Buying Guide Index

Cars.comparison: Iconic Cars

By Mike Hanley, David Thomas and Joe Wiesenfelder

Some cars are merely popular, like the Toyota Camry, while others have a rabid following in which the car is more than just a car. The three cars below fall into the latter category, and we're here to see which has the best odds to win over the hearts and minds of its owners.

 = Category winner
The Contenders
2008 Mini Cooper Clubman2008 Scion xB2008 Smart ForTwo (Passion coupe)
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Base MSRP
$19,950$15,650$13,590
Price as tested
$28,700$18,379$15,425
Biggest head-turner
The Cooper used to be the big head-turner on the road, but it's been available since 2002 and hasn't changed all that much on the outside since then. People in the know might give the Clubman a closer look, but regular folks won't give it a second glance.The xB still looks different from most of what's on the road, and it includes interesting design cues like a single, offset reverse light. Park it beside a ForTwo, though, and it would blend into the background as if it weren't there. The ForTwo generates interest wherever you go, so you best be comfortable with that. If you want instant celebrity, buy this car.
Performance
The turbo engine in S versions of the Cooper is a hoot, but the regular four-cylinder in this non-S Clubman still has decent-enough power. The six-speed manual is a joy to shift and makes you miss the turbo engine less. The xB's standard 2.4-liter four-cylinder is the strongest of this trio; it makes 158 horsepower. It has plenty of guts and makes the xB feel light on its feet. The four-speed automatic has what you want in an automatic transmission: responsiveness and refinement.The ForTwo's diminutive 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine is strong enough for this car, but the balky automated-manual transmission is annoying in stop-and-go driving — if not all driving. Switching to the transmission's manual mode improves the experience a little.
Gas mileage (city/highway, mpg)
28/37
For a car that's more solid and substantial than you'd expect, the mileage truly impresses. Its preference for premium fuel does not.		22/28
Though the xB's spacious interior makes its lower mileage more tolerable, the robust Camry engine kills the original xB's exceptional 26/31 mpg.		 33/41
It has the best mileage of the three, but when you consider the sacrifices you make in driving a car this small, it arguably should be better.
Ride and handling
Like its shorter sibling, the Cooper, the Clubman has communicative steering that lets the driver get a feel for the road. The compliant suspension offers the comfort expected by everyday drivers without diluting the car's handling abilities, which are impressive. The xB steers with a light touch that brings instant response, but unlike the Clubman it doesn't offer much feedback. The suspension tuning yields a smooth ride, and the car is surprisingly nimble in turns. It might not be a Mini, but it's a lot more fun to drive than the previous generation.Responsive steering performance is a bonus with the ForTwo, but its firmly tuned suspension and short wheelbase bring harshness when the pavement gets rough. Drivers might feel like they're going to tip during sharp turns; the ForTwo has the same 3-star rollover rating as a Ford Explorer, and it feels like it.
Cabin aesthetics
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With its available brown, cream and black interior colors, plus unique elements like a massive center speedometer, the Clubman's cabin is a treat for your eyes. It's enough to overcome the cheapo audio and climate controls.
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Scion's minimalist approach with the xB's cabin makes for a clean-looking dash. The car has center-mounted gauges, some of which, like the tachometer, are hard to read at a glance.
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Like the Clubman, the ForTwo has its own cabin oddities, like two tiny gauges that can go on top of the dash, but the overall look is not as endearing as the Mini's, and on the whole the cabin feels less like a real car. The quality of the materials, however, is quite high for a car of this price.
Seat comfort
Our Clubman's front bucket seats were finished in rich-looking brown leather, and they offered good comfort, too. The backseat of this stretched Cooper is small, but it's worlds better than the one in the regular-length model. The basic appearance of the xB's fabric seats belies the comfort and support they provide. A spacious backseat that's larger than what you'll find in some midsize sedans makes the xB the most friendly of this trio when it comes to carrying friends and family. Though the fabric isn't bad, we took issue with the lack of seat-height, steering-wheel and head-restraint adjustments. And there's no room — or seats — for rear passengers.
Utility
There's 9.2 cubic feet of cargo room with the backseat up; with that seat folded you get 32.8 cubic feet of room. The Clubman's cargo doors are small but have the potential to make loading luggage in tight spaces more difficult. A low liftover height should make loading luggage into the 21.7-cubic-foot cargo area easier. With the split-folding backseat lowered, there's a cavernous 69.9 cubic feet of space. The cargo area behind the seats is rather small, with a volume of 7.8 cubic feet, but Smart says there's 12 cubic feet if you pile your belongings all the way to the roof. We wouldn't want to do that, for safety reasons.
Overall value
How do you appraise iconography? Only you can place a value on the Cooper's gestalt. Beyond that, it's a lot of car for the money, but compared to the others, it's a lot of money for the car, especially when equipped with a healthy dose of options like our test model was. As an icon, the current xB seems to have less impact than the previous generation. Otherwise, though, it gives the most space and versatility for a relatively low price, earning it the "value" title — if gas prices don't continue to climb. Whether you've driven one overseas or you're seeing it on the street for the first time, you can't beat this little sprite for wow factor. It's not much money ... but it's not much car, either.
 
Editors' choice
The Clubman makes the Cooper a more practical car without sacrificing the fun-to-drive nature of the Mini that's partly responsible for its appeal. It may no longer get the most looks, but Mini fans are as devoted as they come, and we can understand why. There's plenty to like with the xB, like its functional cabin and responsive drivetrain. It has generated a following, too, but you need more than that to be a winner; the xB comes up short to the Clubman in terms of the driving experience. Even though it's incredibly small by U.S. standards, you will be seen in the ForTwo. If that's what you want, then this is your car. Once the hype dies down, though, its transmission and cabin shortcomings could leave you smarting a little.
Posted on 6/2/08
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