Green
Trucks
Luxury
Family
Brand
Muscle
See more sites from  HighGear  M E D I A  >>
Compare this car to others like it Try our car compare tool now

2008 MINI Cooper Clubman Safety Review

July 28, 2008

SAFETY | 9 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

No rating
IIHS

No rating
NHTSA

side door “quite the marvel
Car and Driver

All U.S. 2008 MINI Cooper S Clubman models get a raft of standard safety gear, including six airbags, anti-lock brakes, electronic brake force distribution, Cornering Brake Control (CBC), and Brake Assistant. Stability and traction control with hill-start assistance are also standard. Drivers who worry about driving a manual gearbox in hilly areas will appreciate the hill-start feature, which holds the vehicle in place to give drivers time to move their right foot from the brake pedal to the accelerator.

Reviewers at TheCarConnection.com expect the 2008 MINI Cooper S Clubman, although a small car, to perform well in crash tests once the IIHS and NHTSA have their way with it. The smaller Cooper--MINI derives the Clubman from it--is highly rated in crash tests, and the Clubman shares enough of the car's architecture to expect that it will also earn good safety scores.

That controversial third door on the passenger side shows its utility in the safety department, where Car and Driver praises the door as "quite the marvel. It has an airbag, a seatbelt for the front passenger" and also aids in interior styling.

The front seatbelts on the Clubman also feature pre-tensioners that increase survivability in case of an accident. Kelley Blue Book mentions the car's standard "tire-pressure monitoring system," which both serves as a safety feature and helps maintain peak fuel economy by alerting the driver when the tires are underinflated.

Conclusion

The 2008 MINI Cooper Clubman has standout safety features but hasn’t been tested yet.

SAFETY | 9 out of 10Expert Quotes:No ratingIIHSNo ratingNHTSAside door “quite the marvelCar and Driver All U.S. 2008 MINI Cooper S Clubman models get a raft of standard safety gear, including six airbags, anti-lock brakes, electronic brake force distribution, Cornering Brake Control (CBC), and Brake Assistant. Stability and traction control with hill-start assistance are also standard. Drivers who worry about driving a manual gearbox in hilly areas will appreciate the hill-start feature, which holds the vehicle in place to give drivers time to move their right foot from the brake pedal to the accelerator. Reviewers at TheCarConnection.com expect the 2008 MINI Cooper S Clubman, although a small car, to perform well in crash tests once the IIHS and NHTSA have their way with it. The smaller Cooper--MINI derives the Clubman from it--is highly rated in crash tests, and the Clubman shares enough of the car's architecture to expect that it will also earn good safety scores. That controversial third door on the passenger side shows its utility in the safety department, where Car and Driver praises the door as "quite the marvel. It has an airbag, a seatbelt for the front passenger" and also aids in interior styling. The front seatbelts on the Clubman also feature pre-tensioners that increase survivability in case of an accident. Kelley Blue Book mentions the car's standard "tire-pressure monitoring system," which both serves as a safety feature and helps maintain peak fuel economy by alerting the driver when the tires are underinflated. ConclusionThe 2008 MINI Cooper Clubman has standout safety features but hasn’t been tested yet.  2008 MINI COOPER CLUBMAN STYLING | [9 out of 10] Automobile.com: "No last-minute stretch job" ConsumerGuide: "Unquestionable cuteness" Automobile: "An odd mix of taffy-stretched MINI Cooper and retro-pretentious bread van" Reviewers from around the Web generally approved of the ...

Read More of this Review:

  1. styling
  2. performance
  3. quality
  4. safety
  5. features

Other Choices:

The 2008 MINI Cooper S Clubman is not a car that's easily classified. Even though the Clubman is small, it's not a garden-variety subcompact like a Ford Focus or a Toyota Corolla. And because the Cooper S Clubman has a backseat and room for cargo, it's not a pure sportscar like a Mazda RX-8. Experts from TheCarConnection.com recommend these "other choices" for the 2008 MINI Cooper S Clubman because they offer practicality in a high-performance package. The excellent MazdaSpeed3 is truly anonymous next to the MINI Cooper, but it performs better. The Chevrolet HHR SS and Dodge Caliber SRT4 are two competent high-performance versions of otherwise pedestrian domestic cars, but they offer capable versatility with impressive power and handling. The A3 is another out-of-class MINI competitor, though with a few options, a Cooper S Clubman will quickly be in Audi pricing territory.

Next Steps:

Check Insurance Rates

for the 2008 MINI Cooper Clubman

Check Financing Rates

for the 2008 MINI Cooper Clubman

Check Local Classifieds

for a 2008 MINI Cooper Clubman near you

See the MINI Cooper Clubman in Other Years:

2010 | 2009 | 2008

Comments (0 total)

Be the first to post a comment

Post a comment

Post anonymously, or
(Required)
(Required - will not be published, sold or shared)
(Optional - your 'posted by' name will link to the URL)

Remember Me?

I have read TheCarConnection.com's privacy policy