Difference Between a Mini Cooper and a Mini Cooper Clubman

The first thing that sets these two cars apart is their body style. The Mini Cooper features a more traditional hatchback style with two doors and a compact trunk. The Clubman is slightly larger and longer with a larger trunk, taking on more of a “Shooting Brake” or wagon style. Whereas the Cooper has a pop-up hatchback trunk lid, the Clubman features a split-door trunk for great utility.

Another key difference between these two Minis is their interior volume. The Cooper is a snug compact with 5.7 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seat up and 24 cubic feet with the rear seat down. The Clubman offers a greater carrying capacity with 9.2 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seat up and 32.8 cubic feet with the rear seat down.

Both vehicles come standard with the same 16-valve, fourr-cylinder engine, albeit with a few subtle differences. Both cars have 121 horsepower and can reach a top speed of 126 miles per hour, but the Clubman has 118 foot-pounds of torque whereas the Cooper has 114 foot-pounds of torque. This is because the Clubman is larger and heavier. Because of its extra weight, the Clubman does zero to 60 miles per hour in 8.9 seconds while the Cooper does it in 8.4 seconds. Also, the Clubman gets roughly 28/21 city/highway miles per gallon while the Cooper does slightly better at 29/37 city/highway miles per gallon.

Both vehicles come with the same standard features and options, including the same manual and automatic gearboxes, the same safety features and the same No Cost Mini Maintenance Program. The one difference is that the Clubman comes with a flat load floor, in which a cargo cover turns the floor compartment in the trunk flat for more carrying space.

Both vehicles feature an affordable MSRP and are very close in terms of price. As of 2011, the Cooper starts at $20,100 while the Clubman starts at $21,800.