The 2024 Mini Clubman is zippy and responsive, but with extra space and practicality

Pricing similarly defies categorization, slotting between mainstream and luxury. Then again, that’s another typical Mini attribute.

2024 Mini Clubman pricing

The 2024 Mini Clubman starts at $34,050. That’s for the Cooper S version in base Classic trim and with front-wheel drive. A top John Cooper Works version in Iconic trim and a few options could reach $51K.

2024 Mini Cooper S Clubman: $34,050
2024 Mini Cooper S All4 Clubman: $36,150
2024 Mini John Cooper Works Clubman All4: $42,400

These are the manufacturer’s suggested retail prices and do not include the $995 factory-to-dealer delivery fee (destination charge).

Small cars blending fun, practicality, and premium appointments aren’t exactly a thriving, well-populated category. But we suggest checking out the wonderful Volkswagen
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Golf GTI, priced from around $31K.

Before buying a new Clubman, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should be paying. Resale values are quite respectable.

Read: It’s sexy, it’s fast. It’s…the new Toyota Prius?

What’s new for 2024

There are no significant changes to the Mini Clubman this year.

Driving the 2024 Mini Clubman

Although the purest iteration of Mini driving thrills is the Hardtop 2 Door — with its smaller, shorter body — the 2024 Clubman still has plenty of goods to deliver. There’s certainly nothing lacking in the 189-horsepower Cooper S engine, despite the greater thrills coming in the John Cooper Works version.

There’s a certain way the steering responds to driver inputs, quick and precise, that is archetypal Mini. It’s always a pleasure, enlivening the commute and turning chores into joys. Those who need more interior space than a 2 Door Mini can provide, and are happy to forgo that final degree of amusement, will find the Clubman useful and entertaining.

Having all-wheel drive in the Cooper S could be a good thing for people who live in areas that usually have bad winters. Otherwise, a front-drive version will be fine.

However, it makes sense for the John Cooper Works car to drive all four wheels as standard. The effective application of 301 horsepower to the road requires more rubber than just the two front tires.

Not-so-mini interior

Up front, the 2024 Clubman has all the typical Mini attributes of aircraft-style switches, a thick-rimmed steering wheel, and the larger circular screen in the center of the dashboard. It’s spacious enough for most adults, including those of average size, and achieving an ideal driving position doesn’t take long. The Clubman’s reason for being, though, goes on behind the front seats.

Because the Clubman is longer than the Mini Hardtop 4 Door, there’s more rear legroom, 34.3 inches — an advantage of a couple of inches. Again, it’s completely bearable for those of average size.

Then there’s the extra cargo-carrying capacity. The usual luggage area measures 17.5 cubic feet (about sufficient for four golf bags). With the rear seats folded, that expands to an accommodating 47.9 cubic feet. Mini offers the option of splitting and folding the rear seats in a 40/20/40 configuration, while the standard arrangement is 60/40.

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Charming yet practical exterior

Like the interior, it’s all the usual Mini fare in the front portion. Beyond the middle pillar is when the car becomes the Clubman. It has a pair of rear passenger doors as standard, plus a wagon-esque rear end that helps with headroom and cargo capacity alike. These side-hinged double rear doors are flanked by taillights bearing a British flag (Union Jack) design. The Clubman also offers a multi-tone roof featuring three bands of colors.

Our favorite features and tech

Rear cargo doors
These are what make the Mini Clubman special. They open out in a “barn door” manner rather than opening up with a roof-mounted hinge. It’s a little homage to the Clubmans of old.

Dynamic Damper Control
Most buyers of the John Cooper Works models will probably like the fact that its model-specific standard sport suspension is firm enough for cornering shenanigans. But for those who’d like the best of both worlds, this optional adaptive suspension allows drivers to switch between sporty and comfort settings.

Rear parking sensors
With its short-ish body and squared-off tail, the Clubman is relatively easy to park anyway, but these standard sensors add an extra bit of confidence.

Parking Assistant
For those really tricky spaces, this feature (which comes in the top Iconic trim) takes care of the steering, throttle, and brakes.

Harman Kardon audio
This comes as standard in the top Iconic trims of the Cooper S Clubman and the John Cooper Works model. Harmon Kardon audio is also found in many BMWs,
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so that’s a strong endorsement.

John Cooper Works
As long as buyers are happy with the firm sport-tuned suspension, this 301-horsepower/all-wheel-drive machine can be big fun during all four seasons.

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Engine and transmission

All 2024 Clubman variants are propelled by a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine. Cooper S models have a healthy 189 horsepower and 206 lb-ft of torque, while John Cooper Works versions deploy an impressive 301 horsepower and 331 lb-ft of torque. For a little context here, the Honda Civic Type R (the one all the hot-hatch fanboys are fawning over) only has 14 more horses and 21 lb-ft less torque.

The standard transmission with the Cooper S engine is a 6-speed manual. A 7-speed automatic is optional. Front-wheel drive (FWD) is the default configuration with all-wheel drive (AWD) — also known as ALL4 in Mini’s world — available as an option.

Although quite pricey, the more powerful John Cooper Works drivetrain also comes with all-wheel drive and an 8-speed automatic transmission as standard.

Mini recommends using premium gasoline with either engine.

Clubman Cooper S
2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine
189 horsepower @ 5,000 rpm
206 lb-ft of torque @ 1,350 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy (2023): 22/32 mpg (FWD, manual), 25/35 mpg (FWD, auto), 23/32 mpg (AWD, auto)

Clubman John Cooper Works ALL4
2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine
301 horsepower @ 5,000 rpm
331 lb-ft of torque @ 1,750 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy (2023): 23/31 mpg

More Mini Clubman fuel economy information is available on the EPA’s website.

Read next: It looks like fun, and it is: Subaru has redesigned the Crosstrek for 2024

4-year/50,000-mile warranty

Mini has new-car and powertrain warranties lasting for four years or 50,000 miles, whichever happens first.

KBB’s car review  methodology.

This story originally ran on KBB.com.