Compare the2023 MINI Cooper ClubmanVS 2023 Subaru Forester

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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The MINI Cooper Clubman has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Forester doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The Cooper Clubman has a standard PostCrash iBrake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Forester doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Compared to metal, the Cooper Clubman’s plastic fuel tank can withstand harder, more intrusive impacts without leaking; this decreases the possibility of fire. The Subaru Forester has a metal gas tank.

Both the Cooper Clubman and the Forester have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and available front parking sensors.

Warranty

The Cooper Clubman comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Forester’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Cooper Clubman’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Forester’s (12 vs. 5 years).

MINI pays for scheduled maintenance on the Cooper Clubman for 3 years and 36,000 miles. MINI will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Subaru doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Forester.

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Cooper Clubman’s reliability 14 points higher than the Forester.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that MINI vehicles are better in initial quality than Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks MINI above average in initial quality. With 23 more problems per 100 vehicles, Subaru is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that MINI vehicles are more reliable than Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks MINI above average in long-term dependability. With 19 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Subaru is rated below average.

Engine

The Cooper Clubman S’ standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 7 more horsepower (189 vs. 182) and 30 lbs.-ft. more torque (206 vs. 176) than the Forester’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The JCW Clubman’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 119 more horsepower (301 vs. 182) and 155 lbs.-ft. more torque (331 vs. 176) than the Forester’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Cooper Clubman S is faster than the Subaru Forester (automatics tested):

	Cooper Clubman	Forester
Zero to 60 MPH	6.4 sec	8.5 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	17.1 sec	23.7 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	6.8 sec	9 sec
Passing 30 to 50 MPH	3.3 sec	4.3 sec
Passing 50 to 70 MPH	4.7 sec	5.9 sec
Quarter Mile	15 sec	16.6 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	94 MPH	86 MPH
Top Speed	142 MPH	127 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Cooper Clubman gets better mileage than the Forester:

			MPG
Cooper Clubman
FWD	Auto	S 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	25 city/35 hwy
AWD	Auto	S 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/32 hwy
		JCW 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/31 hwy
Forester
AWD	Auto	Wilderness 2.5 DOHC flat-4	25 city/28 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the Cooper Clubman’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Forester doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

Transmission

The Cooper Clubman Auto’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Forester doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Cooper Clubman’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Forester:

	Cooper Clubman S	JCW Clubman	Forester Base	Forester
Front Rotors	12.1 inches	14.2 inches	11.6 inches	12.4 inches
Rear Rotors	11 inches	13 inches	11.2 inches	11.2 inches

The Cooper Clubman stops much shorter than the Forester:

	Cooper Clubman	Forester
70 to 0 MPH	160 feet	181 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	107 feet	129 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the JCW Clubman’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Forester (235/35R19 vs. 225/60R17).

The Cooper Clubman S’ standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Forester’s standard 60 series tires. The JCW Clubman’s optional tires have a lower 35 series profile than the Forester Sport/Limited/Touring’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the JCW Clubman offers optional 19-inch wheels. The Forester’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the Cooper Clubman can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Forester doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Cooper Clubman offers an optional driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads. The Forester’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Cooper Clubman S handles at .91 G’s, while the Forester Wilderness pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Cooper Clubman S ALL4 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.6 seconds quicker than the Forester Touring (26.5 seconds @ .67 average G’s vs. 28.1 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

Chassis

The Cooper Clubman is 1 foot, 2.2 inches shorter than the Forester, making the Cooper Clubman easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Cooper Clubman is 10.8 inches shorter in height than the Forester, making the Cooper Clubman much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

Passenger Space

The rear step up height for the Cooper Clubman is 2.3 inches lower than the Forester (15” vs. 17.25”).

Cargo Capacity

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the Cooper Clubman easier. The Cooper Clubman’s trunk lift-over height is 27.2 inches, while the Forester’s liftover is 28.4 inches.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Cooper Clubman’s available cargo door can be opened just by waving your foot, leaving your hands completely free. The Forester doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Servicing Ease

The Cooper Clubman uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Forester uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that MINI service is better than Subaru. J.D. Power ranks MINI fourth in service department satisfaction. With a 21% lower rating, Subaru is ranked 16th.

Ergonomics

The Cooper Clubman offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Forester doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The power windows standard on both the Cooper Clubman and the Forester have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Cooper Clubman is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Forester prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Cooper Clubman’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Forester’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically. With the Forester Premium/Sport/Wilderness/Limited/Touring’s power windows, only the front windows open or close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Cooper Clubman the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Forester can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Cooper Clubman’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Forester’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Cooper Clubman to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Forester doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The Cooper Clubman offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Forester doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To better shield the driver’s vision, the Cooper Clubman has a standard dual-element sun visor that can block glare from two directions simultaneously. The Forester doesn’t offer a secondary sun visor.

The Cooper Clubman’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Subaru only offers heated mirrors on the Forester Premium/Sport/Wilderness/Limited/Touring.

The Cooper Clubman has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Forester Wilderness/Limited/Touring.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the MINI Cooper Clubman offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Forester doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Cooper Clubman’s optional Parking Assistant can parallel park by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Forester doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Model Availability

The Cooper Clubman is available in both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations. The Forester doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Cooper Clubman is less expensive to operate than the Forester because it costs $109 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Cooper Clubman than the Forester, including $46 less for a starter and $336 less for fuel injection.

Recommendations

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Cooper Clubman first among compact cars in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Forester isn’t in the top three in its category.