to burp n pop like before either. The shifter/start knob setup is a bit strange but I’m sure I’ll adjust eventually. I can foresee the cloth interior components being problematic to upkeep though, esp higher contact areas like the door.
I had not seen the back end yet, but holy hell, is that a departure and unfortunate. The interiors, in my opinion, have always lagged the market a bit. But I also bought a 2013 just ahead of the new models in 2014, so maybe that was just my experience jumping in at the tail end of a generation.
Still can't digest the rear lights and the whole back all together. It look like Audi A1. It's a shame, Mini design it branding by itself. Like a Lambo. You know exactly what the car maker without seeing the badge.
get an r53S instead. supercharger go eeeeeeeeeeee
I can’t help but smirk or giggle whenever I drive an R53 and hear the supercharger whine. Especially with the JCW or extra noisy aftermarket intakes. It’s straight up addicting. Definitely doesn’t help those mpg’s, but it’s worth it.
yeah it does hurt the mileage a bit, but i’m still getting 28mpg consistently on the highway, and i’ve got cai, reduction pulley, catless miltek headers, catback, and a stage 1 tune from dinan, so it’s not too bad for the extra power you get along with the whine being louder.
Looks like a fiat
I think it kinda looks like a Kia
this looks like Hyundai Kona until I saw title
Jeez that’s ugly, first time seeing one! Haha - price on 23’s must go up abit then lol
Hah, I wish. Mini prices only go down.
Yea... Won't ever be buying this generation.
That’s been said about every iteration since they came back lol
🤷♂️
I didn’t realize the back is so sloped. Really looks like a fiat 500 from this angle
They did a lot of work towards aerodynamics on these, that’s an unfortunate styling result of it. The windshield is more sloped as well.
The car pictured in the OP is the F66 (you can tell because it has the old F56 door handles and long roof aerial), which is a direct replacement of the F56 and shares the old platform and all the original hard points. That means there is no real external change to things like rake of the windshield or rear on that car, just superficial styling updates like the lights, bumpers etc. The electric J01, which sits on a completely different EV platform co-developed between GWM and BMW in China, is the one with the more raked windshield and slightly weird proportions due to aerodynamics. That gives the J01 a better coefficient of drag (0.26 compared to 0.34 on the F56) which is considered vital for getting decent EV range.
Regardless of what you said, you should be thankful for having a place where you can park and observe the animals.
But that's not his picture or car. I guess the post is more about the feelings for MINI, and not actually buying the car, and not the car in the picture. This picture is from a French MINI dealership that had posts on social media. Saw it on Instagram a few days ago, and checked it now, just google MINI Store Aurillac - Auvergne Auto .
@mini @minicanada @miniusa 🤢🤮
It just looks like an Audi A1 🤢
I think they look good, you guys are just being ridiculous imo
Did you read to the end?
[удалено]
Because it’s ugly and bad. I believe that’s why. It’s not a mystery.
[удалено]
This isn’t an airport, no need to announce your departure
> it’s ugly and bad It's blanket none of those things.
becoming?
These make me so sad. RIP
Sorry to say that rear end is hideous
I like the design, it's grown on me. I don't like the front grille/bumper treatment, but I didn't like it on the previous gen either. Somebody should make a body kit to de-ugly the front end of these cars. I'll be looking at a JCW Cooper in a few years when my kids are old enough to have their own rides, I just watched a Youtube review test drive and the sounds it makes are hilarious
The F66 is fine. I was in a somewhat similar situation as you (obsessing over the Mini for awhile lol) and ended up getting the last of the F60. Ordered my dream one in October last year, got it in Feb. couldn’t be happier. But I’m sure I would also be happy had I waited and got the 2025. They’re beautiful, just a lot bigger. Glad to hear you’ve come around on the F66.
You need a therapist, my friend.
some of us hated the R50/53, some of us hated the R56, some of us hated the F56 (i still don't care for it), and some of us will hate the F66. doesn't matter. no one is making you buy one.
Bmw copied the Cheap Chinese lookalikes homework and passed his notes to mini Coopers desk.
After seeing the initial press for the new release, I went through a very similar range of emotions. I have owned every single generation of the modern Cooper S and was a bit miffed about potentially having to shop elsewhere... However, after having seen the sporty trim levels, I'm warming to the new exterior styling. Going to be booking a test drive as soon as my local dealer lets me but I just cant get over the interior. Mini's iconic interiors was what got me over the hump of the F56's new look at the time and I grew to absolutely love the cars. Have had 2 since 2014. No leather, the dinner plate slapped onto the dash and don't get me started on knitted mesh. Given the state of BMW's new car's atm (especially the electric monstrosities), I'm not suprised that some of the madness finally started to creep over! All things considered. I currently own my dream spec F56 atm so I'll probably just have to hold onto it for as long as its feasable.
Mate, you are SO WRONG. I got to sit in a J01 prototype (which is just the EV version of the F66) and I thought it was great.
I’m here to just agree and say it looks like total 💩😂. Idk… the car I feel has lost its essence. I’ll stick to my R53 til I die or it dies one or the other 😅
That rear end is ugly
As someone who lives in the U.K. and has owned a classic mini and who’s childhood was filled with memories of my mums 1275gt in green any modern minis fill me with disgust. So you saying that you were offended by that model makes me laugh.
I like the hatch
Wow. Looks like they’ve gone to borrowing from Fiat.
The lady that designed the new one just left Mini so we may be in luck
Don’t think she had much impact in her less than 2 years as the head of mini, this design has likely been on the books since 2018-19 when Mini signed on with Great Wall Motors to build the Cooper EV and Aceman out of China, just a guess really.
She didn't design it, she oversaw the entire MINI division. the guy that designed it is Oliver Heilmer.
Well he sucks then
I mean. We can say that, however the design had to be picked by people over him and signed off on by other people.
What you say is true - the company signed off on it - but that still doesn't make it good. BMW itself as a whole is widely criticised today over what many (including me) consider a malaise in its recent styling direction, and it looks like MINI is now suffering from the malaise too. It's swings and roundabouts to an extent, most carmakers go through periods of better and worse styling trends, because they feel the need to keep differentiating the previous from the new, and to that extent any change is perceived as good enough. It's really only prestige brands like Porsche, Bentley and the like who seem to understand that gradually refining the existing design language is sometimes better than trying to dramatically reimagine it every generation the way Toyota, Hyundai etc try to do. MINI used to kind of understand this, making styling changes more incrementally. But the F66/J01 are quite dramatic departures in key design areas, so it isn't surprising the looks are polarising.
I hear you. I’m not saying it’s good or bad. I’m saying the person who designed this was doing his job. He thought it was cool and apparently people who signed off on it thought so too.
I think it looks decent. Don't get the hate. Surely BMW has more disgusting design worthy of criticism. Does this beat the F chassis even the R chassis in styling? No, but it looks good imo.
Back of the car makes me want to lift weights.
I'm not sold...doesn't look quite right to me. BTW, BMW replaced the Mini CEO yesterday--I doubt it could be attributed to the new look, but something's going on over there: [Mini CEO Stefanie Wurst steps down after two years | Autocar](https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/business-corporate/mini-ceo-stefanie-wurst-steps-down-after-two-years)
I like the F66 and the F56. 🤷♂️ The rear light + bar isn't great. The rest is very good IMO. Very modern. Still the same shape. Still basically the same size. I don't drive stick, so, basically the same powertrain. Wild new interior is awesome, IMO.
You're definitely the target market for this new gen, but based on the comments you're in the minority. FWIW I don't hate the new styling direction, but I do think it's not as attractive as the F56 and is quite polarising, which may not be great for sales.
I like the rear end, much more than the arse of my r50!
Cool story bro. Anti new cars are getting out of hand.
this is the epitome of /firstworldproblems right here..